Chapter 19: Collaborative MV
Early the next morning, Hikaru Hoshino got up and prepared to head out. Traditionally, Japanese people were accustomed to eating steamed rice for breakfast, accompanied by a main dish, side dishes, and miso soup—treating it almost like a full square meal. However, in modern society, the pace of life has quickened, and many young people have adapted to Western-style breakfasts, leaning toward bread, biscuits, and milk.
But Hikaru didn't want to eat any of that; he missed the deep-fried dough sticks, soy milk, and xiaolongbao (dumplings) from the street stalls of his previous life.
The sky was barely grey with dawn, but the streets were already filled with "corporate slaves" preparing to catch the subway. Hikaru was different from them; he didn't need to risk his life for a company's performance metrics. Under the envious gazes of the commuters, he hailed a taxi with a confident smile and headed for the headquarters of Strawberry Productions.
Although the agency's top star, Ai, was still fast asleep at home, the other employees had arrived early to start their day. Ichigo Saitou was no exception, appearing punctually on the top floor to begin his work.
Hikaru's frequency of visits over the past few days had been quite high, so the receptionist didn't stop him. By the time he reached the upper floor, Ichigo was in the middle of a meeting.
"So, our company cannot rely solely on Ai as our only artist. B-Komachi has disbanded, and Strawberry Pro currently lacks heavyweight stars. Starting today, our new goal is to cultivate top-tier artists capable of standing alongside Ai. After this meeting, all scouts are to head out immediately to search for reliable prospects."
"Does it have to be an 'artist'?"
Hikaru leaned against the open doorway, asking curiously.
Ichigo Saitou didn't turn around: "Of course. We are a legitimate entertainment agency."
"Wait, who's talking?"
He whirled around and saw the face he least wanted to see.
"Hi? What should I say?" Hikaru waved. "Good morning, President?"
Ichigo took a deep breath, rapped his knuckles heavily on the desk, and stood up.
"Today's meeting ends here. Everyone, get back to work." He looked at Hikaru. "You, follow me to my office."
"Why are you here again?"
Once inside the office, as if regaining the home-field advantage, the President recovered some confidence and began glowering at Hikaru.
Hikaru scratched his ear and flopped onto the sofa.
"You haven't answered my question yet. Why does it have to be an artist? I think Internet celebrities (Influencers) are a good direction too."
"Influencers..." Ichigo seemed struck by inspiration, freezing in his chair. "That... actually sounds quite viable."
"Alright, I didn't come here to give you career advice. I'm here for serious business today."
Hikaru slowly sat up straight, his expression gradually becoming serious.
"The song *Idol* from the other night—you haven't released it yet, right?"
"Of course not. Video production takes time. Currently, we only have the live recording from the B-Komachi concert. That kind of live footage can't serve as an official MV. I'm already contacting photography companies to prepare for the production of the official music video."
"Well then." Hikaru cracked his knuckles with a series of *pops*. "I want the production rights for the official MV. The final version will be released on my channel. For now, it's enough for you to just upload the live version."
"You want to siphon traffic? Hey!" Ichigo's face darkened. "Even if you are the composer, isn't this asking too much?"
"Without Ai's performance, this song is nothing!"
"That's exactly why I only asked for the production rights of the MV," Hikaru said calmly. "Ai is still the lead singer, *Idol* will still be her representative work, and the copyright holder remains Strawberry Productions."
"Are you still not satisfied with that?"
"You don't think I'd be satisfied with just the publishing rights, do you?"
Hikaru became more assertive. "Not only do I get to produce the MV, but not a single cent of the royalties I'm owed can be missing! After all, these are the rights of a songwriter—my vested interests!"
"Furthermore, your company owes me a favor. In the future, you must provide me with as much help as possible within your capabilities."
Hikaru listed out his demands one by one.
"You brat! Don't push your luck."
Ichigo felt like his lungs were about to burst with anger, jumping up from the sofa.
"At the end of the day, you chose to write that song for Ai. How do you have the nerve to come back and talk price?"
"Favors are favors, business is business."
"Surely the President understands this principle?"
Ichigo seemed unable to accept it, sitting back down in a huff.
Hikaru struck while the iron was hot: "Ultimately, we are in a collaborative relationship. Isn't it natural for partners to look out for each other? I was able to produce *Idol*; naturally, I have other excellent works in my hands. Refusing cooperation is not something a mature President would do."
"I can take Ai to even greater heights."
He said this with absolute certainty.
"Are you serious?"
Ichigo squinted at Hikaru. After a moment, he finally yielded a step.
"I'll trust you this once. You can find someone to produce the official MV for this song yourself."
"Actually, I have one more humble request."
Having resolved the profit distribution issue, Hikaru relaxed again, his tone no longer as sharp as before.
"For the live version MV, please include the credit for 'Hikari' as the composer. If possible, please link my channel in the description when it's published."
"After all..."
"Only then can I quickly build a reputation and secure better resources to produce the official MV."
"You wouldn't want the quality of the MV to be too poor, would you, President Saitou?"
B-Komachi had officially announced their disbandment, but the operational rights for the channel were still in the hands of Strawberry Pro. The channel belonged to the company; even Ai had to consult with PR before posting updates to ensure no issues would arise. The departure of the other three members didn't affect the channel's operation at all. However, an account for a disbanded group wouldn't hold much value for long; *Idol* would likely be the final work on this channel.
At 6:00 PM, the live recording version of the *Idol* MV was officially released on the B-Komachi channel. The description included links to Strawberry Productions and Hikaru Hoshino's account.
Some curious viewers clicked through and found a new account that had only been registered for a few hours. The profile picture was interesting—it was a slightly melancholy blonde boy with aqua-blue eyes as clear and clean as the center of Lake Baikal. The blonde boy was leaning against a wall, cradling an acoustic guitar as if playing it.
"'Hikari'?"
"Who is this? What a strange name. Let's check the bio first."
*Hikaru Hoshino: Renowned singer, composer, actor. Representative work: "Idol." Formerly known as: Hikaru Kamiki.*
The passersby stared at their phones with wide eyes: "Wait, isn't this that Kamiki guy? Why did he switch careers to become a singer!"
"This image... the difference is too huge. Is it really the same person?"
Curious, they searched for news regarding Hikaru Kamiki and found reports of his amnesia and name change.
And this was exactly the result Hikaru Hoshino wanted.