Chapter 158: Arrival (Long Chapter)
"Chishima-sensei, you're going to..."
The sun had already begun its ascent. Mrs. Miyako was sitting in front of her door as usual, reading the newspaper. Beside her lay a child's sweater, about a third of the way finished.
Mitsuryou Hotaru stood nearby and offered a polite greeting: "Uncle Chishima, Auntie Hiratsuka, good morning..."
Hotaru looked especially adorable today. Her hair was styled into two cute little buns, her cheeks were rosy, and she wore a pale yellow kimono adorned with maple leaf patterns. She looked just like a porcelain doll.
Shizuka returned the greeting with a smile: "Morning to you too, Hotaru~"
Akishin smiled at Mrs. Miyako and said, "We're preparing to head over to Shizuka's place. Her parents were hoping we'd come by this time."
"...I see."
Mrs. Miyako hesitated for a moment, then nodded with a smile. Matters like these could be seen as a big deal or a minor one, depending entirely on the person.
She had wanted to ask why Akishin wasn't performing the memorial rites at home, but when she noticed the lantern hanging by the door—the one serving as a substitute for a spirit-welcoming lamp—she held her tongue.
He had likely finished his observances already; he just wasn't staying for the full three days.
In ancient times, perhaps these traditions were strictly observed, but nowadays many rules had fallen by the wayside. It wasn't uncommon for people to stop offering formal rites for their relatives after they passed.
In previous years, Akishin would return during the Obon Festival to honor his parents, but he had never stayed overnight.
"Uncle Chishima, are you leaving?" Hotaru looked up at Akishin, asking curiously. "Then, have you already said hello to your relatives? Hotaru just said hello to Papa. I told him that I can go to school now, and that I even got an award for being an obedient child..."
"Of course I've said hello. I actually just got back. Hotaru is such a thoughtful girl..."
Akishin ruffled Hotaru's hair, listening to her innocent words. It was likely thanks to Mrs. Miyako's excellent upbringing that Hotaru didn't feel sad when talking about her late father—though that was precisely what made it a bit heartbreaking to hear.
Maybe one day in the future, Hotaru would feel the weight of not having a father.
Hopefully, that day would never come. Of course, that sentiment applied to fathers who truly loved their children; after all, there were plenty of incompetent, useless men out there...
After chatting with Mrs. Miyako for a bit, Akishin gave Hotaru a box of the Dragon's Beard Crunch he'd made earlier, then hailed a taxi and left.
They first took the car to Shizuka's small villa. From there, Shizuka took the wheel of her own black-and-red sports car, driving all the way toward the Hiratsuka family estate.
The Hiratsuka residence was located on the outskirts of Chiba City, near the seaside park, right along the coast... actually, calling it the "outskirts" felt a bit off. It was an elite residential area, just a different breed than the ones in the city center.
There were no skyscrapers here. Everything consisted of villas or retro-style estates, each occupying a substantial amount of land.
The people living here were either incredibly wealthy or held significant status, and the Hiratsuka family was one of the most prominent among them.
They just happened to keep a very low profile.
Sitting in Shizuka's car, surrounded by that familiar scent while he wasn't the one driving, Akishin found it easy to get drowsy. Before long, he had drifted off.
Shizuka glanced at him, a gentle smile tugging at her lips, and instinctively eased off the accelerator to keep the ride smooth...
Half an hour later, the red sports car entered a residential district that was unmistakably high-end.
The surroundings were dotted with luxury villas spaced far apart. No two were alike; every single one was a custom build.
Great trees lined the streets, their natural growth over many years proving that this neighborhood had been established for a long time.
Akishin had heard of this place, but this was his first time actually visiting.
As they entered the residential area, Akishin woke up. He gazed at the scenery through the window, taking in the massive villas. His eyes remained perfectly calm.
He was reminded of his previous life. Many mission targets had lived in places like this—though, truth be told, most of the people who commissioned those missions came from places like this too...
"Chishima-kun, what's on your mind? You don't look particularly happy."
"...It's not that I'm unhappy. I was just thinking about meeting your parents. I'm actually feeling a bit nervous..."
"Nervous???" Shizuka blinked in surprise, then let out a short laugh. "Haha, even you can get nervous? I don't believe it."
"Believe it or not, it's the truth."
Akishin gave a faint smile and offered no further explanation.
Seeing that Akishin wasn't in a talkative mood, Shizuka didn't push him. Everyone had their own private thoughts, after all.
Before long, the sports car pulled up in front of a massive gate. It was roughly five meters wide, flanked on both sides by high fortress-like walls that stretched out for hundreds of meters.
The sound of metal creaking echoed through the air.
As the metal gates swung open, four male servants in black suits and four maids stepped out. Akishin got out of the car first, followed by Shizuka. All eight servants bowed their heads in greeting.
A gentle breeze carrying a hint of sea salt brushed past them. Standing before this grand gate, the scale felt immense. Across from the entrance lay a small, private woods.
"Park the car in the garage for me."
Shizuka handed the keys to one of the male servants. He accepted them, waited for the others to retrieve the luggage from the trunk, and then drove the car inside.
"This is Chishima Akishin. You might already know of him. He's my friend," Shizuka introduced him to the staff.
The seven remaining servants looked toward Akishin. Their expressions ranged from curiosity to amazement and even a hint of envy. A few of them already knew about him—one of the male servants even had a look of genuine admiration in his eyes—while one or two others seemed out of the loop.
Regardless, once Shizuka finished speaking, they all greeted Akishin warmly. They were polite and respectful, neither overstepping their bounds nor acting cold.
"Alright, let's go inside."
Shizuka naturally took Akishin's hand and led the way. After passing through the main gate, three of the male servants stayed behind to close up, while the four maids followed, carrying the gifts Akishin and Shizuka had brought.
Behind the great gate was a stone-paved path about fifty meters long. On either side were gardens and lawns, manicured to perfection. At the end of the path, a retro-style Japanese building came into view. It looked remarkably like a Daimyo's residence from a historical drama, just on a slightly smaller scale.
The exterior featured layers of neat stone walls, topped with wood and green tiles to ward off the wind and rain. The pointed roofs looked as though they were trying to pierce the sky.
Looking at the path and the architecture, a sense of shock stirred in one's heart, as if they had slipped through time and arrived in the Sengoku period.
It was a strange, almost magical sensation, but not a bad one. An ordinary person coming here might think they were visiting a historical heritage site.
But this was just Shizuka's house.
Feeling the softness of her hand in his, Akishin remarked, "Shizuka-chan, your house is seriously huge..."
And that was just what was visible; there was likely even more space behind the main building.
He didn't have any particularly strong feelings about it; even the most luxurious places in the world couldn't make him feel awe or fear.
However, Shizuka's response was unexpectedly disgruntled. "What's the point of it being big? It's not nearly as comfortable as my little villa. Even going to the bathroom requires a long walk, and there are so many rules. I've basically lived away from here since high school..."
"..."
Akishin fell silent, shaking his head with a quiet chuckle. Shizuka, you're living in luxury without knowing how to enjoy it. He looked back at the building so steeped in history. A house like this couldn't be bought with mere money in this day and age.
It was a blessing of history. No matter how hard an ordinary person worked, they could never obtain something like this.
Recalling the explanation given by Hiratsuka Yuren—Shizuka's father—this house was likely purchased during an era where darkness and opportunity existed side by side.
If there was one person in this world Akishin truly admired, so far, it was Yuren. Not just because his daughter was named Shizuka, but because of his achievements.
Someone who could build wealth during the bubble economy wasn't necessarily a genius; there were simply too many opportunities back then.
Maybe someone became a millionaire just because their house was in a good location, or maybe they got rich by investing a bit of money in the right place...
But to catch an opportunity and then consistently grow it until it reached the scale of the Hiratsuka Group today? That took real strength. There weren't many people like that in all of Japan.
During that era, everyone was speculating on real estate, but Yuren insisted on staying in the industrial sector. He said he was afraid because he'd been poor, and afraid because he'd been cheated, so he didn't dare take risks anymore!
But could a man who was truly afraid—a man who didn't dare take risks—really create the Hiratsuka Group as it stood today?
Akishin didn't think so.
A person becomes powerful not because they occupy a certain position, but because they are powerful to begin with, which allows them to reach that position.
Yuren was a man who had built everything from nothing. He had only married his noble wife after achieving success. Based on Akishin's brief investigation, the Hiratsuka family could roughly be categorized as a small-scale Zaibatsu.
One of the key points was that the Hiratsuka Group owned a bank!
The most defining characteristic of a Zaibatsu was the integration of three entities: manufacturing, sales, and a bank as the center of control.
On this point alone, the Yukinoshita family—despite being a prominent local clan—couldn't compete.
The Hiratsuka Group's power was enough to influence Chiba to a certain extent. It was just that Yuren had been so low-profile for the last ten years, rarely making big waves, that some people might have forgotten him.
As for the fact that her family owned a bank, Shizuka knew about it, but she never bothered with the details. In her own words: "What? A bank? My house has something like that? I think so... I feel like I've heard the old man mention it..."
At that time, Akishin's expression had been: Σ(っ °Д °;)っ!
My dear lady, something that huge, and it's your own family's business, yet you don't even know!!!
How did your father raise you? You're an only child; you're supposed to inherit a group of this magnitude.
The fact that she could hold the identity of the Hiratsuka family's daughter while working as a normal teacher could only be attributed to Yuren's extreme case of being a doting father.
Yuren had once stated publicly: "If anyone dares to approach my daughter for personal gain, or if anyone tries to suck up to me by getting close to her, you are wrong—dead wrong. Not only will you fail to earn my goodwill, but you will be considered an enemy of the Hiratsuka family..."
He didn't just say it; he followed through. Initially, a few people didn't believe him, but after receiving warnings from the Hiratsuka family, everyone became believers.
Even the reason Yukinoshita Haruno and Shizuka had a good relationship was because of their teacher-student bond. During their high school years, Haruno and Shizuka were actually very close, but after Haruno entered university and began touching family affairs, she had slowly distanced herself from Shizuka...
In truth, outside of the business world, because of their many years of living modestly, most people had no idea of the Hiratsuka family's true power. Consequently, Shizuka's friends were mostly just ordinary girls.
And Shizuka had mentioned a while ago that Yuren was preparing to ask her to quit her teaching job to return and learn the family business. When her father could no longer manage it, she would take over entirely...
Akishin's thoughts drifted as they slowly made their way down the long path. Finally, he saw two figures appear at the front door.
Hiratsuka Yuren and Hiratsuka Sachiko.
The entire Hiratsuka household only employed eight servants: four men and four women. These servants were usually responsible for cleaning, laundry, and cooking. Beyond that, they didn't need to serve their masters specifically.
As for whether there were other security forces, Akishin didn't know, but it was highly likely.
Because of this, Shizuka hadn't really felt like a pampered young lady growing up. Since she was old enough to understand things, she had always changed her own clothes and bathed herself...
The servants helped with laundry and shoes, and they placed food on the table at mealtimes, but under normal circumstances, they wouldn't lift a finger for her.
Specifically, they didn't follow Shizuka's orders.
This was another intentional move by Yuren.
Even as a child, Shizuka spent a lot of time outside the house. After entering high school, she became completely independent. The actual time she'd spent in this massive estate wasn't much at all.
As they approached the Hiratsuka couple, Akishin let go of Shizuka's hand. He stepped forward first to give a respectful bow.
"Uncle, Auntie, I apologize for coming to disturb you."
Seeing the two of them approach, the Hiratsuka couple broke into smiles, especially after having seen them walking hand-in-hand earlier. They seemed quite pleased.
Yuren laughed and said, "Disturb? Chishima-kun, you're no stranger. We're the ones who suddenly asked you to come..."
Yuren was wearing a light blue Gofuku and wooden sandals. Sachiko looked much like she did during their last meeting, wearing a simple blue kimono with a cherry blossom motif.
Generally, adult Japanese women didn't wear brightly colored kimonos anymore—especially those who were married. It was a matter of reputation.
Dressing too flashily as one got older could easily lead to suspicion that one worked in the adult entertainment industry.
Akishin shook his head with a smile and bowed again.
"It's good that you're here, but why did you bring gifts..."
"Just some homemade snacks. Please, Uncle, Auntie, have a taste..."
"Haha, I always miss Chishima-kun's cooking. That's right, we've been promising to have a drink together for a long time but never got around to it. You have to join me for quite a few today..."
"I'd be honored to accompany you..."
"..."
Seeing this, Sachiko let out a light laugh. "Since you've arrived, please come in. Chishima-kun, don't think of yourself as a guest; this is your home."
She stopped the two men from talking further, pulling Shizuka along as they headed into the house.
Akishin was pulled along by Shizuka again, so he had no choice but to follow.
However, once they entered the Genkan, he realized the interior was worlds apart from the exterior.
He had expected the inside to be as serious and retro as the outside, but it was surprisingly modern. The floors were a natural wood color—not actual traditional wood—the walls were a clean, crisp white, and bright incandescent lights illuminated the path.
After passing through a long corridor, a massive modern living room opened up before them. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, a glass tea table sat in the center, and plush sofas surrounded it. A giant LCD television took up a third of the wall.
Behind the sofa was a tea station, and across from it was a floor-to-ceiling glass window that occupied one whole side of the wall. Beside the window stood an air conditioner, and next to that was a small refrigerator...
Akishin blinked, momentarily stunned. What happened? This was nothing like what he'd seen from the outside!
Shizuka was still behind them. In the Genkan, she had asked the maids to take the things she and Akishin had bought to a specific area, while she personally carried the snacks Akishin had made.
Yuren immediately realized what Akishin was thinking after seeing his expression. He explained, "Chishima-kun, the truth is I really hate things that are just for show. I prioritize comfort and utility, so the living room ended up like this. But if you'd prefer something a bit more traditional, we have a special place for that too. Otherwise, most of the house is..."
…
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
50 Power Stone = 1 Bonus Chapter (Up to 5 bonus chapters per week).
Read ahead and support the story on Patreon: patreon.com/FaaanzKun
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —