Chapter 933: Home Sweet Home

In the end, Kumiko and her mother left first, wanting to spend their time as a family as well. This only left Higo alone, standing in front of the familiar yet somehow strange building in front of him.

Familiar in a sense that this was the place where he started everything, and if someone asked, the boy was sure he could tell what was inside, from the most obvious thing to the subtle part that no one would know.

However, it was also somehow strange, because the boy felt like it had been so long since he was here, knocking on the door and greeting everyone to announce his presence.

At this moment, before he even knocked on the door, all the memories from his childhood to the exact day when he left flashed before his eyes, and honestly, tears started to roll down his face as well right now.

Unfortunately, before he could think of something melancholic, the cold air outside blew so heavily, enough to make him shudder on the spot.

’Yeah, I forgot that nighttime in Hakodate during winter is the worst...’ He shook his head as his body was trembling. ’Anyway, no better time than right now, right?’

Knock! Knock! Knock!

With a deep breath, he mustered his courage before finally knocking on the door quite loudly, making sure that people inside could hear it clearly.

He didn’t wait long, because after that, the boy could hear the steps from inside. The moment the door was opened, though, Higo couldn’t help but grin, especially when his mother didn’t realize that it was him at first.

"Yes, what can I do for you?" She asked, still trying to fix her hair.

Higo just stayed quiet, waiting for his mother’s eyes to fall on him. It took a while before she finally realized that they were in an awkward silence; then she frowned and glanced at Higo.

That was when she suddenly gasped, her brain finally connecting the person in front of her with the son who had been living in Germany for so long.

"...Ryukkun?" She whispered, her eyes going wide while her hand also covered his mouth. "Is it real?! Are you really Rukkun?!"

She put her hands on Higo’s shoulder, as if trying to make sure that the boy was just his hallucination.

Higo just let her do whatever she wanted. Then, he just said one sentence here...

"Tadaima, Okaa-san."

Like a little child would always do in the past, the dam broke instantly, as she cried and hugged him tighter than ever.

-0-

Well, Higo himself didn’t know how, but one moment he was standing in front of the house, and in the next moment, he almost died of suffocation.

The reason was simple here.

The moment his mother heard his stomach grumbling, coupled with how he admitted sheepishly that the last time he ate was when he was in Tokyo, Minami decided that it was her mission to feed him like a pig.

As a result, he was put down under the warmth of the kotatsu, while new food would always come from the kitchen every five minutes to make sure that he wouldn’t die of starvation.

"Come on! We have Karaage here! Try it!"

"What? You cannot eat fried food?! Is it really that strict? You are on holiday, right?"

"What about this? Miso with Sakana? I make sure that everything is fresh!"

"Have you always eaten so little? How could you fill yourself for the training?!"

"No! Eat more! Eat more! Wait, I will buy something at the market for a snack as well!"

Before Higo could say anything about it, Minami moved like a blitz, leaving her home quickly even when it was snowy and so cold outside.

Higo himself just smiled wryly while rubbing his bloated stomach from overeating. Next to him, Ayaka was just snorting amusedly as she watched her brother being fed like a pig about to be slaughtered.

"Well, it’s your fault for coming back without telling anyone else." She retorted. "I mean, how could you tell Yumiko-obaasan without saying anything to us? To me, at least?" She huffed, still annoyed about it.

"How many times do I have to tell you I am so sorry here?" Higo sighed, smiling bitterly. "It was a spontaneous decision, and Kumiko-chan agreed to it."

"She agreed, or she just smiled and let you do anything you want?" His sister asked sharply, knowing how he and his girlfriend usually acted.

Higo opened his mouth, but when he realized that his sister was right, he shut it up immediately. Seeing this, Ayaka snorted, knowing that she had won the argument.

Soon enough, Minami was finally back with a pack of cold dumplings in her hand. She warmed them up quickly, preparing soy sauce as well, and in the next few minutes, they had snacks that could accompany them in the middle of the harsh winter night here.

Higo himself couldn’t help but sigh, finding the warm feeling of the kotatsu to be quite comforting. His mother and sister also didn’t just open the conversation randomly, letting the comfortable silence fill the gap.

The only sound that could be heard right now was the random noises of the comedy show on television, one that would always be played when it was close to Christmas and New Year.

"So, how long will you be here?" Ayaka suddenly asked, breaking the silence among them.

Minami also turned around, wanting to know about this as well.

"For a week, if I’m not wrong," Higo answered. "The competition will start again on January 3rd. I have to be back at least five days before, so I cannot stay here for New Year. I am so sorry, Mom." He smiled apologetically.

Yeah, compared to Christmas, in Japan, New Year was a bigger event, so he felt a little bit guilty for not being able to come at that moment.

Fortunately, his mother was quite understanding about this matter, as she just smiled and gave a little nod here.

"Don’t worry, I understand. It is already good that you are here, so I will not complain too much about it."