Tokyo: My Best Actor Gear List

Chapter 48 The Resonance of the Raw Stone

In late November, the continuous autumn rains in Tokyo finally stopped.

Having just finished filming in the afternoon, Kitahara Shin was sitting in his van with his eyes closed, resting, when the pager on his waist vibrated twice.

The screen displayed an unfamiliar number, followed by a short message:

If it's convenient, I'd like to invite you for a coffee as a token of my gratitude. —Pu Chi

Kitahara Shin stared at the name for a while, remembering the girl eating bread in front of the convenience store.

He asked the driver to pull over and returned the call.

"I am Kitahara."

"Ah! Mr. Kitahara!"

The voice on the other end of the phone sounded flustered, with the subway announcements in the background. "I'm sorry to bother you so suddenly... Um, about what happened last time, I've been wanting to thank you for a while now, but I don't know if you're here..."

"I'm near Akasaka."

Kitahara Shin glanced at the neon lights that had just come on outside the window, rubbed his temples, and said, "But I'll pass on the coffee; drinking it at this hour will keep me awake tonight."

"Ah...I see..."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, as if someone was at a loss. But soon, Sachiko's voice came through again, this time more determined than before:

"Then...is going to karaoke okay?"

"Karaoke?" Kitahara Shin was somewhat surprised.

"Yes, I know a very cheap shop that also has food."

Sachiko paused, a hint of cautious anticipation in her voice, "And... that melody you hummed at the convenience store last time, I tried to finish writing the lyrics. If you'd like, I'd like to sing it for you, just as... handing in my homework?"

Kitahara Shin paused for a moment, then smiled.

Time to hand in homework.

That was an irresistible reason. He had been on edge all day on set and really needed some "human voices" to relax.

"Okay."

Kitahara Shin glanced at his watch. "Send me the address. I'm hungry too, so I'm hoping to have dinner there."

"No problem! It's on me!" The voice on the other end of the phone became noticeably more cheerful.

……

An hour later, at a karaoke bar in Shibuya.

This wasn't one of those high-end clubs frequented by executive producers; it was a place where students and ordinary office workers usually hung out. On the table were several cans of Kirin beer and a large plate of freshly fried fries.

Sachiko Kamachi sat by the karaoke machine. Today she was wearing a beige cardigan, jeans, and black-rimmed glasses. In the dim lighting, she looked like any ordinary, quiet office worker, completely unlike a model.

"Since it's your treat, I won't stand on ceremony."

Kitahara Shin took off his dark gray trench coat and hung it on the hanger, then opened a can of beer, the foam overflowing from the can. He took a sip of the foam. "Don't be shy. Didn't we say we had an assignment to hand in? Sing!"

"Um."

Sachiko nodded. She didn't sing the original song right away, but instead scribbled a few notes on the song request book. "Before that, I want to sing something else to warm up my voice."

She chose Akina Nakamori's "DESIRE".

A song that requires extremely strong explosive power.

The intro begins, with rapid drumbeats.

Sachiko took a deep breath, stood up, and gripped the microphone tightly with both hands.

"Get up, Get up, Get up, Get up——Burning love!!"

The moment the first line of lyrics burst out, Kitahara Shin's hand holding the beer paused.

The voice was harsh.

Unlike the cloyingly sweet singing styles of idol singers on the market, her voice has a grainy quality, straightforward and without any fancy vocal embellishments. Especially in the high notes, the almost screaming penetrating power makes even the empty soda cans on the table vibrate.

Kitahara Shin leaned back on the sofa, listening quietly.

He didn't speak, nor did he show any surprise; he simply stared intently at Sachiko, who was singing.

In this cramped private room, she was no longer the timid little model; her voice filled the entire space.

The song ended.

Sachiko put down the microphone, a fine layer of sweat beading on her forehead. She looked nervously at Kitahara Shin, worried that her singing might be too wild and scare the big star.

"How is it... is it too noisy?"

"No."

Kitahara Shin put down the sake jug and clapped lightly. "Very steady, more steady than many of the newcomers I've seen on TV."

He sat up slightly and tapped his fingers on his knee: "Ms. Sachiko, to be honest, are you really planning to keep pursuing modeling to the bitter end?"

Sachiko paused for a moment, then shook her head with a wry smile and unscrewed a bottle of oolong tea: "Actually, I don't like it either. But I sent audition tapes to record companies a few times, and they all disappeared without a trace. They said my image wasn't fashionable enough, and my voice wasn't 'idol' enough."

"That means they have a problem with their ears."

Kitahara Shin put it bluntly: "The market is indeed currently favoring the style of Matsuda Seiko, but audiences eventually get tired of sweet talk. Going forward, people will want to hear more of this kind of real, powerful voice."

He took out his business card holder from his trench coat pocket, pulled out a notepad, and wrote down a name and phone number.

Do you know what 'Being' means?

"Being?" Sachiko's eyes lit up. "The company that made B'z and TUBE?"

"That's right, their president, Daiko Nagato, is an oddball. He doesn't like those delicate dolls; he prefers this kind of voice that's a bit rock-and-roll, a bit rough, but full of vitality."

Kitahara Shin pushed the sticky note in front of Sachiko.

"I have some business dealings with them. If you trust me, come audition this week. Sing the song you just sang, or the original song you wrote the lyrics for at the convenience store."

Sachiko looked at the note on the table, then looked up at Kitahara Shin.

She could sense that the man in front of her wasn't just being polite, but was actually pointing her in a very practical way.

"Mr. Kitahara...why are you helping me?" she asked, puzzled.

"Probably because...it's a bit of a pity."

Kitahara Shin leaned back on the sofa, took a sip of beer, and said, "It's a real waste to let such a good voice be buried in the noise of the auto show, and besides..."

He chuckled, his tone relaxed: "If you become famous in the future, I can still brag to people that I was the first person to attend a Sachiko Kamachi concert."

Sachiko was amused.

She carefully put the note away and placed it in her bag.

"Thank you, Mr. Kitahara."

She held up the oolong tea in her hand. "Well... to live up to your recommendation, I will do my best."

"Cheers."

Two aluminum cans collided gently in the air, making a crisp sound.

A little beer foam overflowed and spilled onto the table.

"Oh, right, I have another suggestion." Kitahara Shin suddenly pointed to her clothes.

"What?"

"Don't wear this beige knit sweater next time. Even a T-shirt and jeans would be better for an audition."

"Huh?! Is this outfit really that unfashionable?" Sachiko looked down at the clothes she had carefully chosen.

"Very rustic."

"..."

Laughter came from the private room.

Without further ado, after this drink, we'll all have to continue struggling in the torrent of Tokyo tomorrow.

But after that night, some things did change.