Is the bedroom I have lived in for more than ten years actually so small?
No, it's not too small. This is the largest room on the second floor.
There is a large bed in the middle, and desks and bookshelves are placed on the walls and corners, not to mention necessary furniture such as wardrobes. Apart from that, there is still a lot of space, but it is not as spacious as I remembered.
Naruse moved his feet, and the cardboard box that was kicked made a muffled sound.
He lowered his head.
Or is it because there are too many moving cartons piled up now?
After taking out the clothes from the carton and packing them into the closet, he bent down and dragged another carton to his feet.
Seeing [Winter Clothes] written on the side, he pushed the carton aside again.
"What's wrong?"
"Those are winter clothes."
"Is Harumi planning to leave it until winter to tidy up?"
"I just...no, it's nothing."
Naruse shook his head, stretched out his arm, and pulled the carton back.
Holding the soft down jacket, he suddenly thought that it would snow in the Aomori area in November, and winter was not far away.
After a box of winter clothes was packed away, Naruse took a breath.
He looked at the girl on the other side of the room for a while, until she noticed something and turned to look at him before speaking:
"When did Shangzi come back?"
"I arrived home not long after Chunhai went out. What a coincidence."
"Then you have been helping me at my house until now."
She smiled, sweating heavily on her face, a little more than when she came downstairs to greet him.
"I don't have anything else to do."
Putting the library book in her hand on the bookshelf, she bent down and picked up a few more books, reading the covers one by one.
"Chunhai went to school, how's it going there? Have you completed the transfer process?"
"It's almost the same. Only the uniforms haven't been customized yet." Naruse said, "The person in charge is not available today, so he will have to make another trip tomorrow."
"Yeah?"
Naoko thought for a moment and smiled, "Then let me go there with Chunhai tomorrow. I also have some things to buy."
"OK."
After a short rest, the girl turned around and continued organizing the bookshelf.
Naruse looked at her for a while longer, lowered his head, raised his feet and moved another cardboard box to his side.
Shangzi, whose maiden name is Dongyun, is the adopted daughter of the next door neighbor's family and one of his childhood playmates.
Almost eight years ago, Dongyun and his wife were involved in a car accident while at work, killing both of them, leaving behind an orphaned daughter, Naoko;
Then, Tetsu Nika, a close friend of the Dongyun couple during his lifetime, also stepped forward and adopted Naoko with his wife.
The Nakahana couple are both researchers at the Aomori Agricultural and Forestry Research Institute. They are busy with work and have been married for many years without having children. Their adopted daughter Naoko is still their only child.
"Mr. Kouka, don't they have time to come back during the Bon Festival?" Naruse asked.
"Well, I can't get away from my work at the research institute."
Shang Zi, who was in front of the bookshelf, responded, turning around to see that he was still lowering his head to sort things out, and his eyes slowly focused on his side face.
"My parents are currently working at the main research institute in Aomori City. They said they will go to the Kuroishi City branch to help for a while after winter."
"Yeah."
During the four years they were separated, the two contacted each other almost every day. They already knew each other's situation very well. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it was the other's diary.
At this time, Naruse just sighed softly, "I'm so busy."
"So... I'm really happy that Harumi can come back here." She whispered.
He raised his eyes and saw that Shang Zi had his back to this side, and his long black hair hanging on one side was swaying slightly.
"Me too."
...
Although there was so much luggage that it filled half the room, fortunately there was someone around to help, and the organizing efficiency far exceeded Naruse's expectations.
After flattening all the empty cartons and stacking them together, he raised his eyes and looked out the window.
The sky in the west was orange, and it was already evening.
"I actually finished it in one afternoon...it was really helpful."
Shangzi still smiled gently, "These are the only things I can do."
"I'll take care of these things." Naruse bent down, took the cardboard from her hand, "Put them all up."
"no problem?"
"Um."
After carrying a thick stack of cardboard downstairs, Naruse was thinking about how to deal with it when a figure walked out of the bedroom next to him.
"It's all done? It's really fast. Pack up these cardboards too and send them to the garbage room."
Cardboards were piled randomly on the ground, and there were traces of reluctance everywhere.
"Is there any paper string?" he asked.
"No. I forgot to buy it."
"As for paper rope, I have it at home."
Shangzi also went downstairs. Hearing this, he quickened his pace and walked out, "I'll get it."
"Then it's up to you, Naoko."
Watching Naoko go out, the woman standing at the door of the bedroom sighed with emotion: "This child is really reliable. She came back not long after Chunhai went out at noon, and she has been helping him ever since."
"I know." Naruse responded, bending down and squatting on the ground.
Looking at the cardboard that was haphazardly dismantled and forcibly flattened, he felt a little helpless, but he could only do it himself and refold it;
After all, the person walking behind Naoko while saying good things about him was his biological mother, a well-known actress who was proficient in housework and devoted all her talent and most of her energy to her career as an artist, Matsu Chiaki.
“Isn’t it okay to pack it this way?”
"No. If you send it directly to the garbage room, you will definitely be reprimanded by the administrator."
"Even me?"
Naruse finally looked back.
Looking at his son's eyes, Song Qianqiu smiled.
"Fortunately, Chunhai is also very reliable, otherwise my mother's life would have become a mess long ago."
Naruse turned back again, leaned forward, and pressed his hands a few times to flatten the cardboard.
"After I'm gone."
"Then I can only ask Miss Sato."
Miss Sato is Matsu Chiaki's assistant. She did not come with her this time and is still in Tokyo.
"no problem?"
"If there's nothing wrong with Harumi, then there's nothing wrong with mom."
The two of them talked to each other, and Shangzi, who had gone home to get the paper rope, came over quickly.
All the reorganized cardboards were bundled and packed, and sent to the garbage room at the intersection. The administrator, who was in his fifties or sixties, looked relieved when he saw Shangzi, and did not check at all.
"Did this old man really be so gentle?" Naruse whispered on the way back, "He used to find fault with me."
Naoko followed with a smile on her face, "Mr. Yamada is just taking his work seriously. He actually likes Harumi very much."
"Really? He didn't seem to recognize me just now."
"I recognized him. Mr. Yamada just asked me quietly, 'Is that Mamoru's son?'...Ah."
Naruse fell silent and looked to the horizon.
The setting sun is about to end, burning a fiery red on the horizon, and the tall Yanmu Mountain is just the embellishment of the sunset.
"Would you like to have dinner at my house?"
Shangzi looked up at him, stretched out his hand, and then quietly put it down.
"good."
Dinner was prepared by Naruse and Naoko together. It was just a few simple dishes, but it received almost exaggerated praise from Matsu Chiaki.
After a few words of modesty, Naoko just smiled. Naruse could see that she was very happy, but she probably didn't take it too seriously.
"Stop memorizing your lines."
"That's too much! Mom just thought of it and took it to use."
"But who is 'Jingzi'? Is there such a person in our family?"
"Hey, did I just say this name..."
After eating for a few more mouthfuls, Matsu Qianqiu looked at his son and then at Shangzi next to him.
"However, Naoko is really reassuring, just like a sister. When I'm not around, Harumi will be in your care."
Shangzi nodded.
"Your parents are not at home anyway, so why not come live at my house."
"..."
She raised her head and looked at Naruse next to her, but did not answer directly.
"Naoko's home is next door, not that far away." Naruse said as expected, "And I don't need to take care of you, so don't make things difficult for others."
"You have to take care of each other."
Song Qianqiu looked at his son, "Shangzi is also at home alone. Chunhai occasionally relies more on Shangzi. When she encounters a problem, she becomes more willing to ask Chunhai for help."
Naruse said nothing and nodded.
Shangzi pursed his lips, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just nodded solemnly.
After dinner, Naruse stayed in the kitchen to help wash the dishes.
"Are you worried?"
Shangzi was wearing an apron, turned around and smiled, "What?"
He also looked at her and pointed down: "This plate is almost becoming thin after being washed."
"..."
Shangzi came to his senses, put aside the plate he had been rubbing for a few minutes, and picked up another piece from the sink.
After a while, she spoke again: "I'm just a little happy."
"You must have been happy for too long."
"Of course you will be happy for a while if you are praised by someone who often appears on TV."
"Really... Next time she goes on a variety show, let her praise the hard-working and reliable Shangzi on TV."
"don't want."
Shangzi immediately objected, raised his arm again, and lightly bumped his arm.
"What a bad mind."
Naruse laughed, "I just want others to know how good Naoko is."
The water flowed loudly, and Shangzi stared at the plate he was rinsing, his mouth trembling.
"It's enough for Harumi to know."
...
After cleaning up the kitchen, when Naruse Monk returned to the living room, Matsu Chiaki was on the phone.
"...I've taken on this type of role three times, and I'm really not interested...Who do you think the screenwriter is? Are you sure it's him? Well...send the script to my email first...No, I don't
Agree! Let’s take a look first and then talk.”
At the end of the call, when he saw her holding her cell phone thoughtfully, Naruse did not interrupt her, but whispered to Naoko: "Maybe she received a script from a well-known screenwriter, but she didn't like the character."
Shangzi came closer, looked at him, and whispered, "Will auntie agree?"
Naruse stared at his mother for a while, then shook his head, "It's hard to say."
"Do I have to read the script?"
"Um."
While waiting for the agent to send the script to the mailbox, while pacing in the living room, Matsu Qianqiu gradually became impatient and turned his attention to the two children in the middle of the sofa.
Although he is reluctant to separate from Chunhai, separation is inevitable, it is just a matter of time;
And now, he has another child by his side.
A child who seems a bit silent, but occasionally shows amazing positive side.
"Want to take the next step?" Naruse suddenly asked.
"The script hasn't been sent yet."
Song Qianqiu shook his phone, walked around again, then walked to sit next to Shangzi.
"The character this time is an elite woman who is busy with her career but neglects her family. As a result, both parties gradually begin to collapse. It's very cliché, right?"
Naoko nodded and casually named a role of the same type that she had played before.
"Hey, this drama was filmed the year I first came back. Has Shangzi seen it too?"
"I have watched all the TV series, movies, and variety shows that Auntie starred in."
Naoko paused for a moment and looked up at Song Qianqiu, who was very close at hand, "My favorite artist is Harumi's mother..."
"I also like Naoko the most——"
Song Qianqiu smiled brightly, hugged Shangzi and held him in his arms.
"Harumi, find a way to make Naoko become our child!"
"You can discuss this with Uncle Hua yourself." Naruse responded casually, turning his ear to the door and faintly hearing voices outside.
Soon, the doorbell rang.
Ding dong——
Someone came to the door at this time. Both Matsu Chiaki and Shoko were a little surprised, but Naruse had already stood up and opened the door.
"Good evening - we came to disturb you~"
A refreshing greeting came from outside the door.
Having lived in Tokyo for a long time, Matsu Qianqiu felt unfamiliar with this voice, and lowered his head to ask Naoko.
The girl in her arms frowned, looked at the door and muttered to herself.