Chapter 328

There are many exotic restaurants with a great atmosphere near Shinjuku Station, and MigaelPeaces is one hidden in the bustling city.

"Akina-chan, shall we try this one?" Naoki Nagayama slowed down even more.

"Hai~"

Little Akina naturally had no opinion. As the saying goes, it doesn't matter what you eat, what matters is who you eat with. Besides, it's also very interesting to be able to eat novel dishes.

Without a reservation, the two went in directly, followed a waiter into the restaurant, and sat at a window seat.

Spaniards also love seafood very much, and there are many seafood dishes on the menu. The main course for the two was naturally the famous Spanish seafood paella.

Naoki Nagayama also ordered Iberian ham, grilled seafood rice, Spanish croquettes, and fried horn cakes, paired with cold soup. There was no way to drink alcohol... he had to drive~

And Akina-san opposite ordered Galician octopus, Madrid stew, spicy potatoes, and Spanish stuffed red peppers. She really wasn't afraid of spicy food.

However, the drink she ordered was fruit wine... Akina wasn't an adult yet, right?

Looking at Akina's calm look opposite, let's just treat the fruit wine as a normal drink...

After the menu was taken away by the waiter, they finally had time to talk.

"Akina mentioned earlier that you are going to shoot in various parts of Europe?" Naoki Nagayama continued the topic from the car, "Are you going in a few days?"

"One after another... it seems I'm going to many places." Akina Nakamori had already taken off her mask and adjusted her glasses, "Switzerland, France, Italy... but after the national tour ends, there will be more opportunities to go."

"Then..." Naoki Nagayama calculated in his mind, "Isn't that going to be July?"

"Hai, and then there will be another concert tour at the end of July..." Akina's little face wrinkled. Two national tours a year, this workload was really too big.

"That's really tight." Naoki Nagayama sighed, "Akina's schedule is busier than the company president's."

"Ah, is it the same as Naoki-san?" Suddenly thinking that Naoki Nagayama was also a president, the sorrow on Akina's face disappeared, and she became full of vitality again, "Isn't Naoki-san the president of Tree Friend Films?"

"Haha~" Naoki Nagayama couldn't help but laugh, "I'm a different kind of president. I throw everything to my subordinates, so I'm very relaxed, and I'm even thinking of being lazy and going abroad for a vacation!"

"Isn't that an incompetent president?" The girl with a low sense of humor didn't know what she associated in her mind, but she actually started laughing non-stop, "Hahaha~ Being Naoki-san's subordinate seems like it would be very pitiful~"

Very pitiful? Naoki Nagayama recalled the appearance of Otomo Yoshimura and Shuichi Yin Tang. It shouldn't be considered pitiful... After all, the first two were already worth hundreds of millions!

Just as they were talking, the appetizers came up~

Iberian ham is made from black pigs raised in the mountains and fed only on Mediterranean acorns. It is made with secret seasonings, air-dried at high temperatures, and then sealed with wax, allowing almost all the fat to flow out.

The raw ham slices melt in the mouth, the freshness of the meat, the mellow fragrance of the fresh fruit, mixed with a faint trace of sweetness, the salty and fresh are perfectly integrated, the taste is rich and fragrant on the lips and teeth, it is truly a rare delicacy.

The spicy potatoes are fragrant and scorched, the outside is fried crispy, but the inside is very soft. Paired with the restaurant's special spicy sauce, it actually has a slightly sweet and sour feeling, which is very appetizing.

Spanish croquettes, fried horn cakes, Galician octopus, and Spanish stuffed red peppers came up at about the same time, filling the dining table.

【To tell the truth, I've been using the source-switching app to read books and follow updates recently. The source switching is smooth, the reading voices are many, huanyuanapp. Both Android and Apple are fine.】

The Galician octopus served on a wooden plate is thick and juicy under the coarse salt, very delicious, the texture is soft without losing toughness, and it has a slightly spicy feeling. The potatoes underneath are also very soft, as if they have absorbed the freshness of the octopus.

The red peppers used in the Spanish stuffed red peppers have a special sweet and spicy taste. The filling inside is pork, like a red wine cup, full of meat juice, and also has a smoky flavor, which is very strange.

The croquettes use Béchamel cream with sturgeon meat inside, and a thin layer of crispy shell on the outside, which tastes very soft; while the fried horn cakes have chicken inside, with bell peppers added, a bit sweet and a bit spicy.

Akina Nakamori had been busy with program production all afternoon, and was naturally very hungry in the evening. The novel Spanish food was spicy and appetizing, and she ate like a little pig~

"Naoki-san, why are you looking at me with a strange look? Is there something on my face?" Noticing Naoki Nagayama's gaze, Akina thought she had sauce on her face, and hurriedly wiped it with a napkin.

"No, looking at Akina's satisfied look while eating, I was thinking, if this restaurant asked Akina to be a spokesperson, there would definitely be many customers!"

Watching Akina eating big mouthfuls, and looking satisfied after eating, it was comparable to the food broadcasts of later generations, which also opened Naoki Nagayama's appetite.

"Then I have to charge a huge endorsement fee!" The girl who was eating didn't feel shy, but instead seemed to think about it seriously, and then waved her knife and fork, "And I want free meals for life! Even if I bring friends to eat, it has to be free!"

"Hahaha, if Akina brings a big eater to eat every day, wouldn't the restaurant lose a lot~"

"How could that be! I will control the frequency!"

The sweet and sour cold soup neutralized the spiciness of the previous dishes very well. The two finally waited for the final main course—Spanish seafood paella.

As soon as this dish was served, the aroma of seafood rushed to the nose. Shrimp, squid, mussels, green peas, vegetables... it was like a seafood party.

The famous saffron brought a red and yellow color and a faint fragrance, and the rice grains were distinct, slightly hard, but the seafood was cooked just right.

After coming out of the restaurant, the two got into the car and headed towards the Musashino-kan in Shinjuku.

Akina, who had finished dinner, had a blush on her fair face, which might be because of the spiciness or the fruit wine, looking like natural blush.

"Akina~" Naoki Nagayama looked at the girl in the passenger seat and blurted out, but then suddenly didn't know what to say.

"Nani?" The girl turned her head, her black and white eyes looking like they could talk.

"Cough... Is Akina a fan of Sayuri Yoshinaga?" Naoki Nagayama hurriedly found a topic, "Have you seen her movies before?"

"Of course!" Akina replied very quickly, "Sayuri Yoshinaga-san is an excellent actress. I've also seen *The Dancing Girl of Izu*, and she is also a very powerful singer!"

"Singer?"

"Doesn't Naoki-san know? *Itsudemo Yume wo* (Always Dreaming), sung by Sayuri Yoshinaga-san and Yukio Hashi-san, even won the 4th Japan Record Awards!"

Naoki Nagayama was a fake fan and didn't know much about Sayuri Yoshinaga: "The 4th one? I wasn't even born then!"

"Anyway, she's very powerful!" Akina longed for the Japan Record Awards very much and admired such a dual-career artist very much.

"In that case, is Sayuri Yoshinaga the direction Akina is working towards? Do you want to develop in the film and television industry in the future?"

"That's not it. My dream is to be like Momoe Yamaguchi, to retire after completing my idol dream!"

Perhaps because she drank a little wine, Akina, who was happy, accidentally said her dream, and then suddenly realized that Naoki Nagayama was beside her, and suddenly became shy, her heartbeat began to accelerate...

Saying something about retiring after marriage to Naoki-san... Naoki-san wouldn't misunderstand anything, right? What if he misunderstands?

Naoki Nagayama didn't think much about it, just chatting normally: "Haha, then you have to shoot movies and TV dramas~ Didn't Momoe Yamaguchi have famous works like *Blood Suspicion*~"

"Hmm..." Akina peeked at Naoki who was driving and found that he really didn't seem to have any abnormalities, feeling a bit relieved and a bit annoyed at the same time.

"Isn't Naoki-san a great director~ Then please give me a role in the movie~"

"That's definitely no problem! When shooting a movie, I'll let Akina be the heroine! Hahaha~"

Soon, they arrived at the Musashino-kan in Shinjuku.

This could be said to be one of the earliest independent cinemas in Tokyo, built in the 6th year of the Taisho era, but the entrance was not particularly conspicuous, it was a small mini cinema.

After entering, he only saw a poster on the wall, but there were already reception staff inside receiving the audience. He could see very familiar figures, it seemed that the creators of *The Makioka Sisters* had already arrived, and there were also reporters and other media personnel.

In addition to industry insiders, most of the people at the preview were ordinary people who came to watch the movie.

Naoki Nagayama took out two tickets and brought Akina Nakamori in from the entrance, but didn't take off his mask... If he was recognized as the latest Best Picture winner, wouldn't he be in the newspapers again tomorrow?

Akina Nakamori naturally didn't take off her mask either. If she was recognized, what would be in the newspapers tomorrow would be a scandal!

After sitting in their seats, they waited quietly for the movie to start.

*The Makioka Sisters* is adapted from the novel of the same name by Junichiro Tanizaki, directed by Kon Ichikawa, and starring Keiko Kishi, Yoshiko Sakuma, Sayuri Yoshinaga, Yuko Kotegawa, etc., telling the life and love stories of the four sisters of an old-fashioned family in Semba, Osaka.

The style of this movie is very different from the movies Naoki Nagayama shot. If Naoki Nagayama's movies win with creativity and trendiness, then this movie wins with delicacy and exquisiteness.

Just looking at the costumes and props, the simple and unadorned buildings, the gorgeous kimonos, the exquisite makeup of the heroines, and the rigid costumes of the protagonists all perfectly matched the historical background at that time.

Coupled with the scenery, the blooming cherry blossoms, the fiery red maple leaves, the falling fine snow... If there were computers, every scene could be used as wallpaper.

Especially the scene of Sayuri Yoshinaga in the fine snow, Naoki Nagayama almost wanted to take a picture with a camera!

This movie, which lasted more than two hours, became more and more delicate and gentle in the narrative of the plot, and the characters' emotions of the sisters also appeared restrained and introverted, allowing people to savor them carefully.

After watching the whole movie, it was like experiencing the life of the four sisters in the movie, and the whole person felt a bit more transparent.

"Akina, what's wrong?"

The movie was already showing the credits. Although she was wearing a mask, Naoki Nagayama saw a layer of crystal in Akina's eyes.

"Daijoubu..." Akina wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, "It's just that the emotions between relatives and lovers are really moving."

This... the little girl's emotions seem to be a bit too active, right? She cried after watching a movie? This isn't a sad movie...

This should be a talent, no wonder every time she sings a sad song in the future, tears will flow out!

Before Naoki Nagayama could comfort her, the lights in the screening hall lit up, and the routine interview after the preview began. Others were waiting for the actors to appear. The two naturally wouldn't get up and leave at this time, that would be too conspicuous.

"Akina, Sayuri Yoshinaga is here!" Of course there were other actors, but none of them were familiar to Naoki Nagayama.

Watching the creators on stage lined up, answering reporters' questions in a standard way, and accepting media inquiries, Naoki Nagayama felt a bit bored. There were no explosive points in this interview~

He couldn't help but think of when he was interviewed.

By the way, there seemed to be a very serious reporter at that time, yes, from *Shukan Bunshun*, named Shinnosuke Matsuzawa.

It seems he didn't come today?

Shinnosuke Matsuzawa, who no longer works for *Shukan Bunshun*, is now a freelance writer.

At his desk, he sneezed, but didn't care. He was seriously writing the manuscript in his hand, and there was a stack of photos next to him. This was a very familiar idol, smoking photos in bed with her boyfriend.

"These star idols are just ordinary people! As long as you wait seriously, you will definitely be able to catch the moment they lose their qualifications!" Shinnosuke Matsuzawa smiled very evilly, looking like the hentai often seen in TV dramas under the dim light.

As he spoke, he took the manuscript in his hand, walked to the phone by the sofa, and began to contact someone.

However, on the information blackboard next to him, Naoki Nagayama's photo was still eye-catching, the most recent one being the photo at the awards ceremony.

In the Toyota Century driving towards Nakano, Akina Nakamori, who opened the window to blow some night wind, had completely recovered her mood.

She kept talking about the movie she saw tonight: "Naoki-san, how long does it usually take to shoot such a long movie?"

"Me?" Naoki Nagayama scratched his head, "I can't be sure. Sometimes such a movie might take half a year to a year to finish."

"Eh? Why?" Akina obviously didn't know why there was such a big gap.

Naoki Nagayama thought for a while: "Shooting a movie is actually a bit like recording a record. If the record producer is not satisfied, they will ask the singer to retry it over and over again, right?"

"Hai!" Akina had a lot of experience, because she often had to sing many times...

"Movie shooting is the same, it mainly depends on the director's requirements. If the director has high requirements and the shooting effect is not satisfactory, then you have to repeat the shooting..."

"However, reshooting a movie is very troublesome... film, scenes, weather, light, actor status... all have to be coordinated well. Sometimes waiting for a time or scene, it's very likely to take a long time."

"Just like the scene of fine snow in the movie... natural falling snow is very rare. Sometimes it might not happen for several days..."

Akina Nakamori looked like she didn't understand but felt it was powerful, half-understanding, but still nodded to show her approval of Naoki Nagayama's explanation.

Then she asked many strange questions... It can be seen that Akina is still very curious about shooting movies, and maybe she will really appear in movies in the future~

When they were about to reach the Nakano apartment, they passed a convenience store not far from Akina's small apartment. Naoki Nagayama's heart moved, he stopped beside it, and then walked into the convenience store.

"Naoki-san, what's wrong? Why did you stop suddenly?" Akina also got out of the car.

"Suddenly wanted to eat ice cream~ Does Akina want some?" Naoki Nagayama turned back and asked.

Eating ice cream in this season? But it's already past 11 o'clock at night, eating ice cream as a midnight snack... it doesn't seem impossible!

"Want~" How could a little girl resist the temptation of ice cream!

The two leaned against the car eating strawberry butter ice cream. The milky fragrance was mellow, the texture was silky and thick, and the sour sweetness of the strawberry neutralized the greasiness of the butter very well.

Naoki Nagayama finished eating quickly, feeling his whole head cool down, while Akina beside him was still biting the ice cream in small mouthfuls, blowing on it from time to time because it was too cold... She was really like a child.

I don't know if she noticed Naoki Nagayama's gaze, Akina looked over, and a shy smile appeared on her face.

Under the light of the convenience store, her round face was even fairer, she was wearing a pair of big glasses on her small nose, but her eyes were like curved crescents, and the corners of her mouth were playfully raised, both cute and innocent.

Naoki Nagayama felt his heartbeat skip a beat, as if the softest corner had been gently touched. If only he could accompany such an Akina forever...

Looking at Akina's eyes, a sudden impulse surged in his heart, and he blurted out without realizing it:

"Akina... actually... I... like..."

"Akina! Is that Akina?!"

The sudden voice interrupted Naoki Nagayama's words. Several young boys and girls looking like students came from the direction of the convenience store, seemingly just returning from playing.

"It's really Akina!" "Hontou ni?" "Impossible!"

As they spoke, they began to move slowly towards the car.

These guys were actually Akina Nakamori's fans!

"Naoki-san! Hurry, hurry..."

Akina opened the car door calmly and sat in. Naoki Nagayama reacted after a stun, quickly sat in the driver's seat, and started the car immediately.

Before the few young boys and girls arrived, he drove away quickly~

Almost being recognized by wild fans made the two of them tense up, and they didn't relax until they reached the small apartment in Nakano...

"That was really dangerous!"

"Yeah, almost got recognized!"

"Hahaha~"

Akina got out of the car, then remembered something, and looked at Naoki Nagayama outside the car window: "By the way, what was Naoki-san going to say earlier?"

The atmosphere was gone, and Naoki Nagayama, whose mood had settled down, had the impulse in his heart pass. Looking at Akina outside the window, he had to find a random reason:

"Ah, nothing... Isn't Akina going to Osaka tomorrow? I just wanted you to rest early~"

"Hai, Arigatou! Naoki-san, go back early too! Bye-bye..."

"Bye-bye~"

Starting the car, he saw Akina turn and enter the apartment in the rearview mirror. Naoki Nagayama felt a faint melancholy and loss in his heart...