Chapter 296

Urged by his hunger, Naoki Nagayama stepped on the gas and soon arrived at Shinsaibashi in Osaka.

After parking the car and opening the door, a fresh, spicy, and numbing scent enveloped his entire body. His nose, which had been slightly blocked, seemed to be cleared by this aroma of barbecue, and his whole person felt refreshed~

"Have I arrived at a place that specializes in teppanyaki?" Naoki Nagayama turned his head slightly and found that the signs nearby were all filled with "XXX Skewers", "Sparrow", "Charcoal Grill"... It seems that under the guidance of his stomach, he had arrived at a gathering place for snack shops.

"Oh? This shop is called 'Skewer Emperor'? This is incredible! If they dare to call themselves that, I must go and see if they live up to it!" Attracted by this sign, Naoki Nagayama walked in without hesitation.

Japanese barbecue shops are generally not large; the small shop only had 5 or 6 seats, but there were also some seats facing the chef at the counter.

In the small shop, the master was making teppanyaki for customers in an open kitchen. Amidst the sizzling sound of oil, the aroma of the grilled meat was stimulated. After sprinkling the shop's special sauce, the rich fragrance exploded, making the guests sitting at the counter reveal expectant looks in their eyes.

Naoki Nagayama had arrived relatively late, and only the seats at the counter were left, so he could only sit there.

The server was an older aunt, very much in line with the characteristics of a family-run shop. After seeing Naoki Nagayama sit down, she handed him a rolled-up wet towel and purified water: "Welcome, the menu is all on the wall. If the guest has decided, you can tell the master directly."

"Hai, I understand."

Besides the common yakitori, there were actually beef, lamb, squid, shrimp, etc., and even many kinds of vegetables. But if you come to eat teppanyaki, of course, squid skewers are the most authentic!

"Sumimasen, please give me two squid skewers, two squid baby skewers, one grilled shrimp skewer, and then yakitori, beef skewers, shiitake mushrooms, Chiba tofu, green peppers..."

Naoki Nagayama ordered ten skewers in one breath, making the customers sitting next to him look over. The master, who was originally making them, also hesitated and asked: "Customer, are you eating alone?"

"Ah, don't worry, I've been hungry for a whole afternoon."

Naoki Nagayama smiled. Unlike the Japanese way of eating a skewer and taking a sip of alcohol, he came purely to fill his stomach.

Hearing this answer, the shop owner didn't say anything more: "Hai, please wait a moment."

Watching the skewers of food constantly turning in the master's hands, the cold meat touched the scorching iron plate, changing color in just a few seconds, emitting the most primitive aroma of meat, then exploding through the butter, almost making the kids next door cry with greed. Finally, a little bit of special soy sauce was drizzled on, blending into a rich fragrance...

Naoki Nagayama, sitting in front of the counter, couldn't stop swallowing his saliva, wondering when it would be his turn...

At the same time, an inconspicuous small van stopped outside Shinsaibashi.

Akina Nakamori, dressed tightly, and her assistant Maki Ueda walked down from the opened car door.

"Akina-chan, keep your scarf on!"

Maki Ueda reminded her diligently. Although generally speaking, stars aren't easily recognized after taking off their makeup, one still needs to be a little careful.

"Hai~ Maki-chan, I have a mask on."

Akina Nakamori was very excited looking at the brightly lit district, and the faintly drifting aroma of food further stirred Akina Nakamori's appetite.

"It's better to be a little careful~"

Maki Ueda thanked the driver and told him to go back and tell Yasuyuki Okawa that she and Akina would go back after dinner, and maybe they would stroll around a bit~

"What does Akina-chan want to eat?" The assistant walked beside Akina Nakamori, just like two ordinary girls out shopping together.

"Let's go to the one with the richest aroma!"

Akina Nakamori wrinkled her nose like a little puppy, deciding to follow her sense of smell today, pulling Maki Ueda forward quickly, wanting to find the one she liked most among the colorful signs.

However, after walking for a while, the two stopped. Akina rubbed her nose: "No way... the aromas are all mixed together... I can't distinguish them."

"Haha, Akina-chan, do you think you're a military dog?" Maki Ueda teased with a smile. "Then let's just pick one at random."

But Akina's young face was written with the word "serious": "If you come to Osaka and don't eat the most authentic teppanyaki, doesn't that mean you haven't eaten it at all?!"

"..." The assistant was convinced by this powerful logic. Forget it, whatever her idol thinks...

Continuing to follow the girl's pace through the district, they could see slogans like Charcoal Grilled X, X Meat, Yakitori, Sparrow, X Flavor... from time to time, but none of them could make them stop. After smelling the aroma for so long, Maki Ueda felt her own stomach getting hungry too.

"Akina-chan, haven't you found one you like yet?"

"Yeah, these all feel very ordinary... no shop that makes one's eyes light up..." Akina's eyes scanned the front, and she was suddenly attracted by a yellow sign—"Skewer Emperor".

Akina Nakamori's eyes lit up, and she said with a smile: "Maki-chan, look at that shop. A shop that dares to call itself 'Skewer Emperor', then we must go and see if it lives up to it!"

Saying that, she pulled her assistant and walked over.

Maki Ueda, who walked to the shop entrance, saw that only the seats in front of the counter were left: "Looks like it's very popular~ Do you want to sit in front of the counter to eat?"

This sentence didn't get a response from her artist. Akina seemed to have seen some interesting scene and pulled Maki Ueda quickly into the shop door.

Naoki Nagayama was focused on finishing the squid skewer in his hand and didn't pay any attention to the two new guests at the seats next to him. The server served them wet towels.

The aroma of the squid baby, slightly sprinkled with chili powder, was overflowing. The master's skill was excellent, the heat was just right, the texture was chewy and springy, the sauce was rich, and it was fresh, spicy, and delicious. One bite at a time was very satisfying.

"Is the squid delicious?"

A slightly muffled, strange voice came from the side. Just then, the master handed over two grilled yakitori and beef skewers. Naoki Nagayama raised his hand to take them,

Then, through his peripheral vision, he saw it was a girl wearing a mask. A wide-brimmed hat and a large scarf wrapped around her entire head, looking very afraid of the cold.

Naoki Nagayama thought it was just a familiar guest wanting a reference, so he didn't think carefully:

"Hmm, very delicious. The master's skill is quite good."

After saying that, he continued to finish the squid skewer in his left hand.

"The yakitori seems delicious too..."

Still that strange voice. Naoki Nagayama, who was stuffing food into his mouth, felt a bit strange. Don't Japanese people usually avoid disturbing others?

Although his mouth was stuffed with food, he subconsciously replied, "Hmm..."

"Then can you give me a skewer to eat?" The voice suddenly changed into a somewhat familiar female voice~

Hearing this request, Naoki Nagayama almost choked. He hurriedly took a big gulp of water, then turned his face to look at the side seriously: "Akina-chan?!"

"Hahaha, Naoki-san didn't recognize me, right~"

The girl, whose prank was successful, happily took off her scarf and mask, revealing her delicate cheeks. That idol who was radiant on stage just a moment ago actually appeared in such a small barbecue shop!

Naoki Nagayama couldn't believe it. "Akina-chan, how could you be here?"

"I'm hungry~"

The girl stated the reason straightforwardly, while those bright eyes looked at the skewers in Naoki Nagayama's hand.

The meaning was very clear~

Naoki Nagayama could only hand over the yakitori and beef skewers in his hand...

Assistant Maki Ueda had noticed that her artist was a bit strange since just now.

She looked at the barbecue shop entrance, and then her large eyes seemed to flash with excitement. She silently pulled herself into the shop door and sat at the counter seat.

And even though there were empty seats next to them, she insisted on sitting next to a customer. Hmm, although from the side, that guy was indeed a bit handsome. Could it be that Akina-chan is acting on her attraction to his looks?

Maki Ueda shook her head, shaking off the belly-aching about her artist, and comforted herself in her heart: "It must be my delusion~ How could Akina-chan be that kind of person~ It must be an accident~"

After the aunt server in the small shop handed over the wet towels, Maki Ueda originally wanted to ask what Akina wanted to order, but she didn't expect Akina to strike up a conversation with the handsome guy next to her directly!

"Akina-chan, how could you do this! You can't be that kind of artist!" The thoughts in Maki Ueda's heart surged. Akina-chan actually broke her character as soon as she saw a handsome guy!

The assistant was newly transferred from Burning Productions to help Akina Nakamori handle some daily affairs during the concert period. She hadn't recognized Naoki Nagayama yet.

Naoki Nagayama watched Akina happily eating the yakitori, while her other hand was still clutching the beef skewers... While surprised, he also felt a bit amused and said to the master:

"Sumimasen, please give me two more yakitori and beef."

Then he asked Akina: "What else does Akina want to eat?"

Akina swallowed the chicken: "I also want squid, shrimp, tofu, potatoes..."

She wasn't being polite at all... Naoki Nagayama saw the assistant next to her, so he also asked her: "Miss, would you like to eat something?"

Assistant Maki Ueda came back to her senses and said in a panic: "Ah, how can I be so embarrassed..."

If Naoki Nagayama said so, it meant he was going to treat them.

Akina Nakamori said teasingly from the side: "Daijoubu, Maki-chan, this is my good friend Naoki Nagayama, he's a rich person~"

Being rich is also hard-earned money, one cent at a time, okay...

"Naoki-san, this is my assistant, Maki Ueda~"

But at this time, naturally, he couldn't refute it. Naoki Nagayama could only smile slightly and continue to say to the assistant: "Nice to meet you, Miss Maki, but Akina-chan is right, feel free to order~"

He looks so good when he smiles... Seeing Naoki Nagayama's smile, this thought suddenly popped into Maki Ueda's mind, and then she became even more flustered.

"Ah, then please give me a skewer of green peppers and shiitake mushrooms..."

"So vegetarian..." Naoki Nagayama nodded. Maybe the girl wants to lose weight at night... So he placed the order with the master.

His gaze returned to the girl who was grinding wasabi: "Speaking of which, shouldn't Akina-chan have gone back already? I seem to have seen a group of people following a black sedan, and the fans were still shouting Akina~"

"That's what's called a decoy!" Akina said with some pride on her face. "It's empty inside!"

Biting into the beef dipped in a little wasabi, a satisfied expression appeared on the girl's face. If someone else saw this scene, they would definitely think the food here was very delicious~

While chatting with Akina, Naoki Nagayama didn't stop his pace of eating, and neither did Akina~ After all, when you're hungry, eating barbecue skewers in big mouthfuls is even more fragrant~

Assistant Maki Ueda was biting into the green peppers silently on the side, fulfilling the duty of a sponging assistant. However, seeing the two people chatting and eating skewers, she felt inexplicably harmonious.

"Naoki Nagayama, that's the person who writes songs for Akina, right? Are they actually this close?"

"Sure enough, a barbecue shop that dares to hang the 'Skewer Emperor' sign really has some skills!"

Naoki Nagayama, who walked out of the barbecue shop, sighed. The raw materials for the teppanyaki in this shop were fresh, not to mention the master's skill must be top-notch. The skewers that came out of his hands were just right, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

The sauce in the shop should be special, with a rich flavor, but not too strong to cover the original taste of the skewers. Instead, it highlighted the original taste of the ingredients. The freshness and sweetness of the squid and shrimp, the delicious and juicy beef and lamb, the fresh and refreshing vegetable shiitake mushrooms... everything was distinct, yet integrated with each other, giving all diners the satisfaction of eating teppanyaki.

Akina Nakamori also nodded in agreement, touching her waist and abdomen, which hadn't changed: "It's been a long time since I've eaten so satisfactorily~"

Seeing this scene, inexplicably, Naoki Nagayama remembered the words of the female fan at the concert: "Akina-chan would be even better if she were a little thinner~"

A barely audible voice: "But the waist is already very thin~"

"What did Naoki-san say?" Akina had already wrapped the scarf around her, and only a pair of bright eyes were exposed on her entire face.

"Ah, nothing~" Naoki Nagayama was a little flustered. "Is Akina-chan going back? Or should we continue to stroll around?"

The girl idol looked at the assistant next to her and whispered: "Maki-chan, let's stroll for a while~"

"But... if it's too late, it will be troublesome if we can't catch a taxi~" Osaka's subway is very convenient, but it's a bit far from the hotel they are staying at...

"Daijoubu, I'll send you back later~" Naoki Nagayama interjected. Although it was his first time in Osaka, he had done his homework before and was familiar with most of the main roads, and he also had a map. "The car is parked at the entrance of Shinsaibashi."

The girl happily pulled the assistant's arm: "Then there's no problem!"

Maki Ueda was helplessly pulled by her artist to stroll around~

If the most prosperous part of Tokyo is the Ginza commercial street, then Osaka's Shinsaibashi is about the same. As a prosperous commercial district, besides the famous Kansai cuisine, various coffee shops, drugstores, department stores, and various small shops are all lined up.

The stone-paved sidewalks, British-style street lamps, and rows of brick buildings on Suo-cho Street—this area is even called the European Village by the locals.

With a living lightbulb like the assistant, Naoki Nagayama and Akina naturally didn't feel as relaxed as when they were alone, but the process of shopping was also very interesting, and they bought a lot of souvenirs.

Half a year passed, and with her growing fame, Akina had some pocket money in her hands and bought a lot of things. But what's with buying cheap glasses? You're not nearsighted...

Around nine o'clock, the three of them turned back to the entrance of Shinsaibashi and found the Toyota Century that Naoki Nagayama had parked there.

Maki Ueda was very surprised when she saw it, and had a definite concept of what Akina had said before about "Naoki-san being a rich person".

Because she knew Naoki Nagayama was not familiar with Osaka, Akina sat in the passenger seat excitedly, wanting to take the map to give directions to the driver. However, for an old driver, even if he didn't know the specific location, after knowing the general direction, he just drove that way, and he could always find it in the end~

"Is Naoki-san going back to Tokyo tomorrow?"

"Ah, not going back. Going straight back to my hometown in Shizuoka. It's almost New Year's, and I plan to stay until next year." Naoki Nagayama replied, "Even the New Year's gifts and Eitaro have been sent back. This time I came specifically to see Akina-chan's concert."

Hearing this, Akina Nakamori's mood became even better: "Then I really have to thank Naoki-san for his strong support!"

"Hahaha~ It's only right~ As Akina's fan~"

The idol girl's eyes smiled into curved crescents: "A simple response won't do~ Let me think, I must give Naoki-san a gift worth it for this New Year~"

Naoki Nagayama remembered the gift he sent the day before yesterday: "Hahaha, speaking of which, I also prepared a gift for Akina."

"Nani nani?" Akina looked over, her eyes full of excitement and joy that couldn't be hidden.

"Well, a gift, right~ That will only be interesting when Akina receives it herself, won't it?"

Naoki Nagayama smiled and didn't say what it was.

"Then I will wait with full expectations!"