Chapter 123: Still Quite Easy

Yukihiko Tsutsumi is a director who has collaborated with Tsuyoshi Domoto before, and since Ye Zhao is an actor who has worked with him, getting in touch with him is an easy task. This is especially true for Ye Zhao, as he and Tsuyoshi Domoto are "pager friends" who have even exchanged pager numbers.

Even before their official debut, Johnny’s Juniors are incredibly busy; in fact, they might even find themselves with more free time after they debut. Beyond the necessary dance and acrobatic training, they must also assist as backup dancers for their seniors' concerts and television programs, and make appearances on all sorts of bizarre variety shows to build recognition. That said, KinKi Kids, who have enjoyed the treatment of "grandson-level" favorites from Mr. Kitagawa since before their debut, have only a select few groups for whom they are required to provide backup dancing.

The meeting with Tsuyoshi Domoto was arranged at the studio for *The Kindaichi Case Files*. With his daily schedule packed so tightly that he sometimes barely gets three or four hours of sleep, expecting to meet for a detailed discussion in a quiet, elegant private room would simply be an unreasonable demand.

The production staff greeted Ye Zhao warmly. Aside from their past collaboration, there was another reason: the episode of the drama featuring Ye Zhao achieved an average viewership rating of 25.3%, surpassing the 23.6% rating of the first episode. The peak moment of that episode—the scene where Eiji Tono, played by Ye Zhao, is stopped from committing further crimes by Miyuki Nanase, played by Rie Tomosaka—saw viewership soar to 29.6% the instant their eyes met. While the high ratings were primarily due to the original Kindaichi manga, Tsuyoshi Domoto’s personal appeal, and the inherent strength of the NTV Saturday 9:00 PM time slot, that peak rating proved that Ye Zhao’s popularity and recognition had reached a point where they could translate into tangible viewership—in a sense, a hallmark of a rising star.

However, more than the ratings, what truly delighted Ye Zhao was the positive reception his acting received after the episode aired. It was said that some viewers even called the television station specifically to express their approval of his portrayal of Eiji Tono.

Tsuyoshi Domoto had just finished a scene, still wearing his Fudo High School uniform. After exchanging greetings, Ye Zhao asked, "Which episode are you filming today?"

"Today we're shooting *The Headless Village Murder Case*," Tsuyoshi replied. *The Headless Village Murder Case* was the title used for the TV series, based on the manga's *Hida Karakuri Mansion Murder Case*.

"Are you here to visit the set, Nii-san?" Rie Tomosaka chimed in. Ye Zhao hadn't come empty-handed; just like the first time he had stopped by, he had prepared over a hundred cupcakes as gifts.

"Visiting is part of it, but I also happen to have something to discuss with Tsuyoshi-kun."

"I see~" Rie Tomosaka nodded, tactfully adding, "In that case, I'll go take a break and leave you two to your secrets."

"Secrets" — the way she phrased that gave him goosebumps. Ye Zhao’s mouth twitched.

The two sat down on chairs outside the studio. "Here’s the thing, Tsuyoshi-kun. Tsutsumi-san and I are preparing a film. Regarding the role of the male lead, Ryo Maeda, we both feel you are the perfect fit. I’ve brought the script today for you to take a look at. If you’re interested, we will send a formal invitation to your agent."

Tsuyoshi Domoto took the script Ye Zhao handed him and began to read it in silence. Ye Zhao didn’t rush him, sitting quietly by his side.

"This script is truly excellent," Tsuyoshi said, looking up from the pages. "But it would be quite difficult to pull off this role."

"While it is a challenge, it’s not an impossible role to master. After discussing it with Tsutsumi-san, we both believe that in every respect, you are the most suitable candidate."

Though it might be blunt to say, Ye Zhao didn't view Tsuyoshi Domoto as a "conventional" handsome man. His features weren't particularly sharp or angular, so one wouldn't immediately associate him with the term "handsome" at first glance. However, while he wasn't a "first-sight" beauty, his features were enduring, and his demeanor was clean and steady. This was a significant advantage for an actor, as his appearance wouldn't limit his range. Thus, playing a character who was unremarkable in appearance wouldn't feel jarring. Furthermore, having acted opposite him, Ye Zhao was confident in his abilities.

"However, before you answer, I must clarify the situation regarding this film," Ye Zhao continued. "First, the production budget is not very high, and the salary will be at the entry-level standard for newcomers. Second, the filming location is in Saitama City; if you join the project, you will have to commute back and forth from Tokyo. Third, and most importantly, to build chemistry, we will hold a training camp at a school for about a month. Although it won't be every single day, the total training time will be at least fifty hours."

"I know Tsuyoshi-kun is incredibly busy right now, and this might be asking too much of you. So, even if you refuse, I will completely understand."

"Thank you, Nii-san." Tsuyoshi closed the script, almost without hesitation. "I really like this story, and I want to try performing a challenging role. As for the schedule, if my agent agrees to take on this project, I will do my best to make it work."

...

The agent responsible for managing KinKi Kids was Susumu Shirahase, a director and head of public relations at Johnny & Associates. KinKi Kids were the only group at Johnny’s managed directly by a senior executive. Even Michi Iijima, the manager of SMAP, was only a senior manager at her peak—a rank significantly lower than Shirahase. From this perspective, KinKi Kids truly had enjoyed the highest level of treatment since before their debut.

Susumu Shirahase had originally worked at Watanabe Productions before being headhunted by Kitagawa. As a PR chief, his methods were masterful, and he maintained excellent relationships with the media. In industry gossip, he was rumored to be behind the infamous "Gold Screen" incident involving Masahiko Kondo.

Though Shirahase was the head agent for KinKi Kids, he was a busy man and couldn't hover over them constantly, so there were other agents handling their daily affairs.

In fact, given the good relationship between KinKi Kids and SMAP, contacting Michi Iijima for help was an option. However, whether out of caution or some other instinct, while Ye Zhao was willing to work with SMAP and would always be polite to Iijima when necessary, he made a point not to use her to gain access to other factions within Johnny’s, avoiding the risk of being labeled as "Pro-Iijima."

Michi Iijima was undeniably capable; she was instrumental in the success of SMAP as a top-tier group. Yet, her ambition was simply too grand. It wasn’t that one shouldn’t be ambitious, but one should at least ground that ambition in reality. Considering how she, a mere manager—not even a board member—attempted to challenge the foundations of a family-run enterprise using only SMAP as her leverage, eventually leading to the downfall of that legendary group, Ye Zhao felt it was better to keep a polite distance from her.