Chapter 126

Around 9 o'clock, Naoki Nagayama stepped into Shanyingyuan once again.

Carrying a box of records into the living room, the first thing he did was turn on the record player. He had to finish listening to "Norwegian Wood" tonight~

While listening to the Beatles' casual voices, he organized the newly bought records and tapes. Before he knew it, this small cabinet in the living room was already full.

After listening to the records, as if he had settled a matter in his heart, Naoki Nagayama lay on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

In his dream, he seemed to have arrived at the cabin in the Norwegian forest and met a girl who made his heart flutter...

It had already started to snow in Tokyo.

New Year's was getting closer and closer.

The streets were already hung with festive banners and colorful flags, and everyone's face was filled with the joy of the New Year.

Several calls had already come from home, all urging him to ask when he was coming back.

Naoki Nagayama packed the envelope in his hand, put on a stamp, and wrote Akina Nakamori's name on the recipient's line...

Yes, this was a New Year's gift for Akina: the sheet music and lyrics for "Second

Love," along with a demo tape of the accompaniment, recorded by Naoki Nagayama himself.

As for the singing... he would leave that for little Akina to improvise freely.

After mailing this letter along with letters to other friends,

his business in Tokyo was basically finished, and it was time to go back to his hometown~

He couldn't forget the gifts for his parents and siblings.

Along with some changes of clothes, he put them all in the back seat of the sports car.

He had driven the route from Tokyo to Shizuoka several times, so Naoki Nagayama was naturally familiar with it.

Setting off early in the morning, he saw the city quietly nestled by the sea before noon.

Then, after another ten minutes or so, he arrived outside that familiar detached house again.

Before he even entered the door, he saw Tsuruko Nagayama in the yard, busy with something.

"Tsuruko~"

The young girl in the yard looked up, and seeing Naoki Nagayama's car return, she shouted in surprise: "Nii-chan is back!"

Then she ran out happily, watching Naoki Nagayama park the car.

"Nii-chan, you've worked hard on the road~ Let me help you with the bags~"

Watching Naoki Nagayama take out several bags of various sizes from the back seat, Tsuruko Nagayama fawned over him like a sycophant, her eyes quietly looking at the things inside the bags.

Naoki Nagayama found it funny, so he handed her the large bag containing the fishing enthusiast's three-piece set and his father's tea set:

"Then I really have to thank Tsuruko. Help me carry these two inside."

This large bag still had some weight, and Tsuruko had to use both hands, struggling toward the entrance.

His mother, Nanako Nagayama, was already waiting at the door with a smile.

"Mother, I'm back~"

Seeing Naoki Nagayama enter the door, she hurriedly took the coat he had taken off.

"Naoki, welcome home~"

Then she welcomed Naoki Nagayama into the living room and poured tea.

As for Tsuruko Nagayama, who was struggling with the large bag behind them, she was left behind.

"Mother, this bag is very heavy..."

His father and older brother were still busy at the izakaya at this time, so it was true that working in the catering industry was very hard, working all year round without a break, rain or shine.

In the end, Naoki Nagayama didn't exploit his sister too much. After putting down the things in his hand,

he took the bag from Tsuruko's hand.

"Nii-chan, what's in the bag?"

"You know perfectly well!" Naoki Nagayama rolled his eyes at her, "These are gifts for Father and Aoki-niisan."

"Then..." Tsuruko opened her big eyes, her gaze shining~

"Yours isn't here!"

"Eh... then what is it?"

"A New Year's gift, of course, it can only be revealed at New Year's!" Naoki Nagayama said righteously, "Is Tsuruko's gift for me ready?"

"Of course it is!"

"Then let's exchange them at New Year's. Don't even think about peeking now!"

"Tch, as if I care~"

Tsuruko pretended not to care and went to the kitchen to help her mother cook.

Naoki took his things back to his room. Sure enough, it was kept the same, and the bedding in the room had long been aired out, carrying the scent of sunshine even in winter.

After arranging the things he brought back, Naoki Nagayama didn't stay in the room long and returned to the living room.

His mother and Tsuruko were making seaweed soup and seafood rice, common in seaside towns. These were both home-cooked meals that Naoki had eaten since he was a child. However, since he was back today, it seemed his mother had added a fried hairtail fish.

The house was filled with a unique aroma, making his stomach start to send signals for food ahead of time, and he had to drink a few large gulps of warm tea to alleviate it.

The newspaper on the table recorded the big and small events that happened in Japan yesterday and even the day before. Naturally, the children's literature award ceremony was also on it. Naoki Nagayama took a look; the group photo of all the award winners was included at the end, and special annotations were made according to the awards.

Although Naoki Nagayama was standing in the corner, he looked so different among the group of rather old-fashioned authors and writers' association members.

If the others could be considered realistic sketches, Naoki Nagayama looked like a character who had walked out of a manga.

Our art styles are not in the same dimension!

"Ara, my Naoki has become someone who can be in the newspaper~" Nanako Nagayama walked out carrying a tray. Seeing the newspaper Naoki Nagayama was looking at, she said happily.

"It was just a coincidence~"

Naoki Nagayama said modestly. After all, he had received the favor of the future, so he couldn't be too frivolous or proud~

Tsuruko also helped bring out the tableware. Hearing this, she seemed to agree very much: "Yes, yes, you should maintain this calm attitude. The teacher said that all truly great people should be like this!"

His mother, Nanako, tapped her forehead: "What are you saying with that fake look?"

"It's clearly true!"

It was like an old man with simple clothes and gray hair, wearing a white scarf, quietly watching the waves of Suruga Bay rise and fall.

Even though the rice cooker had cooked enough rice for a family of three, Naoki Nagayama almost ate more than half of it by himself,

which surprised Tsuruko Nagayama: "Nii-chan, life in Tokyo must be very hard, are you not even getting enough to eat?"

Finishing his meal and rinsing his mouth with tea, Naoki was speechless, "I haven't eaten Mother's cooking for a long time. It was so delicious that I ate a little more, what's wrong with that?"

Nanako, who was tidying up the tableware, was very happy to hear this, and her movements became a bit more agile.

Tsuruko saw this from the side and curled her lips: "So cunning!"

In the afternoon, he accompanied his mother and Tsuruko to do some cleaning at home,

and then chatted about what happened this year.

His mother seemed very curious about the royal family and kept asking about Crown Princess Michiko.

"How about Crown Princess Michiko?"

"Well, how should I put it, the Crown Princess is a very kind obasan, and she seems very gentle to others."

"Naoki, how can you talk about the Crown Princess like that! You must be respectful!"

"Uh... the Crown Princess is dignified and elegant, and she is very approachable in her dealings with others."

"Mm, that's more like it!" His mother, Nanako, asked in a low voice, "I heard that the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship in the royal family is very bad? The Crown Princess is living very unhappily, did Naoki see that?"

Is she actually this gossipy? Isn't she supposed to be respectful?

"From the award ceremony, the Crown Princess was always smiling very peacefully, I couldn't see anything unhappy about it."

Tsuruko, who had been listening from the side, said at this time:

"You can't look at the surface of these things, you have to look at the eyes and the inadvertent small movements. Did the Crown Princess smile often? Did she nod while listening to the speech? Did she applaud? Was she relaxed when talking to others?"

"I think so, she kept smiling the whole time, and she also applauded together."

"Then there's a problem!" Tsuruko said with conviction, "She must be living very hard usually, otherwise she wouldn't maintain 'royal etiquette' the whole time."

Watching Tsuruko and his mother start to analyze and discuss the various signs of the royal mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflict,

Naoki Nagayama exclaimed that it was amazing.

Starting to study how to handle mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships at such a young age, Tsuruko-chan, I look forward to your future life with your mother-in-law!