"Next stop - Akawatari, Akawatari, exit to the left."
Returning home for the first time in 10 years. The unmanned station, a snow-covered landscape with not a single building, the buses that don't run even once an hour... everything is nostalgic.
I got tired of the countryside and moved to Tokyo, but living there made me feel even lonelier.
"Wow, I didn't expect this much snow."
I never thought I'd bring Yuzuri back to my hometown.
It's been three weeks since we started living together.
After seven days of hellish work in a row, tomorrow is the long-awaited day off. I've made a date with Yuzuri. We'll have dinner at a restaurant that's hard to get reservations at, I'm thinking of giving her a Christmas present.
I hope she'll be happy, but I have no sense of what qualifies as a good gift, so I'm anxious.
Casually checking my phone at the office, I noticed several missed calls from my mother.
Normally, she'd call once and I'd call her back—it's our routine. She's never called me repeatedly like this before.
Feeling uneasy, I immediately called my mother back. "Hello?" I heard her voice say.
"Mom, what's up?" "Hello? The signal is a bit bad..." "Mom, can you hear me?" "Yes, yes... Ryu, there's something... I have to tell you... about the surgery..." "Surgery? What about the surgery?" "Hello... the signal's... bad... hey..."
There was a lot of static, and it was hard to hear what my mother was saying. "Ryu... have you seen... my grandchild's... face...?" I could only hear fragments, and the phone was cut off. I tried calling back, but I couldn't even get through to her cell phone...
My mother called me out of nowhere, and the words I heard were "surgery, grandchild's face, have you seen it?"... Maybe my mother's health is pretty bad... First, I told my direct superior about the situation. Normally, my superior would be reluctant to accept paid leave. "Leave the store to me and the assistant manager. It's been 10 years since you've been back home, right? Take a week or so to be a good son to your parents." His kind words made my eyes tear up.
When I told the staff, assistant manager, and other employees at the store about the situation, they all spoke such warm words to me like Mother Teresa, I ended up crying when no one was around. As I was quickly getting ready to go home, the assistant manager, who was on a break, came rushing in.
"Ryu-san, it now says that miraculously you can get up to two round-trip Bullet train tickets."
"Sorry, I'm taking a break. I'll make the reservation right away."
"I'm always indebted to Manager Shindo. By the way, it's through this booking app."
Thanks to the deputy manager's brilliant move, I managed to secure round-trip Bullet train tickets during this year-end period.
After leaving the store, I tried calling my mother again, but it still didn't connect. "Maybe she's in an area with no reception..." I sighed. Hang in there, Mom... Please stay healthy...
When I got home, Yuzuri was cooking dinner. I asked her to stop what she was doing and told her what had happened today. "So, does that mean your Mom's surgery might be coming soon?"
"It's not confirmed yet. Besides, she kept nagging me to get married, but she's not the kind of person to say, 'I wish I could see my grandchild'. When I asked her if she wanted to see her grandchild's face a long time ago, she said that her life was in danger when she gave birth to me. She wouldn't have said those words..." "Wait. There are still a lot of things we don't know, so calm down. First, let's prepare for tomorrow." "You're right. Sorry I got upset."
Yuzuri is right. I don't know the details yet. Let's stop taking Mom's words negatively. Whenever I try to go in the wrong direction, Yuzuri always tells me where to go. I tried to invite Yuzuri. "Yuri, if you don't mind, would you like to come with me to my parents' house?"
"Next stop - Akawatari, Akawatari, exit to the left."
After leaving home, I've been on the bullet train and local train for five hours. I got on the bullet train at 6am, and it's now past 11am. I'm at an age where long journeys can take their toll on my body.
It's so strange to be with Yuzuri at the station closest to my parents' house. Yesterday, I nervously asked Yuzuri, "Would you like to come with me?" She replied, "Yes, please let me come with you."
I felt relieved when she said that. I was happy to be able to introduce my precious person to my mother. I checked the bus that goes near my parents' house and it was about an hour away. I wanted to go there as soon as possible, but it was in the countryside and there was a heavy snowfall, so I couldn't call a taxi company.
I had no choice but to wait for the bus, so we had lunch at a delicious ramen restaurant near the station. When I was a student, ramen noodles were expensive at 500 yen, and I couldn't eat them very often. Now they have gone up to 700 yen, but I can eat them without worrying, I felt that I had grown up. I called my mother several times on the way here, but the result was the same. She said that she had turned off the phone at my parents' house several years ago because she didn't use it, so I don't even know if she is there. Anyway, as long as she's healthy, that's all that matters. After eating lunch, we got on the bus. It took about two hours to get to my parents' house. In summer, it only took 30 minutes, but that's the problem in areas with heavy snowfall. "Hey, Ryu-kun. Are you sure you want me to introduce myself as I am?" Yuzuri was worried about the fact that she was a high school student. Of course, she wondered if she needed to tell my mom about it. Mom is definitely not the type to get angry and is a gentle person. Even if she had something to say to her, she wouldn't be harsh with Yuzuri.
If I thought of the worst-case scenario, I definitely didn't want to lie to my mother in the end.
"I'll tell her the truth about Yuri. Mom, she'll be surprised if she finds out I'm dating such a beautiful girl." "Yeah, if you say so, Ryu-kun. Hey, tell me about your school days." "Okay. So, about high school..." On the bus, we spent the time talking about my few heroic tales and unusual incidents from elementary, middle, and high school. During the two hours we were on the bus, only two passengers got on. I can't help but be grateful to the company that operates the bus, which is a means of transportation for the citizens, even though it is in the red.
"We're getting off next." Ding pong I pressed the stop button and the bus stopped at the stop "Akawatari Elementary School." The school is now closed, and there was no-entry tape at the entrance. I had heard that the school had been closed a few years ago, but when I actually saw the school, it was sad because it was the school I went to.
"Are you okay with the cold?" "Yeah, I'm fine." "I'll carry your bags, so just walk slowly, one step at a time. Follow me closely." "Yeah, please."
With Yuzuri behind me, who wasn't used to walking on snowy roads, we walked for 15 minutes, step by step, towards my parents' house. I hadn't walked on snowy roads for 10 years, so I fell over many times and was in a terrible state, but somehow, we managed to arrive at my parents' house...
"What? Ryu? What's wrong? You came back so suddenly." In front of the house, my Mom was fully equipped for the cold. Next to her were two huge travel trunks, perfect for days when you have a lot of luggage. "Mom... are you okay? Something about the surgery..."
"Are you maybe talking about that phone call yesterday. I was so happy because I had my hemorrhoids surgery and they were completely cured, so I called you. But then my phone broke during the call. With all this snow, I can't go out and buy a new one yet." Hemorrhoids? I had heard that she was suffering, but the way she said it was confusing... And was that the reason why the phone call didn't go through? What a series of misfortunes...
"And you said you wanted to see your grandchild's face?"
"Oh, that was because there was a blackout during a scene in a Korean drama where the grandchild of the main character appeared. I wanted you to tell me what he looked like when you were watching the drama." I'd been worried about you since yesterday, and your answer sounded like something from a boring comedy manga, I was overwhelmed with fatigue.
"By the way, who's that cute girl?" I introduced Yuzuri, who we'd been ignoring while we were talking. "The girl I'm dating now..." "She's Mizono Yuzuri." "She's really cute."
I met Yuzuri's eyes and decided to tell my mom the truth about her. "She's a high school student... and I..." "Oh really. Yuzuri? You look like a celebrity. I'm sorry that my stupid son misunderstood me and made you come all the way to the countryside." My mom was so impatient that she bombarded Yuzuri with questions even before the introductions were finished. "Are you okay?" "I'm fine. I won the local marathon the other day."
Seeing my mom and Yuzuri talking happily, I was glad I didn't lie. While we were talking, my mom would occasionally look off into the distance down the road. "Mom, are you going out somewhere?"
"Oh, I'm going to Okinawa with my neighbor for a week. Look, someone's coming to pick me up." "Huh? Are you going already?" "Of course. I'd love to talk to you more, Yuzuri, but it's also important to get along with your neighbor. Yuzuri, please come again anytime." "Yes, thank you."
"Yuzuri, can I talk to you for a moment?" "Yes..."
Mom and Yuzuri were having a secret conversation a little distance away from me. Since it was Mom, I hope she didn't say anything unnecessary. "Okay then, Ryu. Don't do anything to make Yuzuri-chan sad. Got it?" "I know." "Yuzuri-chan, let's talk again." "Yes, I'll definitely come to see you." "Bye-bye~" After returning to my parents' house, I talked with my mom for five minutes. Our first reunion in 10 years came to an abrupt end.
Yuzuri and I, stuck in a rural area with no entertainment, had to spend a week at my parents' place until our return Bullet train departed.
The wind chilled me to the core and the snow started to fall hard, so I decided to use the key my mom had given me to go inside the house.
There were some unfamiliar curtains and small accessories in my parents' house, but it hadn't changed much since 10 years ago. The calming atmosphere, the spacious living room typical of the countryside, and my cute girlfriend... if I were to live with Yuzuri, maybe the countryside would be a good choice.
I brewed some local tea in the living room and warmed up my cold body. "I'm really sorry. I made you suffer through my mistaken return home." "Don't apologize. Besides, I wanted to meet Ryu-kun's mom, and meeting her made me want to talk to you more." "Oh! By the way, what were you talking about earlier?" "Your mom told me that it was a secret between women, so I can't tell you." Knowing Mom, she probably asked something stupid.
The weather forecast said that the snow would get heavier from late tonight. The refrigerator in the living room and the large refrigerator in the back storeroom were packed to the brim with enough food to last us a month. We didn't have to worry about food, but we couldn't leave the house for a while. What should I do with Yuzuri for a week?
My son started to get restless. Since this was a return home with Yuzuri for some reason, I didn't bring condoms. It seemed like I wouldn't be able to live up to his expectations...
It was 4pm, and Yuzuri was fast asleep on the kotatsu, probably tired from walking the unfamiliar snowy roads and the long journey from Tokyo. In the meantime, I cleaned my room on the second floor and prepared my bed. Mom told me that she cleaned the room regularly before she left, and it seems to be true. Even though I suddenly returned, there was not a speck of dust.
Also, there was something I wanted to put away while Yuzuri was asleep. It was the AV collection I had collected in high school. We live in the countryside, covered in snow, so we can't play outside during the long winter. So I helped out with farm work, got my pocket money, and spent it all on AV, so I had about 50 of them.
"Hmm... So you've liked gals since long ago..." "Whoa!! Don't scare me like that... It's bad for my heart." "I knocked just in case. But there was no answer, so I came to take a look and found a cardboard box full of gal porn videos."
Once again, I was caught with something I didn't want others to see...
"I've liked gal stuff since high school."
"It's good to be honest. Hey, this is Ryu-kun's room, right? It feels like a boys' room. Wow, there are a lot of nostalgic manga here." Yuzuri is in the room where I spent my first 18 years. Ten years ago, I never imagined I'd have such a cute girlfriend. "Yuri, there's something I've been wondering about. Why did you change your image to a blonde gal after quitting your part-time job?" "Well... I heard the assistant manager and Ryu-kun talking about adult videos in the office." "I'm sorry about that." I vowed to never talk about adult videos in the office again.
"Because Ryu-kun said he liked blonde gals. I thought that if I, who was plain and gloomy, dyed my hair blonde and became a gal, I might catch Ryu-kun's eye." "Could it be because of what I said then?" "Yeah. But now I have black hair because I'm taking a job interview, so I'm worried Ryu-kun might cheat on me." I never thought she'd even changed her image for me... When I found out the truth, I loved Yuzuri even more.
"I love both Yuri with black hair and glasses, and Yuri as a blonde gal." "Yeah, thank you." I was glad I'd brought the Christmas present I'd planned to give her at the restaurant. "This is it..." "No way, this is the watch I wanted..." "It's not expensive, but it's a token of my appreciation, so thank you for everything."
"I'm happy... I'm happy, but we agreed that expensive gifts are prohibited, right? If the gift exceeds 1000 yen, there's a penalty." "Of course, I'll be punished. When I get back, I'll do all the housework for a month!"
"I can't accept something so expensive."
"It's my way of showing my feelings, so I'd like you to use it if you can. By any chance, did you bring a present as well, Yuri?"
Yuzuri looked down and nodded slightly.
"Then let's exchange presents now. I'm curious to see what kind of present you picked for under 1000 yen."
"Yeah... okay, but... please don't laugh at me..." Yuzuri left the room. She has good taste, so she'll surely have picked out a stylish present for me. After a knock, she came in with a present hidden behind her back. "Don't laugh, okay?" "I promise. I won't laugh, definitely..." "Yes..." Yuzuri's Christmas present was...
It was a thin box of condoms with "the strongest" written on it in big letters...
"This is the worst..." "Yuri...has nice taste." "You promised not to laugh." "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. To be honest...when I found out that my mom was fine, I was thinking about what I would do with Yuri at my parents' house for a week...I regretted not bringing a condom...I'm sorry I'm a pervert." "We were both thinking about naughty things. We get along well." "Yeah..."
Yuzuri slowly came closer, so I hugged her. "Yuri, are you tired? Are you okay?" "I'm fine... I just took a nap, so this is how I feel right now..." Yuzuri guided my right hand to the inside of her pants... She was clearly wet, and I could tell she was in the same mood as me.
"Me too... look..." "Sorry... I knew Ryu's was getting bigger when I came into the room." "It's embarrassing... When Yuri is around, that's what happens to guys." Kiss...
We realized that our feelings were one and the same, and we collapsed into the bed...
Chapter length 6605 characters.
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