Pulling their suitcases behind them, Ichin's parents quickly spotted Ichin and the others waiting nearby and walked over with bright smiles.
As expected, Ichin's mother completely ignored her own son and went straight past him to wrap Utaha in a tight hug.
"Oh my, it's been so long since I've seen Utaha. Let me give you a proper hug."
Utaha smiled and hugged her mother in law in return, then shot Ichin a smug glance from the corner of her eye.
Ichin did not even need to think about it. He had already known this would happen.
What could he do? That was simply his position in the family hierarchy.
Turning to his father, Ichin asked, "Dad, did you have lunch before coming?"
His father nodded. "Yes, we ate at a restaurant before driving to the airport. The plane took off a bit late, but thankfully it was only about twenty minutes."
Meanwhile, after hugging Utaha, Ichin's mother also gave Haruno and Yukino each a warm embrace.
When she hugged Yukino, she looked her over carefully. "Yukino, have you not been eating enough again? You still look a bit too thin."
Yukino's cheeks flushed slightly. "That's not true. I've been eating quite a lot. I just don't gain weight."
Haruno laughed from the side. "That's just how little Yukino is. But she really does eat a lot at home now, much more than when she was younger. Alright, let's get going. No need to stand around here."
After leaving the airport, Ichin's mother, just as expected, pulled Utaha into Yukino's car, while Ichin's father got into Ichin's car.
On the drive home, Ichin chatted with his father about recent matters.
His father was already counting down toward retirement. He barely involved himself in company affairs anymore and had transferred part of his shares to several of the original partner shareholders. He kept only a portion for himself. Next year, once he officially retired, he would simply remain as a shareholder and peacefully enjoy retirement life.
After listening, Ichin smiled and nodded. "That sounds good. You'll finally be able to travel around with Mom and relax."
His father grinned. "Exactly. Your mother said that after the New Year next year, the two of us will go to Harbin. The last time we traveled there, you were still a child."
"That does sound about right."
After thinking for a moment, Ichin said, "Then how about we all go together during the New Year? Or even celebrate the Spring Festival there?"
"Either is fine. We can plan it slowly. It's only July now." His father glanced at him. "Next year you'll be graduating, so you'll need to prepare for the wedding too, right? Have you two decided anything? One ceremony on each side?"
Ichin nodded. "Yes, probably one ceremony in each place. That way it's more appropriate for both sides of the family."
They were tentatively planning the wedding for October next year. The weather would be comfortable by then, no longer so hot.
As for the format, that was trickier. After discussing it, they decided to hold two weddings in different styles.
The preparation would be quite troublesome. As the bride and groom, they would have to personally handle many matters on site, and flying back and forth between the two places would likely become routine for a while.
Still, considering that it was a once in a lifetime event, they could accept the exhaustion. Being a little tired was worth it.
Half an hour later, the two cars finally entered the villa district.
After parking in front of their three story villa, Ichin's parents stepped out and looked up at the house, both wearing satisfied expressions.
Ichin's mother nodded with a smile. "Very nice, very nice. This villa is an excellent choice. It looks even better in person than in the videos."
Taking their luggage out of the trunk, Ichin said, "Let's go inside. I'll show you around properly, then you can rest."
As soon as they entered, Ichin's mother spotted the six cats lounging in the first floor living room. Any worry that the house might feel empty with only four people living there instantly disappeared.
"Oh right, I almost forgot you're raising so many cats."
She picked up Peppa, who had walked up to her feet, and said in surprise, "This little one still remembers me. But hasn't he gotten a bit chubbier?"
Utaha walked over with a smile. "He's an orange cat. He eats a lot and doesn't like exercising much, so of course he's put on a little weight. But it's fine. After a checkup at the hospital, the vet said he's perfectly healthy."
After placing his parents' luggage in their bedroom, Ichin and the others gave them a thorough tour of the villa.
The interior decoration was naturally excellent. Since Haruno also lived there, she had put in considerable effort. The materials used were all high end.
After looking around with satisfaction, Ichin let his parents rest while he, Utaha, and Yukino went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.
As for Haruno, there was no point expecting help from her. As long as she did not cause trouble, that was good enough.
After dinner, Ichin's parents took Utaha and the others for a walk around the villa district to digest their meal. They happened to run into the Sawamura family, who had also just finished dinner. The two families walked together for a while before returning home to drink tea and chat.
Eriri, meanwhile, headed upstairs to the home theater room to play games.
Holding a controller and playing the test version of Tales of Berseria on a massive projection screen, she said with a satisfied expression, "This screen is huge. It's a pity I don't have a spare room at home to remodel, otherwise I'd definitely make a room like this."
After entering university, Eriri had used her savings to renovate her bedroom. The original thirty inch LCD television had been replaced with a seventy inch 4K TV, which already felt fantastic for gaming.
But compared to Ichin's setup, it was like comparing a small witch to a grand wizard. The screen size, the soundproofing, the expensive audio equipment, it was a completely different experience from playing games in her own bedroom.
Ichin laughed. "When you buy your own place in the future, you can design it however you like. I know you still have quite a bit of savings from your illustrator days. With your salary and company dividends, you can definitely afford a big house."
"I can definitely afford one," Eriri replied while finishing a battle and equipping Velvet with a newly obtained weapon. "But you expect me to live alone? I'd rather stay at home. Living alone is too much trouble. I'm not like Yukino, who has all her life skills maxed out."
Utaha, holding a tablet nearby, said casually, "Then find a boyfriend. You're already in your third year. You'll be a senior next year. Are you really not planning to date during university?"
"Why do I have to date?" Eriri said calmly. "Dating isn't as fun as games. And are you going to introduce someone to me? I know exactly what the boys at school are like. I'd rather clear a couple more games with that time. Besides, it's not just me. Yukino isn't dating either."
That remark made Yukino visibly stiffen.
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