Kyoto.
A small village hidden far in the mountains.
The morning sun had just risen. Thin smoke rose from the houses, mixing with the birdsong in the forest, making the village feel peaceful and warm.
An old man with gray hair, wearing a thick, padded hanten coat, walked out of a house holding a black cat in his arms. He sat down on a rocking chair placed in the small courtyard.
The old man welcomed the warm winter sun, and the rocking chair beneath him rocked softly with the slight movements of his body.
The black cat lying in the old man's arms had sleek black fur that appeared slightly reddish-brown under the sunlight.
Ren Katsuragi, who came early from the city, walked easily through the thick forest. He knew the path so well that it was as if returning home.
The surrounding trees gradually thinned out, and Ren's line of sight became wider.
Not far away, the smell of smoke rising into the air marked the direction for Ren.
That place was precisely the ancestral village.
Entering the small village, the local residents who had risen early saw Ren and greeted him enthusiastically.
"Ren y, you're back."
"Ren-chan, have you eaten yet? My family just finished cooking; want to come have a bite?"
"Little brat, long time no see."
The people who greeted Ren were all old. There were no young adults or children, which was a little odd.
After exchanging pleasantries with the elders, Ren did not choose to stay for a meal.
The gate to the small courtyard was always kept open, and Ren walked in quite naturally.
Seeing the old man in the courtyard lying on the rocking chair basking in the sun, Ren didn't rashly disturb him. He took a small folding stool from the side and sat down next to the old man.
The sound Ren made was very light, though in the still courtyard, it was exceptionally clear.
The old man's eyes, which had been closed, opened a little. He smiled and said, "Ren, you came to see Grandpa?"
"Old man, I came to see you."
Ren sat dutifully on the small folding stool.
The old man was Gou Katsuragi, Ren's biological grandfather.
When people get old, they grow tired of the busy city life. The people of Kyoto believe in returning to their roots.
The residents in this small village were all elders of the Katsuragi clan who wanted to enjoy their old age in peace.
Everyone cared deeply about the family home. Even if they couldn't bring modern life to the mountains, they wanted to spend their final days in their home village.
This place was established for that reason. In a sense, this was the true home of the Katsuragi Family.
"Ren, you have grown up so much."
Gou Katsuragi stroked Ren's head kindly and sighed with emotion.
Seeing that Ren had come alone, he changed the subject.
"Ren, didn't you bring your girlfriend for Grandpa to meet?"
Ren's expression stiffened. He spoke grumpily to the old man, who was like an old urchin, "There is no granddaughter-in-law. Stop dreaming."
"So, Ren, when will you get married?"
"Not getting married."
"Don't want children either?"
"Don't want them."
"When you get old, Grandpa will see what you do then."
Ren became quiet. He hadn't expected his grandfather to be so serious. Then, he looked at the old man with a melancholy expression.
"Then I'll just sit at the door of my home and wait for you guys to pick me up, just like when I was little."
As soon as he finished speaking, the old man slapped the back of Ren's head.
Gou Katsuragi looked at Ren with a beaming smile.
"Ren, do you think just because Grandpa is old, he can't keep up with the times?"
"What do you call this... trying to awaken Grandpa's love to achieve the goal of not being pressured into marriage?"
"You brat!"
As Gou Katsuragi spoke, he prepared to give Ren another smack.
Meow!
Before the palm could land on Ren's head, the black cat that had been lying in Gou's arms opened its emerald green eyes and meowed at him.
This sound made it impossible for Gou Katsuragi's hand to come down.
Meow~
Seeing Gou withdraw his hand, the black cat swiveled its head to look at Ren and called out affectionately.
"Suzu, long time no see."
Ren reached out and rubbed the slightly aged black cat in Gou's arms.
The black cat was named Suzu, the same name as Ren's grandmother. It was the last treasure Ren's grandmother, Suzu Katsuragi, had left for his grandfather before she passed away, and also a playmate who had grown up with Ren.
Ren had grown up, and Suzu had gotten old.
Meow~
"Alright, old man, I'm going to see Grandma. I'll come back to see you in a bit."
Ren stood up from the small folding stool and walked out of the courtyard.
"Stinky brat!"
Behind the small courtyard, there were no colorful flowers, nor were there messy weeds. There was only an ordinary and very clean small burial mound.
A tombstone stood in front of the mound, bearing the name of his grandmother, Suzu Katsuragi.
Ren sat down in front of the mound, leaning against the tombstone just like that, gazing at the small courtyard belonging to his grandfather and his grandmother. "Grandma, I came to see you."
"Grandma, allow me to tell you, Grandpa hit me just now. He slapped my head, you know! You never let anyone slap my head before; you said it would stunt my growth."
"I'm in high school now, and I found girlfriends at school—four of them. Amazing, right?"
"I didn't tell Grandpa any of this..."
Ren leaned his shoulder on the tombstone and kept talking. To him, it felt like he was leaning against his grandmother, who had always loved him.
When Ren was little, his grandfather would always secretly say that Grandma was fierce and whatnot, but Ren didn't believe a word of it.
Regarding Ren's premature maturity and sensibility, his parents were supportive, encouraging him while letting him grow freely.
Grandma Suzu was different. It didn't matter to her how mature Ren was.
To her, Ren was her good grandson.
That was all.
Grandma would find ways to take Ren out to play, leaving candies for him that Ren found childish beyond belief, and teasing him in various ways.
Later, Grandma got sick and passed away.
Suzu, the cat left behind by Grandma, was there to accompany Gou Katsuragi, but also because she wanted the cat to watch Ren grow up.
"Grandma, I've grown up."
"And..."
"I miss you so much."
After telling his grandmother everything he had experienced recently, Ren's eyes were red, yet not a single tear fell.
After a long while, his mood finally calmed down.
Ren pushed himself up against the tombstone and said goodbye to his grandmother. "Grandma, I'm leaving. I'll come see you again next time."
Returning to the small courtyard, the old man was no longer on the rocking chair; only Suzu the cat was still lying there.
Ren wasn't in a hurry. He sat back on the small folding stool and waited quietly.
After a while,
Gou Katsuragi returned to the courtyard from outside, carrying a small basket in his hand filled with fresh melons and fruits.
"Ren, Grandpa grew these himself. Take them with you when you leave and try them."
Raising the small basket in his hand, Gou Katsuragi said triumphantly.
Placing the small basket next to Ren, Gou picked up Suzu and sat back on the rocking chair to continue basking in the sun.
Glancing at Gou, Suzu jumped out of his arms, running back into the house alone.
Meow~
A meow sounded from inside the house. Suzu came out, carrying a small black cat in her mouth that looked extremely like her but was much smaller in size.
Walking slowly to Ren, Suzu placed the small black cat from her mouth into Ren's hand, then returned to Gou Katsuragi's arms.
"I was wondering why Suzu suddenly wanted to give birth. Turns out she saved it for you, you stinky brat."
Stroking Suzu's body, Gou smiled and revealed the origin of the small black cat in Ren's hand.
Meow~
Suzu nodded her head at Ren.
Meow~
The small black cat in Ren's hand stared with emerald green eyes identical to Suzu's, looking curiously at the human in front of it.
So... Mama is handing me over to this two-legged beast in front of me?
"From now on, your name is Candy."
Teasing the small black cat in his hand, Ren gave it a name.
Ren left, and the small courtyard seemed to return to its initial quietness.
Meow~
Gazing at Ren's disappearing back, Suzu called out softly.
Stroking Suzu's head, Gou Katsuragi began to talk to himself, or perhaps he was chatting with someone.
"In the blink of an eye, my good grandson is so big. He even lied to me, saying he didn't have a granddaughter-in-law. Does he really think Grandpa doesn't follow the latest news about his grandson?"
"Ren is really amazing; he has four granddaughters-in-law."
"Much better than his grandfather and his father."
"Suzu... I successfully saw our grandson grow up. Even the cat is so old now..."
"I miss you so much..."
A breeze came and made the bells in the small courtyard ring. It touched Gou Katsuragi's face softly, like a soft hand.
In an instant,
Gou Katsuragi burst into tears.
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NOTE
I want to explain why I stopped updating daily for a while.
I had some health problems, and I also had to deal with a few work-related matters. Because of that, I couldn't keep the daily update schedule like before.
But that ends today.
Starting today, chapters will be published every day again.
Also, all the novels that were abandoned or left on hold will be coming back as well.
I'm truly sorry to everyone who kept waiting, and I want to thank all of you who still came back day after day to check for new chapters.
Really, thank you for your patience and support.