Gunma Prefecture is located in the northwest of the Kanto Plain, bordering Nagano Prefecture to the west and Saitama Prefecture to the south. It is an out-and-out inland county. There are many hills in the prefecture, and Mount Haruna, the prototype of the famous Mount Akina in "Initial D", is located in Gunma.
Like Cleveland in the United States and Henan in China, Gunma has unfortunately become a model of being favored by a region. It has been ranked last in the prefectural charm rankings all year round, second only to Ibaraki, which has been ranked last.
"With Qunma people, there are anti-theft doors", "Nine out of ten men are cheaters, and the headquarters is located in Qunma County". Such ridiculing jingles are endless and deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. On the Internet, when Gunma Prefecture is mentioned, there are often spoof pictures of large tents in the desert, primitive African tribes, Indians with painted bodies, etc. Gunma, only 100 kilometers away from Tokyo, seems like an uncivilized place.
The reason why people all over Japan are in Kurogunma is because Gunma County has many mountainous areas and its economy is relatively weak, focusing on the development of agriculture. Moreover, it is adjacent to Tokyo, which makes it even more backward. Coupled with years of ridicule, Gunma County was eventually blackened into an indigenous primitive tribe.
Amamiya Shiori quite likes the scenery of horses. The rolling hills, low houses, empty country roads, and paddy fields with freshly planted seedlings on both sides of the road are very peaceful without the noise of Tokyo. Apart from the shortcoming of frequent strong winds throughout the year, it is a good place to retire.
"Ah~" On the bus in the countryside, Amamiya Shiori gestured to Shiraishi Mai to open her mouth and stuffed a mandarin orange into her mouth.
"Hmm~ It's so sweet." Mai Shiraishi said with a mandarin orange wrapped in her mouth.
In mid-March, taking advantage of the holiday between handshake meetings, Amamiya Shiori was invited by Mai Shiraishi to go to Numata City, Gunma Prefecture, the city where she once lived.
In the few months after Nogizaka was founded, it became normal for girls with good relationships to go to each other's houses to play, and it was also common for families to have meals together. People like Amamiya Shiori who don't move around very often are in the minority.
So, after finishing the exam, she had plenty of time and took the first step to build relationships with the members. Although her relationship with Shiraishi Mai is already an old acquaintance.
"I miss you so much!" Amamiya Shiori looked at the scenery outside the window. Although he hadn't been here for several years and some buildings had changed, overall it still looked the same.
Numata City is located in the Numata Plain, surrounded by mountains, with a population of less than 50,000. Although it is called a city, it is actually a small town. For viewers who have watched the TV series "Sanada Maru" starring Sakai Masato, Numata's reputation is much greater than Gunma. During the Warring States Period, the Sanada family and the Hojo family staged several battles over the ownership of this place.
Mai Shiraishi's home is located next to an embankment along the river in Numata City. It is a typical Japanese-style two-story single-family house with a courtyard surrounded by walls. The word "Shiraishi" is written on the house number at the front door.
"We're here!" Mai Shiraishi stretched out in front of her home.
Amamiya Shiori occasionally came to Shiraishi's house for lunch when she was still in junior high school in Numata, so she was quite familiar with the surrounding environment. But I haven’t been here for several years, so I still followed Mai Shiraishi a little awkwardly.
"Kasan~ I'm back!" Mai Shiraishi shouted into the house after opening the door and taking off her shoes at the entrance.
"Oh. Mai is back! Is work going well?" Natsuki Shiraishi, who was cleaning the living room and wiping the table, knew it was her little daughter without raising her head.
"It's okay, it's okay~" Mai Shiraishi responded with the "it's okay" that she learned from Amamiya Shiori at some point. "Let's not talk about this for now. Look, mom, who is here!"
"Aunt Natsuki, long time no see." Amamiya Shiori said to Shiraishi's mother, who looked 30 years old but was actually almost 50, and looked very much like Shiraishi Mai.
"Is it Xiaozhi?" Shiraishi Natsuki opened her eyes wide and put down the rag in her hand. "Ah, it's really Xiaozhi, exactly the same as on TV." She wiped her hands with a clean towel.
The furnishings inside the house remain basically unchanged. Shiraishi Mai pulled Amamiya Shiori to sit down on the sofa.
"Auntie, this is the honey cake I just bought in Shinjuku this morning." Amamiya Sugagi presented the meeting gift.
"Why are you so polite, Xiaozhi? Every time you come to your aunt's house, you always bring a gift." Natsuki Shiraishi accepted the gift with a smile. "I remember that Xiao Zhi once came to my aunt's house for dinner and brought a freshly caught fish."
"Ahem~" Amamiya Shiori coughed twice awkwardly, "You still remember."
Amamiya Shiori was still very concerned about face back then, and she would feel embarrassed if she came to Shiraishi's house to have a meal too many times.
I happened to be participating in the school's spring outing that day. The other children were eating, drinking and admiring the cherry blossoms. Amamiya Shiori was fishing by the river in a nonchalant manner. Unexpectedly, despite the risk of almost being dragged into the river by a fish, she actually caught it. A two-pound carp. Although the fish was not big, it took a lot of effort on her part.
When she came to Shiraishi's house with a band-aid on her arm and carrying the fish, Shiraishi's mother was shocked.
However, Japanese people rarely eat spiny freshwater fish, and Shiraishi Natsuki would not do it at all. Amamiya Shiori wanted to use this carp as a gift, so I can only say that I got the idea.
In the end, she borrowed the Shiraishi family's kitchen and cooked a braised carp dish with her unskilled cooking skills, so that the gift was not wasted.
"Of course I remember, 'To thank you for your hospitality, this fish will be treated as my gift to express my feelings, and please accept it.' This is the first time I have seen such a serious child." Shiraishi Natsuki covered her mouth chuckle.
"Hahahaha~" Mai Shiraishi, who was sitting next to her, had collapsed on the sofa, holding her stomach and laughing.
"Isn't this...reciprocity? It's normal." Amamiya Sori defended weakly.
Natsuki Shiraishi prepared tea. They chatted about interesting things from the past together, and their relationship suddenly became much closer.
"By the way, how did Xiaozhi remember to sign up for Idol? I remember that you often said that 'Japan's IT industry is too backward' and you want to open a big company?" Shiraishi Natsuki joked about the past.
"Well, someone I know recommended it, so I'll give it a try. Anyway, I won't lose anything." Amamiya Soi casually made up an unconvincing reason.
"It feels like such a coincidence," Shiraishi Mai sighed, "I was recommended by a teacher from the vocational school to participate in the selection. If I hadn't come to participate, I might not have met Xiaozhi."
"It doesn't matter if you can't meet her. When Mai-kun becomes famous, I will go to you, or if I become famous, Mai-kun can just come to me." Amamiya Sugawara took a sip of tea and said with a smile.
