Tokyo's Most Affectionate - Chapter 122

Triggering the Mission

After playing in the recording studio for over an hour, takeout arrived at 7:30 in the evening.

The reason for not dining out was to avoid the possibility of being seen by others.

To prevent trouble, they decided to order takeout and eat in the third-floor lounge.

“Amazing! You played even better than last time. It feels like your skill has improved a lot,” said Itsuragi, sitting at the table, still feeling the excitement from the recording studio.

“It was the difference in the piano, thanks Miss Ninomiya for choosing such a good one,” Kurosawa smiled, attributing the credit to others.

After all, he couldn’t say that the significant improvement was due to him going on a date with Shiromiya, receiving a reward, and upgrading his piano skills, right?

As soon as he said that, there was no response. Both of them looked at Ninomiya.

She was seen holding her hair with one hand, taking a bite of ramen. 

Even though it was a workday and she didn’t wear lipstick, due to the oil soup, her lips had a glossy shine, making her look quite sexy.

That movement was both elegant and graceful, exuding a delicate charm.

“It’s crucial to rely on one’s own abilities,” Ninomiya said after taking a bite of ramen.

The lounge’s decoration and arrangement were not completely finished yet, only addressing the basics. 

They were sitting at a high table, a choice made by Itsuragi. If the table were too low, bending over to eat might lead to indigestion and be less comfortable.

Kurosawa felt that she would undoubtedly be a fashionable and wise mother when she got married in the future. Despite looking stylish and exquisite, she seemed to excel at household chores, addressing every aspect meticulously.

“Why do you look so good even when eating ramen?” At that moment, Itsuragi exclaimed.

“The key is looking good. Everything looks good when you’re good-looking,” Kurosawa echoed, expressing his sentiments. 

It was like a category he had seen in his previous life, the moe fandom. 

As long as there was a group of beautiful girls, people would watch regardless of what they were doing, enjoying the experience. The key was not the action itself but the charm of the characters.

“Oh, come on… Let’s eat quickly. Weren’t you hungry just now?” Ninomiya, taken aback by their comments, urged them to focus on eating.

She didn’t do anything special, she was just avoiding the ramen broth from splashing onto her hair.

“I’m starting,” Ninomiya said, feeling a bit shy. Seeing her reaction, Kurosawa and Itsuragi exchanged a glance, smiled at each other, and began eating.

It didn’t take long for them to finish the ramen.

“Speaking of which, the two sets of clothes I had you customize will arrive tomorrow. It’s quite convenient because, since you wear a mask, we save money on a makeup artist,” Itsuragi mentioned, leaving the high table and sitting on the sofa area.

Itsuragi, sitting comfortably with her legs crossed and arms spread open, mentioned that the outfits accentuated her figure under the camisole. 

Observing this somewhat immodest pose, Ninomiya, seated beside her, lightly pushed her.

“Will they arrive tomorrow? After school on Friday, I’ll come over to try them on.”

“Why not come tomorrow? My plan is to start preparing for the shoot on Friday after school, officially shoot over the weekend, and then upload after post-processing.”

“I have tutoring sessions on Tuesday and Thursday. I can’t change them,” Kurosawa explained, shaking his head.

“How about quitting tutoring? Now that you’re an artist, with your skills, you’ll soon not have to worry about money,” Itsuragi suggested after hearing about his tutoring commitments.

“It’s not about the money. I’ve been tutoring for over a year, and in another half a year, the college entrance examination will take place. I have to be responsible in the end. Moreover, my hourly rate as a tutor is as high as twenty thousand, and it’s thanks to the students raising it for me. One cannot forget gratitude and turn ungrateful.”

Kurosawa was well-prepared for this suggestion, and he had thought through his response. 

In fact, after coming to Tokyo, his ability to rent an apartment independently, live comfortably, and not worry about his livelihood was largely due to this tutoring job.

“Okay.”

Hearing this, Itsuragi felt that if she insisted further, it would be unreasonable.

“Then come on Friday for fitting, rehearsal, and preparation. Shoot on Saturday, and upload the video on Sunday.”

Soon after, she rearranged the schedule.

“I have something on Saturday.”

Kurosawa raised his hand and added.

In these business decisions, Ninomiya didn’t speak up much, after all, she wasn’t a professional.

“What is it?”

But hearing this, she couldn’t help but ask.

Something on Saturday? Could it be a date with some girl?

“I promised Uesugi-sensei from the archery club to participate in a club activity.”

Under her gaze, Kurosawa instinctively came up with an excuse.

Although he had resolved to be upfront about everything, in front of her, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy and temporarily lacked the courage to come clean.

Hearing this reason, Ninomiya didn’t doubt it and just nodded.

“You really are a busy person…”

Immediately after, Itsuragi couldn’t help but complain.

He hadn’t even become a big star yet, and he was already so busy. If he became a big star in the future, wouldn’t it be even more challenging?

“I have no choice.”

Kurosawa could only helplessly accept.

“Then let’s go with Friday and Sunday, tighten the schedule a bit, and try to start working this week. Is that okay?”

Itsuragi didn’t insist further and pondered for a moment before saying.

“Sure,” Kurosawa nodded.

“Then I’ll arrange for a director to come to the agency?”

“Arrange a director?”

“Making videos is not as simple as starting and finishing shooting. We have to consider scene layout, camera angles, shooting details, post-production editing, and a series of elements to create a good video. To make a splash, I plan to use the shooting style of a music video for the first video.”

Seeing that he didn’t understand, Itsuragi smiled and explained her plan.

If possible, she hoped Kurosawa could become famous with a single piece.

“Miss Runa, I have an idea. May I share it?”

Kurosawa spoke after careful consideration.

“Sure.”

“To be honest, I think bringing in a director right away might be a bit hasty.”

“Why?”

“Because starting off too high makes it difficult to give people a sense of astonishment and improvement later on. According to my plan, the first video will be ‘Flight of the Bumblebee,’ just documenting me playing the piano, and I’ve already thought about the camera angles. 

Let’s build a bit of a reputation and gather some fans first. The second one will be ‘Croatian Rhapsody,’ and it will go directly viral on the internet.”

“So, you mean we only hire a cameraperson?”

“We don’t even need to hire a cameraperson. For the first video, the focus is on my piano skills, not the camera. As long as we adjust the camera settings, set up the lighting, and fix the shots, it’ll be enough.”

“You’re not wrong. If it’s too commercial, it might backfire. However, something carefully crafted has higher aesthetics. Your ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’ is a double feast for both sight and hearing. This way, we can’t fully bring out its effects.”

After hearing his plan, Itsuragi contemplated for a while before speaking.

“We need to be comprehensive, but not overwhelming. We want it to be high-end but not too high-end.”

“Why?”

“What I want is to stimulate the enthusiasm of piano enthusiasts.”

“Enthusiasm?”

“I’ll play Flight of the Bumblebee and release the sheet music. I want piano enthusiasts to imitate and play this piece, encouraging them to help us promote.”

Kurosawa nodded slightly, revealing his plan.

Based on his experience, Flight of the Bumblebee, a showy piece from his past life, had once led to music enthusiasts following suit and imitating.

“Do you think people will follow suit for this piece?”

Seeing his confident gaze and smile, Itsuragi was a bit surprised.

“They definitely will.”

“Then, I’ll trust you this time. If the effect is not good, we’ll have to carefully package Croatian Rhapsody.”

After careful consideration, Itsuragi decided to go along with his plan.

Their entrepreneurial venture was already unconventional. 

While she excelled in packaging and promotion, Kurosawa’s exceptional talent in piano suggested that trusting his judgment and trying out his ideas might not be a bad idea.

“Summer vacation is coming soon. It’s best to formalize our business during the current school term,” reminded Ninomiya.

“I understand. Word of mouth among students is crucial for promotion,” Kurosawa nodded, having a concept of the importance of student interaction.

Compared to summer vacation when students are scattered, the clustering of students during the school term would undoubtedly be more favorable for promotion. 

Moreover, he wasn’t launching a movie or holding a concert. With videos easily accessible on mobile phones anytime, anywhere, it would be more convenient.

“That’s why I’m in a hurry.”

“Speaking of which, these are the storyboards and sheet music I drew.”

Seeing her a bit anxious, Kurosawa thought for a moment and then took out a stack of papers from his bag, placing them on the table and pushing them over.

“Storyboards?”

Hearing this term, Ninomiya was somewhat intrigued.

“It’s the entire process of the first shoot. I’ve planned the workflow. Though not the complete process, it can give you an idea of my thoughts.”

“Your drawing skills are really good. With this talent, why not consider becoming a manga artist?” Itsuragi took the papers, glanced at them, and was astonished.

On the paper was an illustration of Zero Hour’s provisional appearance. If the previous images could be compared to character design, what she was looking at now resembled a manga.

The virtual identity of Zero Hour seemed to come to life on paper.

“Being a manga artist is too short-lived,” Kurosawa wasn’t interested in that.

“Indeed,” Itsuragi chuckled, agreeing.

Even though being a manga artist had high commercial value, the effort and mental strain involved in creating manga often led to burnout.

“…”

Ninomiya leaned in slightly, joining the viewing without saying a word, her gaze focused on the drawings.

While they were engrossed in looking, Kurosawa remained silent, just waiting for their reactions.

But at that moment, a line of text appeared before his eyes.

Date Mission: 【Outdoor Sketching Trip with Ninomiya Chizuru】

Mission Objectives: 【Accompany her on a solo trip, go at least 150 kilometers away from Tokyo for outdoor sketching】 【Draw a portrait of her, using her as a model 】【Sit together by the river or stream and soak your feet】 【Make her blush three times】

Mission Deadline: 240 hours.

Provided funds: Beginner-level drawing skills, Beginner-level Japanese cuisine cooking, Beginner-level Western cuisine cooking. (Experience Cards)

Mission Rewards: Beginner-level drawing skills, Beginner-level Japanese cuisine cooking, Beginner-level Western cuisine cooking. (Permanent)