Chapter 1 | The Town Where He Was Born | Remake our Life!
Part 5
It had been a while since I had ridden on the Tozai Line, and the train was relatively empty, partly because the flow was the opposite of that of commuters. In the pitch-dark underground windows, one can occasionally see the names of nostalgic stations.
Kawagoe, where Tsurayuki's parents live, has three stations in the center of the city. Kawagoe, Kawagoe City, and Hon-Kawagoe. Each of them must have their own reasons, but it is a bit confusing for those who come from the outside.
“Why did you choose Hon-Kawagoe Station?”
Nanako asked me why I chose the Seibu Line station among them.
“Only once before, Tsurayuki said that he was using that station.”
Tsurayuki rarely mentioned his parents' house, but sometimes, when he was in a good mood, he talked about those days. I had kept the name of the station, Hon-Kawagoe, on the edge of my memory.
"But I don't know if it's easy to get to Tsurayuki's parents' house from there or what."
"I see... Well, it's not like he invited us."
This is only a guerrilla act, and of course I have not told Tsurayuki about any of this. It is good that he came, but it is a gamble whether the crucial person is there or not.
I took the Seibu Shinjuku Line from Takadanobaba Station and arrived at Honkawagoe Station in about an hour. Since it was a weekday, by the time we arrived, there were noticeably empty seats in the train. As we exited the station building, we saw arcades and condominiums under construction, but what stood out most was the word Koedo.
Kawagoe had become a tourist resource by preserving and restoring the old townscape. I heard that the term "Koedo" is used to mean "flourished like Edo" or "with the atmosphere of the Edo period," but I don't know deeply about it.
Well, I didn't come here for sightseeing, so I don't think I need to know the details for now.
"It's a pretty big city... Wait, Nanako?"
"Uwh..."
I looked and saw Nanako, her brow furrowed and she was groaning.
"Eh, what's wrong? Did you get sick on the train or something?"
When I called out to her in concern, Nanako sounded distressed,
"It's an urban..."
"Eh?"
"His parents' house was more... in the urban..."
I suddenly lost my strength.
“Don’t compete on that...”
"Because! He kept saying that! He said that people who thought Lake Biwa was the ocean would be shocked if they came to my parents' house! And I was also saying that it's just like Tokyo's bonus, but it's a really big city! No wonder I am depressed!
I smile wryly involuntarily.
Well, to Nanako's frustration, the city does indeed look "urban".
There were many people coming and going, and the area was filled with people of all ages, without the atmosphere of only older people, which is common in regional cities.
"Anyway, this is the town where Tsurayuki was born."
Nanako looks around and mutters so.
Yes, I was more interested in that. The fact that Tsurayuki was born and raised in this town. It is also a city that he used as his pen name in the midst of his mixed feelings of love and hate. I wonder if we will eventually have the opportunity to hear about this city from him.
Anyway, we decided to get moving.
I had already asked for the address of his parents' house, so I poked around on my cell phone to find the route. This, too, would be over soon if it were 10 years from now ... I thought about it and used an address search to derive a route.
"You got it?"
Nanako peeking at the screen,
"Yeah, but it seems a bit difficult to get there."
Tsurayuki's parents' house seemed to be quite a walk from the nearest station.
"Even if I use the bus, it might be a short walk from there."
Nanako chuckled and said,
"Hmm, the area where his house is located is pretty remote."
“Are you still competing!?”
"What, aren't you frustrated too, Kyouya? Because he's definitely going to condescend to us!"
Well, my family's home, Oji, is not really a city.
"Let's just go. If we don't, we won't know what kind of place it is."
"That's right, I guess the competition with that guy will have to wait ~"
You already have a different purpose... but that's okay.
We considered taking a walking route via a bus, but not being familiar with the area, we decided to take a taxi.
Get in the taxi and look out the window. The countryside was spread out all over the area.
The central part of Kawagoe had the atmosphere of a provincial city with many large buildings. However, this area was more like the countryside.
Both Nanako and I were sitting side by side with nothing to talk about.
Maybe the reason why the inside of the car is quiet because the scenery does not change.
"We'll be there in five minutes"
The driver was so concerned.
"Ah, yes"
I answered, and fuu, let out a sigh.
I have come to Tsurayuki's hometown for the time being, but of course the real action lies in what I am going to do from now on. My goal is to suggest to Tsurayuki that he return to college, and to get him to accept it. But of course, there will be many difficulties in doing so.
If I want to be careful, I should research his current position, his state of mind, and the situation he is in before taking action. If I just act recklessly, things will not move in the right direction.
(But I can't just sit back and take it easy.)
Since there is a semester limit to return to the university, the application must be submitted by the end of August or the student will not be able to make it to the second semester classes.
Of course, if the enrollment fee is paid, it will be possible to return to work the following April, but considering emotional considerations, it would be ideal to have the decision made by this limit.
But that is just a convenient idea on my part. Depending on what kind of circumstances Tsurayuki is living under right now, there may be a long-term battle.
"Ah, we've arrived."
When I looked up at Nanako's voice, the taxi was parked on the side of the road.
(At last)
I inhaled lightly and looked out the window. The sky was a bright blue, with no particular changes.
And now we had a house of unbelievable size in front of us.
"Here, huh..."
"Amazing..."
From the start, I was already overwhelmed.
When I took a taxi and told him the name and address, he said, "Oh, that's doctor Rokuonkai!" In fact, it was so easy to find Tsurayuki parents' house that it was hard to get lost as one approached the house.
A large two-story house was spread out in the middle of a large lot surrounded by large gateposts and walls. The yard was filled with many trees and looked like a park.
The gate was magnificent, and next to the door where people enter and exit, there was a large shutter that was large enough for two cars. I assume that there are multiple parking spaces in the mansion, rather than a garage directly beyond it.
Tsurayuki's parents' house was an easy-to-understand mansion.
"How many LDKs are there, this..."
Nanako's voice no longer had a hint of the competitive air it had earlier. Whether or not she lives in the city is no longer important in front of this mansion.
"Maybe it's over two digits..."
I've never seen 10LDK or anything like it, except in dramas and news.
Anyway, I pushed the intercom hesitantly because I was afraid that I might be reported if I loitered around in front of the gate without doing anything.
"Yes"
After a while, I heard a woman's voice.
"Excuse me for the suddenly. My name is Hashiba, Tsurayuki-kun's friend. Is Tsurayuki-kun at home?"
I answered as calmly as I could,
"If it's young master, he is already gone out in the morning today. Do you have an appointment?"
"No, I was just in the neighborhood..."
"If so, I'm sorry, could you please make an appointment with young master directly? We cannot let anyone through without prior notice..."
I was rejected very calmly and firmly.
"I understand, excuse me."
When the voice over the intercom cut off with a popping sound, Nanako said in a panicked voice,
"W-W-W-What should I do, Kyouya, Tsurayuki is a real young master, just now that is a nanny, right...?"
"That's right..."
"A nanny... that kind of person really exists. I was surprised."
Well, I think it is rare to find such a person. I, too, did not have a family with such a person among my classmates in elementary, middle, and high school.
But there are many outrageously rich people in the world. It just so happens that I was not directly involved, but of course such people must live in such houses and lead such lifestyles.
"What should we do, should I call him?"
"Right"
If he is not at home, I have to admit that the situation is out of hand. So I called Tsurayuki's cell phone number. After a few moments, I quietly hung up and closed my cell phone.
"... As expected, it might be tough."
“Eh, don't tell me he rejected your calls or something?”
I replied, "No," as I tucked my cell phone into my pocket..
"His number has changed. Tsurayuki's..."
"...Eh"
Nanako was speechless in surprise.
In a way it was predictable, but it was also a bit of a shock. Somewhere in the back of my mind I had thought that even after what had happened, he would have left us with the minimum contact.
However, I think it was still kind of him to change the number. If he had rejected my calls without changing the number, it would have been even more painful.
"With this, we really have no choice but to look for him around."
Nanako sighs.
Aside from the phone call, I had prepared myself for the fact that I would not be able to meet him easily, so I myself had switched to the next course of action.
"Let's go to every place we can think of where Tsurayuki might be. If we do that, we might meet him by chance."
Until we meet in person, let's just do what we can.
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