Chapter 105: Misae Meets The Nohara Family! Hiroshi Nohara’s Headache!
The low roar of the Toyota Crown Majesta’s V8 engine, in Tokyo’s night, was like a beast full after eating and drinking, emitting a lazy roar.
The car didn’t head to those neon-flashing prosperous centers; instead, it turned into a relatively quiet residential area.
It stopped in front of the Sushi Ichiro chain store.
The storefront wasn’t large, but it was decorated extremely elegantly.
Warm wooden structure, with a blue noren hanging at the doorway, the store name written in vigorous and powerful calligraphy on it, inside the huge floor-to-ceiling glass window, brightly lit, faintly visible the lively scene of diners chatting and laughing.
Compared to those plain small restaurants in Omagari City, Akita Prefecture, everything here exuded a “high-class” flavor.
Roji Hase deftly parked the car, then respectfully opened the door for the back seat.
“Section Chief, the private room is already reserved, the store’s best ‘Moon Viewing’ room.”
Ginnosuke Nohara followed Hiroshi Nohara out of the car, his little belly sticking out, hands behind his back, like a leader on an inspection, circling the store once, clucking in admiration: “Oh, not bad, this little shop looks even more grand than the best house in our village!”
Tsuru Nohara, however, tugged a bit nervously at her own clothes, her gentle face showing some unease: “Hiroshi, this place… won’t it be very expensive?”
Only Hiroshi Nohara, this honest farmer, from the moment he got out of the car, had his simple eyes glued to the price list on the menu at the doorway. When he saw that the smallest unit there was calculated in “mon,” and even the cheapest one mon cost several hundred yen, his dark face instantly turned green.
That expression was as if he wasn’t looking at the menu, but at his own death warrant.
Hiroshi Nohara looked at his family’s standard “village granny enters the grand garden” appearance, and the bit of helplessness in his heart was diluted by that blood-connected warmth.
He turned around, pulled a five-thousand-yen bill from his wallet, and handed it to Roji Hase who was still standing by.
“Hase, thanks for your hard work today. It’s late, take a taxi back, be safe on the road.”
Roji Hase was slightly stunned, then took the money with both hands and bowed deeply to Hiroshi Nohara.
“Thank you, Section Chief! Then I’ll take my leave. Everyone, please enjoy.”
He knew that working under Section Chief Nohara required no politeness.
This excessively young boss was an unquestionable general at work, but in life, a generous brother who never shortchanged his own people, though Hiroshi Nohara was younger, everyone respected him.
So this straightforward interaction mode made even him, a man not good with words, feel extremely comfortable and at ease.
Watching Roji Hase’s figure disappear at the street corner, Hiroshi Nohara turned around and smiled at his still-dazed family: “Alright, don’t stand outside anymore, let’s go in.”
As he spoke, he walked toward the lonely public telephone booth standing by the street.
“You go ahead, I’ll make a call.”
Ginnosuke Nohara’s eyes lit up instantly, his thick eyebrows twitching uncontrollably, in a tone full of implication, lowering his voice to his wife and eldest son beside him: “See that? See that? This kid is definitely calling that pretty girl from Kumamoto Prefecture! Heh heh heh, just like me back in the day!”
Hiroshi Nohara stumbled, nearly tripping over the telephone booth’s threshold. He took a deep breath, pretended not to hear, and quickly dialed that familiar number.
From the other end of the phone soon came Misae Nohara’s vibrant, warm voice like a little sun.
“Hello? Hiroshi? What’s up? Work done?”
“Yeah, just finished.” Hiroshi Nohara’s voice unconsciously softened: “Um… Misae, there’s a sudden situation. My parents and brother came from Akita, just arrived now.”
There was two seconds of silence on the other end, then a cute exclamation burst out: “Eh?! Uncle and Aunt are here too?!”
“Yeah,” Hiroshi Nohara smiled wryly: “Sudden attack. We’re at ‘Sushi Ichiro’ now, do you want to… come over for dinner? And meet them?”
“Yes! Of course!” Misae’s voice was full of undisguised excitement and a hint of nervousness: “Wait for me! I’m coming right away! I… I need to do my makeup first!”
“No need to go to that trouble…” Hiroshi Nohara chuckled lightly.
“No way! First time meeting Uncle and Aunt, must leave the best impression!” Misae was extremely serious.
‘Click’, the phone was hung up neatly.
Hiroshi Nohara held the handset, shaking his head helplessly, but a pampering smile tugged at his lips.
He returned to the sushi shop, where the waiter had already respectfully led his family to the innermost “Moon Viewing” private room.
This was a standard Japanese-style private room, spacious, with elegant decor.
A distant ink landscape painting hung on the wall, and a carefully trimmed bonsai was placed in the corner.
However, this Zen-filled atmosphere was completely shattered by Ginnosuke Nohara’s earthy exclamations.
“Wow wow wow! This place is cleaner than our house!” He sat cross-legged on the soft cushion, like a curious monkey, touching here and there, finally, his gaze fell on the conveyor belt in the center of the table, slowly moving, loaded with various sushi.
“This is good! This is good!” His eyes gleamed, “Just like the irrigation canal in our countryside, but it moves by itself! So convenient!”
Tsuru Nohara was elegantly sipping the hot tea provided by the shop, her face showing helpless resignation.
Only Hiroshi Nohara remained restless.
The tea in front of him untouched, his pair of thick-callused big hands nervously rubbing on his knees.
“Dad… Mom…” He leaned to his parents, in a mosquito-like voice: “I… I checked the prices outside. Here… the cheapest plate is enough to buy a big salted fish at home. That… that best-looking one, tuna belly, one plate… one plate could cover our family’s soy sauce money for half a year!”
“So what?!”
Ginnosuke Nohara glared, picked up chopsticks, with lightning speed snatched a plate of glossy, evidently expensive tuna belly sushi from the conveyor belt, and without looking, stuffed it entirely into his mouth.
“Mmm! Mmm mmm mmm!”
He happily squinted his eyes, cheeks bulging like a hamster, that melt-in-the-mouth wonderful texture making him feel like he was ascending to heaven.
He laboriously swallowed that expensive piece of fish meat, then with a look of hating iron for not becoming steel, glared at his eldest son.
“Look at you, so spineless! Your brother is now a big shot making it in Tokyo! Treating us to a good meal, what’s wrong? You as the elder brother, don’t act like you’ve never seen the world, embarrassing the Nohara family! Eat! Eat freely! If we don’t eat your brother broke today, it means his filial piety is lacking!”
With that, as if to lead by example, he extended his chopsticks again, attacking left and right, sweeping plate after plate of sushi to his front, his posture like not eating sushi, but waging a battle for family honor.
Hiroshi Nohara was choked speechless by his old man’s “bandit logic,” his dark face turning pig-liver colored.
“Alright alright, child his dad, say less.” Tsuru Nohara shook her head helplessly, then picked up a piece of tamagoyaki sushi and put it on her eldest son’s plate, softly said: “Hiroshi, you try some too. This is all your brother’s heartfelt intention, don’t let it go to waste.”
After all, Tsuru Nohara knew how much money Hiroshi Nohara sent her each month.
It was really over a million yen!
Under his mother’s gentle persuasion, Hiroshi Nohara finally hesitantly picked up his chopsticks.
The rich sweet flavor of sea urchin sushi, the melt-in-the-mouth fatty aroma of wagyu beef sushi, and various creative sushi made with seasonal fresh fish, like a gorgeous feast for the senses, constantly impacting the Nohara family’s taste buds.
“Mmm mmm mmm! So delicious!”
Even the initially hesitant Hiroshi Nohara, after cautiously tasting a piece of sweet shrimp sushi, had his simple eyes burst with astonishing brilliance, then let go of all worries and joined the “sweeping” army.
At this time, Hiroshi Nohara also pushed open the door and walked in, casually sitting at the table.
Seeing his family eating to their heart’s content, Hiroshi Nohara’s face also showed a gratified smile.
He cleared his throat, feeling it was time to announce that big matter.
“Um… Dad, Mom, big brother. Got something to tell you, my girlfriend Misae will be here in a bit.”
‘Clang!’
Ginnosuke Nohara’s chopsticks dropped on the table.
‘Pfft!’
The sip of tea Hiroshi Nohara just put in his mouth sprayed out directly.
Only Tsuru Nohara remained relatively calm, but her gentle eyes were filled with sudden panic.
“Oh dear! What… what do we do?!” She reacted first, anxiously pacing in place: “We… we came too hastily, no meeting gift prepared for the girl! This… this is too rude!”
“Right!” Ginnosuke Nohara slapped his thigh hard, annoyance appearing on his old face.
But soon he seemed to remember something: “I recall! Those local specialties from Akita Prefecture your mom brought, rice wine, pickled veggies, and our home-grown rice, all… all still in the car’s trunk!”
“Oh you, why mention those?” Tsuru Nohara helplessly rolled her eyes at her husband: “Those are worthless agricultural products, how can we present them? A Tokyo girl, how could she care for such things?”
In an instant, the private room’s atmosphere shifted from harmonious joy to awkward helplessness.
Ginnosuke Nohara’s usually spirited face rarely fell.
Hiroshi Nohara wished he could find a hole to crawl into, feeling his family was here just to embarrass his brother.
“It’s fine.”
Seeing his family like this, Hiroshi Nohara smiled.
He poured tea for everyone, unhurriedly saying: “Misae isn’t that materialistic. Besides, your coming is the best gift to her.”
He paused, his gaze turning to his embarrassed big brother beside him, also changing the topic:
“Big brother, what about you? Any progress on marriage?”
This topic, like a precise embroidery needle, instantly pierced Hiroshi Nohara’s already fragile nerves.
His dark face visibly reddened to his ears.
“I… I don’t have any…” He stammered, voice like a mosquito: “Girls… in the village look down on me. They… they think I’m country, think I’m… stingy.”
“See! See!” Ginnosuke Nohara, hearing this, got immediately furious, the earlier awkwardness thrown to the clouds, pointing at his eldest son’s nose, launching into his tiger-father admonitions: “I told you long ago! Men! Especially Nohara family men! Outside, you can be frugal, but with women, absolutely not stingy! Spend what you should, not a yen less! You won’t even treat a girl to a good meal, why would she be with you?!”
“Yes, Hiroshi.” This time, even the usually gentle Tsuru Nohara couldn’t help advising: “Your dad’s words are harsh, but the reasoning holds. Young people nowadays value romance. You should be generous appropriately.”
Hiroshi Nohara, caught between his parents’ pincer attack, his honest heart full of holes, could only lower his head, silently poking at the ginger slices in front of him, speechless.
Hiroshi Nohara watching his big brother’s pitiful appearance, suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
He remembered.
In the depths of his memory, in his previous life’s national-level anime, his big brother Hiroshi Nohara finally married at forty.
And the spouse was a divorced woman with a son and daughter, named Ikuna.
He remembered his brother fell in love at first sight with that Miss Ikuna, loved deeply, but the process had twists, yet ultimately formed a happy family.
Thinking of this, a glint imperceptible flashed in Hiroshi Nohara’s eyes.
Ikuna…
He remembered that woman now should not be married yet, maybe not even met the man who gave her a failed marriage.
She now was probably just an ordinary young girl from the countryside.
If… if he could arrange for them to meet earlier?
With big brother’s honest reliability and clumsy gentleness, plus himself, the “gold-medal producer” brother giving a little push behind…
Could he change that originally twisty fate, let big brother earlier have his own happiness?
Once this idea sprouted, it was like a seed planted in fertile soil, crazily taking root in his heart.
He was a transmigrator, with this world’s unmatched “foresight” advantage.
This advantage wasn’t just for his own success, but to let those around him, his cherished family, live better lives.
This, perhaps, was the true meaning of his arrival in this world.
Hiroshi Nohara touched his chin, a meaningful smile curving his lips.
Looks like, besides producing variety shows and television dramas, his life resume would soon add a new, most important project—
《Big Brother Happiness Makeover Plan》!
“Pardon the intrusion.”
At this moment, the private room’s wooden door was gently pulled open.
A crisp pleasant voice, like wind chimes, accompanied by a faint fresh aroma like grass after rain, wafted in.
Everyone in the private room’s gazes were instantly drawn over.
At the doorway stood a girl demurely.
She wore a simple elegant white dress, soft black long hair casually over her shoulders, her petite oval face lightly made up, not covering her pure nature but adding delicacy and brightness.
Her big watery eyes like two black obsidians, flickering with nervousness and curiosity of first meeting.
The whole person looked like a female high school student just out of campus, full of youthful vitality and beauty.
It was Misae Nohara who hurried over.
“Oh! Misae-chan, right? Come in! Come in!”
Tsuru Nohara reacted first, all awkwardness on her face replaced by enthusiasm, quickly standing to warmly take Misae’s hand and seat her beside herself.
“What a pretty child!” She looked Misae up and down, more satisfied the more she saw, her eyes laughing into crescent moons: “Auntie came too hastily, no gift prepared, really too rude. Don’t worry, next time Auntie will make it up with a big red envelope!”
On the other side, Ginnosuke Nohara’s reaction was much more dramatic.
He first stared blankly at Misae, his small eyes full of undisguised astonishment.
Then, he abruptly turned his head, with extreme suspicion, staring hard at his youngest son.
“Hey! Hiroshi!” He lowered his voice, tone like interrogating a grave criminal: “You kid… impressive! Actually… dating a female high school student?! You… this is a crime! Too much!”
However, before Hiroshi Nohara’s forehead black lines could materialize, he changed tack, his old face instantly switching to a proud, smug lewd smile.
He sneaked a glance at his eldest son who was completely stunned beside him, then in a tone full of showing off, continued:
“But… well done! That’s a Nohara family man! Must take the initiative! Otherwise, how would any girl like you? Be like your old dad in his youth, learn to flirt!”
He heavily patted Hiroshi Nohara’s shoulder, his small eyes shining with gratification, casually adding a jab:
“Hmph, clearly way better than your blockhead brother who only saves money! Just like me back in the day!”
Hiroshi Nohara: “…”
He felt his temples throbbing wildly.
