Chapter Twelve: On TV
Sunday
Nichimai TV Station, Studio
"Hoo! Hoo!"
"Sound check—"
"Microphone connected, OK."
"Good, the camera is also adjusted."
"Hayashi-sensei, how are your preparations?"
"No problem."
"Alright, then please pay attention to the camera operator's direction when the program starts. There's no need to be nervous; just try to be relaxed during the program."
The program's stage manager was very capable.
While the director was getting everything ready on set, the program assistant was also helping to guide Hayashi Yoshiki into the right state.
Hayashi Yoshiki, however, was quite calm.
He looked towards the audience seats in the studio and saw editor Asamiya Nanae and Eri Kisaki in the front row. Eri Kisaki even gestured to him with her hand to cheer him on.
Hayashi Yoshiki returned a smile.
Immediately, after the director gave the command, the program officially began filming—
"Good evening, everyone—"
"This week, we will once again present 'All Japan Detective Agency Unit.' Today's explanation will be given by me, Matsuo Takashi."
After the opening, the program host, Matsuo Takashi, with a neat middle part and a jovial smile, spoke first.
Right behind him was the young female assistant host, smiling brightly as she pointed at her cheeks with both index fingers: "And I'm your assistant host, the very familiar Nagai Ayako."
"All the difficult cases sent to us by the people of the nation will be answered by us one by one." Matsuo Takashi smiled towards the camera.
"For this, we have invited a special guest today: the mystery novelist who has continuously written three bestselling mystery novels, Hayashi-sensei."
At Nagai Ayako's hand signal, the cameraman turned the camera to Hayashi Yoshiki.
"Hello, everyone."
Before the camera, a faint, dignified smile appeared on Hayashi Yoshiki's exquisite face.
The audience below suddenly erupted in enthusiastic applause, and there were even girls screaming.
"Hayashi-sensei is so handsome!!!"
Even Nagai Ayako let out an exclamation. Although there was an element of intentionality, her reaction was genuine.
"Please, please become a regular guest here, then we might be able to secure the top spot in ratings!"
"You're not just aiming for the top spot in ratings, Ayako." Matsuo Takashi said with a chuckle.
"Being easy on the eyes and getting the top spot in ratings can happen at the same time."
"But in that case, the director would definitely make me host from off-camera next time."
"That's right, Mr. Matsuo's voice is enough."
Laughter immediately erupted in the audience.
Hayashi Yoshiki also couldn't help but smile: "I thought coming to this program would be very serious."
"No, we're always very relaxed, Hayashi-sensei." Matsuo Takashi said.
"Yes, this is a very relaxed program."
Nagai Ayako said this, then suddenly feigned infatuation: "But Hayashi-sensei is truly astonishingly good-looking, especially now sitting next to you, the feeling is even stronger! May I be so bold as to ask you a question?"
"You may, but it's not a confession, is it?"
Hayashi Yoshiki's smile was calm and clear, and he joked along.
Nagai Ayako's face lit up: "Can I confess?"
"Please, by all means, do not."
"Ah!"
Laughter from the audience once again filled the air, though a few female fans seemed a bit displeased.
Nagai Ayako, who had been looking dejected, immediately brightened up with a smile: "Well, actually, I wanted to ask Hayashi-sensei if he has any secrets for skin care, because you look more refined than most women!"
"Hmm… while I might not be very conscious of it myself, besides sun protection, the other thing might be bathing."
"Sun protection and bathing?"
"Yes, frequent exposure to strong UV rays can accelerate aging. As for bathing, Ms. Nagai, when you occasionally soak in a hot spring, do you ever suddenly feel like your skin has improved?"
"Ah, that's actually true!"
"So, skin hydration is also very important."
Hayashi Yoshiki said with a smile.
Eri Kisaki, in the audience, watched Hayashi Yoshiki's performance on stage with a smile, feeling a sense of relief as she saw his composed demeanor and fluent speech.
The host, however, felt a bit left out as the guest and assistant host chatted happily, so he simply smiled and introduced a new topic: "Speaking of which, not only I, but the audience must also be curious about the daily work of a mystery novelist. Hayashi-sensei, could you tell us about that?"
"For a mystery novelist, the first thing is definitely to think of a story." Hayashi Yoshiki looked at him and replied politely and gently: "Once the story is well-conceived, I start writing, making revisions along the way… there's really not much to talk about in great detail."
"I see… However, Hayashi-sensei's works feature quite ingenious methods. How do you come up with such cases?" Matsuo Takashi made a slightly curious expression.
"Mainly, I'm quite interested in Detectives. I also actively seek out information related to this field. The more I read and think, the more I come up with ideas. And for cases, I'm more accustomed to writing them using a reverse deduction method."
"Reverse deduction?"
"Yes, like the state of the victim's death, the manner of death, or the method of the crime… If I come up with a good scene, I'll first establish that scene and then work backward to write the cause, process, and emotions of the story. It's like shooting the arrow first and then drawing the target."
"So there's such a method. Then, Hayashi-sensei, what gives you the most headache when you're writing?"
"The most headache-inducing part would probably be naming the characters."
As if feeling a bit embarrassed, Hayashi Yoshiki's gentle voice softened slightly. He took out a black notebook from his pocket and opened it:
"Because I'm terrible at naming things, I always carry a notebook with me… Hmm, when I meet someone interesting, I ask them to leave their name in it, and then I use it as a reference when naming characters."
"Indeed, it has a lot of names recorded…" Nagai Ayako exclaimed.
"Hayashi-sensei is truly dedicated. I wonder if I would be honored to leave my name in it as well?" Matsuo Takashi showed great enthusiasm and continued: "Haha, if my name could be used as a reference to become a character in a novel, I think that would be a very interesting thing."
"Of course, Mr. Matsuo."
Hayashi Yoshiki smiled and handed the notebook and pen to him.
In front of the camera, Matsuo Takashi happily wrote his name in the notebook, and then Nagai Ayako also joined in the fun and left her name in the notebook.
It must be said that both hosts were very professional.
The agreement between Futaba Publishing and the program team was to promote Hayashi Yoshiki's new work heavily on the show. Therefore, from the beginning of the show until now, the two of them have been constantly bringing up topics related to Hayashi Yoshiki's identity as an author and his new book.
...
To be continued