Tokyo's Most Affectionate - Chapter 141

I Am Zero Hour

After eating and drinking their fill, Itsuragi skillfully packed everything, neatly arranging them in a plastic bag.

“Let’s get to work.”

Once everything was tidied up, she couldn’t wait any longer.

“I’ll go change first.”

Kurosawa stood up. They had rehearsed before, and he was already familiar with the process.

“We’ll wait for you in the recording studio.”

Nodding, Ninomiya spoke.

With that, the three of them walked out of the lounge together.

The two girls went downstairs, while Kurosawa headed to his room alone.

Perhaps there was a dressing room and makeup room on the second floor, but those were prepared for other artists, not for him.

Opening the door, the room had a bed, a table, a wardrobe – everything a bedroom should have, all set up.

Unlike last time, the once empty bed was now covered with fresh bedding and a bedspread.

However, Kurosawa didn’t pay attention to anything else. Instead, he walked to the nearby wardrobe and took out a set of clothes.

The image of Zero Hour was meticulously designed by him and, because of his artistic skills, it was completely customized with no discrepancies.

……

On the second floor in the recording studio, Itsuragi had consulted with professionals, learned the basic operations, and had even rehearsed before, so she was quite adept.

Upon arrival, she operated the console and officially started up.

As for Ninomiya, she stood on the side and observed. She didn’t understand much about this, being more of an investor.

“Creak.”

Not long after, the double doors of the hall were pushed open, and a man walked in.

He wore a well-fitted black tailcoat, a white shirt as a base, a bow tie, along with suit pants and black shoes, creating a strong black-and-white appearance.

However, none of this was the focal point; the key was his appearance.

Beneath the gentleman’s hat was a pure black mask with a drawn ‘0’, covering his features.

Because the mask was specially customized, there was no need to reveal his eyes; he could see through it clearly.

This image and appearance, coupled with Kurosawa’s steady footsteps as he walked, exuded a powerful aura.

“Wow! No matter how many times I see it, this outfit looks really handsome!”

Itsuragi couldn’t help but admire as she saw him arrive.

Even though she had seen Kurosawa try on this outfit on Friday, seeing it again now was still an impactful ensemble. A single glance left a lasting impression.

This was the Piano Form of Zero Hour, a highly distinctive and intense personal style.

“Indeed.”

Ninomiya, watching Black Hikari step forward, felt the same.

Elegant, noble, dignified, mysterious, confident – with his features concealed and such a unique design, his aura was fully unleashed. It was as if a very special presence was walking towards them, incredibly charismatic.

“I’m going in.”

Kurosawa nodded slightly at Ninomiya and headed towards the recording studio door. Due to the mask, his voice became somewhat deep and magnetic, mature and composed.

“Go for it.”

Before he entered, Itsuragi clenched her fist, pulled her arm, and cheered him on.

Kurosawa nodded, then pushed the door open.

Inside the recording studio, the Steinway grand piano stood at the center, as if it were the protagonist of the world—a work of art with an indescribable beauty.

Walking through the room, he approached the piano, and his fingertips gently descended to feel its sound.

Kurosawa listened to the tone of each key one by one, wanting to bring himself to the best state for the most outstanding performance.

Outside the recording studio, due to the open control console, Itsuragi and Ninomiya wore headphones, able to hear the sounds from inside.

“So handsome.” 

Ninomiya’s gaze pierced through the transparent soundproofing panel, looking at the figure in front of the piano. She was somewhat entranced and whispered in awe.

With each key, the sound resonated, and she felt the figure in front of the piano undergoing a further transformation in temperament.

That person was no longer the familiar Kurosawa to her; he had completely transformed into Zero Hour.

“Wow…” As for Itsuragi, she was already too excited.

Until all eighty-eight keys were played, the last one resonating, the two outside the recording studio remained patient, showing no signs of impatience.

Soon, Kurosawa reached for the microphone, placing it in position. Then, he moved to the side, picked up a single-lens reflex camera, and started the setup.

After carefully adjusting, he held the camera and sat down in front of the piano.

With the lens aimed at himself, he reached over, activating the video recording mode.

“I am Zero Hour, and this is a piano composition I wrote, titled Croatian Rhapsody.”

Kurosawa faced the camera, his words deep and magnetic.

After that, without much further ado, he placed the camera on the nearby fixed stand, aiming it at the piano keys and himself.

“Why Croatian Rhapsody? Shouldn’t it be Flight of the Bumblebee?”

Itsuragi, who was listening to the sounds from the recording studio with headphones, was stunned upon hearing this.

Compared to Flight of the Bumblebee, in her opinion, Croatian Rhapsody had more value and unparalleled charm. 

For this piece, she would insist on bringing in the most professional team to shoot a tailored MV, maximizing its impact. 

While any music would be impressive, it wasn’t suitable for shooting in such basic conditions—it would be a waste.

Without waiting for her to react, Kurosawa’s hands had already descended, starting his performance and the first video recording.

The original duration of this piano piece was 3 minutes and 32 seconds, but by 3 minutes and 20 seconds, Kurosawa had already pressed the final key.

Upon completing the performance, he reached for the camera, concluding the recording.

These actions would be edited out in post-production, much like shooting behind-the-scenes footage.

After finishing the operation, Kurosawa stood up and walked out holding the single-lens reflex camera.

“Kurosawa… no, Zero Hour, didn’t we schedule ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’ for today? How come you changed it to ‘Croatian Rhapsody’?”

As he walked out, Itsuragi hurriedly approached him.

“I thought about it seriously these past few days. ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’ is, after all, an adapted piece with less explosive effects. Just before playing, I suddenly got inspired and made some improvements based on the original version, so I decided to go with it.”

Kurosawa, wearing a mask that concealed his expression, spoke calmly.

“But wouldn’t that be a waste? This piece is your original piano composition. It’s better to hire a professional photographer.”

Itsuragi still found it a bit hard to accept.

In her view, Croatian Rhapsody was undoubtedly a masterpiece, a piano composition that could become a hit. Only with thorough preparation could its power be unleashed.

“Before that, why don’t we take a look at the finished product?”

Seeing her anxious, Kurosawa smiled slightly.

“Okay.”

Because his voice was calm and composed, Itsuragi gradually calmed down and nodded.

Soon after, they started watching.

……

YouTube is the world’s largest video search platform.

The user base of this platform is extremely crazy, with millions of creators.

Of course, these creators vary in quality.

In a villa in Hokkaido, during the sunny summer, a beautiful black-haired woman, wearing a camisole, with an extremely hot figure and wearing ultra-short shorts, sat in front of the computer.

“Which piece should I play today? Let’s see what everyone else is playing.”

Opening YouTube, searching, entering the keyword “piano,” and filtering the latest releases, the black-haired beauty couldn’t help muttering.

She was Kitajima Shizuka, a full-time YouTuber, a member of the high-quality creators, and a piano artist. 

With her beautiful appearance, sizzling figure, sexy outfits, and melodious piano skills, her channel had a whopping 1.13 million subscriptions and over 2 million fans.

The playback volume of each of her videos was basically over two to three million, making her a popular figure among piano creators.

Of course, she was well aware that her fans were not really watching her play the piano, but rather, they were watching her play the piano in various sexy outfits.

Many people criticized her for having no bottom line for views, being vulgar, and tarnishing the reputation of the piano. 

But who cares? 

As long as making videos earnt her enough money, she had already bought a mansion in her hometown and was living the life of a wealthy person.

Her daily task was to find a recently popular piano piece, consider the style of dress during the performance based on the genre, and that was it.

While searching for the latest releases, a video title suddenly caught her attention.

“Croatian Rhapsody.”

“What piece is this? Why haven’t I seen it before…”

Kitajima was a bit surprised. 

Although she was a sex appeal YouTuber, she once put a lot of effort and sweat into learning the piano during her younger years. She had some knowledge of various piano pieces in the world.

In the next moment, she saw the cover, and her gaze was suddenly captivated, even holding her breath.

The video’s cover featured a Steinway grand piano, an expensive instrument that she had always wanted to buy.

But that was not the point. Standing in front of the piano was a person.

Wearing a tailcoat, a gentleman’s hat, a white shirt, a black bowtie, and a mask with a large circle painted on a black background. 

He stood straight, his slender arms hanging down, and his fingers gently pressing the piano keys.

His attire, paired with the Steinway piano, complemented each other perfectly, as if they were made for each other.

Dignified, sacred, handsome, extraordinary—the feeling conveyed by this cover image was extremely impactful.

“What is this?”

Seeing such a cover and outfit, she felt deeply impressed.

This was because she was still young and played the piano while relying on sex appeal, which was not a unique endeavor. 

Many predecessors came before her. So, to catch up with everyone, she had put a lot of effort into her outfits.

However, at this moment, seeing this cover image and the cinematic feel it conveyed, she was deeply impressed. It was stunning!

Out of instinct, she clicked on it.

Even though she had never seen or heard this piece, the ambiance conveyed by the video’s cover image was enough to captivate her.

She believed that anyone who played the piano would find it hard to resist the charm of this image.

This video had very few views, just a few hundred, and hadn’t shown its popular side yet. If it were in the past, she would definitely not bother to watch it.

However, after taking a glance at the data and seeing the name “Zero Hour,” she started playing the video.

The next moment, the video began playing.

At the beginning of the video, the person on the cover was facing the camera, introducing himself:

“I am Zero Hour, and this is a piano piece I composed, titled ‘Croatian Rhapsody.'”

His voice was incredibly pleasant, magnetic, and deep, portraying a mature and elegant man.

After the introduction, the camera shifted to the piano. The man adjusted his posture, lifted his hands, and slowly brought them down.

Zero Hour’s performance had begun.