Chapter Seventy-Five: A Slightly Purple Chapter

Kazuyo Kawamoto did not keep Ye Zhao waiting for long. Two days later, in the afternoon, while Ye Zhao was making the final adjustments to the soundtrack for the "Kindaichi Case Files" SP in the recording studio, he received a call from Takeda Shun.

"Ye Zhao-san, Kawamoto Kazuyo has signed the contract."

"That's good to hear. Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Takeda."

Ye Zhao had not personally handled the signing with Kawamoto Kazuyo, instead entrusting the entire process to Takeda Shun. He had drafted a relatively flexible contract after referencing those of other agencies. The agreement did not cut into Kawamoto's share nor did it impose excessive restrictions, only setting the contract's duration at five years—a slight constraint.

After all, nurturing a complete newcomer with no experience required significant time and investment. If the contract were too short, the agency might not even have time to recoup its investment before the artist switched companies once the contract expired, essentially making all their efforts benefit someone else.

Kawamoto Kazuyo was wholeheartedly devoted to becoming a musician. Presented with such a golden opportunity, she did not pay much attention to the contract’s length, especially since the agreement placed few restrictions on her. Once she confirmed her musical rights were protected, she signed on the spot, becoming ZYE’s first contracted singer.

Of course, not appearing in person did not mean Ye Zhao was unconcerned. On the contrary, he valued Kawamoto highly. As a reborn person with a treasure trove of talent but no foundation, Ye Zhao’s path in the industry was a difficult one. He had to find a balance between himself and the established powers in the field.

Writing the soundtrack for "Kindaichi Case Files" was not for profit or self-validation, but rather a chance to connect with the TV station through music, to interact with outside forces, and to step beyond the boundaries of music in search of opportunities to bring under his own control.

Initially, he planned to expand his influence in the music world by supplying songs to other companies’ artists. The appearance of Kawamoto Kazuyo, however, gave him a new idea.

Rather than sign Kawamoto Kazuyo to BEING, he preferred to "go the extra mile" and find another record company for her. Beyond the official reason of musical style mismatch, the real motivation was Ye Zhao’s intention to sign promising newcomers to his own agency first, and only then transfer their contracts to other record labels. In this way, he could serve as a producer, helping record companies cultivate new talent. This strategy would not only increase his own industry influence, but also facilitate exchanges with major record companies, allowing him to trade for resources.

Kawamoto Kazuyo was the first product—and the first test case—of this new approach. At this moment, Ye Zhao once again felt grateful that his contract with BEING was only for personal records and not the more troublesome full contract.

…

On the last day of March, the latest issue of FRIDAY, which featured the story that the tabloid had been tailing Morohoshi Kazuya, was released as scheduled. With Johnny’s overwhelming influence in the industry, suppressing such news would have been a trivial matter. Unfortunately, the group Hikaru Genji had already been beset by scandals, and their once-soaring popularity had dropped to a mere fraction. Morohoshi Kazuya himself was intent on going solo. The agency, far from protecting him, would sooner seize the opportunity to teach him a harsh lesson.

Ultimately, an agency only goes all out for someone of real value. Now that his value had all but evaporated, the company naturally had no inclination to intervene. Being an idol is a profession fraught with such awkwardness: you may be in the spotlight, but very little actually belongs to you. Even your public persona and demeanor might be the creation of your producer. The moment you lose sight of this, your fall from grace is imminent.

"'Um, actually, we’re from FRIDAY…'—when the reporter introduced himself, Morohoshi-san’s expression was priceless." FRIDAY’s paparazzi are known for their high-definition shots, and this time was no exception. Next to a large photo of Morohoshi Kazuya staring in shock, the magazine had added its own tongue-in-cheek commentary.

"Sharing the car with Morohoshi-san was a beautiful, innocent-looking woman from outside the industry, Ms. A (an alias). Both seemed to have had quite a bit to drink. After we identified ourselves, Ms. A exclaimed ‘Really?!’ three times, apparently quite shocked."

"While Morohoshi-san’s uninhibited behavior is well known, getting into a drunken car accident and rear-ending our company car is truly remarkable. As of this issue’s publication, Johnny’s representatives have commented, ‘Morohoshi-san is reflecting on his actions.’ Let’s hope this incident brings about some change—(laughs)."

…

In the dressing room, leafing through the latest issue of FRIDAY, Ye Zhao casually set the magazine on the makeup table after confirming that neither he nor Ayako Fuji was mentioned in the article.

Aoki Heisuke, the stylist working on Ye Zhao’s hair, glanced at the piece and sighed, "Here we go again. With Morohoshi-san, nothing the tabloids report is surprising anymore."

"Even the weeklies sound resigned. In a way, that’s kind of impressive," Ye Zhao remarked with a laugh.

Sitting beside him, Masaharu Fukuyama leaned forward to take the FRIDAY from the table. The sudden movement caught his makeup artist off guard, nearly causing her to slip with the eyebrow pencil. Hashimoto Marina, his makeup artist and an old acquaintance, gave him a light slap on the shoulder and scolded softly, "Fukuyama-san, please behave yourself!"

Masaharu Fukuyama flashed a dazzling, heart-stopping smile. "My apologies, Miss Hashimoto."

Hashimoto Marina, momentarily dazzled, let the matter drop. Fukuyama leafed through the magazine. "Rear-ending a tabloid reporter’s car—what are the odds?"

"That’s what they call ‘opportunity falling from the sky.’ FRIDAY’s reporters really hit the jackpot," Ye Zhao replied. Inwardly, he thought that if Fukuyama knew the car was originally tailing him, he’d probably be doubled over with laughter.

That day, Ye Zhao and Masaharu Fukuyama were both at the BMG-owned studio to shoot the cover for their collaborative single.

Having each released a million-selling 12cm single in late 1994 and early 1995, the two had, with this double-A single, decided to be unconventional once again—releasing both 8cm and 12cm versions. The 8cm version was billed as "Ye Zhao × Masaharu Fukuyama," while the 12cm version was "Masaharu Fukuyama × Ye Zhao."

"Fukuyama-san, Ye Zhao-san, Director Kajikawa from BMG has graciously bestowed a nickname on you two," the single’s producer told them after the meeting.

"Let’s hear it," both Ye Zhao and Fukuyama expressed their eager curiosity.

The producer gave a half-smile. "The Duo of Mischief."

…

Once the "Duo of Mischief" had finished getting styled and entered the studio together, the gazes of the female staff present changed noticeably.

Neither Ye Zhao nor Masaharu Fukuyama could be considered perfect, textbook handsome men, but both had that special quality that grew more appealing the longer you looked at them—a look that could withstand scrutiny. Standing next to someone like that could be a disadvantage if you didn’t hold up well to close inspection, but when these two stood together, the only words that came to mind were "a feast for the eyes."

From their easy rapport on radio to the two spring songs born of Tamori’s joke, the spirit of spontaneity ran through the entire production of this single. For the cover shoot, inspired by their banter about "disappearing to study photography" while filming an MV in Fukuoka, they decided the cover would feature a photo of Ye Zhao and Masaharu Fukuyama photographing each other with cameras.

In terms of attire, Masaharu Fukuyama, exuding the aura of an elite gentleman, wore a black suit, while the slightly roguish Ye Zhao donned denim and work boots. The contrast of one refined and one spirited only enhanced their harmony.

As for the back cover, it was decided that each would display a photograph taken of the other.

During a break in the shoot, Masaharu Fukuyama, his tone nostalgic, remarked, "Unlike you, Ye-kun, who had a smash hit during your indie days, when I first debuted, my music just wouldn’t sell. BEGIN, from my agency, debuted the same day as me. Their single ‘Koishikute’ became a classic overnight, but mine didn’t even make the ORICON charts. I had to run every kind of promotion, big and small, but for every photo shoot and performance, I had only one set of stage clothes. One day I got home and noticed the armpits and cuffs had started to pill a bit. It really got me down."

"So what did you do after that, Fukuyama-san?" Hashimoto Marina, touching up his makeup, asked offhandedly.

Fukuyama smiled, "I picked off the pills by hand, one by one, and wore the same outfit for the next day’s promotions."

"That’s impressive, Fukuyama-san!" Ye Zhao exclaimed.

"What’s this, are you starting to admire me?" Fukuyama grinned, a touch smug.

Ye Zhao shook his head. "No, I was just picturing you compulsively picking at your clothes—that’s a whole different kind of neurosis."

"Ye-kun, at times like this, you’re supposed to play along and say ‘That’s right!’—it’s good manners!" Fukuyama chided him in jest.

…

After the photographer called "OK," Ye Zhao and Masaharu Fukuyama crowded around the computer to check the shots. The female staff nearby showered them with praise for their unexpected chemistry, and their gazes shifted from starry-eyed admiration to a knowing, mischievous look.

That look was at once strange and familiar to Ye Zhao, and after pondering it for a while, he finally remembered: in his previous life, his own sister had given Hu Guo and Wang Kai the exact same look when they appeared together.

With that thought, Ye Zhao inwardly gave thanks that the internet wasn’t all that developed yet—otherwise, once the single was released, the "shipping" threads about the two of them on 2chan would probably reach a thousand pages…