Chapter Seventy-Six: Two Cats

Before getting out of the car, Kazuyo Kawamoto nervously touched the ends of her hair and asked, “Um, Ye Zhao-san, do we really have to do this?”

“Of course,” Ye Zhao replied with absolute certainty. “Don’t worry, it will be a complete transformation.”

“But... I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it as it is now,” Kawamoto muttered quietly. She looked up and met Ye Zhao’s disapproving gaze, then silently changed her tune. “...Perhaps Ye Zhao-san is right.”

The car stopped in front of a building. Yuki Uemura went off to find a parking spot, while Ye Zhao led Kawamoto up to the second floor. Their destination was a beauty salon. After signing Kawamoto, the first thing Ye Zhao did was not to arrange training or help her record a demo, but to bring her here and replace that matronly hairstyle.

The salon owner was a man in his forties, sporting a short beard. Ye Zhao’s hair had always been handled by him since debut, and both his skills and taste were highly trustworthy. Upon seeing Ye Zhao, the owner greeted him warmly, “Welcome, Ye Zhao-san.”

“Sorry to trouble you, Mr. Majima.” Ye Zhao gestured toward Kawamoto. “This time, I’d like your help to give this young lady a hairstyle that suits her.”

Mr. Majima shifted his gaze, pausing thoughtfully on Kawamoto’s face as if considering how best to style her. Then he nodded, “Leave it to me.”

While waiting, Ye Zhao idly flipped through magazines on the coffee table. Several music magazines coincidentally featured H Jungle With t, whose single had topped the charts for three consecutive weeks since its release on March fifteenth. Judging by the momentum, their continued success seemed assured.

H Jungle With t was formed by Masatoshi Hamada and Tetsuya Komuro. The origin traced back to Komuro’s appearance on the music show “HEY! HEY! HEY!” hosted by Hamada and Hitoshi Matsumoto. Hamada jokingly said he wished he could have a million-selling single, to which Komuro immediately agreed, and promptly set up the group.

As for vocal ability... let’s not discuss Hamada’s singing. In any case, the group recorded and released their single as planned, achieving a jaw-dropping result on the ORICON charts. The song’s analysis aside, the fact that Komuro could “play” with a track and still garner such results showed that the Komuro family had reached its zenith.

Lost in thought, Ye Zhao was soon interrupted by Majima’s assistant, “Ye Zhao-san, it’s ready.”

Ye Zhao put down the magazine and walked behind Kawamoto, inspecting her face in the mirror. Majima had cut Kawamoto’s shoulder-length hair to just above her earlobes, giving her a spirited, boyish charm. Her once merely delicate features now stood out distinctly.

Ye Zhao nodded in satisfaction. “As expected of Mr. Majima, it’s excellent.”

Kawamoto stared at herself in the mirror over and over, finally realizing that the short hair was indeed much better than her previous ordinary style. She breathed a sigh of relief and pulled a playful face at her reflection.

Leaving the salon, Ye Zhao announced, “Next up—”

“Are we going to keep changing my style?” Kawamoto asked cautiously.

“How does this transformation feel?” Ye Zhao shot back.

Kawamoto thought for a moment. “It’s... actually pretty good.”

“Unfortunately, the next step isn’t another makeover. I’m taking you to meet someone,” Ye Zhao laughed. “By the way, Miss Kawamoto, have you thought about your stage name for your debut?” Although Kawamoto was now a singer under Ye Zhao’s agency, she was a year older than him, so Ye Zhao still used the original honorific.

“Stage name?”

“Yes. If you’re debuting, do you want to use your real name or pick an artist name?”

“Um... I hope it’s not rude, but is Ye Zhao-san’s name your real name or a stage name?”

“It’s my real name. But at first, I considered names like ‘Shinpachiro Kitajima’ or ‘Achilles Ye,’” Ye Zhao said, deadpan.

“Names like that would never work!” Kawamoto’s face darkened.

“That’s why, as a singer, your name needs to be distinctive and easy to say. Also, if you prefer a hassle-free life, a stage name won’t interfere with your private affairs.”

Kawamoto nodded. “I understand. I’ll give it serious thought.”

Uemura drove the car to the entrance, and Ye Zhao and Kawamoto got in. The three headed toward a recording studio in Shibuya.

Unlike before, this was not a BEING-affiliated studio but one under Avex.

As soon as Ye Zhao entered, he was struck by the scene: Tetsuro Oda sat angrily at the control desk, while beside him a petite girl with tomboyish short hair glared back, her expression reminiscent of a wildcat ready to pounce.

“I told you, this won’t work at all!” Oda finally burst out.

The girl snorted. She didn’t retort, but her attitude was clearly defiant. Observing her, Oda suddenly laughed, shaking his head, “Alright then.” He glanced at the door and greeted Ye Zhao, “You’re here, Ye? And this is?”

Ye Zhao stepped aside, pushing Kawamoto forward. “This is the Kawamoto I mentioned to you—the one whose singing has such character.”

Kawamoto nervously bowed ninety degrees. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Oda. I’m Kazuyo Kawamoto.”

“Oh,” Oda sized her up thoughtfully, then suddenly instructed the girl beside him, “Misaki, stand next to Miss Kawamoto.”

“Huh?” The girl, Misaki, looked at Oda with a mix of confusion and annoyance, but obediently went to stand beside Kawamoto.

Oda smiled, “Ye, the two of them together look like a pair of kittens.” Oda was known for his love of cats; rumor had it his favorite student, Nanase Aikawa, was so beloved because her demeanor resembled a feline. Speaking of Aikawa, what did Oda call this girl earlier... If memory served, Aikawa’s real name was Misaki Saeki?

Ye Zhao scrutinized the girl’s sleepy face for a while, finally matching it to the cool beauty Nanase Aikawa in his memory. Looking at Kawamoto, he joined in the laughter. “They really do!”

Oda turned to Kawamoto. “Miss Kawamoto, would you mind trying a song across the room?”

Kawamoto instinctively glanced at Ye Zhao, who nodded encouragingly. She then walked toward the recording booth. Oda and Ye Zhao donned monitoring headphones at the control desk; Nanase Aikawa, without prompting, grabbed a pair herself.

This time, Kawamoto sang Rebecca’s “Friends.” At first, Oda’s brow furrowed, but as she settled into the song, his expression gradually changed.

When Kawamoto stepped away from the mic, Oda removed his headphones and said to Ye Zhao, “You really have a knack—where did you find such a treasure?”

Ye Zhao grinned. “Just pure luck.”

The four moved to a small lounge. Oda retrieved cups from the sterilizer, and Nanase Aikawa, despite her rebellious air, deftly found drip coffee packs and prepared coffee.

“Thank you, Miss Misaki,” Ye Zhao said to her.

Oda answered instead, sitting down with a smile, “Misaki is, after all, your junior. Drinking her coffee is only fitting. Were it anyone else, I wouldn’t let her do such things.”

“When I’m in the studio with sensei, I always make coffee for everyone. Is it really fair for you to treat me differently?”

“You’re just someone who clings to the classroom window for lessons. Misaki was taught by me, hand-in-hand. That’s not the same, is it?” Oda replied smugly, prideful as a father boasting about his daughter.

...

Nanase Aikawa handed out the cups, taking the last for herself and sitting beside Oda. Ye Zhao and Kawamoto settled on the other sofa.

“Has Miss Misaki’s debut date been set?” Ye Zhao sipped his coffee.

“I’ve had her debut song ready for a while. Today she came to try it out, but there are a few parts I’m not satisfied with, and Misaki refuses to compromise,” Oda said with a wry smile. “So we ended up arguing.”

“I didn’t expect Miss Misaki to have such a strong personality.”

Oda raised his brows. “You sound like you admire her?”

Ye Zhao smiled. “Of course. Most newcomers are timid, afraid to lose their chance. It’s rare not to give in. Surely you wouldn’t want your star pupil to be a puppet, obeying the producer’s every arrangement?”

Oda nodded, clearly agreeing, then turned to the matter of Kawamoto. “Ye, do you have any plans for Miss Kawamoto?”

“Girl Pop is trending, and her individuality is so strong. I’m confident in her solo debut. The only issue is which record company to choose.”

“Oh? You’re not thinking of signing her with BEING?” Oda was surprised.

Ye Zhao replied reservedly, “Just as you signed Misaki with Avex, I suddenly want to try something different musically.”