Tokyo: My Best Actor Gear List

The Game of the Theme Song in Chapter 58

"Take it."

A black Sony cassette tape was forcefully flicked out by a finger, slid a meter across the smooth mahogany conference table, and finally came to a stop against an ashtray.

Inside the production office of Fuji Television, the smoke was thicker than on the film set.

Ryota loosened his tie, his brow furrowed, and his face full of impatience: "Is Being's president, Nagato, playing a 'bundled sale' game with me? Buy one get one free? The price for us using BBQueens to sing 'Chibi Maruko-chan' is that we have to squeeze this newcomer into our 'Getsu-9' nightly show?"

The music director sitting opposite him wiped his sweat and said with a wry smile, "It's not exactly a 'must.' President Nagato's original words were—'This is a sound that Being is focusing on developing going forward, and we hope it can be considered as an alternative for insert songs. If Fuji TV is willing to give us a chance, Being is willing to offer a very sincere discount regarding the copyright cooperation for Mr. Tetsuro Oda's subsequent hit singles.'"

This was a blatant exchange of resources. Although there was no overt threat, Being held the top composition resources in the Japanese music scene at the time, and the weight of this "strong recommendation" should not be underestimated.

"ZARD?"

Screenwriter Yuji Sakamoto snorted coldly, flipping through the rudimentary document in his hand. "Lead singer Izumi Sakai? I don't even know where this guy came from. We're making 'Tokyo Love Story,' a work that's meant to stand the test of time, not a karaoke room for models to transition into singing. Having a newcomer with no musical achievements sing is just too frivolous."

"And the theme song has already been decided."

Da Liang tapped his fingers on the table. "I've heard Mr. Kazumasa Oda's 'Sudden Love Story' before. It's a masterpiece. The kind of masterpiece that can pull you into the story as soon as the intro starts. I won't allow any noise to ruin the quality of this drama."

Everyone knows Da Liang's temper.

He has an almost obsessive-compulsive obsession with production. In order to ensure the perfection of the series, he dares to offend any sponsor, let alone a "recommendation" from a music company.

Kitahara Shin sat on the sofa in the corner, holding a script in his hand, seemingly memorizing his lines.

But he was actually listening the whole time.

As the male lead who had already been signed, he was not originally qualified to participate in such a high-level music selection meeting.

However, because of his amazing performance in casting, and because Da Duoliang wanted him to experience the atmosphere of the crew in advance, he specially kept him behind to listen in.

Upon hearing the keywords "ZARD" and "disliked," Kitahara Shin closed the script.

He stood up and walked naturally to the conference table.

"Mrs. Dodo, may I take a look?"

Kitahara Shin pointed to the neglected cassette tape on the table.

Da Duoliang paused for a moment, then casually waved his hand: "See? We'll have to go back later anyway."

Kitahara Shin picked up the cassette tape.

There was no fancy cover, just a handwritten sticker with the song title: "Good-bye My Loneliness".

The handwriting was familiar; it was the words that girl had written on her knees in the stairwell that day.

"Actually, I've heard her live."

Kitahara Shin held the cassette tape in his hand, but did not rush to put it into the tape recorder.

"Oh?" Yuji Sakamoto's interest was piqued. "You went to see her performance?"

"No, it's in the stairwell of the recording studio."

Sigh, sometimes you have to use cheats to help the fountain.

[Equipment: The Silver Zippo Discarded by the Songstress (Activated)]

[Special Effects: Story Resonance (Activated)]

His voice deepened, taking on a powerfully magnetic quality, as if he were recounting a personal experience.

"Back then, she was scolded mercilessly by the producer and hid in a corner crying. But when she stood up and sang, that voice... how should I put it, it wasn't like a carefully packaged idol candy, but more like a rough piece of sandpaper that could cut through the skin."

Da Duoliang stopped spinning his pen and looked up at Kitahara Shin.

"This drama is about Tokyo."

Kitahara Shin gently placed the cassette tape into the dual cassette recorder on the table. "Tokyo is not only about the refined, adult romance of Mr. Oda Kazumasa, but also about countless young people like Rika and Kanji who come from other places and crash and burn in this concrete jungle."

"Mr. Oda's song is 'The Result,' the miracle that happens when love occurs."

Kitahara Shin pressed play. "But this girl's voice is 'the process,' the kind of loneliness and stubbornness that wells up in your heart when you're on the subway late at night after get off work, even though you're very tired but don't want to go home, and you're watching the neon lights recede outside the window."

"Click".

The magnetic tape started spinning.

The prelude begins.

It was a rock guitar riff with a strong early 90s vibe—rapid, powerful, and with a restless energy.

Immediately afterwards, Izumi Sakai's voice burst out.

"The same loneliness is in your eyes."

"Good-bye My Loneliness..."

There was no auto-tuning, and not much reverb.

That straightforward, highly textured voice instantly filled the entire conference room.

It's not as perfect as Kazumasa Oda, but it's so real it's heartbreaking. It's like a girl who refuses to give up, shouting her declaration in the cold Tokyo wind.

Yuji Sakamoto loosened his arms, which had been wrapped around his shoulders.

He closed his eyes and tapped his fingers lightly on his knees in a rhythm.

As a screenwriter, he is most sensitive to emotions.

The sense of urban alienation conveyed in this song perfectly overlaps with the scene in the script where Rika walks alone on the street.

The song ended.

The tape recorder popped up automatically with a "click".

Dadu Liang remained in that position, staring at the stopped rotating tape reel.

He's a discerning person.

Although I don't want to admit that Being's "bundling" is a bit annoying, this song... does have some merit, and if it can secure priority access to Tetsuro Oda's future works, it's not a bad deal.

"How about it?" Kitahara Shin spoke up at the opportune moment, deliberately using an exaggerated tone, "If it's not suitable, I'll throw it in the trash."

"...Keep it."

Da Duoliang sighed, took out a cigarette from the pack, but didn't light it. "That old fox, Nagato, really has a sharp eye."

"What about the theme song?" the music director asked tentatively.

"The theme song remains the same, it's still Kazumasa Oda."

Da Duoliang stated unequivocally, "That's the soul of this show. But..."

He pointed to the cassette tape, "This song, 'Good-bye My Loneliness,' is used as an interlude. It's played when Kanji and Rika have a misunderstanding, or when Rika is alone. Its rock vibe is just right to balance out Mr. Oda's overly gentle musical style."

"Understood." The music director breathed a sigh of relief.

"besides,"

Da Duoliang looked at Kitahara Shin, a deeper meaning in his eyes, "And you, kid, you're already worrying about the producer before filming even starts? Are you trying to steal my chair later?"

"I'm just doing it for my role."

Kitahara Shin smiled, and with a slight thought, deactivated his equipment. "I think Kanji would listen to this kind of music when he's in a bad mood."

"Alright, stop joking around."

Da Liang tossed the cassette tape back to the music director. "Tell Being that this 'backup' has been officially approved. Have them get the official version out as soon as possible, and remember to honor the promised discount."

End of the meeting.

The people involved gradually left, leaving behind a room full of lingering cigarette smoke.

Kitahara Shin walked out of the office, and the air conditioning in the corridor cooled his feverish head a little.

He leaned against the window, clutching the cassette tape that had almost been thrown into the trash can.

The magnetic stripe inside the tape was a bit loose.

He took a ballpoint pen out of his pocket, skillfully inserted it into the hole, and turned it clockwise twice.

"rustle."

With a slight friction sound, the loose magnetic strip is gradually tightened until it becomes flat.

The tactile sensation of gears meshing travels from the pen shaft to the fingertips, giving one a strangely reassuring sense of control.

"It's tight."

Kitahara Shin pulled out a pen, casually stuffed the cassette tape into his suit's inner pocket, and patted it lightly.

"I wonder if the spring water will thank me now that it knows?"

He shook his head and smiled.

-

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