Chapter 12

How to Spend the New Year in Showa?

In Naoki Nagayama's memory, it was nothing more than eating, drinking, playing, and doing homework, after all, this was his first New Year since he officially entered the workforce.

Of course, life still had to go on. Buying a bed, furniture, appliances, and daily necessities, and moving into a new apartment, all these things had to be done one by one.

There was still a week before the New Year, and he needed to buy gifts!

The landlord, Mrs. Makino, said her children would be coming back for the New Year, and her smile couldn't be hidden when she talked about it.

Yasutaka Nakai actually went back to his hometown with Reimi Hoshino... What was this move? Was he directly meeting the parents now?

The last two days of moving were done by Naoki Nagayama alone, with all his belongings fitting into a single suitcase. After saying goodbye to Mrs. Makino, he finally moved into his first apartment on December 26, Showa 55.

The housewarming dinner was a solo affair. Having been single for over 40 years, he had no problem filling his stomach. Afterward, he started reading magazines, listening to records, and watching programs on the old TV until late at night, then washed up and went to bed....

It looked a bit lonely, but given his personality, there was nothing he could do. Being able to make friends with Yasutaka Nakai and Reimi Hoshino by the end of the year was already quite good, and Japan itself was a lonely society.

However, owning a house was different. It was a symbol of putting down roots in a city.

That night, Naoki Nagayama slept soundly in his own house.

....

The next day, there was nothing much to do. He informed a few acquaintances about his move and his new landline, and familiarized himself with the surrounding environment.

On the third day, he prepared the gifts and set off to return to his hometown for the New Year.

The train to Shizuoka slowly started, and Naoki Nagayama retraced the route he took to Tokyo a year ago, embarking on his journey back home.

Shizuoka is a coastal city between Osaka and Tokyo, with good port conditions. If it weren't for the surrounding mountains and the small plain area, it might have become a large port city like Tokyo Bay.

Exiting the station, he followed the familiar road back home, a standard single-family house nestled among other residences, built by his father, Naoki Ken, 20 years ago after his marriage.

Seeing the sign with his father's name on the door, followed by his mother, elder brother, himself, and Tsuruko... He felt a bit nostalgic, having grown up in this house and left it a year ago....

"Big brother?"

A sudden call came from the side.

With only two days left before the New Year, the last day of junior high was just for cleaning, so Tsuruko Nagayama and her friends were chatting and laughing as they walked home around noon.

As they approached home, a friend named Nao saw the figure at the Nagayama house and whispered, "Tsuruko, look, look, there's a handsome guy over there! He's so fashionable and handsome!" The other girls all turned to look. "Ah, he stopped in front of your house~"

Thanks to his workouts in Tokyo, Naoki Nagayama had developed a well-proportioned physique, no longer looking frail, and had grown a few centimeters, almost reaching 180 cm. His photo shoot with an experienced stylist had given him a stylish short haircut, well-groomed eyebrows, and a clean face, revealing a fair and handsome appearance... He had also learned many styling tips.

As the saying goes, a man is dressed to impress, and the returning Naoki Nagayama wore a gray high-necked sweater, a dark gray plaid overcoat, black nine-inch pants, and white sneakers... a perfect embodiment of the ascetic style.

In Tokyo, there were many punk and hippie styles that overshadowed him. But in Shizuoka, he seemed to have stepped out of a different world.

"What is such a handsome guy doing at my house?" Tsuruko Nagayama was full of questions. Urged by her friends, she approached, but as she got closer, she felt increasingly familiar....

This person is: "Big brother?"

Turning around, "Ah, it's Tsuruko, are you back from school?" Naoki Nagayama saw a group of girls in school uniforms and immediately understood the situation.

"Wow? Is that Naoki?" "No way!" "Cool!" "Just got back?"... Everyone was neighbors and basically knew the original Naoki Nagayama, but they couldn't believe it now.

Naoki Nagayama smiled at the group of girls, "Hello everyone, I just got back from Tokyo..." Then he pushed the door open and went in, "Tsuruko, let's go in~"

"Hi, Nao, everyone, I'm going in, bye~" Tsuruko hurriedly said goodbye and followed him in.

Father and elder brother were probably still busy at the izakaya, as there were usually some customers on the last day, and they ate and drank at the shop. Naoko Nagayama was usually at home at this time and had already heard the noise at the door, looking out from the living room.

Naoki Nagayama entered and said, "Mom, I'm back!"

Naoko Nagayama was a bit stunned. This fashionable handsome guy, is he my quiet son Naoki?

"Mom, big news, big brother has become a handsome guy!" Tsuruko Nagayama exclaimed, breaking the awkward silence.

Naoko Nagayama quickly took the suitcase and invited Naoki Nagayama to sit in the living room, while Tsuruko sat beside him, bombarding him with questions: "Big brother, how did you become so handsome?" "Where did you buy your clothes?" "What style is your hair?"....

Naoki Nagayama had to answer each question slowly. His mother put the suitcase in his old room, then made tea and brought it to the living room table, sitting beside them to listen.

"Because of the photo shoot and selling songs, I earned some money, so I changed my residence. From now on, use the new phone to contact me," Naoki Nagayama gave his new address and phone number to his mother.

"Photo shoot? Did you become a model?"

"No, it was just an accidental collaboration, and it might not happen again."

"What kind of photo shoot?"

"A plum-flavored soda."

"Plum-flavored, is it good? Where can I buy it?"

"It's not on the market yet~"

"Did you also sell songs? When did you become a songwriter?"

"No, I just wrote some lyrics, and the agency took them~"

....

Naoko Nagayama also joined in with questions, and the year's estrangement gradually dissipated in the conversation.

The chat was temporarily interrupted when it was time for lunch.

Lunch was home-cooked, a taste he had grown up with and hadn't had in a long time, which was very satisfying.

After lunch, Tsuruko helped with the dishes, and Naoki Nagayama sat in the living room drinking tea... He was already getting used to this life.

At that moment, a small head poked out from the kitchen: "Did you buy New Year's gifts?"

"Of course I did."

"What are they?"

"That's something you have to discover when you receive the gift."

"Annoying, you've become so mysterious after going to Tokyo...?"

....

In the evening, his father and elder brother finally returned.

Seeing Naoki Nagayama welcoming them, Naoki Ken almost asked, "Who are you?" and his elder brother, Naoki Aoki, was so surprised he couldn't close his mouth, "Is this Naoki? My brother?"

However, once they sat down in the living room, there was silence again.

Both Naoki Ken and Naoki Nagayama were silent and stubborn, and they used to communicate only about specific matters, not really chatting. Aoki had many questions but didn't know what to say.

So, the current Naoki Nagayama broke the silence: "Father, has the izakaya closed for the day?"

"Ah, yes, from today until the 4th of next year, it's the holiday period."

"How was business this year? Has Aoki started taking over the main responsibilities?"

"More companies have opened in the city this year, and thanks to them, we've had more customers. But Aoki still needs to learn more about the responsibilities of the main role."

"Father! I've already learned all the dishes!" Naoki Aoki protested.

"You still have a long way to go!"

And so, they chatted one sentence at a time, slowly continuing through dinner and after dinner....

....

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