Chapter 295: Do handsome men all like plump girls?

When Naoki Nagayama woke up the next day, he felt dizzy and heavy-headed for the first time in a long while. He'd been struck down~

Even with a young body, under the conditions of fatigue and catching a chill, he still received a slap from winter—a slap that came with exhaustion, a stuffy nose, a runny nose, and other symptoms.

"Sigh~~~" Naoki Nagayama lay on the large bed in his room, feeling like life had lost its meaning. "I had originally planned to go stroll around Osaka, but now look at this..."

Fortunately, he was at a high-end hotel, so he could naturally have the front desk staff help him purchase cold medicine, and breakfast was also delivered to his room by a server.

After finishing the piping hot seafood porridge, he felt much more spirited. He rested for half the morning, and the cold medicine he'd taken earlier was slowly taking effect. By noon, his symptoms had eased significantly; at least he could comfortably head to the restaurant he wanted to visit. After eating, Naoki Nagayama didn't plan to spend the rest of his time in the hotel...

Because he only had half a day, he certainly wouldn't be able to see most of the attractions, but Osaka Castle's Main Keep was a must-visit.

His own Sanmeiju in Ginza was built based on the style of the Main Keep, so he wanted to see it with his own eyes no matter what.

He drove to Osaka Castle Park and then followed the signs into the castle. Along the way, he could see lush green trees that remained vibrant even in winter. Walking along the path, he soon saw the first moat, usually called the "Outer Moat" in Japan. Then, passing through the Sakura Gate of the Inner Moat, he could finally take in the scenery of Osaka Castle.

This Osaka Castle, built under the orders of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and later rebuilt by Tokugawa Ieyasu, is the symbol of Osaka.

Among it, the most famous Main Keep was rebuilt many times before becoming the current Japanese-style pavilion with white walls, green tiles, and a magnificent, golden appearance. Each of its upturned eaves was decorated with golden tiger or dragon-headed fish (shachihoko) sculptures made of gold leaf, which shone with a golden light under the sun, making the Main Keep look even more luxurious.

Near the walls of the Main Keep were beautiful gardens, pavilions, and exotic flowers and plants. If he had come during spring or summer, perhaps he would have been able to see the beautiful scenery of cherry blossoms filling the sky.

Naoki Nagayama had naturally brought his camera this time. The Main Keep in winter had a few more touches of solemnity, and the remaining snow added a bit more chill to this fortress battlefield that had experienced so much slaughter.

Perhaps the Main Keep captured in photos at this time was exactly how it was meant to look.

After spending an hour or two playing around, he had finally finished checking off the entire Osaka Castle. Naoki Nagayama walked toward his parking spot, satisfied.

Next, he had to go to Akina's concert. If the show started at 5:00, the performance would probably officially begin after 6:00.

Osaka's Koseinenkin Hall often hosted various concerts, gatherings, and the like. The medium-sized hall was a venue that could accommodate a thousand people.

When Naoki Nagayama arrived, he found that a large group of fans had already gathered at the entrance, and in the parking lot not far away, there was actually a fan guard team rehearsing their cheering chants.

Come to think of it, he hadn't prepared any cheering props this time; that was truly a miscalculation... He had to think of a way.

After parking the car, Naoki Nagayama blended into the group of fans and started chatting with them.

"Is this Akina Nakamori's first concert in Osaka?" a newbie asked.

Afterward, an old fan naturally educated him: "Of course not. There was already one at the beginning of November, and it was right here, too!"

"Honto ni? That's such a pity; I didn't come last time!"

"Really? I just became a fan of Akina-chan recently, after listening to that song 'Slow Motion'."

"It's obviously 'Girl A' that's cooler, okay!"

A group of young boys and girls gathered together to discuss Akina's songs. Because of his understanding of Akina, Naoki Nagayama soon blended into a group of old fans.

By the time the hall opened, he already had a small flag in his hand, along with an Akina cheering poster.

Following the flow of people into the hall to check tickets, Naoki Nagayama held a ticket for related personnel, which was naturally in the best seats in the front row—seats that would require at least 3,000 yen to purchase.

Putting it that way, a concert for a thousand people would earn nearly 3 million just from tickets, not to mention the income from more expensive merchandise, autographed records, and the like.

Once Akina Nakamori became even more famous, each concert would probably have 4,000 to 5,000 attendees. If ticket prices rose a bit more, each show would bring in over 10 million. If he only counted four shows a month, that would be over 100 million in revenue. Over a year, that would be at least over a billion. Sure enough, holding concerts is very profitable.

Ticket checking took nearly half an hour. Naoki Nagayama walked to his seat according to the number on his ticket. Sure enough, it was right in front of the stage, the kind of seat where one could interact with the performer.

The large hall was slowly filled by fans, and the buzzing sound began to grow louder and louder. Everyone was looking forward to Akina's arrival. Next to Naoki Nagayama were two girls who had come together; they were also excitedly chatting about Akina, what stage costume she would wear, and so on.

Originally, Naoki Nagayama was just quietly eavesdropping, when suddenly the female voice next to him said:

"Akina-chan is perfect in every way, if only she were a little thinner~"

"But she's so cute even when she's a bit chubby!"

Naoki Nagayama couldn't help but laugh out loud. Even though he was wearing a mask, the two girls noticed him. The one leaning closer didn't feel shy at all; instead, she asked quite openly, "You're a fan of Akina's too, right? From a guy's perspective, wouldn't Akina look even better if she were a bit thinner?"

"Ah... well, regarding that..." Speaking through a mask was muffled, and since his cold symptoms were mostly gone, Naoki Nagayama took it off directly. "In my aesthetic opinion, it actually looks better to have a little bit of meat on the face~"

Upon hearing this, the girl who had just asked turned to the other and said, "See? Handsome guys all like girls who are a bit fuller!"

The round-faced girl nodded in total agreement: "So, dieting or whatever, let's just forget about it for now!"

Under the dim lights, the two girls didn't recognize who Naoki Nagayama was, but they were certain he was a very handsome guy.

Naoki Nagayama, suddenly labeled, was left with a wry smile...

Uniform, synchronized slogans suddenly erupted from the audience. Akina's personal cheering squad began to exert their power. Rhythmic chants combined with physical movements immediately energized the fans in attendance.

Soon, the sound in the venue became deafening, calling for today's protagonist to take the stage.

Before long, the band's short welcome song began, the spotlights lit up, and Akina Nakamori, wearing a beautiful dress, was already standing in the center of the stage.

The first song was, of course, her debut track "Slow Motion".

Under the colorful neon lights, Akina's singing voice seemed to come from far away, slowly appearing on the stage before them. The idol in her beautiful dress was dreamlike, like a character from a fairy tale, using her song to tell the feeling of first love.

The fans below the stage swayed their arms to the rhythm of the music, and the small flags in their hands also moved with the melody, like waves.

After finishing the song, Akina paused on stage to greet the fans in Osaka.

"Thank you all for coming to my concert..."

Her eyes swept across the crowd and she spotted Naoki Nagayama in the first row. She smiled and waved at him, then naturally turned to other directions, not neglecting any of her fans.

Naoki Nagayama waved back, and the two girls next to him shouted excitedly: "Akina saw me! Akina smiled at me! Akina waved at me!"

The two girls began to wave their arms frantically, hoping their idol would look their way again.

After the opening debut song came "Condition Reflex" and "Legend of the Galaxy". After three songs in a row, Akina took the opportunity during a break to talk about her feelings on coming to Osaka.

Afterward, she took the chance to change into another stage outfit, and what followed was the intense rhythm of "Girl A".

Just as she returned backstage, her assistant brought over the prepared outfit for the next set. The custom-made stage costume was very easy to put on and take off, though her makeup still needed a slight adjustment.

"Akina-chan, would you like some water?" the assistant handed over a prepared water bottle.

Akina took the bottle, took a shallow sip, and then asked, "Did I make any mistakes on stage just now? How was my performance?"

Her manager, Yasuyuki Okawa, replied from the side, "Not at all. Akina-chan, you were excellent, and the reaction from the crowd was great."

Knowing that his idol had always been very strict with her concert requirements and was especially nervous when there were many people in the audience, Yasuyuki Okawa gave her firm affirmation at this moment.

After hurriedly finishing her makeup, the sound of slogans from outside could already be heard backstage. Akina rushed over, but after stepping onto the stage, she slowed her pace, transforming into the flamboyant and rebellious Girl A.

Unlike the versatile songstress who would later combine singing and dancing, Akina Nakamori, who had only held a few concerts, had a good foundation in dance but hadn't integrated it into her performances yet—or rather, the dance moves for her songs were all very small.

Perhaps it would only become more spectacular once Akina started choreographing for herself as her fame grew.

Naoki Nagayama followed the fans below the stage in keeping the rhythm, clapping, and shouting slogans, acting just like a pure Akina fan.

After "Girl A" was finished, another light and rhythmic song, "A-Type Melancholy", followed~

The music paused, and Akina Nakamori stopped, revealing a shy smile. She waved at the fans below the stage again, interacting with them:

"Thank you again, everyone in Osaka, for coming to listen to my concert. How were the previous songs?"

"After two fast-paced songs, next I will present to you my newest single, 'SedLove'. This was a debut gift given to me by a friend~ Arigato~"

Akina Nakamori looked at Naoki Nagayama, her eyes full of smiles. "I had originally thought about using it as my debut song, but I didn't expect it would take so long to record~"

Naoki Nagayama shook his head with a smile. Akina suddenly pulling this move left him not knowing how to respond.

"This next song, 'SedLove', is dedicated to all of you here!"

A soft and sweet voice drifted out from the speakers, and the entire venue was filled with the gentle singing. One couldn't help but marvel at Akina Nakamori's vocal ability; despite having a mid-to-low range voice, she transitioned so smoothly into the high notes, which was astonishing.

If this is a second love

I will improve a little bit

I really want to convey my message of love to you~

Yet I just hang my head

Yet I just hang my head

Akina on stage was bathed in a soft glow, slowly yet affectionately telling the story of a girl's inner thoughts. The audience below the stage also followed the singing, thinking of someone left in their memories, or perhaps the person right beside them.

Immediately, emotionally sensitive fans quietly grabbed the sleeves of the people next to them.

Naoki Nagayama was listening to the singing intently when he suddenly saw the girl next to him—the hand she had originally placed on the railing was quietly moving toward his side, and it was soon about to touch the clothes he had resting on the railing!

Eh? Are young girls these days this bold? Wanting to pull my sleeve after listening to one song?

Naoki Nagayama hurriedly pretended to clap, pulling his hand back from the railing. Through his peripheral vision, he also saw the unwillingness on the girl's round face...

Immersed in Akina Nakamori's performance, the hour-long concert seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.

By the time the last song arrived, she had already said goodbye to everyone in advance. The final parting process was filled with reluctance, but she still reminded everyone to pay attention to safety on their way home~

Naoki Nagayama followed the flow of people slowly toward the main gate of the venue. Along the way, he heard the two girls from earlier chatting:

"If you ask me, Akina-chan must have someone she has a crush on, otherwise she wouldn't have sung 'SedLove' with such deep affection!"

"Akina-chan sings every song with deep affection, okay? That's her vocal skill!"

"Who do you think that friend Akina-chan mentioned is?" "What friend?" "The one who gave her the debut song!"

"It's a music producer named Naoki Nagayama, isn't it written on the single record?"

"Could it be that Akina has a crush on that person? He must be a handsome guy!"

"Wait... composers are usually older, right!"

It seems Naoki Nagayama's scandal hadn't caused much of a stir in Osaka, otherwise these two girls wouldn't have failed to recognize that the protagonist of their topic was right next to them.

Actually, that makes sense; the divide between Kansai and Kanto is quite severe~

After leaving the venue, Naoki Nagayama walked directly to the parking spot. It was impossible to talk to Akina today; not to mention the many personal guards waiting at the entrance, the fans outside were all waiting to see Akina one more time.

So Akina must have left by car as soon as she got out.

However, Naoki Nagayama was hungry at this moment and prepared to head to Shinsaibashi. As the birthplace of teppanyaki, Osaka's teppanyaki is superb, with unique insights into both ingredients and heat control.

On the other side, Akina, having changed into casual clothes, snuck into an inconspicuous van with her assistant through a side door. The sedan that Yasuyuki Okawa had driven to the front gate was already surrounded by fans and couldn't be driven out for the time being.

"Akina-chan, are we going straight back to the hotel?" asked her assistant, Maki Ueda. "Or should we find a place to have a meal first?"

Akina Nakamori rubbed her stomach. To maintain the best body lines on stage, she had only eaten a small bun to pad her stomach all day besides breakfast. She hadn't felt it until it was mentioned, but now her body felt a bit weak. However, the tension hadn't dissipated yet, so she didn't feel hungry...

"Although I know I need to eat something... I don't really have an appetite..." Akina Nakamori felt a bit helpless. But just then, the car passed a roadside teppanyaki stall, and a pungent, fragrant aroma drifted in.

Akina felt refreshed after smelling it. Her mouth had been dry just a moment ago, but now she immediately felt a sense of moisture. Her eyes turned to her assistant immediately. "Maki-chan, it would be great if we could eat some rich-smelling teppanyaki~"

Seeing her idol's greedy and expectant look, Maki Ueda couldn't help but laugh: "That's perfect, Osaka is the birthplace of teppanyaki! Let's go to the gourmet district, Shinsaibashi!"

The assistant immediately communicated with the driver and turned in a different direction...