N-M Chapter 265 The Movie "Shall We Dance?"
Chapter 265 The Movie "Shall We Dance?"
Chapter 265 The Movie "Shall We Dance?"
Another day.
In the president's office of Kitahara's office, Secretary Aida respectfully placed a thick script and an invitation letter from Fuji TV on Kitahara's desk.
"President, Fuji Television has sent a formal offer. Writer Koki Mitani personally requested that you play the ultimate villain in the second season special of 'Koen Ninzaburo'."
Kitahara Shin paused slightly in his hand as he picked up the coffee.
The drama "Koen Ninzaburo" is considered an absolute classic, standing on a pedestal in the history of Japanese mystery dramas. Its pioneering "flashback" mystery format, coupled with the unique performance of protagonist Masakazu Tamura, who was slow and methodical yet capable of completely breaking down the killer's psychological defenses, not only made the drama a ratings champion for many years but also a kind of "status certification" in the Japanese entertainment industry.
In this drama, only the most popular and highest-ranking celebrities at the time were qualified to appear as "murderers".
Fuji TV and Koki Mitani approached Shin Kitahara at this juncture for two reasons. First, they were drawn to his terrifying viewership appeal that had dominated an entire era. Second, they were attracted by the chilling sense of oppression he exuded when he played the high-IQ villain in "Flower of Evil" a few years earlier.
For any actor, the prospect of having a true acting duel with the old-fashioned, aristocratic Masakazu Tamura would be an incredibly tempting challenge.
Kitahara Shin glanced at the script and found that his schedule was perfect. Without hesitation, he nodded and agreed: "Tell Fuji TV that I'll be on set on time next Monday."
Given Kitahara Shin's current status and position, he no longer needs to go through any audition process to take on any role. He usually sits there and examines whether the script and director are worthy of his time.
Besides this special episode featuring a cameo appearance, on Kitahara Shin's desk lies another film proposal he has just selected, which he plans to use as his main target for this year's big screen releases—"Shall We Dance?".
In its original historical context, this film was a true "monster" in the Japanese film industry in 1996. It used an extremely delicate and humorous approach to depict the redemptive journey of a numb, middle-aged office worker struggling with a midlife crisis, and how he rediscovers passion for life through ballroom dancing. This film not only swept the Japan Academy Film Prize that year, winning 14 awards, but also successfully entered the European and American markets, with Hollywood buying the rights for a remake.
For Shin Kitahara, taking on this film was an extremely important "transformation of his divine nature".
Audiences are used to seeing him play those radiant, impeccably dressed, perfect men, and to seeing him save the world on screen.
If he could shed all his divine aura and portray an ordinary mortal with a hunched back, empty eyes, and struggling under the weight of mortgage payments and family, and achieve a spiritual release in the final waltz, this extreme visual contrast and acting impact would be enough to cement his legendary status and silence all the critical film critics.
In this film, the aloof, melancholic female dance teacher who closes herself off due to a competition defeat already had a perfect candidate in Kitahara Shin's mind.
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He picked up the phone on the table and dialed Nakamori Akina's number directly.
The phone was answered after two rings, and Akina's gentle voice came from the other end, accompanied by the faint sound of music from the recording studio.
"Shin-kun? Why are you calling at this hour all of a sudden?"
"Are you recording a song?" Kitahara Shin leaned back in his chair, his tone relaxed. "If you're free, I'd like to ask you out for dinner tonight. There's something I'd like to talk to you about."
"Let me go, I'm free anytime." Akina chuckled softly on the other end of the phone, agreeing without asking any questions.
As evening approached, night fell.
Kitahara Shin booked a high-end French restaurant near Tokyo Tower with a fantastic view. Sitting by the window, he could take in the entire dazzling night view of Tokyo Tower.
The two sat at opposite ends of the dining table, the flickering candlelight illuminating Akina's still exquisite and captivating face.
"Is there something you need, Shin-kun?" Akina swirled the wine in her glass, smiling as she looked at the man opposite her.
"How long has it been since you've seriously acted in a film?" Kitahara Shin asked with a smile, without beating around the bush.
Akina blinked, then thought carefully for a moment: "It's been a long time. The last time I was properly on set was probably when I was filming 'All About My Bare Face' with you. Why are you suddenly asking this?"
"I have a really good film project right now." Kitahara Shin put down his knife and fork, looking directly at her. "I want you to play the lead role. Let's go to the big screen and dance together."
Upon hearing the word "dance," Akina paused for a moment. Looking at Kitahara Shin's serious expression, she seemed to sense the weight behind this script.
She put down her wine glass and said hesitantly, "Acting together would be great—but I haven't touched a script in so long, I'm afraid my acting will hold you back."
"How could that be?" Kitahara Shin shook his head with a smile, took out the outline of the script for "Let's Dance and Fall in Love" from his briefcase, and handed it to her.
Akina took the script and read it for more than ten minutes by candlelight. As she learned more about the character's background, her surprise grew, and at the same time, a dancer's instinct was subtly awakened.
"The female lead is a professional ballroom dance teacher?" Akina looked up, her eyes shining. "So, we'll have some really challenging ballroom dance scenes in this movie?"
She looked at Kitahara Shin, a mischievous smile playing on her lips: "This technique is quite difficult, you know. Shin-kun, are you sure you're okay? If you're not good at it, I can teach you."
Akina was not only a top singer in her early years, but also had an extremely solid foundation in ballet. She had absolute confidence in her control over dance.
Seeing her unusually proud and aloof demeanor, Kitahara Shin readily chimed in, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Akina-sensei. I wonder if your tutoring fees are expensive?"
Akina rested her chin on her hand, feigning seriousness, and pondered for a moment: "Hmm—that's hard to say, my tutoring fees are quite expensive, you know."
"As long as it doesn't exceed my company's market value, I should be able to afford it," Kitahara Shin replied seriously.
"You're being too over-the-top!" Akina rolled her eyes at him playfully, then closed the script and carefully put it into her bag. "Alright, fine, I'll act with you then. Anyway, I've had enough concerts lately, it's time to cool down my singer persona. This constant high-intensity exposure isn't good for maintaining long-term popularity; it just makes the audience tired of it."
Listening to Akina's methodical analysis, Kitahara Shin raised an eyebrow in surprise: "It seems our queen has developed a keen business sense now."
"Isn't it because you become like those you associate with?" Akina muttered softly, her eyes full of undisguised laughter.
The two finished dinner in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.
When I walked out of the restaurant and into the underground parking lot, it was quiet all around.
Kitahara Shin took Akina's hand and walked to the car door. He didn't open the door immediately, but turned around and took out an exquisite black velvet box from his coat pocket.
The moment Akina saw the box, she stopped abruptly in her tracks.
A rare hint of panic flashed across her usually gentle and composed face. She looked at Kitahara Shin, then at the box in his hand, and her breathing became somewhat rapid.
Seeing her bewildered state, Kitahara Shin gently pulled her into his arms and chuckled softly, "I never expected to see you so flustered. You used to handle crisis management with such composure."
"You—you're not going to propose to me here, are you?" Akina leaned against his chest, her voice trembling slightly. "No, this is too sudden. And—and you haven't completely sorted out all those things around you, have you?"
Akina was an extremely insightful woman. She knew that Kitahara Shin still had Izumi, Nanako, and Rie around him. Before properly settling all these relationships, she was unwilling to enjoy this title alone, as it would make the man's situation difficult.
Kitahara Shin blinked, looking at the woman in his arms who was still thinking of him even at this moment, and felt as if a certain part of his heart had been stabbed hard.
"What nonsense are you thinking about?" Kitahara Shin chuckled, then suddenly bent down, slipped his hands under her armpits and knees, and lifted her up in his arms.
The sudden lift caused Akina to gasp in surprise. She frantically wrapped her arms around Kitahara Shin's neck, her body initially resisting, but completely softening when she touched his firm, warm chest.
In the empty underground parking lot, the two gazed at each other silently for a few seconds. Then, Kitahara Shin lowered his head, accurately capturing her soft lips, and kissed her deeply.
After a long and tender deep kiss.
Kitahara Shin put her down. He opened the black velvet box in his hand. Inside wasn't one of those extravagantly large diamond rings, but an extremely delicate and exquisite custom-made diamond ring.
This was commissioned by Kitahara Shin from a top luxury jeweler more than half a year in advance, at great expense and with considerable effort. The small diamonds were merely embellishments; the real expense lay in its exquisite inner engraving, densely engraved with the initials of their names and the date they met.
"I know you've silently endured a lot of grievances all these years with me." Kitahara Shin looked at Akina's slightly red eyes, his tone extremely serious. "I've always lacked a proper title for you. This ring isn't a final proposal; it's just a promise from me."
He slowly pushed the ring in front of Akina: "Please believe me, this day won't be long. I will give you all a stable and legitimate future."
Looking at the affectionate and open-minded man before her, and listening to his solemn promise, the panic in Akina's eyes completely disappeared.
She gave a stunningly beautiful smile, a hint of happiness glistening in her eyes: "I've already waited for you for so long, what's a little longer? Here, help me put it on."
Kitahara Shin nodded and carefully slipped the ring, which carried the promise, onto Akina's right ring finger.
The two embraced tightly in the dimly lit parking lot. After a long while, they reluctantly separated and got into the car.
The next morning, in the advanced dance rehearsal room of Kitahara's office.
In preparation for the movie audition next Thursday, and to get back into rhythm, Akina and Kitahara Nobu changed into loose practice clothes and began their initial ballroom dancing practice on the spacious wooden floor.
With the abnormal physical bonus and nerve reaction speed provided by the [Ring of Life], Kitahara Shin mastered the intricate steps of ballroom dancing with extreme precision in less than half an hour.
He stood to the side, watching Akina stretch her body in front of the huge floor-length mirror.
Even though she hadn't had systematic training for a long time, her ballet foundation, ingrained in her bones, remained. She rose on her toes, her long, swan-like neck slightly arched, each turn and leap exuding a cool and exquisite beauty. Kitahara Shin leaned against the barre, making no attempt to hide the admiration in his eyes.
After Akina finished a spin, she saw the man staring at her through the mirror. She turned her head, gave him a disgruntled look, and scolded, "Alright, stop staring! Aren't we filming together? Come on over and practice!"
Hearing her coquettish tone, Kitahara Shin chuckled and straightened up: "Yes, sir Akina. Let's continue."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the same time.
In the artist lounge of Kitahara Agency.
Takako Matsu, Nanako Matsushima, and Rie Miyazawa all received audition scripts for supporting roles in "Shall We Dance?" from Secretary Aida.
Besides the male and female leads, the film also features many outstanding supporting characters with diverse personalities in the dance studio. Kitahara Shin's meaning is clear: he hopes they will also audition, as a kind of team-building activity for everyone.
However, when the three women opened the script and saw that the female lead's name was "Nakamori Akina (tentative)" on the title page, their eyes met instantly, and the atmosphere became somewhat subtle.
The female lead was taken by the gang leader, and among the remaining female characters, the one with the most screen time and the most eye-catching is undoubtedly the male lead's wife.
Rie Miyazawa bit her lip, slammed her hand on the table, and broke the silence: "I want to play Nobu-kun's wife! This is a proper, official role!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she looked triumphantly at Nanako and Matsu Takako, expecting fierce competition, but to her surprise, the two were unusually quiet.
"You guys—aren't you planning to choose this role?" Rie asked, somewhat surprised.
Matsu Takako flipped through the script without saying a word.
Nanako closed her script, leaned back on the sofa, and lazily yawned: "I don't think I'm suitable for this role. In this script, the male lead secretly goes to dance classes without his wife's knowledge and also has an emotional affair with his female teacher. Playing his wife—that's clearly a victim role."
Nanako raised an eyebrow and looked at Rie: "I don't want to be the neglected victim in the movie."
"Exactly." Matsu Takako nodded in agreement.
Rie opened her mouth, looking at the scene in the script where the wife hires a private investigator to follow her husband, feeling frustrated. Suddenly, she felt that the "title" she had in her hands didn't seem so appealing anymore.