HA1 15.3 - Acceptance

The red pick-up truck smoothly entered a courtyard with a concrete floor. The courtyard was quite spacious, facing east towards a pine valley, and surrounded by an L-shaped building. At the terrace of L-shape building, there were bamboo chairs and tables where some elderly were chatting and enjoying snacks.

After parking the red pick-up truck next to a double-cab Mitzubizi Strava, Kubota then turned his gaze to Yukino and Aizawa.

"Now we've arrived. Welcome to Kirishima Family."

"Mhm," Yukino and Aizawa answered in unison while looking at the courtyard around them curiously.

Wasting no time Kubota helped Yukino and Aizawa got down from the truck. Then, through a short but wide corridor in the center of L-shaped building, he led his guests into a paved walkway as wide as five adults standing side by side. Both sides of the walkway were flanked by waist-high bamboo fences that were covered by a lush vine full of purple grapes.

The walkway was also not in the middle of a grass field, but a vegetable garden. Cabbage, spinach, potatoes, leeks, carrots, bananas, melons, bitter melons, long beans, pumpkins, guava, lemon, mulberries, strawberries, watermelons, and various other vegetables or fruit trees were neatly arranged as far as the eye could see.

Shizuka was fondling a large cluster of ripe purple grapes as she said, "This place is amazing."

After a calm smile Kubota said, "That's because this is your first time here. If you don't have a calm heart, then in a week you will get bored and miss the city's liveliness."

"Maybe, but actually I have a fondness for quiet places."

"In that case, I believe you will get along very well with members of Kirishima Family."

"I hope so."

As he looked at the purple grapes on Shizuka's hand, Kubota added, "As long as you don't waste it, don't hesitate to pick any fruit you want to taste."

"Thank you."

Without delay, Shizuka plucked a cluster of a ripe purple grape and shared it with Yukino and Aizawa. Meanwhile, Takeo and Hide shared another cluster.

Before long, the journey continued while Hide's group enjoyed the sweet and juicy purple grapes.

---

Kubota took Hide's group to a log-house as wide as eight tatamis. The log-house was super clean, had two bathrooms, and in the center it had a fire pit with an iron pot hung above it.

In his previous life, Hide stayed at the log-house several times. So, he knew that the log-house was built without nails or metal material, but was earthquake resistant. Moreover, it was built in such a way that the inside was cool when the weather was hot, but warm when the weather was cold. An ancient construction technique that was considered being lost.

Also, Hide was surprised when Kubota took him to the log-house in the inner yard, instead of the guest room in the front building. It seemed that he and the rest of the group were accepted as family and not just guests. Hide was sure that along the journey, Kubota had a hard time determining how he would treat his group, and it was only at the last moment that he could decide. Of course, Hide didn't say a word about it.

"Well, the Head of the Family is on a trip, so you guys can stay here while waiting for his return." Kubota calmly continued, "My wife will come with a sleeping sheet in a moment."

"Okay, and thank you for willing to listen to our request," Hide gratefully said.

"Don't thank me yet. You had to wait until Head of Family make a decision on your request."

"We understand."

After Kubota left, Hide's group then rushed to take a shower. With fresh bodies and clean clothes, they then sat in one corner. Hide and Takeo sat cross-legged, while Shizuka sat leaning against the wall with her legs straight and allowed her thighs to be used as pillows by Yukino and Aizawa.

On the bullet train, both Aizawa and Yukino only slept two hours before arriving in Kano City. So, they were sleepy and easily fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Hide calmly opened a conversation, "There are some traditions we need to follow while we are staying here."

"Let's hear it," Takeo said.

While Shizuka added, "Yeah, I don't want to break some taboo while becoming a guest."

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Hide then said calmly, "We have to get up before the sun rises. In this month, it is at 05:10, and don't let any servant see your sleeping sheet falling apart. Tidy it up as soon as you wake up. That way, you will earn their respect like Kirishima Family's members."

""Okay,"" Takeo and Shizuka replied almost at the same time.

"If there is no rice when we eat but there is a menu that matches rice very well, don't ever say 'This menu is very suitable to be enjoyed with rice' or the like, because that would be tantamount to asking the host to provide rice."

""Okay.""

"Thirty meters to the left of this log-house there is a communal bathhouse equipped with a wooden pool and filled with warm water in the morning and evening. Feel free to use it with members of Kirishima Family but pay attention to the time when the opposite sex is using it. The schedule is at the door."

""Okay.""

Then, before Hide could continue his explanation, a crystal clear and melodious voice preceded him first.

"Ara ara, looks like Kubota wasn't lying when he said that you knew our family very well."

In reflex, Hide, Takeo, and Shizuka turned their gaze towards the door. Over there, they found a woman in her mid-20s with a beauty no less than a brand ambassador for cosmetic products, looking at them with a gentle smile.

Her skin was as white as snow, while her glossy jet-black hair was tied at the end and fell freely until it reached her left breast. She wore a pair of dark blue denim trousers, a light blue V-neck shirt, and a gray thin yukata that fell until below her knees.

Her slim and willowy waist was dangerously seductive, while her fully developed breasts were provocatively pushed out from under her shirt. They were not melon size, but they were larger than average and proportionate with her S-shaped figure.

At a glance, Hide and Shizuka could estimate that she had a golden ratio of 170/51.

Undoubtedly, the young woman was a lethal otherworldly beauty. However, her true charm was not in her physical appearance, but her calmness, maturity, and gentleness.

While her three guests were stunned by her beauty, the charming young woman signaled several maidservants to enter. Swiftly, some of the maids set up the sleeping sheets, while some others set up several folding tables and placed a large dispenser, three large plates of fruit salad, and a lunch set.

At the same time, the charming young woman approached her guests. As she sat in front of them, she said gently, "My name is Kiritani Kirishima, the only daughter of Kirishima Family's Head Master and Kubota's wife.

I'm really sorry, your sleeping sheet hasn't been prepared yet. The Idiot Kubota only told me there were some guests after he arrived.

And as the host in charge of welcoming guests, I would like to welcome you to Kirishima Family and nice to meet you all."

Hide immediately bowed deeply before replying, "Thank you for accepting us, Mrs. Kubota, and please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Uesugi Hidetada and nice to meet you too."

Without delay, Shizuka and Takeo followed Hide's action.

"Greeting Mrs. Kubota, my name is Shizuka Oda, and nice to meet you."

"Greeting Mrs. Kubota, my name is Takeo Ishida, and nice to meet you."

"Oh my... You all are really polite kids." Kiritani then covered her cheerful smile with her hand before continuing, "Ah... and please call me Mrs. Kiritani or Big Sis Kiritani."

"We understand," Hide quickly replied while Takeo and Shizuka nodded in unison.

After a gentle smile, Kiritani then approached the two little girls who were sleeping on Shizuka's lap. "And these two sweet and adorable ones must be Yukino and Aizawa."

While Shizuka was nodding, Kiritani gently moved Aizawa to one of sleeping sheets, followed by Shizuka who no less gently moved Yukino to the sleeping sheet next to Aizawa.

After fixing Aizawa's blanket, Kiritani then turned to Shizuka, "I have prepared a light lunch meal, young coconut water, and fruit salad. When these two sweet pumpkins wake up, please make sure they consume as much coconut water and fruit salad as possible to help their bodies make adjustments to climate change."

"I will and thank you very much."

Then a maid handed Shizuka three sets of light gray yukata and a black winged-jacket as Kiritani said, "While you all here, please wear this yukata. If the weather is too cold at night, you can add the winged-jacket.

As for Yukino and Aizawa, I'll try to find a casual kimono for them."

"Thank you very much," Shizuka gratefully said.

"Don't be too courteous, and please think of this place as your second home. I'll be back when it's time for afternoon shower."

"Okay."

Before long, Kiritani left the log-house and Takeo immediately took a deep breath.

"I never thought that in this world there is such a beautiful woman."

"Yeah," Shizuka replied weakly.

"Mr. Kubota must have had extraordinary luck so he could marry Mrs. Kiritani."

This time, Shizuka only turned to Takeo while sighing silently.

At the same time Hide muttered inwardly, 'Dumb idiot, don't judge someone by their outer appearance.'

Hide knew for sure that if Kirishima Family was a snake family, then Kiritani was the most venomous and dangerous snake.

Also, the reason why Kubota could snatch Kiritani's love and affection was not that he was lucky, but because he accepted her the way she was. Yes, it was because of a simple little thing called acceptance. Even so, many people didn't have a heart big enough to accommodate that small thing.

Moreover, Hide believed that Shizuka would become as beautiful as Kiritani when the time came. It's just that most of the time, humans failed to see that someone who was priceless was already standing in front of their nose.

'Well, as if I have the right to say that Takeo is an idiot,' Hide continued his mumbling as he turned to Aizawa who was sleeping peacefully.

*****