Awakening

“You are a beginner, so it’s very common to make such a mistake. After more practices, you’ll be fine.” Rumi said with a smile.

“Yes, senior sister, I’ll work hard.” A girl in a Kendo outfit looked at the beautiful senior sister instructor with a worship look.

“Alright, continue your training.” With that, Rumi returned to the edge of the field.

“Ryoko, who is that? How come I never saw her before.” After Rumi walked away, another girl in Kendo uniform came over and asked.

“What, you don’t even know her? I really don’t know why you want to learn Kendo.” Ryoko was surprised to say.

“I come to the Kendo Club in order to lose weight. Initially, I want to participate in the gymnastic club, but training there is too hard. That’s why I come to the Kendo club.

“My God, learning Kendo in order to lose weight, only you can do that. I advise you to withdraw because the exercise here is also quite hard.” Ryoko looked at her with both angry and amused look.

“No, I see you guys only waving your swords all the time. Forget it, regardless of this, you didn’t answer me, who is that girl just now?” Hiromi continued to ask.

“She is my idol, I only joined Kendo Club because of her. She is last year’s individual champion of the National High School Kendo Tournament, Nakagawa Rumi.” Ryoko said excitedly.

“What, you said that she’s the National Champion, aren’t you mistaken, she’s just a girl.” Hiromi was flabbergasted.

“Of course, it’s true. After watching her game, I was too excited that I stay awake the whole night. I’ve heard that not so many female students join the Kendo Club, but because of what she achieved last year, many girls attended the Kendo Club. But because senior sister Nakagawa recently preparing for the University entrance exam, she’s rarely able to come to the Kendo Club.”

“Sounds like she’s really fierce,” Hiromi said thoughtfully.

“Of course. And she also looks so beautiful, she is the embodiment of beauty and wisdom.”

Seeing the longing look of worship Ryoko gave to senior sister Nakagawa, Hiromi couldn’t help but smile.

“Then does she have a boyfriend? Such a fierce girl like her must have put her boyfriend a lot of pressure, right?”

“Never heard she had a boyfriend. Although from the first grade, many boys have chased her, but no one seems to be successful. But I thought, with such an outstanding girl like senior sister Nakagawa, no boy in our school is worthy of her.” Ryoko righteously said.

“I see that you have been poisoned.” Hiromi snappily glanced at her. Then she looked at sister Nakagawa sitting in meditation on the sideline. Didn’t know if this was just an illusion, but she felt as if there was a touch of sadness in her eyes.

—-

Entering the hall, not only Naoko saw her mother, but even the rarely seen second brother also inside.

“Mother, brother, good evening.” Naoko gave them the greeting ritual.

“Naoko you came, long time no see.” Hasebe Kenji said with a smile.

“Brother, how are you?” Naoko asked.

“Still the same, Naoko I tell you, now I don’t know what happened, as long as one day I don’t hear that old man’s scolding voice, I felt I don’t have the gut to go home. This is really a terrible habit, it seems I need to see a psychiatrist.

“Your sister goes home rarely, what nonsense are you talking about. If your father heard that, he would certainly chase you out.” Naoko’s mother Hasebe Shohata said with some anger.

Hasebe Kenji made a face to Naoko.

Seeing her brother still as frivolous as ever, Naoko can’t help but smile.

“Naoko, I already knew what happened yesterday. You also know that your second brother is also a Harvard graduate so that Yaka Kawashiro can be considered as my junior. I know that guy, as far as I know, he is a good man, you really don’t want to consider him?” Hasebe Kenji went over to her and said.

“I’m sorry, brother, making you embarrassed.” Naoko bowed to him to apologize.

“Em, you don’t have to be polite. Actually, I know that feelings this kind of thing can’t be forced, just forget what I previously said.” Hasebe Kenji scratched his head and said.

“Thank you, brother, for your consideration. Moreover, I don’t know when brother is planning to get married, I think mom should be very concerned about this thing.” Naoko suddenly said with a hint of sly look.

Sure enough, after Naoko finished this sentence, Hasebe Shohata started to grumble: “Your brother does not intend to get married, he spend all of his day philandering, which young lady is willing to marry him. If I knew this, I would not let him go to the United States to study. You look at him, he doesn’t even have a bit of big brother’s poise, always so frivolous. No wonder your father often scolds you.”

Seeing the smile on her sister’s lips, Hasebe Kenji knew he was tricked and had to helplessly listen the scolding of his mother.

Because Naoko and Hasebe Kenji two people age difference is not very large, plus Hasebe Kenji’s character since childhood is quite frivolous, therefore, the brother and sister relationship has always been very good, and will, from time to time, play some joke on each other.

“Mom, stop saying that, the old man is still waiting for Naoko.” After the third round of scolding from Hasebe Shohata, Hasebe Kenji immediately seized the opportunity to say something.

“Oh, I almost forgot. Naoko, hurry up and go to the study room, your father is waiting for you there. He looks very angry. Forget it, let me go with you.”

“Second brother, I go first.” Then, Naoko walked toward the study room with her mother.

Sitting on the sofa, Hasebe Kenji looked at Naoko beautiful figure from the back, and can’t help but sigh. Naoko was getting more and more beautiful, a pity she was his own sister. Among the women that he socializes with, not a single one of them is up to her level. A pity, what a pity.

After gently knocking the door a few times, from the study room, a strong voice quickly came, “Come in.”

Opening the door, Naoko saw her father sitting in front of a desk.

“Good evening, father.” Naoko respectfully saluted him.

Raised his head to glance at Naoko, Hasebe Masao with an indifference expression said: “You finally come, take a seat.”

“Thank you.” Naoko sat down at the chair in front of the desk.

Sized up her father who she has not seen for a long time, Naoko found his white hair has increased, and he seemed older than the last time she saw him. Naoko can’t help but a bit sad.

“Naoko.” After a while, Hasebe Masao called out.

“Yes, father.” Naoko immediately responded.

“How old are you?” Hasebe Masao asked.

“Answering to father, the daughter is twenty-four this year.”

“So to speak, your age is not small anymore; this should be the time to think about getting married. You’ve been a well-behaved, obedient daughter, this is very clear to me. Because your body is not so good, I’ve always worry about your life. Yaka Enterprise has been a very close partner with our company. Yaka Director is also my old friend with a deep personal relationship. His second son, Yaka Kawashiro, according to my observation, has a good character, so I called your mother to arrange a blind date for you and him. Even if you don’t like him now, you should at least try to socialize for a period of time to see whether the two of you is suitable for each other. But you don’t even give him a chance, which makes me very disappointed. What you did will cast a shadow over my relationship with Yaka Director, you know?” Hasebe Masao was getting more and more loud.

Naoko bowed her head while she listened to her father’s talk, after a while, she slowly looked up and said: “Father, it’s not that I don’t give Mr. Yaka a chance, but it’s because daughter already has a man in her heart. In order not to waste time on both sides, I flatly rejected him. Father, please forgive me.”

“You say you already have a favorite person, are you referring to that fellow called Gennai Masashi, a high school student?” Hasebe Masao looked at her coldly.

Naoko’s mind was shocked, her father actually sent someone to investigate her situation.

After silence for a long time, Naoko bit her lips, and then looked up and said: “Yes, father. I really love him.”

Hasebe Masao whacked the desk loudly and said: “Are you still Hasebe family? You actually did such a shameful thing like cohabitating with a high school student, yet you’re still unrepentant?”

“What? Naoko, did you really live together with a high school student?” The nearby Hasebe Shohata uncontrollably called out.

“Look at your baby daughter’s good deed. If other people know this thing, where do you think I can keep my face?” Hasebe Masao fiercely coldly snorted.

“You have always been a sensible child, why would you do such a silly thing, how can you marry a high school student?” Hasebe Shohata ruefully said.

Watching her said nothing while still keeping her head down, Hasebe Masao with an unquestionable tone said: “Starting tomorrow, you will immediately move back to live here, and later can not meet with that fellow again. Also, whether you like it or not, you have to socialize with Yaka Kawashiro for some time, if after that you are still no match for each other, then we’ll talk again.”

After a while, Naoko gently said something: “Father, I can’t do that.”

“What did you say?” Hasebe Masao was enraged, like an angry Lion, he suddenly stood up, tightly staring at her.

“I’m sorry, daughter can’t do according to father’s words. I have promised him, I will wait for him to come back, therefore....”

“I ask you again, are you actually willing to leave that guy?”

“I....”

Hasebe Masao interrupted her, “I won’t let you shame the Hasebe Family, if you don’t do as I say, then you immediately get out of here, from now on, you will no longer a Hasebe Family member.”

Having heard this, not only Naoko’s face became pale, even Hasebe Shohata was horrified.

“Masao, you can’t do that, Naoko is, after all, our daughter.” Hasebe Shohata made a noise to discourage her husband.

“You shut up! Now answer me, what exactly do you want?” Hasebe Masao turned to look at Naoko.

The atmosphere in the room became very heavy, Hasebe Shohata worriedly looked at her pale daughter.

As if it was for a long time, Naoko finally slowly stood up, and then knelt on the ground and gave Hasebe Masao a kneeling ritual.

Hasebe Masao thought she agreed, his face slightly eased a bit.

“Father, please forgive this unworthy daughter.” With that, she slowly turned and walked to the door.

Hasebe Shohata dumbfoundedly looked at her daughter walking out of the room.

Hasebe Masao’s anger went through the roof, he kicked the whole desk into the ground. All things above the table spilled all over the ground.

“Masao....”

“Shut up! Who dare to plead on her behalf, immediately get out of the house.”

Never seen her husband so angry like this, Hasebe Shohata was afraid to make a sound.

After walking out of the study room, Naoko felt her whole body weak, as if there was a sense of shock. She could only hold on to the wall, struggling to walk downstairs.

“Naoko, what happened to you?” Hearing a large noise coming from upstairs, Hasebe Kenji immediately went up.

“Second brother, I’m fine.” Naoko continued to walk downstairs.

“Still say you’re okay, your complexion is not good. Exactly what happened?” Hasebe Kenji nervously looked at her.

“I....” Before finishing her words, Naoko suddenly felt a burst of intense pain in the chest. Then, her whole body collapsed on the floor.

“Naoko!” Hasebe Kenji rushed over and lifted her head.

Hearing the scream of Hasebe Kenji, Hasebe Shohata ran out from the study room. Seeing Naoko lying on the ground, she can’t help but cry out loud.

“Quickly call the ambulance.” Hasebe Kenji was first to react and shouted.

Hasebe Shohata frantically rushed downstairs to make the call.

Looking at the pale face Naoko on his bosom, Hasebe Kenji has a very ominous feeling.

—-

At 9 PM, at the Boston airport terminal, two young men were talking.

One of the youth said: “Koger, do you really want to go now? You just got out of bed and able to walk a couple of days ago, I urge you to stay and rest for a few days.”

“I know how my body is, I’m alright. I have something urgent to go back, so I must go now. In addition to you, convey my gratitude to the priest, sister Jill, and sister Mary. For all these time, I really thank you all for taking care of me.” The other Asian youth called Koger said.

“I will. What a pity that the Priest and the two sisters have to attend a sermon, therefore, can’t send you here. He wanted me to tell you, take care of your body.”

“I know, I’ve already talked to them yesterday. This is my contact information, if something happens, remember to call the number listed above and look for me.” Koger handed him a note.

The White youth readily took the note into his pocket.

“Since you’re so determined to go, I wish you a pleasant journey.” The youth hugged him and said.

“Thank you.”

“Alright, it’s about time, hurry up and get on the plane.” The White youth glanced at his watch and said.

The Asian youth who was without any baggage nodded, and then walked to the entrance door.

After walking a few steps, the Asian youth suddenly turned to the White youth and said: “Robin, to be honest, I really don’t like this ‘Koger’ name. I prefer to be called by my own name, Lei Yin.”

Hearing his words, Robin smiled: “No way, who told you to have a name that is so difficult to pronounce.”

The Asian youth smiled, turned around, and continued walking toward the entrance.