He had absolutely never expected a touching scene like the ones in those daytime dramas, full of tears and kisses, when a family reunited. To be honest, he didn't know what to expect at all. He thought he was ready, but it was still awkward. His father was not a stranger to him, but it could be said that he didn't know him. He vaguely remembered his father visiting him at home, holding him, and taking him out to play. Then, his father went away. Even so, every other day, he video-called. As soon as Kei was able to write, his mother allowed him to use her phone to exchange messages with his father. This kind of communication, even though not intense, was maintained. Still, what he knew about his father was still limited.
Kei discreetly took a deep breath a couple of times to try to calm the various emotions running through him at the moment. He couldn't stop staring at his father. His mother always said that he looked like his father, and meeting him face to face, Kei thought that it was more true than seeing his father through pictures or video calls. Kei wanted to reach out and touch him, even though it was only to make sure that the person over there was really his father. But the awkwardness was not easy to break.
In this case, he had to thank that person beside his father who had broken the tension and brought them in. Kei then looked at that person curiously. His father had mentioned Kikugawa Naoki a couple of times, and his mother also had told him about his father's partner. So this was him, Kei thought. The person his father held dear in his heart. Was he part of the reason his father left Tokyo years ago? Kei's mother told him that his father was never happy in the big city, and his return was only delayed because Kei was born. His mother didn't want him to blame his father. After all, said his mother, it was his mother who persuaded his father to go back.
Mr. Kikugawa asked him something, and Kei quickly realized he had been very rude. He quickly replied that no, he didn't like eggs. Yes, just like his father. Mr. Kikugawa laughed. Kei must admit that Mr. Kikugawa, even though not so strikingly handsome, looked exceptionally good when he smiled or laughed. His friendliness also seemed sincere.
It was warm inside, so Kei took off his jacket and scarf. Mr. Kikugawa motioned him to take a seat at one of the high stools in front of the kitchen island. Kei's father walked in with Kei's suitcase and backpack and placed them near the stairs. He then walked out to the porch again. He seemed to be tidying up the refreshments and rearranging them on the dining table. Kei wanted to help, but Mr. Kikugawa made him sit. Not long after, his father was already done, and he sat beside Kei, placing a mug of hot coffee in front of Kei.
"Was it difficult to reach this place?" Kei's father asked.
Kei shook his head. "The station master kindly showed me the way."
"Did he offer to use his bicycle?"
Kei nodded, smiling. "Is he always like that? What if someone really took his offer? How would he go home?"
"He'd walked," his father replied with an amused look. "Or his son would pick him up."
They fell silent again. Once again, Mr. Kikugawa saved the day by placing a plate full of musubi in front of them. Kei reached out almost at the same time as his father. His movement stopped, and so was his father's. They exchanged a look, and his father laughed. Kei couldn't help but chuckle, too. They picked up one each. Kei took a bite. It was delicious. Mr. Kikugawa smiled happily as he watched them eat.
Kei's ears then caught a commotion from the front door. He looked over curiously. Several people came in, and his father quickly patted both his hands to clean the crumbs, and stood up to welcome those people. They must be the guests staying at the inn, just coming back from the festival. Some of them had something in their hands: toys or food from the festival. All of them had smiles on their faces.
"Ah, I wonder why I didn't see you guys at. So you guys came back early," said one of the guests.
"It got a bit colder once the snow fell, so we came back," his father said, smiling. "But aren't you guys early, too? We haven't heard any sound of fireworks."
"Yeah, the snow got a bit heavy, so the committee had to cancel the fireworks. I heard one of them said if the weather is good tomorrow, then they will light the fireworks tomorrow night," another guest explained.
"Really?" another guest exclaimed. "Ah, too bad I have to go back tomorrow. Well, it seems I have to come back next year so I can watch the fireworks then."
Kei's father nodded, still smiling. "We'd be happy to welcome you to stay with us again when you come back."
His father and Mr. Kikugawa engaged in conversation with the guests for a while. One of them even curiously asked about Kei, and to Kei's surprise, his father introduced him happily. "This is my son, Kei."
The guests were surprised, but they didn't ask anything more. Once one of them said that they would retreat to their rooms, the other followed. Only one of them stayed to watch the television in the living room.
Mr. Kikugawa took off his apron and hung it aside. He said to Kei, "There's no need to rush, eat slowly. When you finished, just leave the dish in the sink. Kaname-san will take care of it. Have a good rest later." He then turned to Kei's father. "I'm going first."
Kaname's father nodded, and Kei also said his good night after thanking Mr. Kikugawa once again for the food. Once again, Mr. Kikugawa dismissed it with a wave of his hand.
How could there be such a nice person, Kei wondered. He then felt a hand pat his head. "Eat slowly. After this, I'll take you to your room. Rest first, we'll talk more tomorrow."
Kei blinked. This is the first time his father had touched him since they met. His father's hand was big and felt so warm. Kei felt a bit sour at the tip of his nose. He nodded. "Okay."
*****