Believe it or not, in just three and a half days, the house was finished! Ryunosuke was now ready to move in, needing nothing more than his suitcase.
Granted, the place was devoid of furniture since the old man was still in the middle of crafting it. However, Ryunosuke had already purchased a ready-made bed. Just one, for now, as he was living solo. He figured he could worry about buying more later if and when he brought home a "wife." Besides, once she was his wife, why sleep in separate beds? Unless, of course, they were fighting.
With that logic in mind, Ryunosuke had bought a massive mattress—large enough to fit four or five people without anyone feeling cramped. Don't ask why he bought one that big... let's just say he planned on having many wives.
Meanwhile, the grandfather had enthusiastically purchased stacks of timber and hauled them home to begin his work. He had used every bit of the deposit from Ryunosuke to fund the raw materials.
Sayuri watched her husband pile the wood in their yard and could only let out a resigned sigh. "What are you doing? Why bring all this lumber home?"
The old man wiped the sweat from his brow with a towel and answered cheerfully, "Oh, this is for the furniture. I took an order from that young boss who stayed over the other night. Once this is finished, we could clear a million or two Yen."
Sayuri brought her husband some tea to quench his thirst. He sat for a moment to rest, but it wasn't long before he was back at it—holding a saw and a square, measuring the wood, cutting it, and planing the surfaces until they were smooth to the touch.
Just like the house construction, this handmade Japanese furniture didn't use a single screw. Instead, it relied on precise mortise and tenon joinery. This offered two distinct advantages: if one ever moved, these large pieces could be easily disassembled. Furthermore, the structure was earthquake-resistant; rather than snapping, vibrations actually caused the joints to settle more tightly, making them sturdier.
Sayuri watched from the sidelines, her heart aching to see her husband working so hard, but since she couldn't offer much help, she returned to managing their inn and tavern. In short order, the basic frames of the furniture began to take shape. It looked like everything would be ready in two or three days.
That night happened to be Mizuhara Chizuru's birthday. The grandparents had bought a small cake to celebrate.
Chizuru, having just returned home, looked at the cake and said hesitantly, "Grandpa, Grandma, please don't waste your money. Whether my birthday is celebrated or not isn't a big deal."
Even though she said that, she couldn't hide her happiness.
"What are you talking about?! Who ever heard of a birthday without a celebration?" Grandma Sayuri scolded gently.
Chizuru stepped closer and opened the box. It was just a small, five-inch cake. Despite its size, the cake was brimming with familial warmth. She carefully sliced it into three equal portions for herself and her grandparents. The slices were tiny, but they were enough for everyone to enjoy a few bites. Their life was difficult; even her university tuition was the result of these two seniors' grueling labor. Chizuru truly didn't want to be a burden to them any longer.
The grandfather poured some sake, raised his small cup, and took a sip. "Ah~ how refreshing. Eating cake while drinking sake has a unique flavor all its own."
"Unique flavor, my foot! Drink less!" Sayuri brought out two plates of meat and sat down with them.
"Don't be like that, Sayuri. Life isn't always smooth sailing; eight out of ten things won't go your way. We must keep looking forward; not regretting one's choices is the ultimate truth."
"Yes, yes, I'll never win an argument with you," Sayuri replied.
Suddenly, the grandfather remembered something. "Oh right, Chizuru, do you have a dream? It's your birthday—don't you want to make a wish?"
Chizuru, busy with her cake, murmured, "A wish? I'm too old to believe in that stuff. Besides, even if I wish for something, it doesn't mean it'll come true..."
Seeing her attitude, her grandfather said firmly, "Who says it won't come true?! The two of us can help you make it happen! Just say it! What do you want? We will definitely support you."
Chizuru crouched in the corner of the room, hugging her knees. "Forget it. Our life is hard enough as it is. Let's not go chasing after impossible things..."
*SLAM!*
The grandfather slammed his sake cup onto the table. "When you're told to speak, speak!!!"
Sayuri immediately tried to calm him down. "You've already got one foot in the grave—why are you shouting at the girl?!"
"But... Sayuri, I just want her to reach for her dreams..." the old man muttered softly.
Chizuru couldn't take it anymore. She covered her ears and screamed, "That's enough! What dream?! Right now I just want to graduate and get a job! Even if I had a dream, could you two really make it happen?! My dream is to be an actress! Can you do that?!"
Instead of being angry, the grandfather showed a look of relief. "We certainly can..."
"Why are you so sure, Grandpa?" Chizuru asked, dissatisfied.
The old man walked over to where Chizuru was curled up in the corner and stroked her head. "Because our Chizuru is the best. Chase your dream without hesitation; the two of us are right behind you. Don't worry about anything else."
Chizuru bit her lip, remaining silent. From that day on, she enrolled in acting classes to hone her skills. However, this added a massive financial weight to the family. To support their granddaughter's dream, the elderly couple went as far as selling their tavern, keeping only the inn to manage. Chizuru, in turn, studied with everything she had, desperate to become a competent actress as soon as possible to help the family's finances.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
Three days later.
The grandfather cheerfully finished the custom furniture. He loaded everything onto the truck to deliver it to Ryunosuke's house. Once this order was settled, he would have millions of Yen to continue funding Chizuru's dream.
"Be careful on the road," Grandma Sayuri cautioned anxiously.
The old man waved her off. "Don't worry, I'm just delivering some furniture."
However, just after he spoke, his head suddenly throbbed, and his vision began to spin. He clutched his heavy head but brushed it off, assuming it was just exhaustion from working overtime the past few days. He pressed the gas pedal and began driving toward Ryunosuke's home.
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