Chapter Seventy-Nine: A Game of Give and Take

"Ye Zhao-san, when Miss Kawamoto started singing, she became a completely different person," whispered Yuki Uemura, seated nearby in the audience.

Ye Zhao watched the stage intently and replied, "Of course. Otherwise, why would I go to such lengths?"

"That's true, but can Miss Kawamoto really make it big?" Yuki Uemura hesitated. "She seems quite different from the popular female singers I know."

"Don't worry. I guarantee she will be famous, one hundred and two percent," Ye Zhao said, brimming with confidence.

The closing number was "The Talent of Love." When the song ended and the music faded, Kazuyo Kawamoto seemed momentarily lost, as if she had just stepped out of the performance. She glanced around, smiled, and asked, "Is it over?"

With her words, the staff below the stage broke into applause, calling out, "Thank you for your hard work, everyone." The members of the backing band put down their instruments and high-fived Kazuyo Kawamoto, saying, "Great job, it was a pleasure working together."

Ye Zhao rose from his seat and walked slowly to the front of the stage. "Excellent—better than I imagined. The band was superb as well. This performance rivals those of debut concerts."

...

After the recording ended, Ye Zhao booked a nearby izakaya for the entire crew: the filming team, the band, and the staff who assisted with the shoot—about a dozen in all. They went together to celebrate with a few drinks. Hearty grilled chicken skewers, perfectly crisped pork belly, succulent grilled eggplant... The chef behind the counter turned the bamboo skewers with practiced ease, while the buzz-cut waiter deftly served the dishes as soon as they were ready.

"Thank you all so much today. I hope we can work together again in the future," Ye Zhao said, raising his beer glass.

"Cheers—!" everyone responded, lifting their glasses in unison.

It was a celebration, not a revelry, so no one drank excessively. Once everyone had eaten and had their fill, the gathering dispersed quickly.

...

On Monday, NTV tallied the ratings for the "Kindaichi Case Files" special, which reached 16.7%. As a trial-run SP drama, it was above the passing line; the producers, actors, and all those who worked behind the scenes were quite satisfied. The production team even sent a fax to thank Ye Zhao for his contribution to the soundtrack. While the biggest credit for the SP drama’s success belonged to the original work, the scriptwriter, and the actors’ star power, the suspenseful soundtrack Ye Zhao provided perfectly heightened the story’s atmosphere and fulfilled its purpose admirably.

With the SP drama concluded for now, there were exactly eight days left until the release of the new single on the eighteenth. Backed by AMUSE’s formidable resources, the promotional intensity for this single was sure to be extraordinary.

On April tenth, accompanied by Yuki Uemura, Ye Zhao arrived at the Fuji TV building in Kawada-cho, Shinjuku, for a script meeting regarding "HEY! HEY! HEY!" (hereafter referred to as HEY3).

Ye Zhao and Masaharu Fukuyama were scheduled to appear on the HEY3 episode airing April twenty-fourth, with the actual recording set for April nineteenth. However, to confirm the script, Ye Zhao had to meet with the HEY3 staff about a week before recording.

Compared to MS, HEY3 differed in two ways. First, the mode of broadcast: MS had remained a live show for years, while HEY3 was pre-recorded, with episodes taped days before airing. Second, the atmosphere: MS was more formal, with brief interviews before the show consisting mostly of routine questions. HEY3, on the other hand, leaned toward variety, free from the constraints of traditional music programs. The comedic duo DOWNTOWN, as hosts, showcased their powerful humor, keeping the show’s ratings high ever since its debut in 1994.

Variety programs in RB placed great importance on the script. Every exchange, question, answer, and even seemingly spontaneous moments or apparent broadcasting accidents might be scripted in advance, sometimes down to the second. Even traditional music shows like MS, though not as meticulous, sent guest performers a schedule days before the program, detailing the lineup, order of appearance, and performance times, so guests could prepare accordingly.

HEY3, while leaning toward variety, didn’t go as far as true variety shows in script detail. What guests received was somewhere between MS’s schedule and a variety show’s script—a simple outline of possible questions, as well as arrangements for performances and interviews.

In truth, with hosts as seasoned as DOWNTOWN, there was little cause for concern. With Hitoshi Matsumoto and Masatoshi Hamada anchoring the conversation, mishaps were unlikely. However, these comedy veterans could occasionally become exuberant, relentlessly probing into guests’ private lives for amusement. So, appearing on this show meant not only reviewing the script carefully, but also staying alert to avoid being caught off guard.

Of course, as a prime-time music program, the guests were singers and idols—nothing too outrageous would happen. Thus, the script meeting was really more of a confirmation of the schedule. After about half an hour, Ye Zhao and Yuki Uemura rose, bidding the staff farewell. "Thank you for your time today. We look forward to working with you."

"It’s our pleasure. Please take care, Ye Zhao-san," the staff replied, bowing deeply and escorting them out of the conference room.

Exiting the elevator, Ye Zhao unexpectedly encountered someone he hadn’t seen in a while.

“Isn’t this Ye Zhao-san? It’s been so long,” said the woman who approached him. She was petite and plain-looking, with crisp, short hair in the style of a career woman. Who else could it be but Michi Iijima?

“Hello, Iijima-san. It certainly has been a while,” Ye Zhao greeted her warmly.

“Are you here for work, Ye Zhao-san?”

“Yes, I came for the HEY3 script meeting.”

Iijima nodded. “Speaking of which, your collaboration single with Fukuyama-san is about to be released. Your schedule must be packed lately?”

“It’s not too bad—just some magazine shoots and music program appearances.”

...

“By the way, I didn’t expect you to be not only a talented songwriter, but also so adept at composing for dramas. Truly impressive,” Iijima steered the conversation toward the soundtrack for the "Kindaichi Case Files" special.

Ye Zhao was surprised. “Iijima-san, you even know about that?”

Iijima smiled. “Actually, when I was at NTV arranging for announcements, I chatted with the producer, Hazeyama-san, and recommended you. I didn’t expect Hazeyama-san to really take my suggestion.”

No wonder NTV, with whom Ye Zhao had never had any connection, invited him to compose the soundtrack—it turned out Iijima had given him a push behind the scenes. It made sense; without a recommendation, NTV would not have risked using a singer with no experience in soundtrack composition instead of established composers.

Thinking of this, Ye Zhao said, “So that’s how it was. Honestly, when I first got the invitation, I was quite puzzled.”

“But I’m sorry if I caused you trouble while you were busy preparing your new single,” Iijima said politely.

“Not at all. I should thank you, Iijima-san, for giving me the opportunity to try something different.”

Iijima accepted Ye Zhao’s thanks with a smile, then returned to her usual subject. “Ye Zhao-san’s ability to create hit songs is beyond doubt. Our SMAP has yet to achieve a million-selling single. If you have any good songs, please don’t forget us.”

...

If, the first time Ye Zhao met Iijima backstage at MS, her suggestion to write a song for SMAP could be considered pleasantries, this time her words could no longer be dismissed as mere social convention. After all, if Iijima was only being polite, she wouldn't have gone out of her way to recommend him to Hazeyama Yuko. At the very least, she valued Ye Zhao highly—even if only for the sake of this "favor." Ye Zhao felt he should respond accordingly.

Speaking of which, most songwriters for Johnny's artists were well-known figures in the music world. When Hikaru Genji enjoyed their heyday, their music was almost entirely composed by Ryo Asuka. Later, KinKi Kids were treated as protégés by Takuro Yoshida, and had songs provided by Tatsuro Yamashita, Tetsuro Oda, and various other luminaries. But SMAP, sandwiched between these groups, was relatively less privileged musically—though they always had big-name composers, they never enjoyed the protection of a gold-standard producer.

SMAP was not a group that succeeded through music. Their vocal skills... were mediocre, barely managing to stay in tune most of the time. Their breakthrough didn’t come from a million-selling single, but from their work in variety and drama, which gradually built up to an explosive popularity. This surge in fame then drove their single sales.

For ordinary singers, a hit song could bring commercial success. For Johnny's artists, it was often the opposite: their sales depended mostly on the popularity of the group.

In this regard, one must admire Johnny Kitagawa’s foresight. While the music industry still relied on building reputation and fanbase through music, he had already realized that the quality of music alone couldn’t sustain lasting popularity. To retain old fans and attract new ones, his artists needed to expand into every field. Thus, SMAP and later multi-talented groups came into being.