Chapter 94

Chatting casually back and forth,

watching TV for a while,

a plate of cantaloupe was consumed without anyone noticing.

The topic at this time returned to Naoki Nagayama.

"What has Naoki-san been doing lately?" Akina asked. "Are you promoting your novel?"

"The matter of the novel's publication has basically been handed over to the publisher."

Come to think of it, there had been a call earlier saying sales were very good, and the publisher was planning a reprint.

"Speaking of the novel, that's why you came today, right? Did you see the yard downstairs? The cosmos have bloomed, haven't they?"

"Eh? Downstairs? We didn't see them?" Miho said quickly. "We came in through the main gate, and both sides seem to be high-rise buildings and shops."

The apartment's main gate faced the road, while the old house was behind the apartment, so the two of them hadn't seen it.

"I see. That's true, the old house and the yard are behind the apartment." Naoki Nagayama brought the two to the balcony. "It's okay, you can see it from here."

Looking down from the third floor, among several large trees, stood an old detached house. The yard was surrounded by a low fence, and clusters of cosmos in the yard swayed in the breeze, displaying a variety of colors.

"Ah~ how beautiful~"

The two young girls exclaimed after seeing it. "Is that house the old house from Naoki-san's novel?"

"It can be considered one of the prototypes. To be precise, the house in the novel combines many fragments from my memories." Naoki Nagayama didn't lie; they were indeed fragments from his "memory."

"Does an old grandfather really live in that house?" Akina asked.

"An old gentleman named Tadahiro Nagai lives there, but I'm not close with him." In reality, it was just a nodding acquaintance.

"If you're not close, how could you write such a moving story?" Miho was puzzled. "The details of life written in the novel seem so real. Could it be that Naoki-san was peeking here... um~ um~"

Little Akina next to her covered Miho's mouth: "Excuse me, Miho meant observing, observing!"

"What on earth is in your heads all day..." Naoki Nagayama patted both of their heads. "Writing a novel is just having an idea and then relying on one's own imagination to construct it. The details inside are created by combining past memories; they aren't all real."

"Yes, yes~" X2

"Then what about the three children?"

"Those three children are elementary school students from the neighborhood. Their real names are Kazuya Haruyama, Taida Haragami, and Shi Akita."

"Eh, do they really exist? Which one is Cucumber-kun?" Akina Nakamori asked curiously.

She didn't know why little Akina was so interested in this character. "... It's Haragami, who is a bit taller. He's not really at the level of Cucumber-kun; it's just an exaggerated way of writing in the novel~"

"Eh..." she looked a bit disappointed.

After the group watched for a while on the balcony, they returned to the living room.

"Let's take a closer look when we go down later. I can help you take some photos as a souvenir." When Naoki Nagayama occasionally went shopping, he naturally bought a camera.

Having money is just that casual!

"Thank you" X2

Akina Nakamori clearly hadn't forgotten the previous conversation: "Naoki-san said you aren't worrying about the novel anymore, so what are you doing now?"

"Lately, I've been filming a movie~"

"Eh? A movie? Has it been released? What's the name?"

Although they knew the Naoki-san in front of them had been an advertising talent and had filmed short clips, filming a movie still surprised the two young girls; that was something only real stars would do.

"It's a horror movie. The name is 'Paranormal Activity'. It's currently only showing in some theaters. If Akina-san and Miho-san aren't afraid, you can go see it."

"A horror movie?" Although they were a bit afraid to watch, it was, after all, a movie Naoki-san appeared in. "We will definitely go see it."

Little Chubby Akina made such a promise.

Next, they chatted about some interesting things during the filming, satisfying the curiosity of the two little ones.

Time had also reached the afternoon, and the two were already preparing to say goodbye.

After all, they weren't at the level of intimacy where they could stay at each other's homes all the time.

Akina was the older sister, after all: "Naoki-san, thank you very much for your hospitality today, but it's getting late, and we probably have to go back~"

"Don't say that. What are your plans for the afternoon? Do you want me to take you to the mall?"

"Thank you, but Miho and I plan to go to Senso-ji Temple to take a look."

"Senso-ji Temple, the snacks there are very delicious~"

Especially the grilled meat; it seems to smell even better when grilled near the Buddha...

Naoki Nagayama didn't try to persuade them further. Seeing that they had packed up, he took his camera and went down with them; he had to take photos.

The old house behind remained very quiet. The old man hadn't been seen for a long time, and the cosmos in the yard continued to bloom with vibrant colors without anyone to look after them.

"Akina-san, Miho-san, come quickly."

Standing outside the fence, Naoki Nagayama saw the yard full of cosmos and immediately called the two young girls behind him.

The group stood in a row, holding onto the fence like children, admiring the colorful flowers in the yard. Looking closely, each cosmos flower looked like a tiny sunflower, showing a smiling face to the sky.

"It's really beautiful~"

Naoki Nagayama stepped back a bit and then raised his camera.

"Akina-san, Miho-san, look here!"

With a click, the two young girls looking at the flowers were frozen in the frame.

Then he changed several angles, capturing the blooming garden and the two smiling girls together.

The weather was great, the scene was beautiful, and the smiles were also very bright...

"I'll mail the photos to you after they're developed~"

"Yes, thank you~"

Watching the figures of the two young girls slowly moving away,

Naoki Nagayama also returned to his room on the third floor.

The fruit plate on the table was a reminder of the pleasant chat earlier.

The faint aroma of Mapo Tofu still drifted from the kitchen,

and the open balcony also reminded him of the group standing there looking at the scenery earlier.

Suddenly returning from the lively atmosphere to the originally cold little apartment seemed to make one feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Loneliness... is it?"

People living alone are always prone to having such small emotions well up in their hearts inadvertently.

Naoki Nagayama tidied up the room, put away the camera, and then took care of the potted plants he had planted earlier.

Such emotions then dissipated more or less.

He turned on the radio and lay on the sofa in the living room,

intending to spend an afternoon quietly listening to music as before...

An introduction from a DJ came from the radio.

"Next, let's listen to Miyuki Nakajima's ninth single—'Hitori Jouzu' (Habit of Loneliness)."

Naoki Nagayama hadn't even reacted yet,

when Miyuki Nakajima's characteristic voice came from the radio:

"The house I return to..." (Hearing your voice on the street corner)

"The street corner where your voice is..." (You feel like you've returned home)

"Beaten by the winter rain..." (Letting the winter rain hit my body)

WTF??

Has this radio become sentient?

Is it sympathizing with me?