Chapter 55

Chapter 55: There Is Absolutely No “Special Service”!

Early the next morning, Father and Mother had clearly reconciled.

Mother returned to her usual self, busily preparing breakfast and tidying the house, while Father sat in the living room reading the newspaper.

Sure enough, Nagayama Ken and Nagayama Nanako truly enjoyed their marriage.

Nagayama Naoki planned to leave early; a long journey still awaited him.

However, after much persuasion, Tsuruko finally convinced him to drive her partway to school. She was clearly determined to experience riding in a luxury car at least once.

After dropping Tsuruko off some distance from the school, Nagayama Naoki resumed his road trip. The next stretch followed mostly along the coastline, perfect for enjoying the ocean scenery.

It seemed to have rained lightly the previous night, and the air felt fresher.

Occasional sea breezes carried a faint salty scent.

Listening to music through the car speakers while admiring the coastal views, he sometimes stopped on nearby beaches to explore or climbed onto reefs to photograph the blue sea. Nagayama Naoki immersed himself completely in the scenery, losing track of time.

Most passing vehicles were fully loaded trucks or hurried travelers. Few people could enjoy leisure as calmly as he did.

At noon he stopped in Kosai City for a seafood meal. Nothing fancy—just pure freshness. In the afternoon, he continued his journey.

Nagoya had been famous throughout Japan since the era of Tokugawa Ieyasu. The renowned Nagoya Castle, though scarred by war, still stood tall and was known as one of Japan’s three great castles.

Other well-known sites included Atsuta Shrine, Tokugawa Garden, and Daikannon Temple.

After arriving, Nagayama Naoki merely toured these attractions briefly. To someone raised in the modern era, such temples were little more than scenic locations with historical flavor.

After an afternoon of driving, what he truly wanted was Nagoya’s specialty cuisine. He found a local restaurant in the city and began eating.

Nagoya people loved sauces. The famous flat noodles and miso-stewed udon lived up to their reputation, and several dishes such as tempura rice balls left Nagayama Naoki completely full.

That night he stayed at a small inn just to get through the night—there was absolutely no “special service.”

The next morning, he ate eel chazuke for breakfast and began heading toward the mountains.

Mountain roads in the Showa era were far less developed than they would become later, and small animals occasionally crossed the road.

Nagayama Naoki drove carefully the entire way, never increasing his speed too much.

Still, he enjoyed the mountain scenery: green trees, red roadside flowers, small streams flowing between rocks, and, of course, ever-present insects.

He did not stop to take photos along this stretch until reaching Iijima Town, where he rested briefly and tasted Nagano Prefecture’s famous soba noodles.

The afternoon drive became slower. As elevation increased, the temperature gradually dropped, and with the convertible open, Nagayama Naoki began to feel a chill.

Yoshimura Daitomo had been right—returning to the countryside to escape the summer heat was indeed practical.

Around three or four in the afternoon, he arrived in Suwa City. Continuing further might have meant spending the night in the mountains, so Nagayama Naoki decided to rest there for a day. Nights in the mountains were genuinely cold; soaking in a hot spring at that time felt especially comfortable.

On the fourth day of the road trip, Nagayama Naoki departed from Kirigamine and drove onto the “Venus Line,” praised as one of the best scenic driving routes. This sightseeing road, designed specifically for tourism and driving, wound through Nagano’s mountains with rises, dips, and numerous observation platforms along the way.

“In April, flowers fade in the human world; in mountain temples, peach blossoms just begin to bloom.”

Although it was already mid-June, many flowers still blossomed in the mountains, decorating the dense greenery. Colorful alpine ponds resembled agates linked together by streams, like a vibrant necklace draped across the already breathtaking landscape.

His camera never rested. Nagayama Naoki stopped at every observation deck to admire the scenery.

It was said that in autumn, when the leaves changed color, the area resembled nature’s palette. He was already considering returning in the fall.

The deeper mountain roads twisted continuously, and the altitude kept rising. At times even with a map he could not determine direction. Fortunately, roadside stations and other touring drivers along the way guided him until he finally reached the Utsukushigahara Highlands.

He took commemorative photos at Japan’s highest roadside station, visited the Utsukushigahara Open-Air Museum, and bought a large number of souvenirs.

By then it was already past two in the afternoon. The entire day had been spent driving, photographing, and enjoying scenery; even lunch had been a simple boxed meal bought at a shop.

They said climbing a mountain was easy but descending was hard. If he delayed any longer, nightfall might arrive before reaching the base.

The descent still offered endless scenery, but Nagayama Naoki mostly admired it while driving. Unless the view was exceptionally beautiful, he no longer stopped for photos.

Following the flow of traffic down the mountain, he drove to the Bessho hot spring area to rest and wash away his fatigue.

After four consecutive days of driving across mountains and sea, even with beautiful scenery and good food accompanying him, exhaustion inevitably accumulated. That night’s sleep was somewhat restless.

At dawn, Nagayama Naoki resumed his road trip, but this time he did not continue into the mountains. Following the national highway, he passed through Gunma and drove straight toward Tokyo.

Hadn’t he planned to visit Ogano Town? It did not matter. The closer he got to Tokyo, the better his mood became. CityPop music truly felt right only when played on urban roads.

Driving at highway speed, in less than three hours Tokyo’s buildings came into view. It seemed he could even eat lunch at home.

Around noon, Nagayama Naoki finally returned to his apartment in Waseda, solving lunch at the ramen shop he often visited nearby.

Despite enjoying countless delicious meals along the way, the familiar flavor unexpectedly made him feel nostalgic.

The apartment, unoccupied for nearly a week, had clearly accumulated some dust.

After setting down the souvenirs and gifts from the trip, Nagayama Naoki began cleaning.

At the same time, he played the telephone answering machine recording. After being away for a week, several people had left messages.

One of the earliest was from Araki Shigetomo, asking him to inspect the June operations of the disco club. The manager was indeed responsible.

Nakai Genta had left a message checking on him and suggesting they meet sometime.

Mother and Tsuruko had also called, asking him to report back once he returned home safely.

The most recent message was from Ito Shuichi:

“Naoki-san, have you not returned from your road trip yet? Recently I received an invitation to direct a television drama. Call me back when you get this so we can discuss it and get your advice.”

It seemed Ito Shuichi was preparing to move into television directing. Transitioning from commercial director to TV drama director was a major change; whether it would go smoothly remained uncertain.

While cleaning, Nagayama Naoki thought about these matters and returned each message, especially arranging to meet Ito Shuichi at the studio the next day for a detailed discussion.

The photos from the road trip needed to be developed. The souvenirs had to be arranged, gifts sorted, postcards prepared, and packages mailed to different people that afternoon.

After finishing all of this, night had already fallen.

He did not go out for dinner. Instead, he casually cooked two simple dishes and ate slowly while watching television.

Late at night, Nagayama Naoki once again slept in his first home in Tokyo.

This time, he slept deeply.