Cherry Blossoms and Fireworks
Saturday afternoon, Kazuhiro had another match, so I went to watch with Han Yugyeong. Honestly, I had been planning to skip it. Bringing Aris the previous week and then showing up with another woman right after felt a bit much, even to me.
But during a pillow talk after some intense sex early Saturday morning, the topic came up that one of my few friends was a soccer player and had a game that afternoon. Han Yugyeong immediately latched onto it, saying she had never been to a live match because she only studied and worked part-time during school. She begged me to take her.
So I reluctantly made a reservation and sent Kazuhiro a Line message.
Taira Ryuta: I'm coming to your game today.
SmithKaz: Again? Hyung-nim, did you become a fan of our team after watching me play?
Taira Ryuta: Nah, that's not it. But why aren't you sleeping at this hour?
SmithKaz: I'm with Umi.
SmithKaz: [Photo]
The photo showed Kazuhiro and Kagawa Umi making peace signs. Kagawa Umi was wearing an oversized T-shirt that clearly belonged to Kazuhiro, while the guy himself was shirtless. Since only their upper bodies were visible, it was entirely possible they were both bottomless when the picture was taken.
Ugh… I shouldn't have imagined that. My stomach turned.
Taira Ryuta: You crazy bastard. Anyway, let's meet up after the game.
SmithKaz: Okay. I'll score again, so watch closely.
With that, I took Han Yugyeong to Kazuhiro's match. This time it wasn't VIP seats that Kazuhiro had reserved for us, just regular ones. She pointed at Kazuhiro warming up in the distance and asked,
"Yeah. Smith Kazuhiro. He's a bit of a horndog, but he's a good guy."
"Then he's just like you?"
"Why would you say something so cruel…!"
When I grimaced in disgust, Han Yugyeong burst into loud laughter. She really was prettier when she smiled. But I couldn't forgive her for saying he was like me, so I mercilessly tickled her sides. We kept messing with each other until the game started, earning death glares from the solo spectators around us. I just kept an attitude of what are you gonna do about it? while Han Yugyeong didn't seem to care about the stares at all.
The match began, and we cheered wildly. Before I knew it, the game was over. Kazuhiro scored two goals this time. The first was pure skill, just like last week, but the second came when a defender's clearance hit him square in the face and bounced straight into the net. The Tokyo FC supporters' section erupted in massive laughter at that second goal.
After the match, we had dinner again with the Kazuhiro-Umi couple. When I introduced Han Yugyeong, they looked at me like I was absolute garbage. I already knew I was trash, but that kind of stare still hurt.
"Yeah."
When I nodded, Han Yugyeong looked absolutely delighted. She was staring at me with such expectation that I had no choice but to nod.
"Hello, I'm Han Yugyeong."
Han Yugyeong greeted Kazuhiro and Kagawa Umi in somewhat awkward Japanese. It was stiff, but she pronounced everything clearly. Had she studied because I was in Japan?
"Han Yugyeong…? Are you Korean by any chance?"
When I translated Kagawa Umi's question, Han Yugyeong nodded. Kagawa Umi let out a delighted squeal, saying You look like a K-idol! and praising how pretty she was.
Well, the Korean Wave was trending again. Was this the eighth wave? Anyway, with Korean idols gaining popularity in Japan once more, there was a generally favorable view of Korea among young Japanese women.
Since Kagawa Umi was an Edo University student, she could speak English. The two of them started chatting in English, so I didn't need to translate anymore. It had been a bit annoying to keep interpreting, so this was nice. Even though I was the one who couldn't speak English and needed someone to translate for me. Incidentally, Kazuhiro's family name was Smith, so he was fluent in English too. He said they mostly spoke English at home.
While the two girls were talking, Kazuhiro tapped my shoulder.
"Did I get demoted from Hyung-nim to just Trash?"
"What do you want?"
Kazuhiro's taste leaned toward more plain-looking girls, but he could still tell beauty when he saw it. He said that even when he saw a stunning woman, it felt like looking at a well-drawn painting and didn't excite him. Plus, he had that bullying PTSD. That was probably why he said he respected me but hated me.
After parting with the Kazuhiro-Umi couple, we took a night walk, then I tormented Han Yugyeong until dawn. We spent the rest of Sunday relaxing until checkout time, had lunch, and then I sent her back on a plane.
Dating Han Yugyeong was genuinely fun. Since it was her first time in Japan, she found everything fascinating and enjoyed it all, which made showing her around worthwhile.
Next time she comes, we should go to Kyoto or take a hot spring trip. Seeing her this happy made me want to prepare even more.
###
Another week began. I went to work on Monday, but I took Tuesday off. Or rather, it wasn't really me requesting it—Taira Yukiko simply declared, "Today is our day off."
As I mentioned before, Japanese funeral customs require visits on the 7th, 35th, and 49th days after the funeral. Today was exactly the 35th day since Taira Saburo's death. So I took the day off, picked up Taira Yukiko in my car early in the morning, and we headed to the main family house.
"What kind of person was my father, Saburo?"
I asked Taira Yukiko to break the silence while driving and because I was genuinely curious. There wasn't much information about him online, so I wanted to know what kind of man he had been.
"He was a very intelligent man. When we met, he was a professor in the Business Administration department at Edo University. I was a third-year student."
"I've heard that before."
I had learned it from an internet search. Among the limited information on Taira Saburo, the most abundant topics were his marriage to Taira Yukiko and his recent death in a dump truck accident. It seemed to have been quite the scandal at the time. After all, it was a professor from a chaebol family dating his own student.
"Saburo believed that dating me damaged his moral integrity as a professor, so he quit teaching and entered the Taira Group succession race."
So that's how the former professor Taira Saburo switched careers to become a businessman.
"Saburo was exceptional. On top of that, Madam Shizuku, the Chairman's wife, was his mother, which was a tremendous help. Even though I couldn't offer much financial support because my family wasn't wealthy, he still rose rapidly. But there was one problem."
After saying that, Taira Yukiko let out a small sigh.
"I was infertile. I couldn't have children."
Right. From Taira Danzo's perspective, he would want the descendant of his empire's crown prince to be healthy, not completely unable to produce an heir. If there were no descendants at all, the massive empire known as the Taira Group would crumble apart.
"After leading the race, Saburo fell to the same level as his brothers. And then… he died so pointlessly in a car accident… Hic…!"
Suddenly overcome with emotion, Taira Yukiko began sobbing, tears streaming down her face. I pulled the car over to the shoulder, hugged her, and gently patted her back. Thankfully, I had gone pretty hard with Han Yugyeong yesterday. Otherwise, the feeling of her breasts pressing against me might have caused an erection.
"Yes… I'm sorry for showing you this side of me."
It had only been a little over a month since her husband died, so the shock probably hadn't faded yet. I comforted Taira Yukiko until we arrived at the main house. I had heard that only a simple memorial service would be held today with no other relatives attending. Everyone would gather on the 49th day. Today, it was just me, Taira Yukiko, Taira Danzo, his wife Taira Shizuku, and Taira Saburo's younger sister—my young aunt, Taira Kanna.
We parked at the main house and headed to the central building where Taira Danzo was waiting. He still looked remarkably vigorous as he stood there expecting us.
"Hello, Father, Mother, Aunt."
"Hello, Grandfather, Grandmother, Aunt."
Calling a high school girl my aunt still felt incredibly awkward, but I had to do it. The family hierarchy was no joke.
"Have you been well? You still look so handsome, my grandson."
Grandmother Taira Shizuku completely ignored Taira Yukiko and approached me, stroking my cheek as she greeted me. It was a bit uncomfortable, but since I was the blood of her son Taira Saburo, she treated me warmly.
"Y-yes… Nephew… sir."
She called me "Nephew sir." Taira Kanna's face turned bright red, showing how shy she was. That delicate, protective aura around her remained unchanged.
Taira Danzo led the way to the family cemetery behind the main house. Someone must have been maintaining it, because Taira Saburo's headstone was spotless and gleaming. Unlike last time, there was no monk present, so Taira Danzo simply poured water over the already clean stone and muttered a few words too quietly to hear.
We each washed the stone in order of family rank and murmured our own words, concluding the 35th-day ceremony. I didn't have much to say, so I simply told him, Mother, I'll take good care of her.
It looked like I would be having another private meeting with Taira Danzo. It was a bit awkward, but unlike the other relatives who were terrified of him, I wasn't scared at all. To me, he was just a grumpy old man.