Chapter 143: An Entertainer’s Troubles

Even Ye Zhao himself had received only ten copies of the first shipment of the single.

And as soon as the singles arrived at the agency, the “Four Heavenly Kings of the Ye Family,” veteran members who had been there since its founding, took advantage of their position and claimed one each. It was a tradition that had been established when the agency was first founded. That initial round of distribution alone took nearly half of the mere ten singles.

Besides those, one had to be sent to Yuko Takeuchi, who had appeared on the cover. Another had already been reserved for his younger sister, Ye Qing, at his family home in Yokohama, and one more for Watanabe Riku in Kyoto. Those had all been decided long ago.

With one person taking a cut here and another taking a cut there, only three copies truly remained for Ye Zhao to distribute as he pleased.

Of those three, one had already been given to Yukie Nakama when they met. Adding the copy he had kept for himself as a memento, only one precious copy remained without an owner.

Ye Zhao did not have many friends in Tokyo, and even fewer confidants. But few did not mean only one. After thinking it over, he got off at Sangenjaya Station, took out his phone, and dialed the number of Izumi Sakai.

The cold ringing continued for a long time, but no one answered.

After ending the call, Ye Zhao stared at the screen as it slowly dimmed. A faint, inexplicable melancholy rose in his heart. Yet that melancholy vanished as quickly as a meteor streaking across the night sky, and afterward everything once again returned to calm.

With nothing better to do, Ye Zhao relied on his memory to find the izakaya called Hotaru, the same place he had visited the last time he met Yukihiko Tsutsumi. The place was as quiet as before. The owner—who also served as chef and waiter—was sitting behind the counter reading a newspaper. Hearing someone enter, he looked up.

“Welcome. Just one tonight?”

“Yes.” Ye Zhao sat down at the narrow counter. “You really do have an excellent memory, Boss.”

“That’s because you’re so famous. Even if you only come by once in a while, people remember you for a long time.” Even when speaking seriously, the owner’s tone had a naturally joking quality.

Ye Zhao smiled without replying. His gaze passed over the wooden plaques bearing the menu, and he ordered teriyaki cod and a small serving of hot-pot stew.

“As for the alcohol…”

“We just received some authentic Kagoshima shochu yesterday,” the owner suggested.

“In that case”—Ye Zhao abandoned his plan to drink beer—“please bring me a bottle.”

The owner set down the newspaper and went into the kitchen at the back. A moment later, Ye Zhao heard the sound of a faucet being turned on and hands being washed.

…

“Come to think of it, business here really is terrible.”

As he drank, Ye Zhao chatted with the owner in an easygoing, even somewhat impolite manner.

“You really don’t hold back when you say things like that.” Though the owner said this, he was not offended in the slightest. Instead, he laughed cheerfully. Apparently, he was not merely casual in speech; he was just as laid-back by nature.

“It’s only a shame. Your cooking is obviously so good.” Half joking, Ye Zhao suggested, “How about I help promote the place for you?”

The owner shook his head. “It’s perfect as it is now. If too many people came, I’d have to find more staff, and all sorts of trouble would follow. Don’t go making me take on extra work for no reason.”

His answer made Ye Zhao laugh.

…

“Ye Zhao, what does it feel like to be an entertainer?” the owner asked, striking up another conversation.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Ye Zhao replied, “Well, naturally, it’s an unparalleled delight.”

“You answered that quickly. I thought you might say something like, ‘Entertainers have their own troubles.’”

“I’d never say something like that. Even if I sometimes think it, I would never say it aloud.” Ye Zhao spoke earnestly. “Those so-called troubles are things you know about before becoming an entertainer. If you still complain afterward, that’s just taking advantage of your good fortune and pretending to suffer.”

“I never would have guessed it, but you really do have a good attitude…”

The owner had only gotten halfway through his sentence when the phone in Ye Zhao’s shoulder bag began to ring. Ye Zhao took it out. The number displayed on the screen belonged to Izumi Sakai.

“Should I step away for a moment?”

“It’s not a confidential call…” Ye Zhao was not especially fond of taking calls in front of other people, regardless of who was calling.

“I understand, I understand.” Smiling, the owner took the initiative and withdrew to the back room.

His remark made Ye Zhao feel somewhat self-conscious. But the phone continued ringing insistently, and answering it was clearly the priority.

He pressed the answer button.

“Good evening, Izumi.”

“Good evening, Ye.” The background on the other end was somewhat noisy, and Izumi Sakai’s voice was not especially clear. “I’m sorry. I didn’t hear your call earlier.”

“Are you outside?”

“Yes. I came to Nara with the staff for a photo shoot. We happened to hear that there was a fireworks festival today in nearby Gojo, so we came over with everyone to enjoy the festivities. It was rather noisy, so I didn’t hear your call.”

“Is it over now?”

“It ended a while ago, but there were so many people that simply getting out took a long time. We’re just about to head back to the inn where we’re staying…” Izumi Sakai spoke slowly. “By the way, was there something you wanted?”

“Actually, it’s nothing important. I just wanted to tell you that I received the first shipment of my new single today. You were there throughout the entire recording process, and I even came up with the inspiration for the cover while talking with you. So, would you like to have a copy as a memento?”

Although he had been with Being for an entire year and had already released three official singles, this was the first time he had taken the initiative to offer one to Izumi Sakai.

“Of course. I’m looking forward to seeing the finished single.” Her voice was bright and musical, almost as if she were singing. “But Ye, you don’t have to be so careful about giving me a single.”

“I know, but I still feel a little embarrassed. After all, even though I may look shameless, I’m actually the sort of person who’s terrified of being rejected.”

“About that… I’m a little like that too.” Though he could not see her through the telephone line, Ye Zhao knew her well enough by now to imagine that she was probably nodding lightly without realizing it, carefully considering her words. “But because I’m someone who’s afraid of rejection, being treated with such kindness by someone else makes me feel very happy.”

“Is that so? I’m glad to hear you say that.” Ye Zhao laughed, then deliberately repeated himself. “In that case, please accept this single as a memento.”

…