N-M Chapter 169 Silence in Court
Chapter 169 Silence in Court
Chapter 169 Silence in Court (Nanako's Highlight Moment)
The plot of "The White Tower" has entered its most heart-wrenching stage.
The medical malpractice lawsuit has finally gone to trial.
In previous episodes, viewers watched as Goro Zaizen cornered Kimiko Kameyama in the dead of night, resorting to threats and inducements to cover up the misdiagnosis, and attempting to silence her with promises of his future and money. The only witness, the timid nurse who had been manipulated by Zaizen, became the sole variable in this trial.
Thursday night, 10 p.m.
Tens of millions of eyes across Japan were glued to the television screen.
There was no background music in this scene. Only the suppressed breathing and the faint hum of the air conditioner in the courtroom could be heard.
The set was solemn and dignified, and the air seemed to have solidified into cement.
On the witness stand.
Nanako Matsushima plays the role of Kameyama Kimiko, wearing a slightly worn beige coat. Her hair is not combed neatly as usual, but is casually tied back, with a few strands hanging down her cheeks, making her look haggard and frightened.
Her hands gripped the wooden railing of the witness stand tightly, her knuckles turning white, as if it were her only piece of driftwood in the ocean.
Diagonally opposite her was Goro Zaizen (Nobu Kitahara) in the dock.
The man was still wearing a well-tailored, high-end suit, sitting upright with his hands crossed on the table. His face was expressionless, but his eyes—those hawk-like, sinister eyes—were fixed on Nanako's face, spanning half the courtroom.
He didn't speak, not even raising an eyebrow.
But that silent sense of oppression, that aura of authority belonging to those in power, seemed to transform into an invisible hand, gripping Kameyama Kimi's throat tightly.
That look seemed to say, "Think about your future, think about your life, think about the consequences of offending me."
The camera gave Nanako a close-up shot that lasted fifteen seconds.
This is a crucial fifteen-second performance that puts acting skills to the test.
She did not speak.
But her body was trembling slightly.
At first, her eyes darted around. She didn't dare look at Zaizen, her gaze shifting between the floor and the lawyer's tie, her lips moving as if she were a small animal cornered.
Then, the lawyer pressed further: "Witness, please answer. Did Professor Zaizen know about the presence of the shadow on his lung before the surgery?"
Nanako's breathing became rapid. She subconsciously looked up and met Zaizen Goro's cold gaze.
She flinched, taking a half-step back, her eyes brimming with fear—an instinctive dread of power.
However, just as she was about to lower her head and say the insincere "I don't know,"
She glanced at the audience seats out of the corner of her eye.
There sat Sasaki Yohei's widow, clutching her husband's black-and-white portrait. The woman who had lost her pillar of support looked at her with a desperate, pleading gaze.
That look was like a sharp knife, piercing through Kameyama Junzi's last line of defense.
Nanako's expression changed.
Her lips moved.
"----Yes."
Finally, she spoke. Her voice was soft, hoarse like sandpaper scraping the ground, but every word was crystal clear: "Professor Zaizen—he knew before the surgery."
The entire room fell into a deathly silence.
In the dock, Kitahara Shin's eyes instantly sharpened like knives, and he leaned forward slightly, seemingly trying to crush her with his aura.
But this time, Nanako did not back down.
She raised her head, no longer looking at Zaizen, but staring directly at the judge. Tears streamed silently down her cheeks, and her voice, which had been trembling, gradually became hysterical: "He saw that shadow! I saw it too! But—but in order to get the surgery done before the election, for his reputation—"
"He—he chose to ignore it!!"
She shouted those last words.
With that roar, tears streamed down her face. They weren't tears meant to elicit sympathy; they were the collapse of a conscience that had been suppressed for too long, finally released in this moment. She cried until her face was streaked with tears and snot, looking rather disheveled.
But at that moment, the timid little nurse of ordinary days vanished. Standing there was a radiant soul, determined to speak the truth even at the cost of its own life.
"boom--!"
The entire audience erupted in uproar.
In the dock, Kitahara Shin suddenly stood up.
He looked at the pawn he had once manipulated, his eyes filled with shock, rage, and disbelief, and a crack finally appeared on his usually composed face.
But the highlight of this episode doesn't belong to Zaizen Goro.
Even Kitahara Shin's powerful aura became a backdrop to the small flower blooming amidst the ruins at this moment.
The era belonging to Nanako Matsushima officially began with this cry.
After that night, Nanako Matsushima's name truly resonated throughout the entire Japanese film and television industry.
Before this, the public's impression of her was still stubbornly stuck on the stereotypes of "former J-J model" and "good for nothing except long legs." Many harsh drama critics even mocked her in their columns as "an expensive vase next to Kitahara Shin," a mascot placed by the production team to attract male viewers.
But tonight, all the doubts were silenced by that heart-wrenching cry.
Tokyo, a BBS movie and TV show discussion forum.
The server was almost overwhelmed. Threads that were originally discussing whether Goro Zaizen would go to jail were suddenly flooded with discussions about "Kameyama Gentleman".
"I was wrong. I want to kneel down and apologize to Matsushima. I used to think she was just a wooden beauty, but after that scene just now, I was completely blown away."
"My God—that pretty face is such a good actress? When she was staring intently at Zaizen just now, her trembling chin and that look of wanting to look but not daring to—it was exactly how I am when I'm facing my boss!"
"The most amazing part was the final crying scene! Did you notice? She didn't cry beautifully at all; snot and tears were streaming down her face, she even looked a bit ugly. But it was precisely because of this 'ugliness' that it was so real and heartbreaking! That's what a true actor is!"
"I cried too. The struggle of an ordinary person in the face of great power, the fear of wanting to speak the truth but being afraid of retaliation—she acted it so well. She wasn't acting; she was Kameyama Kimiko herself."
"I hereby declare that from this day forward, she is a true actress! Anyone who says she only has pretty legs will have to answer to me!"
It's not just ordinary viewers.
Even the most discerning housewives were completely won over by this performance.
They might have been jealous of Nanako's beauty, or thought she was a "vixen" who seduced men. But seeing her helpless yet resolute appearance in court, their empathy for her as a fellow victim instantly erupted.
"That child has had it so tough."
In countless family living rooms, mothers wiped away tears with tissues, saying, "She's such a good girl to stand up and tell the truth even after being threatened by such a terrible man (Zaizen)."
That's the advantage of working with big shots.
Risks and opportunities coexist.
If your acting is subpar, you'll be overshadowed by the protagonist and become just a background character.
But if you can handle the role, if you don't back down in front of that radiant and imposing protagonist, you might even be able to spark your own unique brilliance.
The contrast between "the weak drawing their swords before a dragon" is amplified in its impact.
Despite Kitahara Shin's terrifying, almost murderous aura, Matsushima Nanako was not crushed; instead, she tenaciously blossomed.
That night, she was no longer anyone's supporting character.
late at night.
Kitahara Shin had just finished showering and was drying his hair.
The phone on the table rang.
"Feed?"
-
"Teacher!! Did you watch TV? Did you see the ratings? Everyone said I acted well! And film critics even praised me for being talented! Waaaaah————"
On the other end of the phone, Nanako's voice was distorted with excitement, and you could hear the creaking of the springs as she rolled around on the bed.
"I heard it, I heard it."
Kitahara Shin moved the microphone a little further away, a smile playing on his lips: "Don't shout so loudly, you're going to go deaf."
"Teacher! Aren't I amazing? Didn't I live up to your expectations? Praise me, praise me!"
Hearing the puppy-like tone of the voice seeking praise, Kitahara Shin shifted his position on the sofa and said calmly, "Hmm, not bad. You didn't embarrass me."
Although it was just a simple sentence, there was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, followed by an even louder scream: "Aaaaaah!! That's great!! The teacher praised me!! I'm going to run laps! I'm going to eat barbecue!"
"Alright, go to sleep early. You'll be late for tomorrow's farewell."
Kitahara Shin laughed and hung up the phone.
This girl.
After hanging up the phone, Kitahara Shin was in a good mood.
He walked to his desk and took out the blue paintbrush that he had picked up from Studio Ghibli.
I haven't really used this pen properly since I found it.
"Give it a try."
He picked up a piece of white paper at random.
With a slight thought, the equipment is activated.
[Effect Activation: Mental Image Development]
A strange sensation flowed through his fingertips. He closed his eyes, and the face of Akina Nakamori appeared in his mind.
That woman who exudes charisma on stage, yet is a little arrogant and loves to act cute in private. Especially when she smiles, the tiny wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, and those always-moist eyes.
Open your eyes.
Put pen to paper.
The pen in my hand seemed to come alive. I didn't need to think about the composition or struggle with the lines; my hand was like an automatic printer, "copying" the images in my mind onto the paper.
rustling.
A few minutes later.
Kitahara Shin stopped writing and looked at the portrait on the paper.
It was a sketch.
In the painting, Akina is tilting her head, seemingly listening to someone speak, with her signature smile that is both provocative and sweet. Even the disheveled look of her hair is depicted with remarkable realism.
"—You've got something special."
Kitahara Shin raised an eyebrow.
The effect was even better than he had imagined. Although he had never studied painting, this pen perfectly bypassed the obstacle of being "clumsy with his hands." As long as his aesthetic sense was good, the things he drew would be masterful.
If you were to give this as a gift—
It's an absolute killer weapon.
Saturday, the recording site of the third episode of "Nobu Kitahara Can Do Anything!" at the TBS television studio.
The shocking "Webster backflip" from the last episode is still being hotly debated, and the production team has come up with a new trick this time.
This issue's theme: [Challenging Human Limits: The Art Version].
The guest is Izumi Sakai, who recently made a comeback and is preparing to release a new album.
There was also a specially invited challenger—Kuniyoshi Kaneko, a famous Japanese "splash painting master".
This master's specialty was not sitting in front of an easel and slowly sketching, but rather taking a huge brush or bucket of paint, dancing as he splashed paint onto the canvas, and finally only needing a few strokes to complete the painting.
It is highly visually appealing, but also extremely difficult to imitate.
"Kitahara-san, Izumi-san, nice to meet you."
-
Master Kaneko was dressed in paint-splattered overalls, his hair was messy, and he looked like a crazy artist.
Today, Izumi Sakai wore a light blue sweater, her long hair flowing over her shoulders, looking gentle and charming. She looked somewhat nervously at the large buckets of paint: "Um—Kitahara-kun, are we really going to try this? I can only draw very simple line drawings—"
Kitahara Shin smiled and helped her roll up her sleeves: "It's nothing, just playing around. Art is all about having fun."
The program begins.
Master Jin first gave a performance.
He danced wildly before the enormous white canvas, splashing paint from his bucket like raindrops. Red, blue, black—seemingly chaotic.
But in the end, he picked up his paintbrush and quickly sketched a few strokes on those blocks of color.
A powerful and impactful painting, "Raging Waves," was instantly created.
"Wow-!!"
The audience gasped in surprise.
Even the spring water couldn't help but applaud: "Amazing—you can't tell at all that it was originally just a splash of color."
The host handed the microphone to Kitahara Shin: "Well then, it's Kitahara-san's turn next. What are you going to draw?"
Kitahara Shin walked up to the canvas.
He didn't splash ink wildly like the masters.
He simply picked up a brush and a few palettes.
[Mind-Bound Equipment: Dream Weaver's Discarded Paintbrush (Blue) Activated]
Although you're holding a brush, as long as it's a "painting tool," the equipment effect will still work.
He closed his eyes.
A starry sky appeared in my mind.
That was the starry sky he saw on the beach in Kochi Prefecture while filming "Ocean Waves". It was deep and vast, yet it held a kind of gentle gaze.
Open your eyes.
Do it.
Deep blue paint was applied extensively to the canvas, forming the base color of the night sky. Then came purple and black, layered and blended outwards.
Then, he picked up the white paint and gently flicked the brush bristles with his fingers.
The scattered white dots are like the Milky Way scattered on the canvas.
His movements were elegant and composed, as if he were conducting a symphony.
"Is this... the starry sky?"
The host seemed puzzled, "She's very pretty, but there doesn't seem to be anything special about her—"
Kitahara Shin remained silent.
In the lower right corner of the painting, he used extremely fine brushstrokes to outline a figure from behind.
A long-haired woman in a dress is looking up at the starry sky from behind.
"alright."
He put down his pen.
The entire room fell silent for a few seconds.
The painting is indeed beautiful. The profound sense of the starry sky is perfectly captured, and the silhouette is also very evocative. But that's about it; it doesn't quite have the same breathtaking impact as the master's "creating something from nothing" technique.
Master Kaneko stroked his chin, just about to comment, "The composition is good."
Just then.
Kitahara Shin walked over and grabbed the edge of the picture frame.
"Actually, this painting isn't finished yet."
He said with a smile.
Then, he suddenly rotated the canvas 180 degrees.
"Whoa—!!!"
The entire audience erupted in gasps ten times louder than before.
Even the spring water covered its mouth in surprise, its eyes wide open.
The original starry sky, after rotating, had its seemingly random stars and cloud patterns forming the outline of a human face.
That is————
Izumi Sakai's profile.
And what was once a silhouette gazing at the starry sky has become a hair clip on the tip of her hair.
This is the truly terrifying aspect of "mental image projection".
If the composition in your mind is exquisite enough, it can be perfectly presented. This is a double painting; viewed from the front, it is a girl under the starry sky, and viewed upside down, the girl herself is the starry sky.
"Oh my god————"
The host was so excited he almost dropped the microphone. "Is this magic?! It's unbelievable! Miss Izumi's face is hidden inside!"
The camera quickly zoomed in, giving the painting a close-up, and then cut to the face of the spring, which looked shocked and embarrassed.
That sense of amazement instantly pierced the screen.
Looking at the painting, Izumi blushed like an apple. She turned to look at Kitahara Shin, her eyes sparkling with admiration, and couldn't help but clap her hands enthusiastically: "That's amazing—Shin-kun, I didn't know you had this skill."
Kitahara Shin wiped the paint off his hands and shrugged: "Just thought of it by chance. Here, I wish you great success with your new album."
At the end of the program.
Riding on this wave of popularity, Quanshui stood in the center of the stage with a microphone in hand.
She closed her eyes and began to sing the classic song, "Don't You See!"
A clear and powerful voice pierced through the studio and through the television screen. The once somewhat shy girl now radiated the light of "ZARD" on stage.
Kitahara Shin stood beside her, watching her quietly with gentle eyes.
This scene of the "talented man and beautiful woman" appearing together became the highest-rated moment of the night.
Late Monday night.
The ratings for the third episode of "Kitahara Shin Can Do Anything!" have been released.
19.8%.
-
It's only 0.2% away from breaking 20.
For a late-night variety show, this is not a miracle, but a divine intervention.
The phone lines for GG (Google's advertising platform) were overwhelmed with calls to the TV station's customer service. Countless sponsors were waving checks, eager to become the title sponsors.
Even Johnny & Associates couldn't sit still anymore.
In the Roppongi office.
Mary Kitagawa looked at the ratings, her expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.
She was a businesswoman. Although she disliked Kitahara Shin, she could temporarily set aside personal likes and dislikes in the face of huge profits.
"go."
She told her assistant, "Contact Fuji TV. Ask if they still have any slots left for this program. Put some money in."
"Huh? But Vice President, this is Kitahara Shin's program—"
"So what?"
Mary said coldly, "Since we can't defeat him, let's make some money off him. And while we're at it—let's see if we can squeeze our newcomers in to ride his coattails. As long as we can make money, I don't care if I'm working with the devil."
at the same time.
On TBS, the viewership ratings for "Hot-Blooded Detective" continue to fluctuate between 20% and 21%.
Although Takuya Kimura is still tirelessly promoting the show, and SMAP is still drinking heavily, they've reached their ceiling. The flaws in the plot and audience fatigue have completely eliminated any possibility of the drama reaching the 30% mark.
And the most ironic thing is...
Takuya Kimura's recommendation of "The White Tower" on a radio program had an unexpected and counterproductive effect.
Many fans who originally only watched Kimura secretly switched channels to watch "The White Tower" next door, thinking, "My idol says it's good, so I'll go watch it too."
Once you see it, you can never come back.
"Waaaaah, even though Kimura-kun is handsome, Professor Zaizen is just too charming!"
"These kinds of adult power struggle dramas are really more interesting than action-packed crime-solving!"
"I'm sorry, Kimura-kun, I've betrayed you—"
This is a long time.
Kitahara Shin not only won the ratings, but also managed to "turn" a large number of his opponent's fans to his side.
The outcome of this ratings battle in the early Heisei era is already decided.
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