Chapter 503: When you are with the person you like, time passes faster

On the final day of filming for *Love Letter*, the entire crew was in a very relaxed mood. Everyone knew that once the few remaining pickup shots were finished, they could go home.

At the entrance of the old Western-style house, a group of students surrounded Nakamori Akina, showing her that library card.

Nagayama Naoki directed Komori Masataka to film from different angles the scene where the heroine discovers who the male lead, Fujii Itsuki, was truly secretly in love with.

Surprise, astonishment, panic...

Different emotions played out on her face, all mixed together. Holding the "love letter" in the truest sense, Akina finally revealed a look of relief. A secret crush from her youth was only now truly being revealed...

"Cut!" Nagayama Naoki called out the final cut, then began to clap. "Minna-san! The final shoot is complete!"

"!"

"We're done!" "Finally~" "It's a wrap~~" "Oh oh oh~~"

Cheers rang out in front of the old Western-style house for a long time. However, the wrap party wouldn't be held in Otaru; they would find another time for it once they returned.

After announcing the end, the crew began to systematically pack up the props, preparing to head back to Tokyo~

Inside a room of the old Western-style house, Myoko Fusanori looked at Nakamori Akina with some surprise:

"You're going back by helicopter? You're not joking, right? Riding in a helicopter is very tiring..."

"Not at all!" Nakamori Akina said happily. "I'm taking the helicopter to Miyagi, and then the Shinkansen back to Tokyo."

"Are you going on a date..."

Ueda Maki blurted out the truth. Although Nakamori Akina blushed a little, she still tacitly agreed.

Because she knew she was with Nagayama Naoki, Myoko Fusanori didn't say much more, only urging:

"Akina-chan, you must come home today! You can't be late for work tomorrow! I'll pick you up at the apartment entrance!"

Akina's face turned even redder: "... Of course I'm coming home! Where else would I be..."

"Pfft~"

Ueda Maki couldn't help but laugh, causing Nakamori Akina to start playfully scuffling with her.

Not far away in a car, Kawano Katsutoshi, seeing things starting to be packed up over there, immediately tapped Numata Shodai, who was dozing off.

"Wake up! It looks like they're finished!"

"Oh? Are they going to the next set?" Because they were taking shifts to stake out the location, Numata Shodai, who had been there until midnight yesterday, was a bit sleep-deprived. "Katsutoshi, you drive..."

"No!" Kawano Katsutoshi shook his shoulder hard. "It looks like it's officially over. Don't you see the crew clapping and cheering?"

"Eh? Really?" Numata Shodai hurriedly raised his camera to look.

"Does that mean we can go back?!"

Numata Shodai said very happily, while Kawano Katsutoshi began to calculate. Over the past few days, they had managed to sneak photos of quite a few stills, and there were also many intimate photos of Nagayama Naoki and Nakamori Akina. In that case, they could probably consider the mission accomplished!

"Wait a bit longer..." To be cautious, Kawano Katsutoshi decided to see if they could capture anything else at the very end.

After nearly half an hour, the sound of the helicopter taking off caught their attention: "The helicopter is heading back too... Wait... there seems to be a girl on the plane! It's Nakamori Akina!"

Kawano Katsutoshi hurriedly raised his camera to shoot, but after a few *click-click-click* sounds, the plane had already flown into the distance...

"Damn it, I only got a little bit!"

Numata Shodai said at this moment: "It looks like there are only two people in the back row of the helicopter! If one is Nakamori Akina, then the other is... Nagayama Naoki!"

The two looked at each other: "They're for real?!"

They had originally thought it was just the employer forcing a scandal, but they hadn't expected to have seemingly caught a major scoop!

"Damn it!!"

"We didn't get a shot of them sitting in the helicopter together!"

The helicopter pilot, Suda Kazuhiko, had spent a very relaxed week, as there weren't many scenes requiring the helicopter, but he had spent the whole week eating and drinking well with the crew, which was practically like a vacation.

What was even more outrageous was that he was with a famous idol... He had already asked for ten autographed photos of Nakamori Akina for his daughter.

When heading back today, there were still people taking the helicopter, but this time they were only going to Miyagi Prefecture, which was just over an hour, so it was quite reasonable.

Following a "whoosh whoosh whoosh" sound, the helicopter slowly took off from the hill behind the old Western-style house in Otaru, soon rising above the hillside and flying into the clouds.

Nakamori Akina was very excited, leaning against the window, watching the city getting smaller and smaller:

"Naoki-san, it's getting higher and higher... Ah, we've flown past that vacation house!"

Next to Otaru was the sea, a deep, azure expanse of water. The light blue sky slowly grew from the horizon, the gradient colors blending seamlessly like a beautiful painting. On the other side were snow-capped mountains and a gray-and-white city, which, under the sunlight, presented a sparkling luster, like another masterpiece of nature.

The helicopter they were riding in was wandering between these two paintings, just enough to see different scenery on both sides.

Nakamori Akina looked at the seascape for a while, then leaned over, propping herself up against Nagayama Naoki to look at the land, as if she couldn't stop for a single moment.

Nagayama Naoki had to hold Akina's waist to prevent her from falling, and even through her coat, he could feel how slender and soft she was:

"Akina, haven't you ridden in a plane many times? Why are you still so excited?"

Nakamori Akina's face flushed slightly. She held the hand that was acting up on her waist and leaned against her boyfriend:

"How can that be the same? On a plane, you can only see through a small round window. How can that compare to the clarity of a helicopter? It's immersive."

"That's true..." Nagayama Naoki also looked out the window. "Just like what was written in *Snow Country*, a vast expanse of silver, as if the autumn sun were pouring down on the mountains..."

The nine o'clock sunlight shone through the helicopter window onto his chiseled face, as if it had been plated with a layer of gold. A faint reflection of half his cheek appeared on the glass window, making him look even more handsome.

Akina, who didn't like reading, only felt that her boyfriend had a heart-wrenching literary air at this moment. Only then did she remember that Nagayama Naoki was also a well-known writer...

In a trance, she felt as if he were a traveling student who had come to Izu from the big city, full of the scent of words and books. And as for herself... was she the Izu dancer who had fallen for him?

When they arrived in Miyagi, it had already been an hour, but this time it felt like only a dozen minutes had passed.

Sure enough, just like the story of relativity, when you are with the person you like, time passes very quickly.

At the Sendai Airport in Miyagi, Nagayama Naoki, who had gotten off the helicopter, patted the spirited Eitaro, unceremoniously left him on the helicopter, and then gave Miaotailang another leaf...

How could he let cats and dogs ruin their date?!

"Suda-san, please bring Eitaro and Miaotailang back to Tokyo... I will go pick them up after I arrive in Tokyo." Nagayama Naoki said to the helicopter pilot, Suda Kazuhiko.

"Hai, I will take good care of Eitaro and Miaotailang!" After a week of getting along, Suda Kazuhiko was quite familiar with the cat and dog. "After arriving at the Shinkiba airport, I will be there all day today to check the helicopter. Naoki-san can find me whenever you come over."

"Arigato..."

Watching the helicopter take off again, only Nagayama Naoki and Nakamori Akina, feeling lighthearted, remained in Sendai.

"Let's go. It's almost noon. Let's go taste the famous grilled beef tongue here first!"

Nagayama Naoki pulled Akina's scarf, covering her chin. With the addition of a fluffy knit hat, only a pair of bright, black-and-white eyes remained exposed.

"Hmm!" Her eyes revealed a look of approval.

After calling a taxi, Nagayama Naoki and Nakamori Akina arrived at an old-fashioned restaurant in Sendai called "Tasuke."

This old shop, located at the corner of Kokubuncho Street, was decorated in a very traditional style, with an L-shaped counter and eight seats at the counter, full of the atmosphere of an izakaya.

"Welcome!" The enthusiastic welcome was felt the moment they stepped through the door.

It was peak time, so the eight seats at the counter were naturally full. However, just as one customer finished eating, a table opened up. The waiter led the two over and efficiently cleared the table.

"Customer, this is our menu. Please take a look first." The young waiter served the tableware and then brought the two a cup of hot matcha.

"Hai, please bring two beef tongue sets."

Coming here, it was naturally to eat grilled beef tongue. The two had already discussed the menu: charcoal-grilled beef tongue + oxtail soup + traditional barley rice was the famous beef tongue set here.

"Okay, please wait a moment..." The young waiter had received countless tourists like this and very skillfully shouted to the kitchen, "Two beef tongue sets!"

While waiting, Akina took off her scarf and hat. However, with her short hair and slimming makeup, it was almost impossible to recognize that this was Nakamori Akina, who often appeared on television.

"Naoki-san, they say that such old shops are the truly delicious ones. Have you been here to eat before?"

Akina also liked this kind of crowded, old-fashioned izakaya; after all, she was a child who grew up in a shopping street.

"No... but I watched a food program, and it said the beef tongue here is very delicious!"

Nagayama Naoki said casually. In his future memories, the most famous grilled beef tongue in Sendai should be this shop, known as the original beef tongue... Hahaha, everything in this era is the original!

"Eh? What program is it?"

"... *The Solitary Gourmet*..."

"Is there such a program? Why haven't I seen it?" Akina blinked her beautiful eyes, looking very suspicious. "Naoki-san, are you lying to me?"

"... I'm definitely not lying to you!"

But that program was only from the future~

The young couple whispered to each other, and soon the grilled beef tongue set was served.

The charcoal-grilled beef tongue used the premium beef tongue from Sendai, the fattest and thickest part. Under the chef's superb technique and heat control, it presented an enticing dark red color, full of the aroma of charcoal fire. The side dishes were bright tender yellow and tender green, forming a strong contrast with the beef tongue.

Taking a bite with chopsticks, the beef tongue was thick and fatty, yet exceptionally soft and tender. While chewing, the full meat juices with a hint of fat slipped out from between the teeth. The grilled beef tongue, seasoned only with salt, maximized the original taste of Sendai beef tongue.

Paired with miso made from green chili peppers, the spicy taste further stimulated the aroma of the beef tongue, making one unable to stop eating.

If you really couldn't take it, at this time, take a sip of the light and refreshing oxtail soup, which just happened to relieve the salty spiciness in your mouth. Then chew a mouthful of barley rice, each grain distinct and full of the scent of the fields. A sense of satisfaction extended from the mouth all the way to the stomach, and the whole person felt warm...

Nagayama Naoki felt sweat on the tip of his nose, but Akina opposite him was fine. This dish clearly suited her taste very well.

"Sugoi!!"

"!"

When eating, she had no airs of a beauty at all. After drinking the last drop of oxtail soup, she also very casually rubbed her stomach.

"Sure enough, I came to the right place!"

"Hahaha~" Nagayama Naoki laughed, which made Akina blush a little~

"What's wrong?"

"When Akina is very satisfied, she's like a child!"

"... This is the highest recognition of delicious food!"

Her stomach was warm, and even the cold wind outside couldn't blow her away.

Nagayama Naoki took Akina's hand and put it into his pocket, and the two strolled through Kokubuncho, the most prosperous area in Sendai. From the Meiji Restoration to its development today, Kokubuncho in Sendai already faintly held the title of "Japan's No. 1 Entertainment Street in the Northeast."

Here, there were restaurants, izakayas, snack bars, and red-light districts everywhere, but Akina naturally pulled Nagayama Naoki to walk away quickly.

Sendai in Miyagi is called a "literary youth" city, referring to its cultural atmosphere and greenery. It has forests of trees, beautiful scenery in all four seasons, and many famous universities and research institutes. Lu Xun once studied here.

Walking for more than ten minutes in the direction of Aobayama, they passed the Mitakisan Fudoin Temple, went to worship Sendai Shiro, the god of fortune, and then turned a corner to reach the famous Jozenji-dori.

The long road was not surrounded by the green shade of spring and summer, nor was it covered with the yellow leaves of autumn. Only lonely tree branches remained, carrying a little residual snow, also carrying a trace of Zen.

However, the traditional crafts here, such as small wooden dolls and hand towels, were not expensive and very distinctive. Nakamori Akina and Nagayama Naoki both bought quite a few, preparing to give them to relatives and friends at the end of the year.

"Naoki-san... where else are we going?"

"That's about it... Let's go back~"

Nagayama Naoki pulled Akina and walked toward Sendai Station. It was almost three o'clock in the afternoon. If they returned to Tokyo, it would be almost five o'clock.

The gradually setting sun lengthened their departing backs. One shadow was longer, carrying a not-so-small bag in his left hand, while the other shorter shadow had empty hands, holding the right hand of the long shadow, as if they had merged together.

"Naoki-san, are we going back to Yamasakura-in first when we get to Tokyo?"

"No, first to Shinkiba."

"Eh?"

"We have to pick up Eitaro and Miaotailang, and then go back to Yamasakura-in~"

"Oh~"

"After that, we'll go have dinner... and then send Akina home~"

"Naoki-san, shall I make dinner for you?"

"?"

"I always feel like Naoki-san is treating me and making food for me..."

"Ha?"

"My cooking is also quite good, you know! I even learned my mother's croquettes!"

"Hahaha, okay~" ===== CHAPTER 504 =====