Chapter 40: Another Encounter with Akina, "Violent Cop" Returns with Awards!

Chapter 40: Meeting Akina Again, "Violent Man" Returns in Triumph!

"Yosh!"

Shimaya punched the air with excitement in front of the television, as if he were even more thrilled than Iwata Takeshi on the screen. He had paid close attention to the results of the Venice Film Festival; with his wealth, having satellite television was, of course, no issue. In truth, this trip to Venice had been a massive gamble for him. The 10 million yen he had fought hard to secure was enough to fund a small production or an entire episode of a drama series. Investing that capital to send Iwata Takeshi to Venice was, naturally, for the sake of winning an award.

Now that the trophy was in hand, Shimaya breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a newfound sense of confidence. He could finally take off the gloves and go all out with the upcoming theatrical release!

...

The Iwata Group was now an ocean of joy.

"Sugoi!"
"Sugoi! Sugoi!"
"Cho-sugoi! Cho-cho..."

That was how the Yakuza were. Perhaps because they hadn't paid much attention in school, their vocabulary was rather scarce. A single "Sugoi" was enough to get them through anything—no problem there! Seeing this, Matsushige Yutaka and the others couldn't help but laugh, though...

"Mitani-san, what exactly is this Special Award?" Kagawa asked. He was a Tokyo University student, after all, and possessed a thirst for knowledge.

Mitani adjusted his glasses again. "The Special Jury Prize. It was originally the second-highest honor after the Golden Lion, but its status diminished after the Silver Lion was created. Still, it is a significant award; it signifies the jury’s affirmation of a new, promising cinematic direction."

With that explanation, Mitani’s status as the group’s film trivia expert was undisputed, and Kagawa was satisfied. As for the others...

"Sugoi!"

That was that. The three guys—Cat, Fish, and Kiyoshi—only knew that one word, and now Matsushige and Endo Kenichi had joined the chorus. Today, the Iwata Group felt like a convention for the word "Sugoi." By the end of it, everyone was laughing heartily. It felt great and liberating. Even if shouting the same word over and over was a bit silly, what did it matter when they were happy?

Deep down, Mitani had always looked down on the Yakuza. He was a true man of letters, and their social standing was worlds apart. Yet, strangely, he found these guys quite interesting. They had their own world, and perhaps they weren't so bad after all... No, to be precise, the guys in the Iwata Group weren't bad people at all. Mitani was surprised by his own thought, but he didn't find it unpleasant.

But just as he pondered this, the Yakuza reverted to their true colors.

"How can we not drink at a time like this?"
"Exactly, exactly!"
"Hey, hey! Don't touch that bottle, it's expensive!"
"The boss won't mind!"
"Sake is boring, let's just go with beer! Watch this, I'll show you my secret technique!"

"Cat" had boldly found a bottle of sake that looked quite pricey, while "Yellow-Haired" Kiyoshi happily scampered to the fridge to grab two cases of beer. Then, in full view of everyone, he gripped a can in his left hand, extended his middle finger on his right, channeled his "energy" into it, and suddenly flicked it at the tab.

The result...

"Yada! Yada, yada..."

Kiyoshi was truly a fool; he hopped around clutching his finger. The others looked at him with pity for the mentally challenged.

"Baka! Who drinks like that?"
"Ignore this idiot."
"As if you're any smarter!"

They teased each other and erupted into laughter again. Mitani found it increasingly amusing, though he quickly suppressed such thoughts.

"Mitani-san, don't be shy with this drink."
"Not drinking? Are you not giving me face?"
"Be a man!"

A group of fierce-looking men, offering him, a scholar, a drink—what a sight. Mitani wanted to go home, not just to avoid the alcohol, but because he felt genuinely stimulated. He realized he had to work harder to surpass his lifelong rival. In fact, Mitani had a small goal: he hoped the famous diva Nakamori Akina would star in a script he had written!

Koki Mitani was a fan of Nakamori Akina—a die-hard fan who bought every one of her CDs. He even had a concept in mind: a story where Akina takes revenge on that man, Kondo, and finally gets some catharsis. If he could achieve that, he would surely surpass even Iwata Takeshi. But for now... no, please, no.

Cup after cup, the night went on.

...

The film festival had concluded, so there was no need to stay in Venice. It was incredibly expensive, but interestingly, when Iwata Takeshi and Shinobu tallied their expenses after spending several days exploring the city, they found it was cheaper than staying on the Lido. They had even saved some of the 10-million-yen budget.

In any case, it was time to return to Tokyo. Shinobu was naturally ecstatic, and her sister, Miho, was quite pleased. Although Iwata Takeshi had won two awards, her younger sister had definitely gained significant exposure. And Miho herself—looking at the local Italian newspapers, she saw her own image in that green dress, standing prominently between the two. She figured the Japanese papers would be the same; her popularity was bound to skyrocket. Furthermore, with her sister’s debut almost guaranteed, things were looking up.

Iwata Takeshi remained as he always was. This award was an unexpected surprise; he would have had a plan even if he hadn't won. Now, the situation was even better. The man with the fierce face was already calculating the future release schedule in his mind.

Just then...

"Akina-san."
"Oh, isn't that Shinobu?"

Unexpectedly, they ran into Akina at the airport, and it was Shinobu who spotted her first. But Nakayama Miho was the quickest to react.

"Nakamori-senpai, if my sister has caused any trouble, please do teach her."

A protective older sister, though her younger sister... didn't seem to need any protection at all. Miho had debuted much later than Akina, so she had to address her as "senpai." But right now...

"It's nothing at all. Shinobu is my friend; we get along very well." Akina’s voice was as gentle as ever, like a caring big sister.

Miho looked at her sister. Her gaze was nothing like the sisterly warmth Akina displayed; it was as if she were asking, "How do you two even know each other?" There was a hint of betrayal in her eyes. Shinobu felt a bit embarrassed but also found it hard not to laugh. What was she to do?

At that moment, Iwata Takeshi stepped forward. "Akina, did you see the film?"

Iwata used her first name directly—a sign of familiarity, or perhaps just the way fans addressed her. He was clearly trying to help Shinobu out of a tight spot, taking the heat upon himself. But Nakayama Miho was even more confused. She felt like an outsider. Her sister had betrayed her, and now, could it be that even this fierce man...

"No, I didn't."

Upon hearing this, both Iwata and Shinobu felt a slight disappointment, which, strangely, made Miho feel a bit better. As she spoke, Akina smiled and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. A beauty is a beauty; even the smallest gesture was filled with charm. Miho felt devastated...

Damn it, I lost!

...

On the plane, seats had been arranged by her sister during check-in. Shinobu sat with Miho, while Iwata Takeshi sat with the Toho staff. Akina’s seat was further away.

The journey was long, and the cabin provided newspapers and magazines for passengers to pass the time. Akina grabbed the latest paper, which was filled with news about the film festival. In truth, she had said she hadn't seen the film on purpose; she had noticed Miho's reaction and decided to go easy on the junior. Besides, she was never one to follow the rules.

Her slender fingers flipped through the pages, and she soon saw the photos of Iwata Takeshi, Shinobu, and Miho. Her own green dress was indeed eye-catching. Akina quickly discovered that "Violent Man" was the only Asian film to win an award in the main competition this year. She had actually watched it, and thought it was excellent.

But... hmm?

A short, curious news snippet in the paper caught her eye. Akina’s Italian was only what she had picked up recently—enough for daily conversation, but difficult for reading articles. In fact, when she traveled alone this time, she had fleeting thoughts that if she were to meet an accident and die in Italy, that wouldn't be so bad; at least in that drama, her love was perfect. At this point in her life, her self-destructive tendencies were quite apparent.

But she had met an unexpected person on this trip—no, more than one. As she thought about it, she pulled out her Italian dictionary.

She read the snippet again... "...On the night of the Venice Film Festival awards, children in many Italian homes began crying... disturbing neighbors, police were called... we contacted scientists, but they could not explain this phenomenon..."

She somehow flipped back to the photo of Iwata Takeshi at the festival... she looked at it, then smiled, and smiled again. She felt as though she had found the answer before the scientists did. This newspaper was truly a great way to pass the time.

...

Despite the loud drone of the airplane, Iwata Takeshi slept all the way to Narita Airport. As they prepared to deplane, he noticed Miho seemed to be preparing for something.

"You...?"
"Wait a moment, there will definitely be a lot of people."

Hearing this, Iwata understood. Sure enough, as the three of them stepped into the airport lobby, they were immediately surrounded by reporters.

"Director Iwata, how does it feel to win?"
"This is the only Japanese film to win at the festival! Can you share your thoughts?"
"Not just Japan, it's the only film from all of Asia to win!"

It was a headache. How was he supposed to handle them?

Nakayama Miho stepped forward first; she was the best prepared. Just as her sister was about to show off her skills, someone suddenly shouted: "Akina!"

The reporters seemed to go crazy, swarming toward Akina, who was pulling her suitcase.

"Did you go to Italy?"
"Why did you go?"
"Was it for the pasta?"

The scene was explosive. How would Akina answer?

"Thank you all for your concern," she said with a polite smile. "I went to relax, and for the pasta. Also, I unexpectedly watched a film called 'Violent Man'."

Ah, this...