I became a girl group idol for my sister.

As he spoke, his entire being faded into a burnt-out, ashen white.

"Ah, it feels like it's been ages since I've sat on the sofa watching TV all day..."

"Huh? You should have time off usually, right?" Nanase Touka asked in surprise. In her memory, no matter how busy she was, she should have one or two days off each month.

"Yes, I do, but I definitely need to use that time to go shopping, like looking for suitable cosmetics or nice clothes. Not to mention that even though it's a break, there are always unexpected work situations that need to be handled. Being an idol is actually a job that requires you to be on call 24/7."

"Is it really this tiring?"

"It's alright. Actually, after getting used to it, I feel quite fulfilled. It has made me, someone who doesn't like exercise, much healthier."

Miyamoto laughed. Although his own three-piece set of Heavenly Demon equipment certainly played a part in this, he had to admit that his body was much better than when he used to stay at home. Otherwise, if his grandfather knew about his lazy lifestyle, he would definitely crawl out of his coffin and fight him. He might even chase after him with the ancestral katana.

I also want to live a lazy life, without having to worry about so many things...

Nanase Touka thought about it, but still didn't say it.

But do people still walk on the streets now?

She looked around with some confusion and asked softly, "Senior, where are we going?"

"Of course, we'll go grab something to eat first and sample Nagoya's delicious food! We'll also check out Nagoya's local customs and culture!" Miyamoto pointed ahead: "That counts as research!"

Won't this make the SKG team wait?

Nanase Touka hesitated, wondering whether she should remind her, but then she felt that this might be considered questioning her senior. Just then, she saw Miyamoto Sei shake her phone.

"I've already spoken with Mr. Honda Kojima, the manager of SKG. We'll go around Nagoya for a bit first, and then meet up there. They also have their own performances, so we'll arrive right after their show ends."

Social anxiety certainly doesn't start out as social anxiety. The formation of social anxiety is related to the surrounding environment. When a person is subjected to external pressure, and this pressure causes them to be harmed, they begin to protect themselves and slowly develop social anxiety, becoming afraid to interact with people. Originally, it could have been done slowly, but unfortunately, for Nanase Touka, it couldn't be too slow.

Aside from the fact that it's slow to take effect, there's another very important reason: Nanase Touka is an idol now. Even though she's just a graduate student and not a full member yet, if she wants to establish herself in this industry, she has to learn how to interact with people.

So Miyamoto's current method is quite simple and direct: take the other person around to get used to the outside environment, and with himself by her side, he can keep an eye on her and prevent any unexpected situations. Once the other person has built up enough confidence, they can naturally overcome their social anxiety.

For people with social anxiety, a facilitator is crucial. Most people with social anxiety would find it difficult to overcome their anxiety on their own without a facilitator.

Perhaps I should read some psychology books to increase my professional knowledge. When I take the college entrance exam in the future, I might even consider studying psychology, giving me another option. Hmm, that's me for you, so versatile!

Miyamoto thought to himself silently.

"That must be the JR Central Tower! No wonder it's the world's tallest station building, it's so tall!" Miyamoto exclaimed, looking at the towering building in the distance. "It must be at least a hundred or two meters tall!"

"It looks spectacular."

Miyamoto glanced at Nanase Touka, who was also looking at the distant high-rise buildings. Her voice was not low, and she did not seem nervous. She was indeed more natural when her attention was drawn to her.

"Yeah, it looks spectacular." Miyamoto nodded, grabbed the other person's hand and pulled them forward: "Let's go, I saw a roadside stall, lots of people, the food should be pretty good!"

"Eh?!"

Resistance was futile, and Nanase Touka was dragged to the roadside stall that Miyamoto Sei had seen. It was a noodle stall, and the owner was wearing loose-fitting clothes and a special hat. When he saw two girls walking over, he immediately asked enthusiastically, "What would you two young ladies like?"

Miyamoto looked around and noticed that many people here were eating udon noodles, so he immediately said, "Two servings of udon noodles!"

"How about miso udon? Everyone here loves it, and I highly recommend it!"

Miyamoto looked at Nanase Touka, who nodded slightly, once again using gestures instead of words.

"Two servings of miso udon noodles, please. What other dishes would you like?"

"As for the dishes... of course, it's the miso pork cutlet!" the owner said, pointing to the grill next to him. "It's delicious with udon noodles!"

"Then two more servings of miso pork cutlet!" Miyamoto said without hesitation.

"Okay, please wait!"

As the boss spoke, he immediately began to prepare. Miyamoto looked at the other man's skillful movements and confirmed that this middle-aged man was also a master, a master cook. Just this series of almost non-stop movements was something that ordinary people could not do. It was definitely due to at least several years of crazy daily accumulation of culinary skills.

Soon, their miso udon noodles were served, along with two small dishes of pickled cucumbers.

"The cucumber was a complimentary item."

He said.

Miyamoto and Nanase Touka had only gotten out of the car a short while ago, and neither of them had eaten much in the car, so their stomachs were indeed empty. As they smelled the aroma of noodles wafting over, their stomachs couldn't help but rumble.

Nanase Touka, hearing her stomach growling, looked at Miyamoto Sei somewhat embarrassedly, only to find that he had already started eating frantically with chopsticks, slurping noodles so fast that the bowl, which was about the size of his face, was quickly emptying.

If I had to say something, I wouldn't see any pressure from him to maintain his image.

"This udon is so delicious! Boss, have you ever considered opening a shop in Tokyo?!"

He was making comments as he ate.

"Haha, I love running a shop, this size is perfect." The owner laughed and served the prepared miso pork cutlet to the two of them.

"Miso pork cutlet, please enjoy."

Miyamoto Sei genuinely found the noodles delicious. The miso and fish udon flavors blended wonderfully together, and the broth was clearly a carefully prepared stock, making the whole meal incredibly satisfying.

As for the vegetables in the noodles, whether it's carrots, greens, or eggs, they all soak up the broth well, making them taste delicious.

Paired with miso pork cutlet, this bowl of noodles, with both meat and vegetables, brought him the ultimate enjoyment.

As for whether the pork cutlet is too greasy, aside from the fact that Miyamoto Sei herself is completely indifferent to greasy food, the pickled cucumbers provided by the owner can also effectively cut through the grease, making it a perfect combination.

After finishing their meal, Nanase Touka was about to get her money when Miyamoto Sei had already paid.

"You can invite me again after you become a full member."

Miyamoto told Sakagami Minami what she had said to him before.

The two continued walking around the streets, visiting some famous places, such as the Nagoya Great Buddha, when Miyamoto discovered something rather peculiar.

"There are just too many fried chicken shops on this street..."

"Yeah, there are fried chicken shops everywhere..."

Nanase Touka nodded in surprise; there were fried chicken shops everywhere on the street.

Miyamoto glanced at the styles of these fried chicken shops and found that they were all different and had their own unique skills. Some were spicy fried chicken, some were miso fried chicken, some were fresh fried chicken breast, and some even had chicken wing noodles. In short, they all had their own specialties, which made them stand out in this place full of fried chicken shops.

After walking around for a while, Miyamoto soon noticed that the surrounding shops had changed again.

The tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) shops are all located together, each with its own unique features, and even the coffee shops are the same, each showcasing its distinct characteristics.

Miyamoto was dumbfounded. Wasn't this old man a bit too bizarre?

Are you guys opening a shop? Or are you waging war?!

"Senpai, Nagoya is really... really peculiar..."

This prompted even Nanase Touka, who rarely dared to speak, to utter a single sentence.

Nagoya is absolutely terrifying!

Looking ahead, there's a guy eating fried chicken, so happy he's about to jump for joy. If this happened in another city, he'd probably be considered a fool.

But then, Miyamoto Sei couldn't help but frown.

Shops born from this kind of frantic, competitive environment are already a familiar sight in Nagoya. For the people here, this frantic effort has become a accepted norm, and this normalization inevitably manifests in their daily lives...

“The fans in Nagoya will probably be more strict than those in other places…” Miyamoto whispered to Nanase Touka, “Besides, we came to Nagoya from other places. To them, we’ve taken the places of other members. It might be difficult for us to take on additional roles in SKG this time!”

"Huh?! But, but SKR also has people who work part-time at headquarters, right? I remember it was, Matsuda-senpai."

"Yeah, but she'll definitely be back. She's the center, she won't miss the performances here, so we'll definitely be taking other people's spots. To the members' fans, we're like aliens..."

Miyamoto's words made Nanase Touka nervous, but when she looked at her senior, she found that he was smiling, a smile that looked like it came from excitement.

"Let's go, to SKG!" Miyamoto pulled her towards the station: "Don't you think it's full of challenges? It's like encountering an achievement you can achieve in a game, like 'Nagoya Idol King' or something. These kinds of challenges are what make you more motivated!"

While it's so thoughtful of you to use a game as a metaphor, aren't you scared, senpai? You were so serious at first, and then suddenly you became so cheerful...

Nanase Touka was filled with doubts. This question had actually been buried in her mind from the very beginning, ever since she saw Naoki Sakurako's overwhelming presence on stage, which almost completely suppressed Miyamoto Nana.

Such a powerful opponent, and one who will be your future adversary, don't you feel afraid?

Even now, despite discovering that the people in Nagoya are more demanding than their fans in Tokyo, and that they raise their standards even higher because they are outsiders, they are still so excited.

"Senior, aren't you afraid?"

She finally asked, and received a somewhat unexpected answer.

“Of course I’m afraid. Fear is a natural emotion.” Miyamoto smiled, then gently patted his chest with his left hand. “But when facing a challenge, besides fear, there’s also excitement, the urge to conquer the opponent, and the impulse to overcome difficulties. At least, these difficulties aren’t life-threatening, so you just keep challenging yourself! It’s like a game with many lives. Of course, it would be best if you could finish it in one life!”

It's another analogy using a game, but it sounds so apt: just keep striving and keep challenging yourself!

Could I try doing the same thing myself?

Chapter Twenty-Four: Giving Feedback

When Miyamoto and Nanase Touka arrived at SKG's theater, they found that there was some noise coming from SKG's dance studio.

"Give me some more energy! Haven't you guys eaten?!"

"Pay attention, this move needs to be higher. Didn't I tell you yesterday? Didn't you practice when you got back? I told you to stay up all night to practice!"

"This movement causes problems with overall coordination. I think the current one is perfectly fine!"

"W-Are they arguing?" Nanase Touka asked softly. She had never expected to encounter such a scene. Looking from the doorway, the people inside were arguing with each other, their faces red with anger, almost to the point of fighting.

Seeing this, Miyamoto couldn't help but laugh: "It's such a nostalgic scene."

"Eh? Senior, you mean you miss it?"