Tokyo: I took in a homeless girl

Sawayama Haruno coughed several times, and it was clear that Miyazawa Maki was still bothered by the matter.

Honestly, it's just that I missed taking her out once in a while. I'll make it up to her later, okay?

"After we finish taking our wedding photos and the nomination process is over, we'll go on our honeymoon, okay?" He raised his hands, indicating his surrender.

However, Miyazawa Maki was still somewhat dissatisfied, mainly because this guy was just too infuriating. Although she had agreed not to interfere in other girls' affairs anymore, he couldn't possibly have four of them at once.

She felt she needed to teach Sawayama Haruno a lesson, at least to stop him from pushing his luck any further.

The idea was nice, but while Miyazawa Maki was still lost in thought, Sawayama Haruno had already subtly touched her little foot that she had been kicking herself intentionally or unintentionally. With just a light pinch, her face instantly turned blush.

"Pervert, you touched my feet again."

"You were the one who handed it to me, weren't you?"

"I'm meant to be kicked, not played with like this."

Maki Miyazawa's breathing became somewhat rapid.

This appearance was really too strange. The powerless Miyazawa Maki lay on the bed, her back against two large pillows stacked together. Her feet were firmly held in the palm of Sawayama Haruno's hand. With a slight squeeze from him, she felt limp and powerless.

hateful

"No, don't do anything reckless."

Miyazawa Maki tried to regain control of the situation, her face flushed as she said, "The doctor said I need to rest for a while. If it's really not okay, go see Mana!"

"Ok?"

Sawayama Haruno was momentarily stunned.

Is he testing himself, or is he serious?

Maki Miyazawa quickly realized that she had made a mistake, so she immediately corrected herself, saying, "If you dare to go, you're doomed. I was just saying it casually."

"Alright, alright, just saying." Sawayama Haruno looked at the other person with a slight chuckle.

This guy is still as hypocritical as ever. If he really didn't want to have any contact with Mana Miyazawa, he should have refused her when she moved in.

Does she have the typical tsundere (arrogant and haughty) trait of being the younger twin?

"I won't do anything, I'll just give you a massage to help you relax."

Sensing that Miyazawa Maki was a little nervous and uneasy, Sawayama Haruno had no choice but to reassure her again.

As if to prove his words were true, he began to use his previous massage knowledge to help Miyazawa Maki relieve some of her stress.

Anyone who has truly experienced a foot massage knows that the intense, tingling sensation is so intense that it doesn't arouse any desire. However, after experiencing it, you'll feel a sense of exhilaration that stretches from your toes throughout your entire body.

Miyazawa Maki had experienced Sawayama Haruno's massage techniques before, so when she saw that he was serious, she hesitated and ultimately said nothing, letting Sawayama Haruno do whatever he wanted to her feet.

Have you been getting enough rest lately?

While massaging Miyazawa Maki's small feet, Sawayama Haruno asked curiously, "I haven't seen many messages from you while I was in Canada. What have you been busy with?"

"I don't make desserts."

Miyazawa Maki picked up a pillow from the side, held it in front of her, and said in a muffled voice, "Isn't there a lot of dry food and supplies? They were all bought before. I was bored, so I thought I'd take them over and study them myself."

"They all failed. I don't know why they were either too sweet or had no flavor at all. Sigh."

"If you want to learn, I'll start teaching you tomorrow," Haruno Zeshan comforted her. "Anyway, it's not something that's too difficult. I already said I'd teach you, but you forgot after your initial enthusiasm faded."

"That's because something else happened afterward."

Miyazawa Maki removed the pillow from her face and glared at Sawayama Haruno.

She had previously asked Haruno Sawayama to teach her how to make desserts, but before she could even begin, their relationship gradually became somewhat strange and ambiguous.

Once they started dating seriously, she completely forgot about making desserts and preferred spending time in the bedroom rather than in the kitchen.

Well, it's not that the kitchen is a bad place. It's nice to change things up occasionally, but it gets boring if you're always in the kitchen.

In short, by the time Miyazawa Maki remembered the dessert, time had flown by. With Sawayama Haruno not around, she naturally couldn't learn it and could only try to figure it out on her own, while also tricking the innocent Ayano Yui.

"Then get up early tomorrow."

Seeing Miyazawa Maki's adorable pout, Sawayama Haruno couldn't help but smile and say, "I'll teach you tomorrow morning, okay?"

"I happen to be free for the next few weeks, so I'll teach you some simple dessert recipes before we head out to take our wedding photos."

"Um"

Maki Miyazawa blushed and agreed.

This guy... he said he was going to give a massage, so why is he going to massage my legs instead??

"Don't touch me like that."

"No, it was just a massage."

".asshole."

The girl who happened to be passing by the master bedroom overheard their whispers.

Looking at the closed door, Mana Miyazawa subconsciously brushed her hair aside and couldn't resist leaning closer to eavesdrop for a while longer.

After hearing some slightly obscure sounds, her face began to blush uncontrollably.

Although she knew that Haruno Sawayama and Maki Miyazawa couldn't actually do anything together, the space for imagination still gave Mana great psychological comfort.

It is precisely because we cannot see the actual situation that we can use our rich imagination to conceive of the possible events that might occur.

Regardless of the outcome, this experience was far too stimulating for Mana Miyazawa. Unable to contain herself any longer, she staggered back to her bedroom, her legs tucked together.

It's quite obvious that something "not for outsiders to know" will happen tonight.

Meanwhile, inside the Ezaki family's old house.

Grandfather had already gone to bed early to rest, but Suguha Ezaki was still sitting alone in the tea room.

She declined the woman's offer to add tea for her and sat on the tatami mat, lost in thought.

The Ezaki family was already defunct in name only, something she only learned after returning.

The so-called "existing in name only" is just a literal meaning. Those who once firmly controlled the Ezaki family and all the surnames within the Ezaki Group have either had their power taken away and been sent elsewhere, or have been sent to prison.

All of this was orchestrated by Naoto Ezaki, Suguha's nominal older brother. Naoto's ruthlessness far exceeded anyone's imagination, especially after his grandfather tacitly approved of his actions, which made him even more unscrupulous.

The once-powerful Ezaki family crumbled, but in its place, the family conglomerate reached new heights. It's difficult to judge whether Naoto Ezaki was a traitor who betrayed the entire family or a hero who led the conglomerate to its peak.

In the eyes of his uncle and mother, the other party must be the former, right?

Suguha Ezaki's thoughts were wandering uncontrollably until she heard a slight noise outside, which brought her back to her senses and made her start preparing tea.

The door to the tea room was gently pulled open from the outside, and the person who had been pondering the moment before appeared in the dark corridor.

When Naoto Ezaki saw his sister whom he hadn't seen for a long time, he couldn't help but show a heartfelt smile.

"Long time no see, Suguha."

"Long time no see, elder brother."

Suguha Ezaki responded in a low voice, but her hands did not slow down at all.

The two felt an awkward silence upon meeting again, since their last meeting was back when Naoto Ezaki was preparing to imprison Suguha.

Although it was for the purpose of protection, Naoto Ezaki's actions were a bit too crazy, and even now, Suguha still can't get over it.

Fortunately, this was one of the reasons she came home this time.

How have you been lately?

Naoto Ezaki slowly knelt down in front of the tea table and smiled gently, "I've been keeping an eye on Haruno's situation. It seems he's becoming more and more famous lately. Your relationship shouldn't have been affected too much by work, right?"

"No, Haruno is very busy, but he still makes time for me."

"Is that so? That's good." Naoto Ezaki sighed softly. "I've been incredibly busy lately, I haven't even had a chance to catch my breath, but this feeling of fulfillment is not bad."

"And Suguha, she should have already talked to her grandfather, right?" he added.

“After all, I’ve been back for so many days and we’ve already talked a lot,” Suguha Ezaki said in a low voice. “I roughly understand the current situation. Anyway, I’ve already left this house, so I have no right to make any more comments.”

"Really? Have you become independent?"

Naoto Ezaki couldn't help but give a wry smile. "If only I hadn't been so harsh. I still consider Suguha my little sister. By the way..."

At this point, he suddenly pulled something out of his pocket and placed it on the table.

"Although Haruno is now capable enough to take care of you, please accept this gift. At least for the next four years of university, please let me continue to support you as family."

It was a bank card, which Naoto Ezaki slowly pushed in front of Suguha Ezaki.

The sudden turn of events left this usually straightforward girl stunned.

She had thought about many things during tonight's conversation, but she never expected Naoto Ezaki to so readily hand over the money.

For a moment, she couldn't tell whether the other person was sincere or not.

The talent that had always been invincible seemed to have completely lost its purpose at this moment. Looking at Naoto Ezaki's serious and sincere eyes, Naoto Ezaki felt confused and bewildered for the first time in his life.

When the other party offered money at this point, was it to end the internal dispute within the Ezaki family with money, or was it really just, as Naoto Ezaki said, the older brother's support for his younger sister's schooling?

Suguha Ezaki was a little confused, but after hesitating for a moment, she put the card away.

"Thank you, brother."

"You're welcome."

Seeing that Naoto Ezaki accepted the bank card, Naoto Ezaki breathed a sigh of relief.

His smile held an indescribable weariness, yet also seemed brimming with excitement. As their eyes met again, Naoto Ezaki spoke once more.

"I talked to my mother about her being discharged from the hospital, but she refused. If you have the chance, please try to persuade her. It's really inappropriate for her to stay in the hospital indefinitely. Her condition has stabilized and she could be discharged at any time, right?"

"Um"

Suguha Ezaki didn't say much, only responding with a muffled sound.

Discharged?

Even if she is discharged from the hospital, where can that poor woman go? Which family can she integrate into?

Can a woman whose body and mind have been damaged to this extent still integrate into a normal family? The other party is not as lucky as she is. Perhaps staying in the hospital will be more liberating for the mother.

Even my grandfather chose to stay in the old house and never go out again. Is this the fate of all the Ezaki family members in the end?

Thinking about this, Suguha Ezaki felt a strange mix of emotions. She felt lucky, but also somewhat depressed because of her family's other experiences.

As if he could read her mind, Naoto Ezaki didn't linger after a few brief pleasantries. He simply told Suguha to remember to contact him if she had any trouble, and then Naoto Ezaki left in a hurry.

He looks very busy, but it's already this late. What is he busy with?

Suguha Ezaki sighed and decided to stop thinking about these things.

For a moment, she suddenly missed the atmosphere at the Haruno family home. Although several women were eyeing Haruno Sawayama, at least everyone got along quite well, without so many complicated thoughts running through their minds.

I've decided, I'll go back tomorrow morning.

Chapter 381 Cleaning up with Ayano

The next morning, Haruno Sawayama got up very early again.

Although he had just returned to Tokyo, he still had tasks to complete today, which were actually part of his family chores.

Because of the move, the women still had many things left in the apartment and hadn't had time to bring them back, while Sawayama Haruno herself also had some things left in the apartment's bedroom.

So, taking advantage of the nice weather, he took Ayano Yui back to the apartment to pack up the rest of their things, and then took her to the station to pick up Ezaki Suguha.

The plan was perfect, but the two encountered a problem as soon as they stepped out the door.

"No way!"

Looking at the traffic jam in the distance, Ayano Yui was dumbfounded.

She and Haruno Sawayama had just stepped out of the house and were still some distance from the road, but they could already clearly see the almost paralyzed traffic situation in Minato Ward. This was the first time she had seen such a severe traffic jam since arriving in Tokyo. Wasn't it said that there were fewer people living in Minato Ward than in Shinjuku? Why was it so congested?

"Judging from the situation, the morning rush hour for trams will probably continue for quite a while."

Sawayama Haruno, gazing into the distance, also wore a helpless expression.

It goes without saying that trams are the main mode of transportation for most people in the island nation, and the station must be packed with people right now. If he and Ayano Yui were to try to squeeze onto a tram, they would probably be exhausted.

However, taking a taxi is not feasible. Even if we can get one, given the traffic situation, it will probably take at least half an hour to move.

The best option at present seems to be for them to walk across the road and wait until they reach the next station to see if the morning rush hour situation will improve. If the number of people has decreased, they can take the bus back to Shinjuku.