109 - A Lively Dinner

RAW

Having placed his belongings in Ryota's room, Haruto waited in the living room with Ryota until dinner was ready.

Recently, Ryota had become engrossed in playing samurai duels. Holding a toy sword, Haruto faced off against Ryota, who stood ready with a determined expression.

"Now then, Ryota-kun, let us duel with honor!" Haruto said, striking a dramatic pose.

"Hehehe, big brother, did you know? I'm a master of the Niten Ichi-ryu" Ryota declared confidently, brandishing two toy swords in both hands.

Haruto couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Ryota’s adorable, yet audacious, smile as he referenced the legendary two-sword fighting style.

"Ryota-kun, do you like Miyamoto Musashi?" Haruto asked curiously.

"Huh? Miyamoto Musashi? Who's that?" Ryota tilted his head in confusion.

Haruto found it amusing that Ryota knew the name of the style but not the famous swordsman associated with it.

Watching the amusing exchange, Haruto marveled at the quirks of young children. Ryota, however, was far too excited to notice and swung both toy swords dramatically.

"Big brother! Niten Ichi-ryu is the strongest style ever!" Ryota proclaimed.

"Alright then, if you’re a Niten Ichi-ryu master, I’ll be a practitioner of the Ganryu style!" Haruto said, mimicking an exaggerated stance.

"Ganryu? What’s that?" Ryota asked, eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"It’s the style of Sasaki Kojiro" Haruto replied.

"I don’t know who that is, but Ganryu sounds cool! I want to use it too!" Ryota exclaimed with enthusiasm.

"In that case, let’s reenact the famous duel at Ganryujima!" Haruto proposed.

"Yeah! A duel!" Ryota cheered, not entirely understanding but thrilled by the idea.

As Ryota swung his swords enthusiastically, his older sister Ayaka, sitting on the living room sofa, couldn’t help but smile wryly at her brother’s antics.

"Ryota, don’t swing them around so recklessly, or you’ll get hurt," Ayaka cautioned.

"It’s fine! I’m a Niten Ichi-ryu master, after all!" Ryota insisted confidently.

"That doesn’t even make sense," Ayaka muttered, exasperated. Haruto chimed in to back up Ryota.

"Dual wielding is every boy’s dream."

"Haruto-kun, do you also admire historical swordsmen?" Ayaka asked, amused.

"Well, yeah, I guess," Haruto admitted.

While Haruto and Ayaka were talking, Ryota seized the moment to launch a surprise attack. "Big brother, an opening!"

Haruto blocked Ryota’s strike effortlessly, his reflexes honed by years of karate practice. Even so, he pretended to lose to keep the game exciting for Ryota.

"Argh! I’ve been defeated!" Haruto cried dramatically, collapsing to his knees.

"Yay! I got you, big brother!" Ryota cheered, thrusting both arms in the air victoriously.

"You’re strong, Ryota-kun," Haruto said with a smile.

"Of course!" Ryota replied, beaming with pride.

Just then, Shuichi returned home and entered the living room.

"Welcome back, Dad!" Ryota greeted excitedly, running to meet his father.

"I’m back, Ryota. Were you dueling with Haruto-kun?" Shuichi asked, crouching to meet Ryota at eye level.

"Yeah! It was a Ganryujima duel!" Ryota exclaimed.

"I see. And who won?" Shuichi asked.

"I did!" Ryota said triumphantly.

"Then Ryota must be the Miyamoto Musashi of this era," Shuichi said with a warm smile.

"No, Dad! I’m not Miyamoto Musashi. I’m a Niten Ichi-ryu master!" Ryota insisted.

"Ah, of course, my apologies. Ryota is a modern-day swordsman," Shuichi said, patting his son on the head.

After thanking Haruto for playing with Ryota, Shuichi headed to the kitchen, where Haruto's grandmother, Kiyoko, was preparing dinner.

"Thank you, Kiyoko-san, for preparing tonight’s meal," Shuichi said politely, bowing.

"It’s my pleasure. Please enjoy the meal," Kiyoko replied with a kind smile.

The dinner table was adorned with more than just karaage. Alongside it were a tofu and wakame seaweed salad, vinegared octopus and cucumber, and a comforting bowl of miso soup.

"Hmm, everything looks delicious," Shuichi commented, his tone genuinely appreciative.

"Thank you, Kiyoko-san," the Tōjō couple said in unison, bowing slightly toward her.

"Oh, not at all. Please, enjoy while it’s still warm," Kiyoko replied modestly.

"Well then, itadakimasu," Shuichi said, clasping his hands together, prompting everyone else to follow suit as they reached for their meals.

"Onii-chan, this karaage looks a little different in color," Ryota observed curiously, staring at the pile of fried chicken.

"That’s probably because they’re seasoned differently," Haruto replied, glancing at the platter.

"Grandma, what flavors are the karaage today?"

"Let’s see," Kiyoko began, pointing to each type in turn. "This one’s soy sauce and garlic, the one next to it is salt-koji. The slightly yellow one is curry-flavored, and the reddish one is ume shiso."

"There you go, Ryota. Which flavor do you want to try first?" Haruto asked with a smile.

"Curry flavor!" Ryota answered without hesitation.

Haruto chuckled as he picked up a curry-flavored piece and placed it on Ryota’s small plate.

Watching the interaction between the brothers, Shuichi reached for his own piece of karaage.

"I think I’ll go for the soy sauce and garlic," he declared.

"The ume shiso looks amazing," Ikue added, following his lead.

As they each bit into their chosen karaage, their expressions softened with delight.

"Mm! This is incredible! The soy sauce’s savoriness combined with the aroma of garlic—it’s perfect!" Shuichi exclaimed.

"The ume shiso is delicious too," Ikue added. "It’s juicy but has such a refreshing finish."

Hearing their glowing praise, Kiyoko’s face lit up with satisfaction.

"Hmm… this… this calls for… a beer," Shuichi muttered as if wrestling with some inner conflict, staring down the karaage in his hand.

"But… today’s my no-drinking day… hmm…"

"Dear, just one glass," Ikue said with a knowing smile.

Ikue’s remark made Shuichi’s face light up with sheer delight.

Watching the exchange between her parents, Ayaka gave a wry smile before taking a bite of the salt-koji karaage she had picked up. Her eyes widened in surprise as soon as she tasted it.

"This is amazing… The meat is so tender!"

Seeing her reaction, Haruto smiled warmly as he handed Ryota a piece of soy-garlic karaage.

"That’s because the chicken was marinated in a brine first, right, Grandma?" Haruto said.

"Yes, that’s correct," his grandmother affirmed with a nod.

"Brine?" Ayaka tilted her head in curiosity, looking back and forth between Haruto and his grandmother.

"Brine is a mixture of water, salt, and sugar used to tenderize and make meat juicier. You soak the meat in it before cooking," Haruto explained.

"Wow, I had no idea something like that existed," Ayaka said, genuinely impressed.

Haruto’s explanation was met with a nod of admiration from Ikue, who was enjoying a piece of karaage.

As Ikue savored a dish of marinated octopus and cucumber, she suddenly turned to Haruto and spoke.

"By the way, Otsuki-kun, would it be alright if I start calling you Haruto-kun from now on?"

Ikue’s smile was warm as she explained her reasoning, adding, "Now that we have Kiyoko-san here as well, it feels more natural." Incidentally, Shuichi had already made the switch from "Otsuki-kun" to "Haruto-kun."

"Of course, I don’t mind at all," Haruto replied.

"Great! Then, let me formally say, nice to meet you again, Haruto-kun," Ikue said with a bright smile. Her cheerful expression overlapped with Ayaka’s in Haruto’s mind, causing him to avert his gaze involuntarily.

"P-Pleased to meet you as well," he stammered, his heart racing as he wondered if Ayaka would grow up to be someone as radiant as Ikue.

While Haruto’s thoughts wandered, Ikue chuckled warmly.

"My, my, Ayaka, your eyes look a bit intense right now," she teased.

"N-No, they’re normal!" Ayaka quickly retorted, her face flushing.

"Oh, really? But don’t worry, I’m devoted to your dad and no one else," Ikue said with a playful grin.

"I told you, it’s not like that!" Ayaka protested, her cheeks turning even redder.

As the mother and daughter exchanged their lighthearted banter, Ryota sat nearby, happily eating a piece of fried chicken seasoned with plum and shiso leaves. He turned to Haruto with a beaming smile.

"Big brother, this is so good! I love this flavor!"

"Do you? Should I grab another piece for you?" Haruto asked.

"Yes, please!" Ryota’s eager response brought a smile to Haruto’s face.

Watching this lively scene, Kiyoko quietly observed with a serene and contented expression. The addition of the Otsuki family seemed to make the Tōjō household's dinner table livelier and brighter than ever.

---

After dinner, Haruto spent the evening playing with Ryota and later joined him for a relaxing bath. The warm, bustling energy of the household continued into the night.

When it was time to turn in, everyone retreated to their respective rooms. Haruto entered Ryota’s room, spreading out his study materials on the desk.

"I really can’t thank the Tōjō family enough," Haruto murmured as he sat at the desk, lost in thought.

Ever since losing his parents at a young age, Haruto had lived with his grandparents. When his grandfather passed away just as he was starting middle school, it became just him and his grandmother.

Looking back, his life with his grandmother had been quiet. When they didn’t talk, the house was either wrapped in silence or filled with the loud hum of the television. He hadn’t necessarily disliked it, nor had he found it particularly lonely. It was simply the norm for the Otsuki household.

But experiencing a day like today, Haruto realized how enjoyable a lively household could be. It uplifted his spirits and made his heart feel lighter.

As he opened his study guide, Haruto felt a growing sense of warmth toward the life he was beginning to share with the Tōjō family.

Lost in his studies, Haruto was startled by a soft knock on the door.

"Come in," he said, looking up from his notes.

The door creaked open slowly, and Ayaka peeked in hesitantly.

"Haruto-kun... are you about to go to sleep?" she asked quietly.

"Not yet. Why?"

"Um... do you mind if I stay here for a bit?"

"Sure, I don’t mind."

Ayaka smiled shyly at his response, stepping into the room and closing the door gently behind her.

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Happy New Year everyone, I hope you had a great holiday, spend some quality time with your family. Right now I'm translating and reading another story if I find it worthwhile I'll add it, see you soon ;)