Commuters at the end of the day's work flock to the streets and walk towards the nearby izakaya.

Nagoya's bustling and tireless nights give the first impression of being colorful.

Countless neon lights shine unbridledly, dense and crowded, intertwined and rendered until they engulf all the primordial black, leaving behind their own colors.

Shimatanigawa used to go to a 'mom-and-pop shop' that was small in scale and had mostly regular customers from the surrounding area.

However, tonight he made a special visit to a high-end izakaya near Tokugawa-en.

As soon as I entered, I saw Yota Katsumura sitting on a small partition drinking, and a few colleagues sitting together, everyone talked in a quiet manner on weekdays, and they looked more rigid and silent, but once they walked into the door of the izakaya, it was as if a switch had been turned on, and they spoke happily.

There are about 20 locations in the restaurant, and the ingredients are particularly fresh and the dining is particularly exquisite, but the price is several times that of ordinary izakayas.

In island countries, many clubs have a 'custom' of working overtime. Generally, after 6 p.m., employees will stay and work overtime for another hour.

And many non-local office workers take more than an hour to go back by train. If you choose to go home for dinner, it's late, so it's a 'tradition' for most people to choose to leave the club for a drink first.

Yota Katsumura saw Shimatani River entering the door and greeted him warmly, "Shimatani-san, do you want to have a drink together?" ”

"Okay!"

Shimatanigawa sat down and looked around: "There are really a lot of people from the headquarters today, and I seem to have seen a few heads of the headquarters." ”

Yota Katsumura, who was close to the bar, looked in the direction he was looking: "There are basically separate private rooms for the executive and the head of the department, after all, the social system of the island country is relatively strict, and there is still a distinction." ”

Shimatani asked without thinking, "Tsuruta seems to come to this izakaya very often?" ”

"yes, he loves the barbecue."

Shimatani nodded thoughtfully, he ate the tuna meat while listening to Yota Katsumura blowing water next.

"Last month, I spent three full weeks in South Korea!" Yota Katsumura gulped a large glass of beer, and then burped: "Although I hate Korea and kimchi, I don't hate Korean female artists, because they are really 'artists'!" ”

"Katsumura-san, you're not going to find a girl group, are you?"

"I heard that there is a second-tier female artist named Jin there..."

Looking at the heated conversation of his male colleagues, Shimatani decided to run first, and there were important things to do tomorrow.

"Shimatani-san, go back so soon?"

"Wait for the custom street, do you want to experience it?"

Shimatani Chuan waved his hand, but instead changed to an expression of concern for the other party: "Who drank with you thirty-year-old masters, my wife called me, bye!" ”

"Huh?!"

The men behind him put away their smiles and whispered indignantly: "Traitor!"

The neon on the street pulls the shadow of the man on the ground to a long, long time, and even then there is an end.

Shimatani had gathered the information he wanted and turned to leave.

.....

The next day, it was sunny.

Coffee shops in the center of the city sell bread and sandwiches in the morning.

There are no common breakfast shops here, but there are still many restaurants on the street, and some of the restaurants that open early will also serve morning food.

Shimatanigawa drove to a high-end coffee shop early in the morning and sat by the window and ate a sandwich slowly.

It's a good location, sitting on a long table by the window, you can easily see the pedestrians coming and going.

'I will take every breakfast seriously, and my luck in the future will not be too bad! ’

He took a sip of sweet and sour milk, listened carefully to the soft music playing inside and outside the store, and stared intently at the roadside parking area.

It was seven twenty o'clock in the morning, the man he had been waiting for.... Or rather, the car has finally arrived!

Shimatanigawa finished the yogurt in one gulp, got up, and walked to the counter to pack another sandwich set.

"Thank you for your patronage." The clerk's voice rang out at this moment.

Shimatanigawa took the bag and slowly took out his wallet from his pocket and prepared to check out, but his attention was on a middle-aged man walking slowly behind him.

Shimatanigawa deliberately dropped his wallet on the ground, picked it up and looked back, and was a little surprised.

"Good morning, Tsuruta Tsuruda!"

"I didn't expect to see you here so coincidentally, do you often come to this store for breakfast?"

The sudden sound seemed to make Takuma Tsuruta vigilant for a moment, but after seeing the person in front of him who paid the bill, he quickly relaxed.

Takuma Tsuruta is in his forties, wears a pair of black-rimmed glasses, probably because he has been sitting in the office for a long time, and his figure is slightly obese.

"Well, Section Chief Shimatani, you're early, too." After Tsuruta Takuma said hello, he didn't say anything more, and walked to the counter to pick up bread.

Shimatani didn't come forward to find a topic to talk about like a stunned young man who had just come out of society, after all, although his position was the section chief, he hadn't yet reached the point where he could let a standing director take his important position seriously, and it would be quite embarrassing to talk to himself.

However, he deliberately lingered at the cash register for a while, and when Takuma Tsuruta came over and put the sandwich on the counter and reached into his pocket to take out his wallet, Shimatani said to the clerk, "Come with me." ”

Soon, the clerk issued an invoice.

Takuma Tsuruta noticed Shimatanigawa's actions and frowned, he naturally knew that Shimatani Kawa was waiting for him just now, this way is very common, and there is no need for him to refuse the kindness of his subordinates without giving face.

After Shimatani finished paying, he saw that he had already put the sandwich in the bag, and without saying a word, he reached out and lifted it.

"Alright, alright, Section Chief Shimatani, I'll take it myself." Takuma Tsuruta couldn't help but stop.

"It's okay, Tsuruta Executive, there are still people lining up behind, let's go out first."

Shimatani River turned his head and smiled honestly.

Takuma Tsuruta looked at the people in line behind him and nodded, thinking to himself that if you want to take it, take it.

The bola building is not far from the coffee shop, and when I returned to the club, and waited for the elevator to reach the office area of the factory headquarters on the fourth floor, Shimatani Kawa Mari stepped out of the elevator, and Takuma Tsuruta pressed the close button and didn't say a word.

Later on Wednesday and Thursday mornings, Takuma Tsuruta had just arrived at the café and saw Shimatani River as soon as he entered the store.

As always.

Familiar opening line.

"Tsuruta Tsuruda."

Shimatani Kawa carried a bag and greeted him with a smile.

"What are you... Alas, good morning! Takuma Tsuruta opened his mouth, and finally said hello.

"The sandwiches at this restaurant taste good, and the last time I ate them, I was unforgettable."

Shimatani replied casually, as for whether the other party believes it or not, it was another matter, he just needed a reason.

Takuma Tsuruta shook his head, let his heart go, he also wanted to see what the other party was going to do.

Shimatani River is still more measured, after helping to settle the bill, after returning to the club, he never deliberately took the initiative to talk to the other party, it seems that these days except for the coffee shop in the morning to buy breakfast by chance, there is no difference.

This surprised Takuma Tsuruta, and it wasn't until he met Shimatani River in the cafeteria at noon on Thursday that he took one more look at the other party.

After getting off work on Thursday night, Shimatani Kawa asked Yota Katsumura to go for a drink after work.

Today, instead of going home immediately, he went to the high-end izakaya that Tokugawaen is famous for.

Drinking is such a thing, usually whoever invites it will go with it.

Yota Katsumura is no exception, not to mention that the location he chooses is not shabby, he often comes.

Shimatani River used to be mainly mixed up in 'mom-and-pop shops' and the fun street of Nakamura Ward.

To put it nicely, it's more down-to-earth.

To put it bluntly, there is no money.

And Katsumura Yota and his party mainly mingled in the high-end izakaya and Kabuki area of Soap Street.

This is the second time Shimatani River has been here, and the last time he came to spy on intelligence.

Today he finally had time to take a look at the environment and layout.

At the entrance of this tavern, there is a Zen-like bamboo water feature, with gurgling water, simple and leisurely.

Lifting the curtains to enter, the wood-colored eaves, the elegant hanging curtains, and the high-hanging Japanese lanterns make you feel like you are in the old streets and alleys of the Meiji era.

Shimatani glanced at the booth outside, and then said to Yota Katsumura, "Let's go to the private room." ”

"I think it's quite lively outside... Okay, you're in for a treat tonight! ”

Walking in the innermost corridor, the floor lamp at your feet, emitting a dim light, stretched for a long distance.

The grille and warm curtain are continuous.

Walking ahead, the waitress named Rinko led the two of them inside, arrived at a card seat, and asked them what they needed.

Shimatanigawa ordered some food, and two large glasses of cold beer.

"You keep looking at the menu, I'll go to the bathroom."

"Then hurry up, or I'll drink it first!"

The noise behind him grew farther and farther away.

Until the innermost private room booth, he saw that there were already three guests, all of whom were stable middle-aged people.

One of them, a slightly obese middle-aged man, sat a waitress in her early thirties.

The hostess looked to be about thirty years old, with her silky hair coiled, her petite and plump figure, her kimono with some folds on her chest, and her waist tightly wrapped around her waist.

Someone inside seemed to see him, and nodded slightly towards Shimatanigawa.

In the private room, a companion jokingly asked, "Tsuruda, do you know each other?" ”

Tsuruta Takuma could only laugh along, but he nodded anyway and beckoned Shimatanigawa, who had passed by their booth, to come in and sit down.

He introduced to the other two companions very seriously: "This is the head of the Shimatani River Planning Section of the factory headquarters. ”

"It's an honor to meet all of you." Shimatani Kawa hurriedly got up and poured wine for the three of them.

Although the three executive directors all sat next to the beautiful hostess who helped pour the wine, it had nothing to do with him, and it was another thing to do it or not.

Shimatani explained that he came over for a drink with his colleagues, and the private room for two happened to be next to it.

Takuma Tsuruta was very interested: "Shimatani-kun, sit down and have a drink with us." ”

He couldn't refuse, and the mature lady who was sitting next to Tsuruta came over and poured a glass of whiskey for Shimatani River in an elegant posture.

There are three hostesses in this booth, all of them beautiful, all of them are full of beauty.

If the three of them go out together in kimonos during the cherry blossom season, I am afraid that there will be no fewer men scrambling to follow them.

Shimatani River took a sip and glanced at the three of them who were being lifted up by the waitress and fed the barbecue with their slender fingers, secretly competing in their hearts.

At this time, the young woman in a wisteria-colored kimono wanted to feed him, but Shimatani River refused.

"Actually, I think the beef tenderloin will be better grilled like this."

Several people in the booth were attracted by Shimatanigawa's words, and their eyes looked curiously at him who was roasting beef tenderloin and beef breast.

The heat shield was steaming, and Shimatani River brushed a thin layer of oil on the surface of the meat as he explained the method.

Actually, it means the same as eating beef sashimi, because it is grilled tenderly, so it retains more gravy. If you bake it yourself, cut the beef tenderloin into thin slices, flip it quickly, change color, and eat it with a tender texture. ”

"I don't recommend marinating the meat in cumin peppers when it's raw. One is that the aroma of cumin must be matched with oil to be better released, and the other is that it is too easy to bake. ”

"My experience is to sprinkle salt when you bake until it's medium rare, when you can still see some of the blood. At this time, the meat is just half-cooked, and the salt taste is eaten. ”

"When baked until medium-rare, sprinkle cumin and chili powder. After that, apply a little oil, and then continue to roast until fragrant, and you can eat. ”

Shimatanigawa handed the grilled beef tenderloin and other meat skewers to everyone to taste.

Takuma Tsuruta took a bite, made a nasal "um" sound, and nodded with satisfaction.

"Shimatani-kun, who did you learn this barbecue technique from? You can teach me when you have time. ”

"What do you mean by this..."Shimatani Kawa picked up the bottle and poured the wine into the cup that Tsuruta Takuma had just drunk: "I learned it from a female staff member in our planning class, her name is Risa Nagase, and her family used to run a barbecue restaurant. ”

As soon as he received the wine handed by Shimatanigawa, the smile on Takuma Tsuruta's face froze for a moment.

He seemed to think of something at this moment, understood something, and nodded slightly awkwardly.

"By the way, Tsuruta Executive, you can also try this dipping sauce."

"Hmm...."

I tasted a bite of the dipping sauce, and it was surprisingly good.

Tsuruta Takuma nodded, and said suspiciously: "This is also what you learned from others?" ”

Shimatanigawa's cheeks are not ordinarily thick: "Yes, some time ago, I had a dinner in the classroom, and I learned from Nagase-chan, and I heard that this is the way to eat in her hometown." ”

He adjusted the dipping sauce for the other two executive members respectively, and saw that the atmosphere was almost complete, and Shimatani River did not disturb the conversation of several executive members, and some things were not suitable for him to 'observe' as a small section leader.

He put down the dishes and chopsticks, said, 'Thank you for your hospitality, I'll take my leave first,' and politely left the booth.

Looking at the back of Shimatanigawa's departure, the two executive members sitting across the table nodded to each other.

"A very discerning little one."

"This barbecue and dipping sauce is also a bit special, the first time I tasted it."

Takuma Tsuruda, who was sitting in the corner the whole time, just nodded silently and did not speak.

After that, he took out a cigarette and lit it, and swallowed the clouds in his position.

"Shimatani... Funny little guys. ”