Chapter 157: Sweet Night in the Home ( 157 )

Words : 1151 Updated : Sep 29th, 2025

Chapter 157: Sweet Night in the Home ( 157 ) Kyouko kept smiling softly at the table, laughing gently as Kenji tried to high-five his son and almost lost his balance. While everyone else was chatting, she quietly slipped her phone into her lap and opened the family group chat on LINE. Her fingers moved quickly and subtly as she typed. 「Mother...」「We shouldn’t go outside Japan. Haruki doesn’t know about our family’s real background yet...」「What if he accidentally tells Satomi... and she tells Satoshi!?」 She looked up as she pressed send. Meanwhile, Hanako’s phone buzzed quietly under the table. She read the message and pressed her lips together thoughtfully. She didn’t reply. But when her eyes met Kyouko’s, she gave a tiny nod—showing they both understood each other. Hanako glanced around quietly and looked toward Kenji, Hitomi, Keiko, and Kazuma. No words were spoken, but her look said everything. Kenji, already flushed and swaying a little, caught her gaze. He raised his sake cup high and shouted, "Father!! Ishigaki Island’s a good choice!!" Hitomi, sitting beside him, nodded slightly. "It’s close and peaceful," she said softly. "And we can all go together without much hassle." Keiko smiled calmly and added, "It’s a perfect spot. Ocean breeze, good food, and local charm..." Kazuma, as usual, simply nodded once, quietly agreeing with the idea. Kitayama grunted. He leaned forward, refilling his own cup, and muttered, "If it’s the ocean you want—Okinawa’s already surrounded by water." The table chuckled softly. But Hanako just smiled, already planning in her mind. "Dear," Hanako said quietly, folding her hands on her lap. "I think we should also visit Ishigaki Island." Kitayama raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Everyone suddenly wants to go there?" He looked around. "How about you, Kyouko?" Kyouko smiled softly. "Ishigaki Island sounds good." "Tch... that’s no fun," Kitayama muttered. He then turned to Haruki. "And you, Haruki?" Haruki, calm as always, smiled slightly. "I don’t mind, sir. Ishigaki sounds nice." Kitayama slapped his thigh happily. "Alright!! We’ll stay at my—" Just then, Hanako gently nudged him under the table, hard enough for only he could feel it. He blinked, caught mid-sentence. "Har! What’s wrong with you, Hanako?" "Nothing, dear~," she said softly, with a gentle smile. "It’s just... your sake is starting to get cold." "Oh." Kitayama grunted and quickly reached for his cup, distracted once again. The moment quickly passed. Hanako looked briefly at Kyouko—just a quick flicker of her eyes. Crisis averted. "Alright!! Ishigaki it is!" Kitayama boomed, raising his cup again. "We’re leaving tomorrow morning!" Everyone cheered quietly, and the room buzzed with excitement once more. Hanako smiled calmly. "I’ll go ahead and ’book’ a few rooms for us in Ishigaki." Kitayama turned, blinking. "Huh? Why do we need hotel rooms when we have our—" Suddenly, Hanako slapped his arm gently. "Ow—what’s wrong with you, Hanako!?" "Nothing, dear~," she said sweetly. "A mosquito. Big one." She smiled calmly as she poured him another cup. Kitayama rubbed his arm and grumbled, glancing around the table. Everyone was smiling. All eyes were on him. And then it hit him. "...Ah." He sat back slowly and cleared his throat. "Right. Hotel. Of course." Keiko and Hitomi quietly giggled behind their cups. Kenji just hiccupped and leaned into his wife’s shoulder. Kyouko caught her mother’s eyes across the table. Good save. That night, near midnight... The laughter and clinking cups had long stopped. Now, the living room was quiet, only the gentle hum of night insects coming through the open shōji doors. All the men were spread out on the tatami mats, completely drunk from too much sake. Kitayama lay flat on his back, one arm over his forehead, snoring softly. Kenji was curled to the side, hugging a pillow. Kazuma sat slumped against the wall, his eyes closed, breathing slowly. Keiko crouched beside him, trying to shake his shoulder gently. "Mou~ Kazuma..." she whispered, pouting slightly. But he didn’t even move. Kyouko was nearby, watching with a soft smile, her hands folded in front of her. Hanako quietly moved in, carrying a folded blanket. She knelt beside her husband and gently placed the blanket over him, tucking in the corners. Hitomi, knowing her husband well, came behind her with another blanket and carefully covered Kenji, brushing his hair out of his face lightly. Then, Hanako turned to Kyouko. "Since Haruki can’t get up either..." she said with a knowing look. "Why don’t you go get a blanket for him?" Kyouko nodded softly. "Okay, Mother~." Once everyone was covered with a blanket and their soft snores filled the room, the house finally grew quiet. Keiko looked around, brushing her bangs behind her ear, then glanced at her mother. "Mom?" she asked. "Hmm?" Hanako replied, still straightening the corner of Kitayama’s blanket. "How about..." Keiko tilted her head with a little grin, "...we all sleep together tonight?" Hanako raised an eyebrow. "All the girls?" "Yeah," Keiko said cheerfully, turning toward Hitomi and Kyouko. Riko, sitting cross-legged with her phone, immediately perked up. "Can I join too!?" she asked happily. Kyouko smiled and nodded. "Of course, Riko-chan." "Yay~!" Just then, Daichi walked through the hallway without a word, phone in hand. He glanced at everyone and sighed lightly. "I’ll be upstairs," he muttered and went to his room, leaving the girls giggling behind him. Hanako smiled softly. "Alright, then... let’s get out the futons. Just like in the old days." In one of the spare rooms, the futons were quietly laid out, with soft sheets and pillows arranged in a circle on the tatami mat. The women—Hanako, Kyouko, Keiko, Hitomi, and Riko—settled in comfortably. Outside, the wind gently rustled the leaves. Inside, the floorboards lightly creaked as everyone got comfortable, and quiet laughter and the shuffling of blankets filled the room. They all changed into light sleep robes. Riko was already hugging her pillow, lying between Keiko and Kyouko. After a few minutes of light chatting, everything grew quiet. Then— "Mom?" Keiko asked, voice a little too casual. "Hmm?" Hanako answered, adjusting her pillow. Keiko rolled onto her side, grinning. "Do you still do that?" "Do what?" Hanako asked, tilting her head. Keiko raised her hand and, with a sly smile, made a small circle with her thumb and index finger. Then, with the index finger of her other hand, she mimicked a slow, suggestive in-and-out motion. "You know~." Hanako’s eyes widened. "Keiko!" she hissed, lightly swatting her daughter’s arm. "Don’t ask stuff like that!" "What?" Keiko said softly, laughing. "I’m just curious. We’re all married, anyway~." Hitomi covered her face with her sleeve to hide a small giggle. Riko blinked back and forth between them. "What does that mean?" she asked. "Nothing, Riko-chan," Kyouko quickly said, giving Keiko a light kick under the blanket. "Don’t tease your niece." "Mou~" Keiko pouted, laughing again. "Just a little grown-up talk, that’s all." ( End Of Chapter )

Chapter 157: Sweet Night in the Home ( 157 )

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