RBCT Chapter 246 "I Love You" in a Silent World
Chapter 246 "I Love You" in a Silent World
Chapter 246 "I Love You" in a Silent World (7/71)
The plane pierced through the thick clouds and landed smoothly at Tokyo Haneda Airport.
When Kitahara Shin stepped out of the VIP passage, he was no longer greeted by the biting cold wind of Otaru, Hokkaido, carrying the chill of snow and ice. Instead, he was met with the warm air unique to Tokyo, the mega-metropolis, a mixture of car exhaust, coffee aromas, and endless desire for money.
The art style, upon landing, abruptly shifted from the extreme beauty and melancholy of a snow country to the purest capitalist carnival in the world of fame and fortune.
"President, thank you for your hard work."
Secretary Aida was already waiting at the entrance with bodyguards and a brand-new black Maybach. She respectfully took the coat from Kitahara Shin and opened the car door for him.
The carriage was warm and cozy. Kitahara Shin leaned back in the top-of-the-line leather seat, rubbing his temples, which were slightly sore from days of intense filming. He closed his eyes, listening to Secretary Aida's methodical report.
"President, during your time in Hokkaido, all aspects of the agency have progressed very smoothly." Secretary Aida opened the encrypted folder in his hand, his voice filled with barely suppressed pride. "First of all, the record division. Ms. Akina and Ms. Izumi's latest singles have both topped the Oricon charts, with physical record sales reaching millions, making our royalty payments extremely impressive."
"Secondly, there's the animation department. The production of 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' (EVA) has entered the crucial mid-to-late stages. Although Director Anno's team is burning through money very quickly, the quality of the first draft is extremely high. After Bandai and several other toy giants got wind of this, they've sent executives to the company for three consecutive days, eager to spend a lot of money to buy out the subsequent mecha merchandise development rights ahead of schedule."
"Furthermore, leveraging our massive cash flow, the finance department successfully completed the acquisition of three commercial buildings in undervalued areas of Minato Ward and Shibuya last week. Our Kitahara office has completely transcended the scope of a traditional talent agency and transformed into a super behemoth spanning film, music, animation, and real estate investment."
A vast business empire, and a terrifying, continuous flow of cash!
This is not only the rise of an entertainment empire, but also a capital throne built with real money.
The aftershocks of the 5 billion yen box office are still reverberating in the film and television industry, but Kitahara Shin's tentacles have long since gripped the throat of the entire Japanese entertainment industry.
"It is precisely because of our current size that the directors of major television stations and the top executives of major film studios have already submitted visit requests through various channels." Secretary Aida flipped through the densely packed schedule. "Your desk is now piled high with S-level scripts from major television stations all over Japan, with increasingly outrageous offers."
Fuji TV even stated that if you're willing to take their next project, you can fill in the amount on the payment check yourself.
"Cancele them all, or let Ota Masakazu handle it." Kitahara Shin didn't even open his eyes, his tone as calm as if he were discussing what to eat for dinner. "Tell them that all my energy recently will be devoted to the TBS drama 'Tell Me You Love Me.' I'm not seeing any other projects."
Kitahara Shin was extremely clear-headed.
The throne of capital is indeed alluring, but it will never lead one to become complacent and recklessly take on bad projects to make money.
A true king needs to continuously produce absolute masterpieces that can dominate an era.
Night falls on the top floor of a luxury apartment building in Tokyo's Minato Ward.
The room was dark, with only a few warm yellow floor lamps casting a soft glow. Akina Nakamori, dressed in an extremely soft silk loungewear, had her legs curled up on a large fabric sofa, holding a cup of warm black tea in her hands.
In front of her, on the coffee table, sat an exquisitely crafted transparent glass music box.
This is a local specialty that Kitahara Shin brought back from Otaru. As the spring turns, the intricate metal gears inside the music box slowly mesh, producing an extremely crisp, ethereal melody with a touch of the tranquility of a snow country.
Beside the music box, Kitahara Nobumasa sat on the carpet, holding a thick book explaining Japanese sign language. He didn't speak, his expression extremely focused, his slender fingers constantly changing various gestures in the air.
He's about to join the cast to play the deaf painter "Koji". In order to portray this character to the core, Kitahara Shin not only relies on the system's assistance, but also undergoes almost harsh muscle memory training in private.
Akina watched him quietly. She watched this financial tycoon, who could stir up trouble outside and shake up the Japanese entertainment industry with a stomp of his foot, now sit like a devout scholar in this quiet room, practicing how to express love and loneliness in a silent language.
This extreme contrast made Akina find the man in front of her incredibly charming.
"Shin-kun." Akina put down her teacup, slid off the sofa, and sat down very naturally next to Kitahara Shin, gently resting her head on his shoulder. "Sign language—is it difficult to learn?"
Kitahara Shin stopped what he was doing, turned his head to look at her stunningly beautiful face so close to his, and a gentle smile appeared on his lips.
"Basic vocabulary isn't difficult; the challenge lies in weaving emotions into these silent actions." Kitahara Shin put down his book and naturally took Akina's soft, fair hand. "Want to try? I'll teach you."
Akina obediently let him hold her hand, her eyes sparkling with the curiosity and anticipation of a little girl.
"Let's use the title of this show—'Tell Me You Love Me'."
In the quiet room filled only with the melodious strains of a music box, Kitahara Shin embraced Akina from behind, his hands enveloping the backs of her hands. Their body heat mingled through the thin fabric of their clothes, their breaths almost mingling.
"This is me" — Kitahara Shin guided Akina's finger to point to his own chest.
"This is you" — then, pointing to the other person.
Then comes "love" —
His warm palm rested on the back of her hand, performing each gesture with utmost slowness and care. There were no lines, no superfluous sounds, yet the ultimate ambiguity and romance flowing in that silent world reached its peak at that moment.
When she finished the last movement, Akina did not withdraw her hand, but instead turned around, opened her arms, and hugged Kitahara Shin tightly around the waist.
She buried her face in the man's broad, warm chest, listening to his steady, powerful heartbeat.
"Shin-kun, you're really rising higher and higher these days." Akina's voice was muffled, tinged with an indescribable sense of emotion and pride. "The 5 billion yen box office miracle—sometimes when I see those exaggerated headlines in the newspapers, I feel like it's all unreal. My man has become the most amazing person in the world."
Kitahara Shin gently stroked her soft, long hair, saying nothing, simply enjoying this rare moment of tenderness.
But then, Akina lifted her head from his embrace. Her eyes, which were always filled with a gentle smile, now held an extremely serious, even desperate, determination.
"Nobu-kun." Akina looked steadily into his eyes, her lips slightly pursed, as if she had made a tremendous decision. "I—want a child."
Upon hearing this, the previously warm and ambiguous atmosphere in the room seemed to freeze for a second.
Upon hearing this, Kitahara Shin was visibly stunned. He looked at Akina in his arms, and countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.
His current status, his business empire, and the complex web of female confidantes around him. In traditional thinking, children signify family, a complete sense of identity, and a commitment to marriage. For a tycoon in the midst of empire expansion, with far more than one woman in his life, this is an extremely sensitive and potentially fatal topic.
But when his gaze fell on Akina's face, that instinctive resistance was instantly shattered.
He saw the barely concealed unease in Akina's eyes, and suddenly realized an inescapable reality. The woman before him, the original diva who had amazed all of Asia in the early 1990s, had now entered her thirties.
For a traditional Japanese woman who desperately longs for a complete family and for love and to be loved, at this age, seeing the man she deeply loves become more and more dazzling, her deepest desire for "bonds" and "belonging" has reached its peak.
Kitahara Shin looked at her slightly reddened eyes, and then at her lips, which were pale from nervousness.
He did not hesitate for a moment, nor did he make up any empty excuses.
"Okay." Kitahara Shin gazed at her, his voice low and extremely firm. "However, I need to make some preparations first. Whether it's the equity structure of the firm or providing you and the child with an absolutely stable environment free from any paparazzi, it will take some time to arrange things."
Upon hearing that remarkably straightforward "okay," Akina's eyes instantly welled up with tears. She knew how busy Kitahara Shin was, and she knew how complicated the situation he was facing, but this man hadn't brushed her off; instead, he had genuinely incorporated this matter into his life plan.
Seeing Kitahara Shin's serious expression, as if facing a formidable enemy and even starting to plan the division of assets and security upgrades in his mind, Akina suddenly burst out laughing.
The tears in the corners of her eyes hadn't dried yet, but her gaze had become somewhat mischievous and wicked. She stretched out her slender finger and gently tapped Kitahara Shin's chest.
"I don't mean to make things difficult for you, Shin-kun," Akina said with a rare hint of teasing. "But, seeing how successful you are now, with so many people fawning over you every day, I have to put a little pressure on you, so you can't have it too easy, right?"
Seeing Akina's sly, foxy demeanor—clearly feinting and trying to mask her earlier seriousness with a joke—Kitahara Shin felt a rare bead of sweat trickle down his forehead.
This woman was not only gentle to the core, but also had an incredibly high emotional intelligence. She expressed her desire in the most sincere way, yet after receiving his promise, she helped him relieve his psychological burden in the most considerate way.
"They're getting bolder and bolder to make fun of me about this kind of thing."
Kitahara Shin smiled helplessly, pulled Akina back into his arms, lowered his head, and forcefully sealed her lips, which were about to say something.
This was a kiss that was both punitive and deeply affectionate.
Amidst the tender embrace of their lips and teeth, Kitahara Shin's mind was operating with extreme calm.
He wasn't just comforting Akina; he was genuinely thinking very seriously about children, marriage, and how to give every woman who was devoted to him a perfect explanation within this intricate web of the harem.
The next morning, in Akasaka, Tokyo, at the TBS television broadcasting center.
When Kitahara Shin's Maybach slowly drove into the TV station's underground VIP garage, almost the entire top floor of TBS had turned out.
Japan's entertainment industry, or rather the entire entertainment industry, is a hierarchical "pyramid" society with a brutal division of classes.
At the very bottom of the pyramid are idols who rely on their looks, struggling comedians, and countless nameless extras. They have no private dressing rooms, can only get their makeup done in communal rooms, and have to bow ninety degrees to every passing TV station staff member.
The next level up consists of regular television actors.
They have agents and can get decent pay, but in front of TV producers who hold the power to broadcast, they still have to bow and scrape, fighting tooth and nail for a supporting role in a prime-time slot.
At the very top are the national-level movie stars who carry the ratings and the big-name actors who can dominate the theaters.
The TV station treats them very politely, providing them with private lounges and specially prepared lunch boxes.
But none of these are Kitahara Shin's current social class.
Kitahara Shin's current position is at the top of the pyramid—the cloud—a class belonging to absolute capital, producers, and the "chess players" who can rewrite the rules of the entire industry single-handedly!
For a giant like TBS, which just spent 5 billion yen to crush the history of Japanese live-action films, to be willing to condescend to film a pure love drama on TBS is like a super pie falling from the sky.
"President Kitahara! Welcome! The crew is all ready!"
The TBS director, accompanied by the head of the production department, the chief producer, and other senior executives, stood at the elevator entrance with beaming smiles to greet them. This top-level treatment, comparable to an "imperial inspection tour," left other crew members passing by completely dumbfounded.
"Your private lounge has been renovated to the highest standards," the producer reported obsequiously as he led the way. "The fruit inside was just flown in this morning, and the sofas and beds are all top-quality Italian handcrafted pieces. Is there anything else you'd like to add? We'll take care of it immediately!"
When Kitahara Shin walked onto the set of "Tell Me You Love Me" surrounded by fans, the atmosphere on set instantly plummeted to freezing point.
This is reverence.
The actors playing supporting roles in the drama, whether seasoned veterans or newcomers, all stood in a neat row against the wall, barely daring to breathe. They looked at this young man with such an imposing presence, their eyes filled with extreme fear and admiration.
Anyone in this industry knows that for Kitahara Shin, crushing an ordinary actor is easier than crushing an ant.
As the female lead of the drama, Takako Tokiwa is standing next to the director, her palms sweaty.
In fact, she had already witnessed Kitahara Shin's superb acting skills at the previous audition, and even felt his amiable nature because of the tissue he handed her.
But today is different.
Seeing Kitahara Shin being surrounded by a group of TBS executives as he walked in, the oppressive aura of a top-tier financial tycoon made her acutely aware of the vast class gap between them, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.
"Kitahara-senpai." Tokiwa Takako bowed deeply as Kitahara Shin approached her. She tried to keep her voice steady, but a hint of tension remained. "Filming has officially begun. Please take good care of me for the next few months! I will give it my all and absolutely will not hold the crew back!"
Seeing Tokiwa Takako's tense posture, like a fully drawn bow, Kitahara Shin stopped and completely ignored the bowing and scraping TV station executives around him.
The sharp edge of his superior gaze vanished instantly, replaced by the extremely gentle smile he had on the day of the audition.
"Don't be so nervous, Ms. Tokiwa." Kitahara Shin's voice carried the powerful soothing aura of the system's [Gentle Breeze] effect, even with a hint of familiar teasing. "What? Do I seem less approachable today than when I handed you a tissue at the audition?"
Takako Tokiwa was stunned for a moment, her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, instantly returned to her stomach, and she shook her head with a slight blush.
"Relax." Kitahara Shin looked at her, his tone extremely sincere and humble. "In this drama, you're my voice. I, trapped in a silent world, will be relying entirely on your care from now on."
This humorous remark, tinged with a hint of revisiting the past and filled with extreme humility, was like a warm current, instantly easing Tokiwa Takako's extremely tense nerves.
Looking into Kitahara Shin's gentle eyes, a surge of affection and admiration for this man welled up within her.
This is the true vision of a big shot!
Despite his high position, he never abuses his power. On set, he can instantly shed all his cold, capitalist aura and become the most reassuring and professional partner.
"Attention all departments! Scene 1, Shot 1 of 'Tell Me You Love Me,' get ready!"
With a loud shout from the director through a megaphone, the entire set quickly sprang into action.
Kitahara Shin walked to the designated camera position and changed into an extremely clean white cotton-linen shirt. He had his back to the camera and was holding a drawing board in his hand.
"Action!"
The first second after the clapperboard falls.
Takako Tokiwa, the director behind the monitor, and even the supporting actors standing against the wall all felt an extremely unbelievable chill.
All of Kitahara Shin's aura—the domineering presence of a financial tycoon and the composure of a five-billion-dollar box office star—was completely shut off in that instant.
When he slowly turned around, what appeared before everyone was no longer the aloof and superior President Kitahara.
Instead, he was a deaf painter named Yihuangci, forever trapped in a silent world, cold, lonely, and even carrying a hint of extreme vigilance and inferiority towards this world.
His eyes were as clear as a still pond without ripples, but deep within that still water, there was a suppressed, intense longing for sound and communication.
There are no lines.
With just a turn of his head and a glance, Kitahara Shin forcibly dragged the entire film set into his suffocatingly silent world.
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