A heavy, grating buzz filled the studio, signaling an incorrect answer.
The color drained from the contestant's face as he froze in his seat.
Eri gasped and covered her mouth.
The host announced with regret that Mr. Tanaka had failed his challenge. According to the rules, he would forfeit all accumulated prize money and leave with only a Kirin Brewery souvenir provided by the sponsor.
Under the camera's gaze, the middle-aged man stumbled off the stage, too stunned to even say goodbye.
The crushing sense of loss radiated from the screen.
"That's ridiculous—" Eri murmured, her eyes reddening. "He was so close to a million... and now he's lost everything."
"No, he hasn't lost everything," Takuya Nakayama's voice cut through the quiet living room.
Eri looked at him, puzzled.
"He's become the most famous person in Japan tonight," Takuya Nakayama said, his eyes gleaming with a cold precision. "Tomorrow, everyone who watched the show will be talking about him—the unlucky guy who lost 600,000 yen because of greed. This dramatic fall from heaven to hell is a hundred times more compelling than simply taking the prize money and leaving. This... is what guarantees high ratings."
The program cut to a commercial break.
After the commercial, the second contestant took the stage.
He was a young man in glasses, looking refined and scholarly. Clearly frightened by the previous contestant's tragic fate, he took each step with extreme caution.
When he stumbled through to the eighth question, barely passing after using all his Wildcards, the host, as usual, asked if he wanted to challenge the ninth question.
The young man glanced at the 320,000 yen prize, then recalled the defeated old man's retreating figure. Without a moment's hesitation, he shouted into the microphone, "I choose to quit! I'm leaving with the prize money!"
His decisiveness stunned everyone. Then the studio erupted in applause, louder than any previous round.
Holding the 320,000 yen prize medal, the young man grinned like a child and bowed repeatedly, thanking everyone.
"That's more like it! Now that's what I call smart!" Eri clapped her hands gleefully, as if she'd just received a bonus herself.
"A tragic hero and a shrewd opportunist," Takuya Nakayama said, crossing one leg over the other and watching the screen with satisfaction. "Perfect. Now the viewers have something to talk about. Should they go all out like the first contestant, or take what they can like the second? This will become a societal talking point."
Eri rolled her eyes at him. "You're so devious."
"This isn't devious. It's called targeted programming." Takuya leaned in close, chuckling softly in her ear. "They're tired of watching cheap shows. Let's give them a dream of getting rich. Now that they have the dream, we need to give them a nightmare they'll never forget. Tragedy and triumph—that's what makes a complete drama."
Eri could feel her cheeks flushing. She sensed that her husband's program was about to become a cultural phenomenon.
"But," Takuya's gaze returned to the TV, where the third contestant had just appeared, "the real drama won't begin until someone breaks through the twelfth question and enters the three million yen zone."
Unfortunately, after today's episode, all the contestants used up their three Wildcards early, settling for safe bets and leaving most of the prize money untouched.
The closing theme music echoed through the living room as a dense list of production credits scrolled across the screen.
Eri let out a long sigh, as if she had just run a marathon and her heart was still racing.
She turned to look at her husband, Takuya Nakayama, who was lounging casually on the sofa, wearing that all-too-familiar calm smile that said he had everything under control.
"Aren't you even a little nervous?" Eri couldn't help but ask.
"Why would I be nervous?" Takuya countered, picking up his now cold barley tea and taking a sip. "I wrote the show's rules, I selected the actors, and the style and direction were set long ago."
Eri was both amused and annoyed by his matter-of-fact attitude. She gently pinched his arm, then quickly walked to the phone and dialed her father's office number.
On the premiere night, her father would definitely be at the station, overseeing everything.
The phone rang a few times before being answered. Her father, Nakagawa Jun, answered in a voice pitched an octave higher than normal, the background noise chaotic.
"Eri! Did you see it? How was it?!"
"Dad!" Eri exclaimed, her excitement bubbling over. "That was incredible! Takuya and I were completely blown away, especially when the first contestant failed at the end. My heart was pounding out of my chest!"
"Hahaha! That's fantastic! That's fantastic!" Nakagawa Jun's laughter brimmed with unrestrained glee. "The official ratings won't be out until tomorrow, but I can tell you right now—we succeeded! The registration hotline has been flooded! I had to urgently add ten more operators, and the calls haven't stopped for twenty minutes since the show started. All those pre-show promotional efforts weren't wasted after all. And guess what? Some people even drove to the TV Tokyo gates, refusing to be stopped by security, just to ask if they could register in person tomorrow!"
Eri covered her mouth, her eyes wide with disbelief.
She glanced instinctively at Takuya, who merely raised his teacup in a "See? I told you so" gesture.
"So... what about Kirin Brewery?" Eri asked, lowering her voice.
"Their people were right beside me just now!" Nakagawa Jun's voice grew even louder. "Their faces were practically splitting from grinning! They just slapped me on the back and promised to rush back to the office first thing tomorrow morning to apply for early renewal of the sponsorship contract for the next season!"
After hanging up the phone, Eri was still in a daze.
She stared blankly at Takuya Nakayama. Once again, his prophecy had come true without a single error.
"You heard?" she murmured. "The phone lines are going to light up, and sponsors will be tripping over themselves to send money—"
"Exactly as expected," Takuya said, setting down his teacup. He stood up and stretched lazily. "If this didn't have at least this much impact, how could I justify having kept this gem of a project under wraps for nearly three years?"
Eri gazed at him, her eyes filled with admiration, pride, and a hint of stubborn defiance.
This man was always like this, as if he could see through people's hearts and manipulate everyone's emotions.
She first walked to the crib and quietly checked on little Kazuki, who was sleeping soundly. She tucked his blanket around him carefully.
By the time she returned to the living room, her expression had transformed from excitement and awe into a soft, mischievous charm.
She stood before Takuya, tilted her head back, and mimicked the serious tone of a TV host. "Executive Director Nakayama, congratulations on creating another ratings miracle for TV Tokyo."
Takuya Nakayama raised an eyebrow, wrapped an arm around her waist, and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "We're not at the office right now. Call me Takuya."
"Then—" Eri's breathing quickened, her cheeks flushing pink. Her hand traced the line of his chest upward, gently circling his neck. Her breath, sweet as orchids, brushed against his ear, "Takuya-kun, to celebrate this remarkable miracle—as the first person in on the project—shouldn't we have something a little special?"
The living room light clicked off with a snap.
The next morning, TV Tokyo was buzzing like a hornet's nest.
Fresh viewership ratings reports, stark black text on white paper, lay on the desks of every department head.
[ Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? ] had crushed the competition, securing the highest viewership rating for its debut night against all other programs airing simultaneously.
This number kept every rival producer up all night.
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