Ah, it looks like his answer's well-received, and the man's smile elicits a responding one before Shouhei's (often slow) brain fully processes the words spoken and his smile goes fizzling out again.

"Then, how come you're here in Shizume City? Is it for a business trip?"

The man does seem distinctly un-Japanese. Foreigners come to Japan all the time for business trips, right? And it would explain why he seems to be so lost.