Tokyo: I took in a homeless girl

He mentally estimated the time it would take for the other party to arrive, which would be at least two hours. Don't underestimate those two hours; for an island nation, two hours of travel time is considered quite far.

If you're driving, it only takes an hour and a half to drive from Sennan City to the center of Osaka. In a place like Tokyo, an hour and a half is enough time for Sawayama Haruno to cycle all the way to Chiba.

"In that case, should we find a restaurant first?"

Suguha Ezaki whispered from the side, "So that the uncles and aunts won't have to wait outside for a table when they come over."

After thinking about it, Haruno Sawayama felt that what the other person said made a lot of sense, so she casually asked, "Okay then, what would you like to eat?"

"Beef tongue sashimi!"

Ayano Yui was the first to raise her hand, but everyone ignored her suggestion without hesitation. It wasn't that they didn't like eating beef tongue and sashimi, but with so many people out together and elders coming later, how could they possibly eat such things?

Besides, Maki Miyazawa is still a special case, so it's best for her to eat less of things like sashimi.

"How about we try a teahouse?"

Shiori Mine said weakly, "Before I left, I looked at some travel guides for Osaka, and it seems there are quite a few restaurants run by Chinese people. There's a pretty popular teahouse nearby."

"A teahouse?"

Upon hearing what Shiori Mine said, Haruno Sawayama was immediately tempted.

Having been a native of Guangdong in his previous life, he naturally enjoyed teahouses and morning tea. Although it might be a bit late to go now, his parents hadn't arrived yet, so they could just take a number and wait outside for a while. It shouldn't have a big impact.

After some internal deliberation, Haruno Sawayama finally adopted Shiori Mine's suggestion, and the group headed to the nearest teahouse. However, upon arrival, they were stunned by the long queue at the entrance.

"There are just too many people."

Miyazawa Maki tiptoed and, upon seeing the large, dark crowd inside, immediately felt somewhat dejected.

She leaned weakly against Sawayama Haruno's chest, her sickly appearance making one feel somewhat worried.

Maki Miyazawa is the kind of person who doesn't feel comfortable in crowded places. She feels uncomfortable wherever there are many people, a fact that Haruno Sawayama noticed shortly after they met.

The current situation was somewhat beyond Sawayama Haruno's expectations. Although he had prepared for a large number of people, he did not expect that there would be so many. Helpless, he had to ask Ezaki Suguha to help him get the tickets, while he took Miyazawa Maki outside for some fresh air.

After leaving the teahouse, Miyazawa Maki's complexion improved, and Sawayama Haruno took the opportunity to lead her to a public rest bench in the shopping mall outside.

"There are so many people even though it's not the weekend."

"That's because it's the Lunar New Year holiday. There are so many people, whether it's the weekend or not, right? And quite a few of them seem to be foreign tourists, since many people choose to travel abroad for New Year's Day," said Haruno Sawayama with a smile.

In the short time he stood at the door and looked out, he had already heard a lot of familiar dialects, so he knew without a doubt where they came from.

What puzzled Haruno Sawayama was that she had come to Japan and was still eating at a teahouse. Why didn't she try the terrible kaiseki cuisine?

Hmm. It's also possible that after eating kaiseki cuisine, they realized they might as well have come here for dim sum, so they all ended up here.

Of course, most of them are probably local residents of the island nation. The two countries are geographically close, and their food cultures influence each other. The morning tea culture includes many delicate pastries and other foods, which are very appealing to the island nation's palate.

Moreover, the Japanese have some similarities with the Cantonese in their diet, both preferring fresh, tender foods with a lot of soy sauce. In addition, the Japanese also value tea culture, so morning tea is a perfect fit for them, which explains why so many people patronize it.

Miyazawa Maki closed her eyes and leaned on Sawayama Haruno's shoulder. Thinking about the terrifying scene of people crammed together earlier, she pouted unhappily and said sullenly, "What are we going to do at dinner later?"

"Don't worry, I had Suguha get the number for the private room." Haruno patted her head and comforted her softly, "There won't be as many people in the private room, so it will be more comfortable."

The wait for a private room might be longer, and to be honest, this was getting a bit too much of a hassle. Sawayama Haruno was already hesitating about whether to find another place to eat, since there were plenty of delicious things to eat in Osaka, and they didn't necessarily have to stick to dim sum.

On the other side, inside the teahouse.

The four remaining people were waiting in line for their number to be called. Ayano Yui sat cross-legged on the sofa, completely lacking any ladylike manners. She rested her chin on her hand and said listlessly, "At this rate, we'll have to wait at least two hours?"

"I don't think we need to, do we?"

Mine Shiori glanced at Ezaki Suguha with some concern. To be honest, she was already regretting suggesting the idea. She hadn't expected so many people to come for dim sum.

What if they really have to wait here for half a day, and it's still not their turn by the time Sawayama Haruno's parents arrive?

Why don't we try to persuade Haruno to go to a different restaurant?

Thinking of this, Shiori Mine couldn't help but want to speak, but someone beat her to it.

"Forget it, who knows how long I'll have to wait here."

Mana Miyazawa stood up, shook her head, and said, "To be on the safe side, let's find another restaurant first. If the line is short, we can come back to this one. If not, at least we'll have a second option."

That's exactly what I mean.

Ayano Yui didn't even bother to lift her eyelids. Why couldn't she consider the beef tongue sashimi she had just mentioned?

Hmm, isn't beef tongue sashimi delicious?

Seeing everyone's reaction, Ezaki Suguha hesitated for a moment, just about to agree, when a very familiar figure walked out of the teahouse.

The moment that person appeared, she attracted the attention of Suguha Ezaki. The reason was simple: she was accompanied by several bodyguards, and her entourage was so grand that people around her unconsciously made way for her.

As the crowd moved to the sides, allowing her to finally see him, she noticed Esaki Suguha and exclaimed in surprise, "Eh?"

"what happened?"

Just as Miyazawa Mana was about to go out to find Sawayama Haruno, she saw Ezaki Suguha suddenly stop in place again, and turned around in confusion.

However, faced with Mana Miyazawa's question, Suguha Ezaki did not rush to answer. Instead, after a few seconds of silence, she said in a low voice, "We might not need to change restaurants, um... maybe."

What do you mean by "maybe not needed"?

Mana Miyazawa frowned slightly, but before she could ask for clarification, the bodyguards who had caused the commotion earlier escorted the man toward Suguha Ezaki.

If Haruno Sawayama were also present, she would be very surprised to find that the person in front of her was the little princess of the Ishizawa family.

As an old acquaintance whom she had met more than once in Kyoto, Suguha Ezaki naturally recognized the other party, and the other party recognized her as well. This is why she said those words to Mana Miyazawa just now.

"How strange, you're here too."

After getting closer, Ishizawa Kaori looked at Ezaki Suguha with a clicking of her tongue.

Unlike the previous meetings, Ishizawa Kaori seemed to have changed a lot this time. But that makes sense, since she is a third-year junior high school girl. At this age, she can create a completely different sense of maturity simply by changing her clothing habits.

Moreover, rather than saying she's a third-year student, it's more accurate to say she's already a first-year high school student. According to her age, she should be enrolling in high school next year. So why would someone like that be in Osaka?

Suguha Ezaki was a little confused, so she simply asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, that's because the director said so."

Kaori Ishizawa shrugged nonchalantly and said, "The original plan was to film in Kyoto, but then he suddenly said that Osaka, as Kiriyama-sensei's hometown, might have a certain atmosphere, so he wanted to film here or something."

"is it?"

Suguha Ezaki's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed. It seemed that the other party had been traveling around with the film crew of "Norwegian Wood," which explained why he had come to Osaka.

"What's wrong? Are you eating here too?"

Kaori Ishizawa immediately noticed the number slip in her hand and said with a smile, "I have a pretty good relationship with the owner of this store, maybe I can let you cut in line or something."

"And the price?" Suguha Ezaki asked bluntly.

"The price is simple!"

Seeing that the other party was so cooperative, Ishizawa Kaori was overjoyed.

All she wanted was payment in writing from Sawayama Haruno, but she had to decide what kind of writing it was.

Although Haruno Sawayama sent her the "extra version" last time, the content of that extra version was too little. Kaori Ishizawa was still not satisfied after reading it all. It ended before she even had a chance to cast a water spell. How could this be?

I have to get that bastard Sawayama Haruno to write more "extra content" versions. If I remember correctly, the eldest daughter of the Ezaki family is now his concubine. In that case, I'll do him a favor and wait for Ezaki Suguha to whisper sweet nothings in his ear tonight, and I'll soon be able to see new "extra content" again!

Kaori Ishizawa's plan was perfect, and as expected, Suguha Ezaki agreed, promising to help persuade Haruno Sawayama later. Of course, whether she would actually do so was another matter.

In short, the matter ended with the group being invited to a private room ahead of time, and the room that was vacated happened to be empty because Ishizawa Kaori had just finished her meal and left.

This private room was originally intended as a VIP reception room and would not be open to the public even when it was full. However, Ishizawa Kaori was very familiar with the owner of the teahouse, so Ezaki Suguha and her group were eventually allowed to sit in the VIP reception room.

Upon receiving the text message, Haruno Sawayama, who rushed back with Maki Miyazawa, didn't suspect much, assuming that all the private rooms in the teahouse were of such a luxurious standard.

He let Miyazawa Mana and the others order their dishes first, then comforted the somewhat listless Miyazawa Maki before hurriedly turning around and leaving again.

Next, he had to go to the station to pick up Sawayama Ayako and the others. Although both of his parents were locals from Osaka, they lived in Sennan City most of the time and rarely came to the city center. Without Sawayama Haruno picking them up, he didn't know how long they would have been wandering around looking at the map.

Chapter 392 A family should always be together!

After successfully picking up her parents, Aya Sawayama, who hadn't seen her son for almost a month, surprisingly didn't complain about him anymore. Instead, she urged him to take her to the teahouse as soon as possible, clearly wanting to see her future daughter-in-law and future granddaughters.

During this time, she kept in close contact with Maki Miyazawa in private, calling her every day, almost immediately after meals to check on her health. The nagging girl even became a little impatient.

Because the other party was an elder, Miyazawa Maki couldn't act willfully, so she had to patiently chat with Sawayama Ayako for half a day each time, until Sawayama Haruno came over and was "forced" to take over the task of chatting with Sawayama Ayako.

It's obvious to anyone with eyes that the most precious person in the Sawayama family right now is Miyazawa Maki.

Not only because she was Sawayama Haruno's legal wife, but also because she was the first among them to become pregnant, and even twins at once, which was an unimaginable blessing for Sawayama Ako.

Of course, this doesn't mean that the other girls weren't valued by Ayako Sawayama. In private, she also secretly sent messages of concern to Suguha Ezaki, Mana Miyazawa, and even Yui Ayano, asking how they were doing in Tokyo.

After all, when Sawayama Haruno came home last time, she had already told her about these things in a very subtle way. Therefore, Sawayama Ako also understood that these girls would become part of the Sawayama family in the future, and she should treat them all equally.

With this in mind, Ayako Sawayama was supposed to maintain a calm and smiling demeanor when she came to have dinner with everyone. However, this composure was completely broken within two seconds of entering the private room.

She noticed a petite girl sitting to her side, looking at her with an embarrassed expression. Whose child was this?

A sense of foreboding suddenly arose in Ayako Sawayama's heart. Haruno, you better not tell anyone that this elementary school student is also one of your lovers!

At the same time, dating so many women is already a serious crime, an unforgivable crime. If he doesn't even spare women of this age, even as a mother, Ayako Sawayama would still despise him!

“Mother, this is Shiori Mine, one of my colleagues and also a ‘friend’.”

Sawayama Haruno, who was standing beside her, immediately noticed the "murderous intent" in her mother's eyes and quickly began to explain.

To make sure the other person understood, he emphasized the words "colleague" and "friend" with extra emphasis, stressing that Shiori Mine was not only a legal loli but also his girlfriend.

After hearing Sawayama Haruno's explanation, although she felt some unspeakable complaints about her son's new girlfriend, Sawayama Ayako naturally couldn't show her displeasure in front of so many people.

Moreover, Sawayama Haruno is now married, and it should be Miyazawa Maki who is in charge of managing the inner courtyard of Sawayama Haruno's house. Since this child is sitting to the side without saying anything, it is obvious that he has already agreed to this matter.

As long as Haruno Sawayama can balance the relationships between the girls, Ako Sawayama doesn't care what he does.

Her biggest worry was that Zeshan Chunye would end up with nothing, but fortunately, judging from the current situation, her son's ability to balance things was masterful, and the five girls were even sitting in the private room in a very harmonious atmosphere.

Sawayama Ayako slowly breathed a sigh of relief, and at the same time, Miyazawa Maki seized the opportunity to step forward and greet her.

"Auntie~"

She immediately threw herself into Ayako's arms, acting extremely affectionately. This made Mana Miyazawa, who was standing next to her, glance at her several times, since she had never seen Maki act like this before.

"Still calling her 'Auntie'?"

Sawayama Ayako was overjoyed holding her, but she still didn't forget to correct Miyazawa Maki's way of addressing her, which made the other girl blush and add another sentence, which made Sawayama Ayako's smile even brighter.

Meanwhile, the other girls took turns greeting Sawayama Haruno's father.

To be honest, as Haruno's father, he was the last person to find out that his son had a harem, and a very large one at that, because Ayako Sawayama didn't tell him until much later.

Although he had noticed something during a family meal earlier, it was just a suspicion; he never really imagined that Haruno would be dating several girls at the same time.

It was precisely for this reason that when Haruno's father saw the women greeting him, his face instantly froze, and he waved his hand somewhat awkwardly.

He hasn't fully adjusted yet, so let's forgive him.

Sawayama Haruno, understanding the unspoken message, took over the topic of his father's conversation, inviting everyone to sit down while simultaneously instructing the waiters outside to begin preparing the dishes.

This teahouse has a retro Hong Kong style, or you could say it has a Japanese-style flow concept, where after everyone is seated, they don't need to order themselves. Soon, people will push food carts of various sizes into the private rooms, and they can take whatever they want to eat.

For Maki Miyazawa, who had never tasted such exquisite pastries before, just one glance was enough to make her unable to look away from the food cart, and she wished she could take everything off the cart.

Of course, this is neither realistic nor ladylike.

Her current name is Maki Sawayama, and she is Sawayama Haruno's legal wife. How could she show such a shameful appearance in front of his elders?

Thinking of this, Miyazawa Maki swallowed hard, reluctantly pretending to be a lady and only took two small plates of pastries, thinking that the waiters should definitely bring this cart back again later!

If we don't push it back, we'll lose out big time!

Mana Miyazawa, standing to the side, looked at her foolish younger sister speechlessly. As the twin sister, she naturally saw through Maki Miyazawa's thoughts. So, when the food cart turned to her side, she quietly took two or three stacks of pastries that looked quite appealing and placed them on the glass round table.

Maki Miyazawa's eyes lit up instantly.

This kid is too easy to handle, there's no hope for him. Miyazawa Mana shook her head, no longer paying attention to him, but instead focusing her gaze on Sawayama Haruno and Mine Shiori standing to the side.

At this moment, Shiori Mine was somewhat awkwardly dealing with Ayako Sawayama's questions. In fact, she didn't mean much harm. It was just that it was rare to meet a girl who had the same job as her son, so Ayako Sawayama naturally wanted to know more about her.

Although she had heard from Yui Ayano that "Haruno has become an extraordinary literary master," Ayako Sawayama still didn't quite grasp the reality. After all, she wasn't involved in the literary field, so it was normal that she hadn't heard of Toumi Kiriyama's name.

Shiori Mine was willing to explain things to the other party, but being introverted, she was a little too nervous when faced with questioning from an elder. Fortunately, Haruno Sawayama would help relieve the pressure from time to time, which allowed her to catch her breath a little.

"So, Shiori is not only Haruno's colleague, but also his classmate at Haruno University?"

Having heard some interesting news, Ayako Sawayama looked at her son with some surprise.