Chapter 124: Are you Haruki Murakami?!

The subsequent process was similar to the meetings of leaders in later generations.

One by one, the winners went on stage to receive the awards, taking turns bowing and saluting the Crown Princess,

and then the winners of several important awards delivered acceptance speeches,

occasionally several big shots of the association gave speeches,

and finally, the closing speech of the president of the Children's Literature Association.

That was really long and smelly, deeply grasping the essence of "I'll just say a few words simply."

I don't know how the Crown Princess and the Empress of the Imperial Family kept smiling. It's been more than an hour. Won't their faces cramp?

Naoki Nagayama looked at some writers around him, and they were all sleepy. Furuta Ashihi in the front row was even squinting his eyes, his head nodding from time to time, as if he had fallen asleep...

Finally, with the host's voice, this awards ceremony came to an end.

After the Imperial Family retired, the atmosphere of the remaining people relaxed a lot.

"Naoki-san, the salon is on another floor."

Morikawa Kuniharu took Naoki Nagayama and walked forward.

"Those who participate in the salon are writers and editors. Media people and other staff are not there."

In a slightly smaller hall, there were bars, dining tables, and a circular sofa in the middle... About 30 people were chatting in twos and threes, and many people were holding red wine and eating food.

"Naoki-san, find someone to chat with at will, they are all people in the cultural circle~" After saying that, he took a glass of wine and found several big shots in suits and leather shoes to greet. The opportunity to expand connections that is rare in a year is still very precious to him.

"This guy, just ignore me?"

Naoki Nagayama complained in his heart. He basically didn't know anyone here. Who could he chat with? Then his eyes hit the food on the dining table.

Yo-ho, bread, cake, steak, roast meat, fried chicken, sushi, hand rolls, tempura, saury, fried pork cutlet, soba noodles... It's actually a combination of Japanese and Western.

I was already a bit hungry. After exercising in the morning, those snacks at noon were not enough at all.

Seeing that no one noticed him, Naoki Nagayama took a plate, took some food from each plate, filled it up, and then took a bottle of Coke to the corner dining table to enjoy it silently.

This steak is very tender, the pork cutlet is very fragrant, the tempura is very crispy, and the roast meat is also very delicious...

Just as he was eating, Naoki Nagayama felt a gaze looking over from the side.

It was a middle-aged man in his 30s, looking gentle and shy, also alone in the corner.

"Looks like he doesn't know anyone else either~" Naoki Nagayama didn't take it to heart.

But he didn't expect that person to look over several more times.

Uncle, what are you doing? Let's say it first, not dating!

Naoki Nagayama swallowed the last small bread with Coke, feeling the uncle looking over again...

Immediately turned his head, →_→ stare! What are you looking at?

That uncle actually lowered his head embarrassedly?

Although Naoki Nagayama is always stared at by strangers now, most of them are young ladies or little sisters.

When a strange man looks at himself, he always feels a bit dangerous, so he still needs to confirm it.

He walked directly to him and asked: "Sorry, have we met before?"

The strange man clearly didn't expect someone to be so direct and said a bit flustered: "Not really, Mr. Naoki, I'm seeing you for the first time today."

"Then why?" Naoki Nagayama pointed to his eyes. "I feel that uncle observed me many times, as if you know me?"

"Ah, ano, that's because I seem to have seen Naoki-san's face on TV..."

Oh? Not because of "Paranormal Activity"? That's the soda commercial?

"Oh? Is it an advertisement related to soda?"

"Ah! Hi! That's it, my wife also asked me to buy several bottles of Sakura soda! Sure enough, it's correct!"

Naoki Nagayama breathed a sigh of relief. It's good to have a wife!

"Hahaha, so it's that one. It's been a long time since the advertisement, right~ Speaking of which, the image in the advertisement is quite different, right? It's amazing to be able to recognize it." In the advertisement, he was dressed as a haggard middle-aged man.

"Hahaha, I still have some confidence in my observation skills." It seems he said it.

"After talking for so long, I still don't know who you are?"

"Ah, excuse me, my name is Haruki Murakami, nice to meet you, please take care of me."

"Haha, my name is Naoki Nagayama. Haruki-san, our names are quite similar, please take care of me."

Naoki Nagayama first replied with a smile, and then reacted.

"You are Haruki Murakami?!"

Naoki Nagayama was a bit confused. He never expected to run into a famous writer of later generations in a salon!

You know, "Norwegian Wood," it's not an exaggeration to say that it led an era.

"Naoki-san? Naoki-san?"

Seeing the young man opposite him a bit distracted, Haruki Murakami called out twice in a low voice.

"Ah, excuse me, I was a bit distracted just now."

"Have you heard of my name, Naoki-san?"

"Ah, I have heard of it, so I am a bit surprised."

Naoki Nagayama recalled the fame of this writer later. It's more than just hearing about it, it's like a thunderbolt.

"Hahaha, like Naoki-san, I also won a newcomer award two weeks ago, the Noma Literary Newcomer Award."

Haruki Murakami probably thought Naoki Nagayama knew about him from this award.

"It's really a coincidence." Naoki Nagayama said, "Speaking of which, why is Haruki-san staying in the corner?"

"Probably because I can't integrate into those crowds." Looking at the groups chatting in twos and threes in the salon, "I don't like socializing..."

Perhaps it was because he had some intersection with Naoki Nagayama unilaterally before, so he would say a few more words. Usually, he can be said to be a very introverted person.

"Then why is Naoki-san staying in the corner?"

"Because I'm very hungry..."

Er... what kind of weird reason is this???

"Hahaha, it's also very good to hide here and eat. The food in the salon is also very delicious~"

Naoki Nagayama had recovered from the shock. After all, he had seen quite a few celebrities in the future in Showa.

"Mainly because the acquaintance who brought me here went to chat with others, that guy... and I don't know anyone else here... oh, I know one now."

"Hahaha, is Naoki-san talking about me?"

"Of course, Haruki-san is the first author I know."

"The first? Is Naoki-san even more reclusive than me?"

"Reclusive can't be counted. It's just that I don't like going out. Usually, I still like listening to music and watching TV at home~"

"Ha, about the same as me. I read more books."

"Oh? I am currently reading Osamu Dazai's 'No Longer Human', and I feel I don't quite understand it..."

"I have also read it..."

The conversation between the two actually went on plainly like this.

For Haruki Murakami, this is very rare.

The introverted and shy personality makes his friends few, and he doesn't like making new friends.

He was even told by his family that he was indifferent to human feelings~

However, today this young man, although a bit strange, is unexpectedly not annoying. ===== CHAPTER 125 =====