When the work was over, Kyoko Koizumi’s assistant showed up at the right time and presented her with the recently popular cake. She said goodbye to Akina Nakamori very gracefully:
"Akina-chan has brought children with her, so I won't invite you to play with her."
This is an interaction that only occurs between good friends.
Kyoko Koizumi may seem carefree, but she is actually considerate and considerate to others. She says she doesn't like children, but she can win their favor easily.
Nakamori Akina and Utada Hikari were very happy when they received the gift cake.
Tonight, Akina Nakamori made an appointment with her mother, Chieko, and went over for dinner after work.
When Chieko visited her daughter and son-in-law, Utada Hikaru had already met this fashionable and cheerful "Aunt Chieko" and was looking forward to having a meal with Akina Nakamori.
Chieko, who lives alone, lives a fulfilling life and enjoys herself. Although physical aging is inevitable, she is in a happy mood and is in better condition than in previous years.
The mother and grandmother of this large family has now found her own life again. This kind of life experience makes her have the kindness of elders and an open-minded friend. Not only Iwahashi Shinichi likes to chat with his mother-in-law, but also children.
like her.
After getting out of the car, Utada Hikaru held the gift cake he received in his hands.
Chieko was very happy about the arrival of the two of them, "Long time no see, Akina-chan, and Hikaru, welcome." As soon as she laid her eyes on Utada Hikari, the girl sent the cake over.
Utada Hikaru was polite and said, "Good evening, Aunt Chieko. The cake is from Koizumi-san~"
She is very frank.
Chieko took it with a smile: "Thank you, let's eat the child's gift together."
A variety show was playing on the TV. Utada Hikari sat at the low table and stared at the TV intently. Leaving the child in the living room, Akina Nakamori followed her mother into the kitchen to see if there was anything she could do to help.
The small and exquisite kitchen is well organized and has many new appliances. After starting to live alone, Chieko pursues fashion and has always been at the forefront of trying new things. Of course, sometimes she also buys new kitchen appliances that are completely useless.
The small kitchen was quite crowded with both mother and daughter squeezed in.
However, being in a narrow kitchen with her mother naturally gave Akina Nakamori a sense of warmth. The more narrow the space, the clearer her attachment to her mother became.
However, Nakamori Akina and Chieko are not a mother and daughter reunited after a long separation. This makes this attachment seem quite strange to a certain extent.
Akina Nakamori herself didn't realize it, but Chieko was aware of her daughter's childishness. She wondered whether her daughter had something on her mind or had a quarrel with her son-in-law. However, she didn't show it and calmly arranged: "Everything is almost ready, Akina.
Jiang, please help me arrange it."
"Okay~"
Nakamori Akina is full of energy. She prepares the dishes quickly with her hands and feet, like a bird flying around. When putting the side dishes on the plate, she smells the fragrance of pickled cucumbers, picks up a piece and puts it into her mouth. It tastes sour.
A look of satisfaction.
The cucumber slurped down into his stomach, and then he realized that it was too rude to do so. He stuck out his tongue like a child who had done something bad. After comforting himself, he raised his head and met his mother's inquiring eyes.
"If you're not careful..."
Akina Nakamori showed a small smile, trying to find a reason for her stealing. Chieko looked at her daughter's innocent appearance and looked thoughtful.
As a mother, she seemed to realize that something had quietly changed in her daughter.
As both a woman, Nakamori Akina met Chieko's gaze and suddenly had an idea. With her daughter's intuition, she guessed the meaning of her mother's hesitation.
When she first got married, Nakamori Akina was full of energy and wanted to have a child as soon as possible. Just like she and Iwahashi Shinichi had planned when looking forward to the future before marriage, she became a mother at the age of twenty-seven.
However, after getting married, the strong expectations did not immediately become reality.
When the two girls moved into the house one after another, Nakamori Akina played the role of a caregiver. It seemed that after becoming an imaginary caregiver, she became even more disconnected from her children.
Recently, after untying her heart, putting down her burdens, and relaxing physically and mentally, not only is she no longer obsessed with taking on the role of an imaginary caregiver, but Akina Nakamori is no longer so anxious about when to become a mother. Therefore, even if
There had been some subtle changes in her body and mind recently, but she didn't think about it immediately.
At this moment, facing her mother's probing gaze, she finally took the recent subtle changes seriously.
As she thought about it, Akina Nakamori's heartbeat could not help but speed up slightly.
…
Eating alone with Hamasaki Ayumi almost never happened. Iwahashi Shinichi asked the girl what she wanted to eat, and she said without thinking: "Meat!"
"I want to eat meat happily."
Iwahashi Shinichi's answer made her laugh. However, such a cheerful answer sounded particularly refreshing. He thought to himself that when he first met Hamasaki Ayumi in Fukuoka, this girl must have looked like this.
Ayumi Hamasaki is in high spirits and seems to be in a good mood.
"Hikaru and Akina are going back to their hometown tonight." Iwahashi Shinichi casually chatted with the girl, "Chieko-san's cooking skills are really good."
Hamasaki turned a deaf ear.
"By the way, Matsuura-san's side..." Iwahashi Shinichi finally took the initiative to talk about this matter.
At the mention of this matter, the girl suddenly raised her head and stared at his face: "You said Matsuura-san..."
"how?"
"When you mention Matsuura-san, I feel as if I'm being ridiculed."
Iwahashi Shinichi seemed to have heard an anecdote, "Why should I use Matsuura-san to ridicule you?"
"You are asking knowingly."
Hamasaki became so excited that he forgot about the feast and stared at him blankly. Iwahashi Shinichi had no choice but to tell her: "I didn't blame you, and Matsuura-san didn't blame you for hiding anything.
"
"..."
"If I really want to say it, I should settle the score with Matsuura-san."
Ayumi Hamasaki asked: "What kind of account is it?"
"It's one thing to let an underage girl go to a disco, but it's another thing to arrange that meeting without your consent."
The girl lowered her head and whispered: "Aren't you blaming me?"
Iwahashi Shinichi choked her up, not knowing how to react, so she simply laughed. However, although Hamasaki Ayumi said something contradictory, it did not mean it.
"There is no end to the pursuit of responsibility. In this matter, I am not without responsibility. In other words, in the final analysis, it is still my responsibility."
Of course, almost everything this girl did after coming to Tokyo was based on her own imagination. But it was Shinichi Iwahashi who found Ayumi Hamasaki in Fukuoka and planted such a seed in the girl's heart.
.
The girl came to Tokyo to serve as her guardian and take care of her daily life. This was only superficial. Iwahashi Shinichi did not want to hurt the girl's true personality, but he inadvertently caused harm to her.
The real responsibility of being a guardian does not lie here.
