Chapter 251: Akina-chan looks good even without makeup

People with colds shouldn't eat overly spicy hot pot, but a spice-addict is an exception.

Having come to the Sichuan hot pot restaurant they had visited before, Nakamori Akina, who hadn't had an appetite for several days, felt a long-lost urge to eat something spicy after arriving.

"Akina-chan, is this really okay..." Naoki Nagayama was a bit worried, as Akina had ordered the red chili oil broth. "It doesn't seem very suitable to eat something so spicy when you have a cold."

He had originally been thinking of having a hot mushroom broth or something similar.

"Daijoubu!" Akina's voice, tinged with a nasal tone, sounded a bit childish, but her expression was very serious as she confidently popularized some knowledge: "When you have a cold, you need to sweat; you have to sweat to get better quickly! Eating a little spicy food will definitely help with recovery!"

Watching the "patient" with eyes full of longing, Naoki Nagayama finally agreed, and he didn't say anything when he saw the spicy dipping sauce Akina had mixed.

"Naoki-san, has the new movie you mentioned last time been finished filming?" While waiting for the food, Akina curiously asked about Naoki Nagayama's new movie.

"Ah, that one? It was finished filming a few days ago. It's currently in the process of editing and preparing the soundtrack."

"Are movies always made this quickly?"

Akina tapped her chopsticks against the dipping sauce dish, occasionally dipping them in to taste it—it was full of chili oil inside...

Naoki Nagayama chose to ignore this behavior:

"Not necessarily. It might be because the movies I make are low-budget? So they are much faster to film."

"Speaking of which, I haven't seen Naoki-san's *Hachiko Monogatari* yet~" The young lady became a bit dejected. "I feel like all my time is spent working."

As one of the few rising stars in the agency, and one with the potential to become a cash cow, the agency's schedule for her was precise down to the hour. Apart from necessary rest time, she was either on a program or on the road.

"This is a necessary experience for a newcomer. All the attention and resources are on characters who have already become famous. If newcomers don't get enough exposure, how can they let everyone see them~"

Naoki Nagayama sighed at the rules of the entertainment industry, then stood on Akina's side: "However, no matter what, you have to leave people some free time to relax! People aren't machines!"

Hearing this, Akina suddenly laughed, made a stiff movement, and changed her voice: "Commander, Robot Akina reporting for duty! Hahaha~"

Looking at the goofy girl, Naoki Nagayama joined in: "Hmm, at ease. Commander's order: Akina-go, disengage work mode and enter rest mode. Dismissed!"

"Hahaha~" Neither of them could hold it in, but at this moment, the waiter brought over the ordered hot pot ingredients, making them both restrain themselves a little.

"Ah, beef tripe."

After eating it last time, Akina had developed a special fondness for this crispy and tender ingredient. She very skillfully dipped it in the hot pot for a while, then dipped it in the spicy sauce and ate it.

She was still chewing the tripe, but Akina already said vaguely: "Mm... I've come back to life~"

It looked like her dormant appetite had been awakened!

Seeing this, Naoki Nagayama also started putting beef, lamb, and vegetables into the pot. How could the banquet snacks fill his stomach? He was also very hungry.

The freshly scalded fatty beef emitted a thin layer of heat, still carrying the red chili oil from the spicy pot. Dipped in the hot pot restaurant's special sauce and stuffed into his mouth in one go, the meat was tender and delicate, the aroma of the fat mixed with the spiciness of the red oil, combined with the heavy, salty fragrance of the special sauce, as if a feast of taste was being held in his mouth, satisfying the meat lover's cravings.

However, when eating meat, one naturally has to pair it with some lettuce, potatoes, or the like to neutralize it.

Naoki Nagayama used a skimmer to scoop out the cooked beef tenderloin and handed it to Akina:

"Akina-chan, this is ready..." After waiting for Akina to say "Arigato" and take it, "By the way, did you just say you haven't seen *Hachiko Monogatari*?"

"Hai, I've never had any free time~"

"Then do you want to go see it later?" Naoki Nagayama looked at the clock in the shop. "It's not even seven o'clock in the evening yet. It should be less than nine o'clock after watching it. There's still plenty of time."

Nakamori Akina only thought for 5 seconds before nodding in agreement: "Okay, anyway, I've asked for leave tomorrow, so it doesn't matter if I go back late!"

Saying this, she laughed embarrassedly. It seemed she wasn't very skilled at asking for leave yet~

The piping hot hot pot paired with the beef tallow spicy broth was too much even for Akina, who could eat spicy food well. Sure enough, dense beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. Her flushed cheeks looked much better than the sickly feeling from before, and she seemed much more energetic.

On the way to the cinema, Akina was drinking milk in the car, and her mouth was a little swollen.

"Haha, with a mouth like that, Akina definitely can't film on location~"

Naoki Nagayama looked amusedly at the person in the passenger seat, curled up and drinking milk obediently, feeling she looked much more petite than usual.

He received a roll of the eyes:

"Naoki-san, there's a technique called makeup, okay~ Even if your condition is very bad, the makeup artist will make your condition look absolutely OK."

"I remember Akina-chan is mostly bare-faced most of the time?"

"No way, if I'm on a program, I definitely have to wear makeup, but usually..." Speaking of this, little Akina was a bit embarrassed, "I might be a bit lazy, just applying some protective cream."

Hearing this, Naoki Nagayama even turned his head to look carefully at Akina's appearance. Sure enough, she wasn't wearing much makeup. Even if she had, it would have been ruined by all the sweat from eating hot pot~

However, it made Akina blush. "Naoki-san! Staring at a girl's unmade-up face is really rude!"

"Hahaha, what does it matter? Doesn't Akina-chan look good even without makeup~"

Only after saying this did Naoki Nagayama feel that something seemed inappropriate, and Akina beside him also quieted down...

He hurriedly changed the subject: "Ah... speaking of which, Akina-chan entered *BESTTEN* again today. This is the second time, right?"

"Mm..." The answering voice was very soft. She wouldn't be angry, would she...

Naoki Nagayama continued to chat awkwardly: "It seems Akina-chan is getting closer and closer to her dream. How does it feel to be an idol?"

"This... this feeling is like a dream."

Why is it this answer again? It seems Akina often says this when being interviewed.

"Er... Akina-chan, I've discovered a problem with you!"

"Eh? Nani?" This question finally attracted attention.

"When being interviewed, you always say it's like a dream~"

"Hontoni? Do I always say that?"

"Mm, I've heard it three times already~"

"Then... I probably said it unconsciously. It's my true thought in my heart."

"I feel that way too, but even if it's true, the same answer is okay once or twice, but by the third or fourth time, people might think it's a canned response~"

"Eh, is that so? Then what should I do?"

Just like that, one sentence after another, they started chatting about all sorts of messy things on the way.

After arriving at the cinema, because *Hachiko Monogatari* was still a very popular movie, it still had screenings, but this was already the last one.

Naoki Nagayama came back with two movie tickets. "Luck is not bad, the last one."

"That's really amazing. It's been showing for more than three months, right?"

"Yeah, this movie has great vitality. Many people like to watch it a second or third time."

"Eh? Why?"

"Maybe they were moved by the sincere affection between Hachiko and his master." Naoki Nagayama led Nakamori Akina into the screening hall. "In short, it's a very moving movie."

Nakamori Akina was also full of anticipation after hearing this. She had heard the name of this movie many times, and everyone who spoke of it did so in a very moving tone.

As the movie started, the cute Hachiko appeared, slowly growing up with his master... It was indeed very beautiful...

(One hour later)

Akina, who walked out of the screening hall, was still sobbing continuously. Naoki Nagayama beside her looked helpless.

Who knew this young girl was so emotional? Although it was indeed moving, an ordinary person wouldn't cry so hard, right...

"Akina-chan... are you feeling better?" After getting into the car, Naoki Nagayama handed a tissue to Akina.

"Naoki-san, why are you so cruel!" The young girl glared with wet eyes and accused him. "Hachiko was clearly so cute, why did he have to end up with that outcome!"

"Er..." This was adapted from a true story... However, it was better not to continue stimulating the young girl at this time. "Sumimasen~"

Hearing this apology, Nakamori Akina also lost her voice for a moment, because as a screenwriter and director, such a story was indeed very qualified. It was unreasonable for her to ask like that.

But the story was indeed too heartbreaking! Forget it, this is all Naoki-san's fault!

A little self-blame, a little unconvinced, and a strange, awkward emotion intertwined with the sad feeling of having just watched the movie, leaving Nakamori Akina not knowing what to say for a moment, so she had to remain silent in the passenger seat.

And seeing Akina like this, Naoki Nagayama thought she was still a bit angry, so he thought about easing the atmosphere:

"Akina-chan, the soundtrack for the new movie is ready. It's just in the car. Do you want to listen to it?"

The mix of *Silent Love* was already done, and the audition tape was right in the car. Seeing that the young girl didn't object, Naoki Nagayama put the tape into the car audio system. Before long, the quiet music played out.

On the night road, the sparse vehicles had long since lost the noise of the peak period, quietly proceeding in the direction of home.

The convertible with the roof closed now looked like a sealed studio with only two people, echoing with quiet and distant music.

Naoki Nagayama's eyes were on the road. The streetlights flashing on both sides seemed to connect into a ribbon of light. The bright windows of the buildings ahead and the colorful signs of the shops slowly blurred into little circles of light, making people feel as if the car was traveling on a psychedelic road of light.

After listening to the song, Akina beside him naturally turned the tape to the other side. The ethereal melody and the ethereal human voice sounded again, making people intoxicated.

The empty road allowed the sports car to fully display its performance. In less than 20 minutes, Nakamori Akina's apartment building in Nakano could be seen from afar.

Just at this moment, the tape reached the end again.

"Akina-chan, we're almost there~"

"Ah... so fast?" Akina still wanted to continue flipping the tape. Hearing this, she retracted her hand. "It's really a very beautiful song. The human voice and the music match so well~"

"Haha, Akina-chan, I even asked you if you wanted to do the voiceover."

"Eh?" Akina turned her head. "Was that the time you said it was a voice like a female ghost?"

"That's it, that's it. Akina-chan's soul-snatching ghost voice really gave me a fright~ Hahaha."

"Eh... did I really miss such a good song just because I played a female ghost?" The young girl was even more unwilling. "Naoki-san clearly found me!"

"Actually, Akina-chan's vocal range wasn't quite suitable. That's the main reason." Naoki Nagayama hurriedly explained. "But it had absolutely nothing to do with female ghosts or anything."

"Mm..." Akina became very apologetic, very disappointed, and very unwilling, sighing and groaning.

Her pretentious appearance was on par with a child who didn't want to go to kindergarten.

"Alright, alright, how about I give the audition tape to Akina-chan? That way it doesn't count as missing out~"

Naoki Nagayama tempted her. "This is the only copy. There won't be any records released in the future either~"

The young girl was obviously a bit moved, but still maintained a decadent appearance: "This... how can I be so embarrassed? Forget it~"

"Take it!" He shoved the tape into her hand. Although she was still saying "it's not good, it's not good," her face was clearly smiling.

Seeing that the apartment building was about to arrive, "Akina-chan, we're almost there."

"Mm, yeah~"

Although she didn't want to part with Naoki-san, calling Naoki-san upstairs at this time would be too much of a test for Nakamori Akina's sense of shame.

Suddenly, Naoki Nagayama parked the car next to a convenience store a few hundred meters from the apartment and said to Akina:

"Akina-chan, get out of the car and wait for me for a moment."

"Eh?"

Saying this, Naoki Nagayama opened the car door and quickly ran into the convenience store.

Before long, he came out with two ice creams in his hand and handed one to Akina.

"I remember when I was a child, I especially wanted to eat ice cream when I had a cold, so I really wanted to have a cold when I was a child, and then my mother would buy me ice cream..."

"Hahaha, speaking of which, I'm the same." Akina laughed.

"So if you don't eat ice cream, the cold was caught in vain~"

The two of them walked slowly towards the apartment while eating ice cream.

Time rewinds a little.

After sending his idol home, Nakamori Akina's manager, Okawa Yasushi, hurriedly rushed to the Nakamori office and started making phone calls to coordinate tomorrow's schedule.

Because of her hard work all along, Okawa Yasushi didn't doubt the claim that his idol's illness had worsened. Plus, tomorrow's activities were indeed not very urgent, so after communicating with the contact person, it was very smoothly adjusted to a later date.

After several consecutive phone calls and many "Hontoni Sumimasen!" apologies, it was already almost 8 o'clock.

Okawa Yasushi didn't forget to care about Nakamori Akina's condition.

He dialed the phone number of Akina's apartment, but until the automatic answering machine in the receiver rang "Please leave a message after the beep," no one came to answer.

Okawa Yasushi thought Akina had gone to bed early to rest because her illness had worsened, so he left a message:

"It looks like Akina-chan has already rested. I'm calling to let you know that tomorrow's schedule has been canceled, and you can rest at home all day. If Akina needs anything tomorrow, you can call me at any time. I will be on standby at any time. Finally, take good care of your health~"

There was no one in the empty apartment.

At this time, the "critically ill" Nakamori Akina was watching the movie in the cinema with tears streaming down her face...

..... ===== CHAPTER 252 =====