Tokyo Bubble Life

Chapters 1350 and 1359: The Triple Crown Winner! It's Nakamori Akina's!!

Chapter 1350-1359, The Triple Crown Winner! It's Nakamori Akina's!!

On New Year's Eve of Showa 62, light snow began to fall.

During the day, we clean the house and prepare food for the Lunar New Year. In the evening, we gather around the TV to watch the Red and White Song Festival and wait for the 108 bells to ring from the nearby temple.

Kadomatsu (pine branches), shimenawa (shrine ropes), and tomato buckwheat. Every household is preparing to say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new.

The same lively scene unfolded in the Sakura-in Garden. While Naoki Nagayama was cleaning, Natsuka would cause trouble nearby; as Naoki Nagayama hung up the shimari rope, Nyantaro would raise his paw, eager to try; and as Naoki Nagayama made hanshoku (cold food), Eitaro would wag his tail in the kitchen.

Then Naoki Nagayama himself also had to answer phone calls while he was busy:

“Hi, everything is ready at home.” Naoki Nagayama handed the phone to the little guy and leaned in to speak. “Akina had already finished most of the preparations before she went out.”

"After having dinner with Hana-chan and watching the awards ceremony tonight, I'll pick up Akina. We'll listen to the New Year's bells at Kiyomizu-dera Temple tonight."

"Don't worry, Mother, we'll be fine!"

This is a phone call from their home in Shizuoka. Nanako Nagayama is very concerned about her son in Tokyo.

"We'll be going back to Shizuoka with Brother Feng tomorrow."

After the call ended, Naoki Nagayama gestured for Natsuka to put down the receiver, then happily praised his daughter:

"Hua Jiang is amazing! She helped Dad hold it up for so long. She was such a great help!"

"Alright, as a reward, Hua Jiang will have some tempura."

As she spoke, she blew on the tempura that had just come out of the pot and handed it to her daughter, who was standing on a chair.

The tempura is crispy and fragrant, with bouncy and sweet shrimp inside. Every bite is full of the freshness of shrimp meat. I've been craving it for a long time.

She took a bite, and her eyes crinkled with joy, just like her mother's!

"Is it tasty?"

"Uh-huh."

The little guy nodded eagerly, his tiny hands gripping the tempura's tail, his mouth clenching tightly. This kind of shrimp was still a bit too much for a child to handle.

"Then let's sit on the sofa and eat while watching TV~"

"Mom won't allow it."

Xiaoxia was a little worried because Akina wanted her daughter to develop good habits and never let her eat on the sofa.

"Since Mom's not here, we'll listen to Dad!"

When it comes to men raising children, they should do whatever makes them happy!

"Okay~~"

While the father and daughter were celebrating their agreement, Eitaro was anxiously watching the little one eat tempura, his tail slapping against the ground.

"Woof woof! (Where's mine?!)"

He's been waiting for so long, why didn't he get a share?!

"Ah, Yingtaro wants some too?"

Naoki Nagayama looked down at the big white dog, waving a piece of tempura in front of it, his eyes following the tempura's movements.

"But if Eitarou wants to eat, he has to wait for my command! Don't move!"

As he spoke, he placed the tempura on Eitaro's mouth, near his nose, and then slowly gave the command:

"Don't move! Don't move! Wait for me to count... 1, 2, 3!!!"

At a single command, Yingtaro tossed his head, and with a soft snap, the tempura was in his mouth. After a few quick chews, he devoured it.

Then Yingtaro stuck out his tongue and smiled ingratiatingly, his tail slapping the ground again, as if urging him on:

"One more, one more!"

"That's amazing."

Naoki Nagayama and Natsuka exchanged a glance and sighed.

"Eitaro's speed is getting faster and faster."

The little one opened his eyes wide and nodded seriously, completely agreeing.

"But it's gone now! Go have some fun!"

He nudged the dog a few times with his foot, but Yingtaro didn't leave. Instead, he continued to wait for his chance in the fragrant kitchen.

As evening fell, Naoki Nagayama sat on the sofa with Natsuka, eating various foods while watching television.

Outside the Tokyo Budokan, countless reporters surrounded the entrance, but a special passage was left open, awaiting today's important moment.

Because the Japan Record Awards ceremony and the Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Battle) coincide, many stars who have to participate in both events will have to rush between NHK and the Budokan.

Both venues will have dedicated access routes, and even traffic management departments will temporarily open a "green channel" on the highway.

From the moment they get out of the car to the moment they enter the building, celebrities usually sprint at top speed, making it difficult to maintain a proper image. This is a rare moment for stars who strive for perfection!

Capturing photos of celebrities rushing to catch their trains in special passageways has become a special year-end surprise!

"I think we'll be able to get a shot of Shizuka Kudo today!"

A reporter, fiddling with his camera, asked,

"Seiko Matsuda should be able to get a picture too!"

The companion next to him replied:

"We should be able to. They've all participated in the Japan Record Awards and the Kohaku Uta Gassen. If only we can capture that moment."

"It's definitely more interesting when female celebrities run."

"Hey? Do you think anyone might fall this time?"

Since Shuyou demonstrated this at the Tokyo Film Festival, many celebrities now try to gain attention by wrestling at large events.

Production teams for large-scale live variety shows like the Red and White Festival had to strictly prohibit this behavior to stop artists from trying to create big events on the show!

"Unlikely. If he falls while sprinting, he could easily get injured. It would be a loss if he couldn't go on stage!"

"makes sense."

The time hadn't come yet, and the reporters chatted casually in the cold wind, when one of them suddenly sighed:

"It's a pity that Akina Nakamori won't be traveling back and forth this year!"

"Yes, the real bombshell is getting a picture of Akina!"

"I heard that because of her pregnancy, she'll be semi-retiring again next year. We won't be able to see her for over a year."

"Naoki Nagayama is so shameless! He turned everyone's Akina into one person's!"

"."

Nakamori Akina might feel helpless hearing all sorts of complaints, but at this moment, she was in the dressing room of the Recording Awards, waiting for the program to begin.

Akina, having changed into her stage outfit, was adjusting her makeup in front of the mirror, while her assistant, Maki Ueda, was organizing the other stage outfits her artist would be wearing that day.

During the entire awards ceremony of the Recording Awards, winning a medal requires singing a song. Today, Akina will probably sing many times, so she will have to change her clothes several times.

"Maki-chan~"

Akina suddenly spoke up.

"Where did Naoki-san tell you to meet up?"

“At a parking lot by the Meguro River,” Maki Ueda said with a smile. “Naoki-san said he’d bring Hana-chan to pick you up, and then we’d go to Kiyomizu-dera Temple to hear the New Year’s bells!”

Kiyomizu-dera Temple.

Kiyomizu-dera Temple is not far from Yamazakura-in Temple, and there's a temple fair tonight, so it will be very lively.

"Hey, anyway, Akina won't have to worry after the awards ceremony. She doesn't have to participate in the Kohaku Uta Gassen this time, so everything will definitely go very smoothly!"

"Um"

At this moment, a staff member knocked on the door to remind them:

"Akina sauce can be brought in now."

"Hey, I'm coming right away!"

This year's record awards are quite different from previous years.

Due to bribery rumors involving Johnny & Associates, the Recording Awards committee was caught in a media storm and had to adopt a more fair and transparent approach to select the winner.

With the addition of public voting, the candidates began to compete against each other, and their respective agencies also stepped up their efforts to encourage fans to support their idols.

And naturally, this process inevitably involves spending money to buy tickets. Johnny & Associates, which strongly promotes Hikari Genji, spared no expense in hiring a professional event company.

However, in the end, the committee discovered that Akina Nakamori far surpassed Genji Hikaru in the votes.

"Oh, Kitagawa Mary too. Doesn't she know that Nakamori Akina's husband is Nagayama Naoki?!"

Koji Ishikawa, chairman of the Record Awards committee, sighed as he looked at the results.

"Trying to compete with such a wealthy tycoon? Does she think Akina Nakamori is like other female celebrities who married into rich families, with no status whatsoever?!"

"The Nagayama couple were a young couple who had been dating since before they became wealthy!"

While sighing, he informed the other judges of tonight's results and also told those who had been lobbied by Johnny's not to lose sight of the bigger picture and allow the Record Awards to continue to lose its authority!

"A three-peat is Nakamori Akina's!"

"."

As time passed, the awards ceremony for the Japan Record Awards finally began!

The Tokyo Budokan was packed with spectators who came to watch the event. Banners supporting their favorite celebrities were hanging on the second floor. Everyone was looking forward to this most prestigious competition in the entertainment industry!

"Welcome everyone to the Japan Record Awards!"

Guided by the host, the group of celebrity nominees slowly walked onto the awards stage, singing their nominated songs while bowing to the cameras.

Akina, wearing an off-the-shoulder dress, naturally received enthusiastic applause as soon as she stepped onto the stage, being one of the most popular singers in recent years.

"Private love is an unbreakable boat"

"

The melody of "The Shipwrecked Dragon" is unforgettable, and Akina's appearance was also amazing~

At this moment, Xiaoxiahua in the Yama-sakura courtyard had finished her meal and was nestled in her father's arms watching TV.

When Akina appeared, she suddenly became excited, pointing at the characters on the screen and shouting to Naoki Nagayama:

"Mom~Mom~"

"Yes, Mom is on TV!"

Naoki Nagayama patted the little guy on the back.

"We'll pick her up later, but how about we watch Mom sing first?"

The little guy hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided that his father wouldn't lie to him, and nodded:

"Good~"

So Naoki Nagayama continued watching the awards ceremony.

Actually, aside from the initial appearance, the first award presented was the Best Newcomer Award.

So Naoki Nagayama saw many newcomers who had just debuted this year. However, apart from Yoko Minamino, who left some impression, the others did not seem to have left much of a trace in later generations.

Ultimately, the Best Newcomer Award went to Hikaru Genji from Johnny's Entertainment!

As the awards ceremony progressed, artists such as Mie Nakayama, Shizuka Kudo, Teresa Teng, Yosui Inoue, and Anzen Chitai all took to the stage with their most popular songs of the year.

Naoki Nagayama seems to have experienced all the trends in this year's pop music scene from the very beginning.

Time passed by, second by second.

Akina performed "Nanpasen" again on stage for the Gold Award and the Best Singing Award, and changed her stage outfits several times.

Finally, at the last moment, the two award presenters, each holding a golden ball, walked onto the stage and revealed the final winner of the day from the opened golden ball!

"Winner of the 29th Japan Record Awards"

""Unbreakable", Akina Nakamori!!!"

The spotlight shone on Akina's spot below the stage, drawing everyone's attention to her.

At this moment, Akina no longer showed the excitement and tears she had shed during her previous two awards. Instead, she revealed a confident smile and seemed to be enveloped in a queen-like aura as she waved to the camera and walked onto the stage.

Akina today is no longer the somewhat timid and fragile female idol she used to be!

Having won three awards, she has every right to stand on the highest stage in the music industry!

"Ms. Akina Nakamori, congratulations on winning the Japan Record Awards for the third consecutive time! You have set a new record in the Japanese music industry!!"

The presenter congratulated Akina Nakamori and handed her the microphone.

How are you feeling right now?

Akina Nakamori politely thanked the award presenters, then, holding the flowers and trophy, she took a deep breath, looked at the numerous cameras pointed at her, and said:

"I want to thank my fans for their continued support in winning the Japan Record Award! Arigato!"

A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience! The cheers echoed throughout the entire stadium!

"I also need to thank everyone at Ken-On."

"Finally, and most importantly, my family, especially my husband and daughter, have always been there for me."

"Naoki-san, flower jam. Arigato!"

"."

Naoki Nagayama, watching Akina's words on television, squeezed Natsuka's hand.

"Hua Jiang, Mom is thanking you~"

"Me?" the little guy asked, confused. "What are you thanking me for?"

"Thank you for coming!"

Naoki Nagayama rubbed his chin against his daughter's head.

"You yourself are a gift!"

The little one seemed to understand but not quite, but then suddenly said, "Daddy, let's go pick up Mommy."

Upon hearing this, Naoki Nagayama smiled:

"it is good!"

"Then let's go watch New Year's Eve together!"

There were still many pedestrians along the Meguro River, but they wouldn't notice an ordinary car parked in the parking lot.

Naoki Nagayama led Natsuka to a parking lot along the riverbank, where they waited for Akina's car to arrive and meet them.

Light snow occasionally drifted down from the sky, landing on the car window, piquing the little guy's interest. He tried to see the hexagonal shape clearly through the window.

Naoki Nagayama, on the other hand, took over from the eldest brother:

"We're in the second-to-last parking space. A regular AE86. Akina knows that."

The ordinary, unassuming AE86 is a very useful car when you need to keep a low profile, as it is not used very often!

"Hi, we're all here."

Not long after I hung up the phone, I saw a Toyota drive in and stop next to the AE86.

Then a figure wearing a down jacket quickly got out of the car, opened the back door, and sat down.

"Naoki Mulberry"

Akina first saw her husband in the driver's seat, and then she saw the little one in the car seat.

"Flower jam!!"

"mom!"

"Flower jam!"

Akina wrapped her arms around her daughter, happily leaned in, and kissed Natsuka's soft cheeks a few times.

"Do you miss your mother?"

"Have!!"

"So sweet!!" Akina was even happier. "Then give me a few more kisses!"

"."

Naoki Nagayama, looking at himself in the rearview mirror, was somewhat speechless.

"I've thought about it too~"

Akina heard this, grinned, and peeked over from the middle, giving Naoki Nagayama a kiss on the cheek as well.

"Then Daddy should give me a kiss too!"

"."

Feeling the slightly cool kiss, Naoki Nagayama shook his head.

"Alright, sit down. We're going to Kiyomizu-dera Temple!"

"it is good!!"

(End of this chapter)