Chapter 76

It's been a long time since I felt this relaxed~

Yamayama Naoki, who had stayed until it was dark without realizing it, suddenly remembered the time the houseboat was supposed to set sail and hurried over.

The front desk lady was still on duty. Seeing Yamayama Naoki walk into the hotel lobby again, she immediately gave him a big smile,

"Mr. Customer, you're back~"

Such enthusiasm made Yamayama Naoki feel a bit strange,

Why does it feel like a wife welcoming her husband home? Could this be what they mean by making customers feel at home?

"Hi, I haven't missed the boarding time, right?"

"Boarding will start in about 5 minutes. Mr. Customer, please follow me."

Saying that, she led Yamayama Naoki to the dock.

The small houseboat had only four tables, separated by bamboo screens, and two of them were already occupied.

One table was a couple in convenient kimonos, clearly on a date; the other seemed to be a business reception, with two men and one woman all dressed in suits.

Yamayama Naoki, on the other hand, was wearing a plain T-shirt and jeans, which made him seem a bit out of place.

However, his consistent fitness routine allowed the muscle lines to be faintly visible through the T-shirt. His fair and tender face, combined with his handsome features, could easily be described as "Tokyo's Wu彦祖" (a famous handsome actor).

Didn't you notice the eyes of the girl in the couple and the urban beauties in the reception group were all shining?

"Mr. Customer, this is your seat." The front desk lady led him to his seat and then walked away a bit reluctantly, "If you need anything, I'll be at the front desk~"

"Hi, arigato!"

......

Until the boat set sail, the fourth group of customers still hadn't shown up,

It seemed that today's houseboat would only have three tables,

Small houseboats are indeed quite expensive. If it's not a holiday, they usually don't fill up during regular days.

Some cold dishes were placed on the table, with five small plates of Japanese specialties,

Pickled radish, boiled beans, cold seaweed, tofu, shrimp rice balls, cucumber rolls......

It did give a refreshing summer feel.

Shortly after the boat set sail, the staff began to serve the appetizers,

It was tempura along with some other dishes,

Yamayama Naoki ordered a bottle of sake and enjoyed it while tasting the food.

The open cabin allowed a direct view of the river outside,

The sky was gradually darkening, and the red boat lights cast their reflections on the gently rippling water, creating a shimmering glow,

The lights on both banks also came on, blending with the various shop signs to create a colorful night market scene,

Hastily walking office workers, playing children, and leisurely elderly people cooling off appeared and gradually faded away along the banks,

No master's brush was needed; it was already a vivid depiction of urban life.

People out for a walk occasionally cast their gazes toward the small boat on the river,

Watching the ancient-style houseboat slowly navigate the river, the red lanterns casting a warm glow on the water, and the soft lights inside the boat revealing a few slightly blurry figures, it was like ancient nobles enjoying a night cruise on the river.

You see the scenery on the shore from the boat, and the people on the shore see you~

There's a reason so many people like to take houseboats.

......

As the boat slowly moved forward,

The main course arranged by the boat staff was already being served,

Freshly caught tuna sashimi was placed on crushed ice, surrounded by lemon slices and wasabi, and the green shiso leaves made it look even more crystal clear and fresh.

Yamayama Naoki picked up a piece of fish with some wasabi, dipped it in soy sauce, and put it in his mouth. After a slight coolness, a rich taste experience unfolded:

The tender fish meat required almost no chewing, only a fresh and sweet flavor that blended with the salty and savory soy sauce and the spicy wasabi, bursting forth like a powerful rock concert on his tongue, making it hard to stop.

Drinking a sip of sake and eating a piece of sashimi was truly enjoyable.

The couple next to him was quietly feeding each other, whispering and laughing; the business reception group drank more, toasting and flattering each other, the atmosphere gradually becoming lively and boisterous.

Thanks to the open river, the sound of the wind and water, and the bamboo screens, it didn't feel noisy, but rather gave a sense of tranquility amidst the bustling city.

Thinking about this, Yamayama Naoki couldn't help but smile,

"Without realizing it, my state of mind has reached such a high level~"

......

When the next dish, a vegetarian mushroom soup, was served, the boat's intercom suddenly came on,

"Dear passengers, the summer farewell fireworks display is about to begin. Please enjoy the show."

Sure enough, a few minutes later, a firework burst in the night sky,

Then, fireworks of various colors began to bloom along the banks of the Sumida River,

One after another, the fireworks bloomed in the night sky,

And then they scattered, one after another, in a continuous and undulating display,

As the rhythm of the fireworks quickened, the colorful fireworks competed for beauty in the sky,

Purple, seductive; green, shy; blue, aloof; red, passionate.

The mysterious Takamagahara (the High Plain of Heaven) opened a gap in the night sky,

Allowing the mortals on earth to glimpse the splendid flowers in the celestial garden,

The dazzling and colorful display,

Filled the sky, shimmered on the water, reflected in the eyes, and imprinted in the hearts,

Intense emotions, passionate and unrestrained, seemed to bloom forever~

But good things don't last long,

The colorful clouds scatter, and the glass shatters, leaving behind a sense of loneliness after the brilliance....

The colorful fireworks will eventually fade, just like all passionate romances.

Unlike the grand Sumida River Fireworks Festival in July and August,

The summer farewell fireworks display lasted only about twenty minutes,

And it didn't end abruptly after the most brilliant fireworks,

But as the farewell moment approached, the rhythm of the fireworks gradually slowed, and the fireworks slowly disappeared,

Leaving a lingering sense of regret in the hearts of the audience.

......

The colorful display gradually faded from his eyes,

But the music depicting the fireworks in Yamayama Naoki's mind didn't stop,

Instead, it became clearer with a faint sense of regret,

He didn't expect that watching fireworks would bring back old memories,

Shaking his head, the slight intoxication made it hard for him to distinguish reality from illusion,

The music seemed to be playing in his ears, becoming clearer and clearer.

"Strange, why does it feel like an auditory hallucination?"

When the last firework also faded, the boat,

The couple next to him seemed to notice Yamayama Naoki's unusual state, discussed for a moment, and the woman called the server,

"That gentleman seems a bit uncomfortable. Is he seasick?"

The server in a simple kimono also came over to ask,

"Mr. Customer, are you feeling unwell?"

In Yamayama Naoki's ears, the server's words seemed to come with a sad background music, but he could still hear them clearly,

"Nothing serious, just a bit too much to drink."

Then Yamayama Naoki nodded to the couple next to him, expressing his gratitude.

He vaguely heard the man say, "I told you it's nothing~"

The business reception group on the other side of the bamboo screen started drinking again, chatting enthusiastically.

It was already evening, and the temperature on the river was lower. Yamayama Naoki, eating the warm mushroom soup, felt a bit sweaty, and the alcohol had mostly worn off.

But the music in his mind kept echoing,

It seemed that he had listened to it too much while working overtime in his previous life,

It had really become a brainwashing loop~

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