Ah, in Japan, Even Cousins are Fair Game (1)
****
As would be expected, when I returned to Japan, I had to face my mother's shocked expression.
"Son, what happened to you? You've gotten taller and even more handsome…."
Well, it was only natural for her to be surprised when her son returned from Korea nearly ten centimeters taller and with a handsomer face.
On top of that, my body had become incredibly bulked up with muscle, so she was extremely flustered.
"I went hiking in Korea, found some wild ginseng, and ate it."
It was an excuse that anyone could see was ridiculous, but if I told her that this world was a game and I had obtained and eaten an item from that game, I'd be sent straight to a mental hospital, so I had no choice but to make a ridiculous excuse.
"Aigoo! I told you not to just pick up and eat anything, didn't I?"
Smack! Smack!
My mom hit my back incredibly hard.
No matter how much my physical stats had gone up, my mom's hand still stung.
"But what are we going to do? You have to go to the main house tomorrow to pay respects to your father, but your suit won't fit."
"I figured that would happen, so I had one tailored in Korea."
In Japan, there was a custom of paying respects on the seventh, thirty-fifth, and forty-ninth day after a funeral, so I had to go to the Taira family's main house again tomorrow.
I figured I wouldn't have time to get clothes tailored when I got to Japan, so I just had suits made in Korea.
For reference, I bought two suits, including one to wear to the company.
Maybe because Han Yu-gyeong helped pick it out, I liked the design.
"I'm not going, so just know that."
"You're not going, Mom?"
"That's right. He's your father. He wasn't my husband, and that wife of his would just get annoyed if I showed my face. I think I've done my duty by going to the funeral."
That's true.
They weren't a married couple, and my mom was a single mother, so it was right to see her duty as fulfilled by attending the funeral.
As for me, I was a blood relative, so it was right for me to go.
"Those big guys will probably come to pick me up again tomorrow, right? I don't really know the address."
"They know you don't have a car, so wouldn't they come to get you?"
It's always better to be sure of things, so I sent a text to the number I had received from my grandfather Taira Danjo's secretary.
-> Will there be people coming to pick me up tomorrow, like at the last funeral?
<-There will be. The time is 10 AM.
->Thank you for letting me know.
Hmm, they're coming to pick me up at ten in the morning, so they're coming early.
"They said they're coming to pick me up at 10 AM tomorrow."
"I'll already be at work by then. Have a safe trip."
It felt a bit strange to go alone, but I guess I'll just have to tough it out for a day.
***
"Please get in, Young Master."
Maybe because I had become a member of the Taira family at the last funeral, today they didn't forcibly grab both my arms and throw me in the car like last time.
Though even if they tried to do that now, I could stop them with my own strength.
I could feel that even the men in black suits weren't poker-faced, as they flinched in surprise upon seeing the changed me.
On the way to the Taira main house in the back seat of a Taira Motors limousine, I sent a LINE message to Alice Fitzgerald, the one person I had some rapport with.
> Taira Ryuta: Alice, are you coming to the Taira main house to pay respects this time?
> Alice Fitzgerald: Yep, I'm on my way now ((≡^ꀾ^≡)). My mom and dad are with me. It's your first time seeing my mom and dad, right?
> Taira Ryuta: Yeah. It's my first time. What are they like?
> Alice Fitzgerald: They're both good people ฅʕ•̫͡•ʔฅ.
> Taira Ryuta: Your emoticons are cute WWW
> Alice Fitzgerald: Hehe, you think so? ლ(´ڡ`ლ)
As I was messaging Alice Fitzgerald on LINE, we arrived at the main house.
I was also talking with Han Yu-gyeong on KakaoTalk in between, so I didn't even notice how time flew.
For reference, Han Yu-gyeong said she was also called to the Shingang Group's main house today.
There was no reply after that.
She's probably talking with her family.
I got out of the limousine and went inside the main house.
People were gathered inside; Taira Danjo's sons, Taira Ichiro, and Taira Jiro were there, and there was also a cold-looking man I hadn't seen before, in his mid-thirties, thin and tall, wearing gold-rimmed glasses.
It seemed this man was Taira Ichiro's eldest son, Taira Tamenobu.
And there was Taira Ichiro's second son, Taira Kensuke, a Hispanic man with brown skin and blonde hair.
Taira Jiro's children were nowhere to be seen.
And there was a middle-aged woman I hadn't seen before; it seemed she was Taira Danjo's second child and eldest daughter, Taira Kokoro.
She was a thin, nervous-looking but pretty woman, and her skin was very good, probably because she had received a lot of skin treatments.
I knew she was quite old, but she looked to be in her early 30s at most.
Next to her were Taira Kokoro's children, Taira Kisa and Taira Akio.
"Good morning."
I went over to where the members of the Taira family were gathered and greeted them out of courtesy.
Everyone except for Taira Tamenobu and Taira Kokoro, who hadn't seen me at the funeral, was surprised.
"Is that you, Ryuta? It seems you've grown a lot in just a week…?"
"I went on a trip to Korea, ate some medicinal herbs I found in the mountains, and ended up like this."
"Medicinal herbs? Hmm…."
His gaze said, "Did you get body modifications?" but what could he say when I told him I grew like this from eating medicinal herbs?
And the statement that I grew like this from eating medicinal herbs was about 70 percent true anyway.
"So you're Saburo's son, Ryuta? I'm your aunt, Taira Kokoro."
Taira Kokoro came up to me and looked me up and down as she spoke.
"Good morning, Aunt."
"Heheung, you're handsome. If you want to be a celebrity, give me a call. Modeling would be good, too."
When I greeted her politely, Taira Kokoro handed me her business card.
The card read, "Taira Entertainment President, Taira Kokoro."
The president of Japan's top entertainment company; as expected of the Taira Group chairman's daughter.
"Nee-san, what do you mean, modeling? By Father's command, Ryuta is scheduled to enter the Human Resources Development Center starting next week."
When Taira Jiro spoke, Taira Kokoro snorted with a "Hmph!"
"Father won't care whether Ryuta enters the Human Resources Development Center or our Taira Entertainment."
"That's just what you think, nee-san."
The two had a staring contest.
My mom had warned me that Taira Ichiro and Taira Kokoro's mother was different from Taira Jiro's mother, so they didn't get along, and it really seemed like they didn't.
"Hahaha, this happens all the time, so how about you and I say hello? I'm Taira Tamenobu. The eldest grandson of the Taira family."
Taira Tamenobu held out his hand for a handshake.
I took his hand and greeted him as well.
"I'm Taira Ryuta."
"You must be Uncle Saburo's son. You're really handsome. You even look a bit like him."
I had only seen Taira Saburo's face in his funeral portrait, but he was handsome to some extent.
Still, I thought I resembled my mother more, but it seemed the Taira relatives thought I looked like Taira Saburo.
After greeting Taira Tamenobu, I greeted the rest of my cousins as well.
They all asked me what had happened to make me grow so tall.
When I told them I had eaten medicinal herbs, just like before, none of them seemed to believe me.
Soon, the doors of the main house opened, and a Caucasian family appeared.
It was the Fitzgerald family.
I saw Oliver Fitzgerald, who appeared to be Alice Fitzgerald's father, and Nae Fitzgerald, a woman of mixed Caucasian heritage who looked to be in her early thirties at most.
She was a woman who looked more Western than Alice, with lighter hair and lime-green eyes, and she looked to be in her late 20s.
Just how much of a baby-faced family is the Taira family?
Anyway, Alice Fitzgerald looked almost completely Caucasian, and now I knew it was because Nae Fitzgerald was half-Caucasian.
Then Alice Fitzgerald was a quarter, with only one-fourth Japanese blood, so I could understand why she looked Caucasian.
I had heard that all of Taira Danjo's wives, except for his current one, had died early, so it seems he had a Western grandmother at some point.
Alice Fitzgerald's older brother, Alex Fitzgerald, also seemed to have returned to the country to pay his respects, as he was standing next to Alice.
The Fitzgerald family greeted everyone and then approached me.
I bowed my head and greeted them first.
"Good morning, I'm Taira Ryuta."
"I've heard a lot about you from Alice. Ryuta, you're really handsome."
"I hear you're joining the Taira Group this time?"
I greeted Nae Fitzgerald and Oliver Fitzgerald, and then Alex Fitzgerald as well.
Alex Fitzgerald was a college student in his late 170s in height with a sturdy build, and he was said to be a promising college league American football player.
He said he couldn't come to the funeral because he had an important game.
He was a cheerful and bright guy.
"Alice."
"Ryuta."
Alice Fitzgerald and I just called each other's names and gave a short greeting.
We had already planned to meet tomorrow on LINE, so there was no need for a long conversation.
"Thank you for coming to pay respects to my husband."
My father Taira Saburo's wife, Taira Yukiko, was greeting the relatives.
She still had an incredible figure.
To think she could have such curves while wearing a tight, black kimono for a funeral.
She started from the highest-ranking relatives and slowly made her way down, and soon, she came to me.
"It's you, Ryuta…. Thank you for coming."
"Of course I had to come."
Taira Yukiko gave me a strange look, as if seeing me reminded her of her husband, Saburo.
It was a gaze mixed with sorrow, anger, affection, and longing.
"Um…. But what should I call you?"
"C-Call me Mother."
Honestly, since she's my father's wife, it is right to call her Mother.
But I already have a mom.
Hmm…. I guess Mom is Mom, and I'll just call Taira Yukiko 'Mother.'
"I understand, Mother."
"Heuk…!"
Taira Yukiko shed tears, as if the word 'Mother' had overwhelmed her.
Hmm…. I know I shouldn't, but seeing Taira Yukiko in tears made my lower body throb for no reason.
***
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