Tokyo's Most Affectionate - Chapter 144

300 Million Sheet Music

Takeout in Neon was very slow, delaying their order by half an hour.

Even though the delivery time was lengthy, the dishes were exceptionally exquisite.

However, no matter how delicious the food was, Itsuragi had no interest in savoring it.

“Hahaha.”

Seated on the high stool in the lounge, she laughed while eating, continuously watching the increasing view count of the video.

“Don’t keep staring; finish your food first.”

Seeing her engrossed in the screen with a silly smile, Ninomiya nudged her with her hand.

“It’s fine, you guys go ahead and eat.”

However, Itsuragi’s eyes seemed to be engraved on the screen.

With each refresh, the rise in view count was like the attraction of seeing one’s bank balance increasing.

“Miss Runa seems to have had her fill just by watching videos.”

Actually quite excited himself, Kurosawa teased, but having her around somehow kept him calm.

Regardless, today was a complete victory, even though there wasn’t a clear competitor, it was a great start.

As for how far his piano skills could go, he had no concept; he would just take it step by step.

“Sorry.”

Ninomiya felt a bit embarrassed when she heard this teasing remark.

“Why would you say that?” Kurosawa was a bit puzzled.

“She got too excited.”

Ninomiya felt a bit self-conscious; not because of herself but because of her close friend.

After all, she was the one who introduced Itsuragi to Kurosawa. 

In the past, everything went smoothly, and Itsuragi’s behavior was always excellent, but tonight she seemed to go a bit overboard.

“It’s a good thing; she indeed has something to be excited about.”

Kurosawa didn’t feel much about it. Although Itsuragi was a bit wild tonight, she was still quite cute.

In fact, thanks to the cooperation and support from the amusement park, his interaction with Ninomiya always went smoothly. He was very grateful to Itsuragi.

Ever since that day at the amusement park, he had been thinking that if he had the chance, he must repay her generously.

And now, undoubtedly, he had successfully repaid her… Although it hadn’t yet translated into financial gains, his performance had undoubtedly injected a powerful and unshakable energy into this agency that had not yet fully launched its business.

“That comment saying you have a world-class level… How did you become so talented?”

Seeing that he didn’t mind, Ninomiya stopped dwelling on the matter and asked instead.

“It’s talent, and I practiced for a long time in the past.” Kurosawa smiled.

“Your talent is really crazy. You can excel academically and get into the University of Tokyo, sing, play the piano, and what’s more, you can compose and even improvise and adapt on the spot.”

Itsuragi turned her head, expressing amazement.

Bluntly speaking, the most outstanding guy she has ever met in her life was undoubtedly Kurosawa.

As a talent manager, she had seen too many talented individuals, but there had never been anyone comparable to this guy.

“He even knows how to draw and practice archery… and it seems like he’s very good at archery.” On this note, Ninomiya couldn’t help nodding, adding with some joy and pride in her heart.

Because last week, Kurosawa asked for the contact information of Uesugi-sensei, the advisor and coach of the archery club.

This week, she tried to inquire about it, and it seemed like Uesugi valued Kurosawa, considering him a genius.

“How are the stats?” Kurosawa smiled and didn’t continue on this topic.

“So modest…” Seeing that he could restrain himself from boasting and inflating, Itsuragi couldn’t help but glance at him.

“It’s just as I expected. After the video made it to the homepage, the views started skyrocketing, and the number of fans is rapidly increasing… Our cover is really amazing. The fixed-position time-lapse shooting unexpectedly captured such a divine image; it’s truly a stroke of luck for us.”

Soon after, Itsuragi also spoke with a smile.

“That cover does look good.”

Ninomiya couldn’t help but agree.

Even now, she could recall the feelings she had when she first saw that photo.

The ambiance, the aura, and the atmosphere—it was as if it was tailor-made for the piano.

As someone who has loved the piano since childhood, she instinctively had a favorable impression of that photo, even considering it a work of art.

Should she say that Kurosawa was just perfect for the piano? This experimental first-time shoot unexpectedly achieved such astonishing results.

“I didn’t expect it to turn out so well.” Kurosawa nodded slightly.

In fact, after the photography reward changed from an experience card to a permanent one in entry-level photography, he truly understood what photography was.

Although it was at a national level, the set and his outfit at that time were just too perfect together.

The Steinway grand piano played a crucial role; it had a lot of style as a background.

“Unknown caller… Who’s this?”

At this moment, Itsuragi’s phone in her pocket suddenly rang. She took it out, glanced at it, and felt a bit puzzled.

“Hush~”

Although she didn’t know who it was, since it was her work phone, she signaled the others not to speak, opened the speaker, placed it on the table, and answered the call.

“Hello, who is this?” Itsuragi instantly shifted from an excited state to a calm and composed one.

Seeing her drastic change in expression, Kurosawa couldn’t help but look at her twice.

“Hello, I’m Ezaki Mai, the head of the Neon Division at MAPIA Corporation. I would like to discuss collaboration matters with Zero Hour. Is he available?”

Following that, a sweet and melodious female voice sounded from the phone.

“I am his agent, Itsuragi Runa. If you have any business, you can discuss it with me.”

“Miss Itsuragi? Are you the agent for Fujiwara Rika at Illusion Star Agency?”

“Yes, but now I am the sole agent for Zero Hour. I am no longer with Illusion Star Agency.”

Realizing that the other party knew her, Itsuragi wasn’t surprised and clarified her position and identity.

Perhaps those outside the industry may not be very familiar with her name unless they deliberately searched for it, but within the industry, she had gained some recognition.

“That’s correct. Our company has a platform, the largest sheet music platform in Asia, with the aim of ensuring the copyright interests of musicians. After discussions, our company is willing to offer 300 million Japanese yen to purchase the sheet music for Zero Hour’s ‘Croatian Rhapsody.’ May I know your thoughts on this?”

After introducing their identities, Ezaki explained her purpose and presented a sincere offer.

“300 million?”

Upon hearing this price, Itsuragi raised her eyebrows slightly.

Beside her, Kurosawa and Ninomiya exchanged glances, showing some surprise.

Although they were aware that the video had gained popularity, was the money coming in too quickly?

“I will convey this matter to Zero Hour and provide you with an answer later. I am currently busy, so let’s end the conversation here. I apologize.”

After some consideration, Itsuragi nodded slightly, briefly expressing her intentions, and then hung up the phone.

“Why did you hang up? That’s 300 million! Why not just agree?” Kurosawa couldn’t understand.

He originally thought Itsuragi would agree, but unexpectedly, faced with 300 million, she chose to hang up directly, employing a delaying tactic.

Ninomiya also nodded in agreement. The beautiful eyes behind her frameless glasses showed a hint of surprise; she had never seen such a quick return on investment. Although the actual profit couldn’t be several times the investment after equity distribution and tax payments, it was still a remarkably fast result.

“Selling the sheet music to them would mean that ‘Croatian Rhapsody’ won’t be exclusively your piano piece anymore. Others who buy it can also perform it. For this composition, once you perform more pieces, we can release an album, and the profits will far exceed this amount. Don’t even think about selling it for 300 million, not even for a billion.”

Seeing their surprised expressions, Itsuragi explained.

Sell the sheet music? That was a joke. This was Zero Hour’s debut hit, the most valuable piece. How could they consider selling it for a mere 300 million yen?

“Hah…”

Kurosawa was a bit surprised by her unyielding response but didn’t dwell on it. 

According to this reasoning, keeping the piece in their hands would allow them to play the long game. Selling it for just 300 million wouldn’t be worth it.

In fact, what surprised him even more was Itsuragi’s sudden calmness. Just a moment ago, she was excited like a child, and now she had turned into an extremely shrewd businesswoman. 

Was this the demeanor expected of a top-notch agent?

“You’re already in the spotlight, making money is just a matter of time. There’s no need to rush, let’s take it slow.”

Seeing him still contemplating, Itsuragi reassured.

“Runa understands this well; just leave it to her.”

Ninomiya also chimed in, expressing full confidence in her friend. After all, a renowned agent in the industry wasn’t just for show.

“Then I’ll leave it all to Miss Runa.”

Kurosawa didn’t have a clear understanding of how much money his piano composition could make, nor did he know how to go about making money. He nodded in agreement.

If he were alone, and someone somehow managed to contact him and offer a sky-high price of 300 million, he might have sold it without a second thought.

After all, he only earned twenty thousand yen for an hour of private tutoring, making 120,000 yen a day.

300 million… that would be earning as much as 15,000 hours of tutoring or 2500 days of work. Although 300 million yen might not bring financial freedom for a lifetime, becoming an instant millionaire was quite tempting.

“Just focus on your performances. Leave the monetization through your fame to me; there won’t be any issues.”

Itsuragi clenched her fist and shook it, displaying her confidence.

Perhaps her annual salary was twenty million yen, but she had seen too many high-value contracts. 

300 million was nothing compared to what Fujiwara Rika earned for endorsing a brand for a year. It wasn’t even worth considering.

“Alright.”

Seeing her reliable demeanor, Kurosawa nodded.

Birds of a feather flock together, and people of the same kind associate with each other.

After all, she was Ninomiya’s best friend. Although Itsuragi seemed to enjoy joking around and even teasing her best friend, fundamentally, she was a talented and elite individual. 

Otherwise, it wouldn’t be possible to maintain their relationship for so long.

When a person’s skills and talents far surpass others, it’s difficult to get along. After all, perspectives, knowledge, money, and status are fundamentally unequal.

“By the way, how did she manage to contact you so quickly? And she could call you too,” Kurosawa didn’t quite understand this situation.

“When I was helping you create an account, I left my official cooperation number with them.”

“Can everyone see it?”

“If everyone could see it, my phone would be bombarded with calls. It’s an industry-standard practice. You need to contact the official channels first, express your intention to cooperate, confirm your identity, and then we can communicate.”

“I see.”

Kurosawa had no concept of these things but seemed to grasp something.

Without a strong foundation, it was better to leave these matters to her to handle.