Ryunosuke eventually found himself unable to resist the old man's persistent pulling and agreed to visit his home. Of course, he didn't show up empty-handed; even though the grandfather insisted it wasn't necessary, Ryunosuke couldn't ignore social etiquette. To arrive without a gift would be the height of rudeness.
Since they couldn't refuse the gesture, the grandfather instructed his wife to prepare a lavish dinner to repay Ryunosuke's kindness through hospitality. The grandmother immediately retreated to the kitchen to begin cooking.
By then, it was 8:30 PM. Normally, the granddaughter should have been home from school, but for the sake of her future, they had enrolled her in a cram school. It was no wonder their expenses were skyrocketing; university preparatory courses were notoriously expensive, costing anywhere from 20,000 to 100,000 Yen.
Shortly after, their granddaughter returned. The sound of shoes being swapped for slippers echoed from the genkan.
"I'm home, Grandpa, Grandma."
Mizuhara Chizuru had just stepped inside when she spotted a pair of unfamiliar men's shoes. Realizing they had company, she walked further into the house, calling out, "Grandpa, Grandma, do we have a guest?"
Chizuru slid open the traditional Japanese sliding door and saw a strange man sitting comfortably on the tatami, sipping tea.
Her grandfather waved her over. With some reluctance, Chizuru walked across the room and knelt formally beside him.
"Grandpa, what did you need?"
The old man looked delighted, especially since he was already starting to get a bit tipsy. "Haha, Chizuru, I've found a great man for you. Take a look—what do you think?"
He pointed toward Ryunosuke, who remained engrossed in his tea. Chizuru turned her head and immediately flashed an expression of deep dissatisfaction. "Grandpa, let me handle my own love life. Please don't do this again!"
Seeing his beloved granddaughter genuinely upset, the old man fell silent and dropped the subject, offering an apology to Ryunosuke. "Forgive me, her personality is a bit sharp. You don't mind, do you, Young Boss?"
Ryunosuke waved it off. "It's fine. I didn't come here for that anyway; I just came to eat. Besides, you were the one who insisted on the introduction." He tossed the "hot potato" right back at the old man.
The grandfather scratched the back of his head and laughed loudly. "Haha, my mistake! Come, let's get back to eating and drinking!"
Chizuru eventually picked up her chopsticks and began to eat.
Ichinose Sayuri, Chizuru's grandmother, emerged from the kitchen carrying an extra dish. She immediately scolded Chizuru for reaching for a side dish with a tone of disapproval.
"Truly impolite! Don't you know any manners?"
Chizuru rubbed the back of her hand where she'd been swatted, her face falling as the skin reddened. Having been raised by her grandparents, she had been drilled with traditional values; in the old-fashioned household hierarchy, the women were often expected to wait until the men had finished. Her grandmother began to lecture her on decorum.
Ryunosuke signaled that it didn't bother him in the slightest. The scene reminded him of the early days of his relationship with Suzune, who had acted much the same—waiting for her husband to finish before touching her own chopsticks. However, Ryunosuke had no taste for such rigid rules; he told Chizuru to just go ahead and eat.
Chizuru stuck her tongue out at her grandmother and began digging into her meal. Grandma Sayuri just shook her head in resignation, though she herself remained kneeling to the side, clearly having no intention of joining them yet. Ryunosuke didn't comment further; he felt it wasn't his place to interfere with the traditions of the older generation.
Once the meal was over, Ryunosuke felt heavily intoxicated, struggling even to stand straight. He made a move to head home, but the grandfather quickly stopped him.
"Stay the night. Your house is being built; where are you going to sleep?"
Ryunosuke realized he had a point. Besides, this house also functioned as an inn with plenty of vacant rooms. He ended up staying in the room next door.
The problem was, the walls were paper-thin, meaning the soundproofing was abysmal. Anything said on the other side reached his ears with crystal clarity.
Once they thought their guest was "asleep," Chizuru gathered the courage to voice her demand. "Grandpa! I want to drop out of university!"
"What are you talking about?!" the old man roared, causing Chizuru to flinch, though she regained her resolve. "What's the point? It's so expensive! I want to work part-time instead!"
Chizuru wanted to ease the family's burden. To her, her grandparents were the only family she had left; she couldn't stand seeing them work themselves to the bone.
However, the grandfather insisted she finish her degree; this was a non-negotiable point. Regarding the cost, he guaranteed they would find a way and told her to focus strictly on her studies.
Chizuru began to grow frustrated. "College, college! All you ever do is tell me to go to college! Have you ever thought about my feelings? Is this even what I want?! Have you even asked me?!" She clutched her chest, the first time she had ever defied her grandfather with such raw emotion.
The old man went silent, swirling the last bit of drink in his glass. Moonlight illuminated his aged, weathered face. He downed the remaining liquid in one go and spoke softly but firmly: "Stay in school. You are not to work."
*SLAM!*
Chizuru stormed out of the house in a rage. She had had enough. What was so wrong with her wanting to help? She just didn't want to lose the last two people in her life. Was that a crime?!
Watching his granddaughter leave, the grandfather let out a long, heavy sigh. Grandma Sayuri gently rubbed her husband's back to soothe him. "She's grown up..."
"I know..." the old man murmured bitterly. "But I'm not at peace. If we both go, what will happen to her? She's just starting university, and we're already in our seventies..." The grandfather began to cry. He remembered his daughter who had been taken too soon, leaving behind a granddaughter who was everything to an old couple already standing at death's door. They truly could not find peace... Grandma Sayuri began to sob softly as well.
In the next room, Ryunosuke felt utterly agitated. He tossed and turned, but sleep eluded him. Finally, he kicked off the blanket—he was officially suffering from insomnia.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
The next morning, while he was at the sink washing his face, he ran into the grandfather. As if nothing had happened the night before, the old man greeted him with a cheerful smile. "Yo, Young Boss! How did you sleep? Well?"
Ryunosuke looked up, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep and framed by heavy dark circles. The grandfather jumped in surprise. "Good heavens, what happened to your eyes? Did you not sleep at all?"
Ryunosuke pointed at his own eyes with a sharp glare. "Who do you think is responsible for this, huh?! You stinky old man!!!" He couldn't stop himself from snapping. Between the "emotional warfare" from the old couple all night, Ryunosuke's mental fortifications had been completely demolished.
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