Tokyo Bubble Life

Chapters 1478 and 1487: Tsuruko's Little Secret! Hiding a Man?!

"Tsuruko, I'm on my way back from Osaka, and I'll stop by Kyoto to see you!"

Naoki Nagayama, holding up his mobile phone, said, "Tsuruko is currently living in the Benioin."

"Your father and mother said you haven't contacted home much this month, and they're very worried."

The phenomenon of weakened kinship in Japan actually developed along with the urbanization process, and it deepened significantly after the bursting of the bubble economy.

Ultimately, it is the small family model, atomized living, and pressure brought about by urbanization that have led to the collapse of the traditional family structure.

However, this era has not yet reached the point where people will never see each other again, especially families with good relationships; they still care about each other a great deal.

"Huh?!!"

Crane exclaimed in surprise,

"Now?!"

"Um"

"Maybe you shouldn't come, sir."

"We're almost there."

"ha?!!"

The voice on the cell phone clearly became shocked.

"Bakani-chan, how could you just show up without saying a word?!"

"."

Naoki Nagayama frowned upon hearing this.

"Am I just saying hello, or are you saying, Tsuruko, that you've done something shameful in Beniyuin?!"

"I didn't! I'm not! Don't talk nonsense!"

Tsuruko clicked the three-click button, then quickly hung up the phone!

"Well"

Hearing the busy tone on the microphone, Naoki Nagayama stroked his chin. Now, things were even more suspicious!

Could Tsuruko really be doing something like inparts or snorting unhealthy powders in Akagiin? Neither of those is acceptable!!

Naoki Nagayama made up his mind that if he found out that Tsuruko was doing these things, he would take her back to his hometown in Shizuoka and have his older brother Aoki and parents keep an eye on her!

Osaka is actually very close to Kyoto, less than an hour's drive away, and when Naoki Nagayama arrived at Akebonoin, it was less than ten minutes after the phone call he had just ended.

From afar, one can see a large courtyard surrounded by a wall, with low hills and green bamboos nestled within, and occasionally a red and brown rooftop can be glimpsed.

The car slowly stopped at the side door. Naoki Nagayama got out of the car, went to the door, and rang the doorbell. The house was far from the door, so it was a remote-controlled door with a telephone system.

"Dudu."

A few seconds later, there was no response. The side door remained silent.

"Huff...huff..."

The mountain wind seemed to be mocking the person standing in front of the door!

"!!"

A crisscross pattern appeared on his forehead. Naoki Nagayama pressed the doorbell again and spoke into the microphone:

"Tsuruko, if you don't open the door, I'll beat you up!"

"."

A few breaths later, with a click, the electronically controlled door opened.

Naoki Nagayama stormed in, storming out of the door. Following the mountain path, he quickly arrived at the red and white main hall, where the gilded inscription "Auspicious Blessing" on the plaque still gleamed brightly.

However, upon reaching the main gate, Naoki Nagayama stopped in his tracks; he needed to mentally prepare himself before going in.

Just as he was about to put his hand on the doorknob, the door opened from the inside.

"Ni-chan."

Tsuruko, her hair slightly disheveled, opened the door and smiled somewhat guiltily at Naoki Nagayama.

"Why did you arrive so quickly?!"

"I drive a Rolls-Royce, so there's no traffic jam!"

Naoki Nagayama snorted and walked into the room.

"What are you doing here? Why are you keeping this a secret?"

"No, nothing!! I just wanted to relax!! Haha, the scenery at Red Fish Courtyard is really nice!! It's a great place to cool off in the summer!"

".oh?"

After entering the living room, Naoki Nagayama took a sniff and found no strange smells or strong alcohol odor, which put him at ease.

The room was a bit messy, but that's understandable since Tsuruko lives here alone. Huh? Aki-chan, what a mess!

"Ahem. Crane."

Turning his head, Naoki Nagayama squinted at his younger sister.

"I hope I don't find some hidden man in the closet or storage room of the room?!"

"!!"

Tsuruko was stunned for a moment, then her face flushed red as she realized what was happening.

"Bakani-chan, what nonsense are you talking about?! I live alone!"

"Oh?"

Naoki Nagayama drawled out the sound.

"Tsuruko, don't worry, you don't need to lie to me. I'm not interested in your private life as long as it's not too outrageous."

Tsuruko is now a wealthy woman. In the era of the bubble economy and the feminist environment, she could have easily hired several male escorts.

Although Naoki Nagayama hoped Tsuruko would have a simple and happy family, that was ultimately just a blessing. Tsuruko is an independent adult, and Naoki Nagayama can't control her. As for Kaneda Taichi, if he really ends up with her, I can only feel sorry for him.

"No!!"

Tsuruko roared angrily.

"I have a very good relationship with the mainland!! He just went to another hospital for further training!"

"Okay, okay, okay~"

Naoki Nagayama waved his hand, indicating that he didn't care.

Then he wandered around the room, looking around and asking questions:

"Then what have you been doing all this time by yourself in the Red Fish Courtyard?"

"Can't I just come here to relax and unwind? I want to take a vacation!"

Tsuruko hurriedly grabbed Nagayama Naoki's arm.

"Come on, Ni-chan, you must be thirsty after opening for so long in this heat! Let me get you some water."

"Hehehe, okay~"

At first glance, it seems that Tsuruko has hidden away all the bad things. However, in less than ten minutes, most of them have been hidden, but some details...

For example, eraser shavings on the floor, wooden shavings in a pencil sharpener box, and ink stains left on the sofa.

Seeing the sofa cushions slightly curled up, Naoki Nagayama calmly accepted the lemonade that Tsuruko offered him, and then sat down on the sofa.

Tsuruko's face instantly stiffened.

"Slurp~"

Naoki Nagayama took a small sip, placed the cup on the coffee table, and asked,

"If you came here to relax, why haven't you contacted your family for so long?! You used to call three or four times a week!"

Besides calling her mother at home, Tsuruko would also call her sister-in-law, Kyoka, and even Akina to ask about her nephews and nieces. In any case, Hanako really liked and was very close to this aunt.

"I just want to be alone for a while~"

"Oh"

Naoki Nagayama looked out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the shimmering pond and the beautiful courtyard, and nodded in approval.

"Indeed, the view from the Red Fish Garden is fantastic, and this sofa is definitely the best spot for the view!"

"Haha, yeah!"

Tsuruko relaxed a little and smiled.

"I always take a nap on this sofa! It's a life where I can see beautiful scenery just by looking up!"

"Hmm. Besides taking a nap, you also like to do other things on the sofa, right?"

"Huh?"

Naoki Nagayama patted the sofa, then swiftly reached under the cushion and found a sketchbook!

"Damn!"

Tsuruko was shocked. This was the notebook she used to jot down her inspirations. She had accidentally forgotten it while tidying up her easel and only remembered it when Naoki Nagayama knocked on the door. In her haste, she had simply stuffed it under the sofa cushion!

Honestly, with such a thick mat, who would just lift it up right away?!

"Oh ho?!"

With one hand pushing Tsuruko's head and the other holding up the sketchbook, he opened it with a smile.

"Let me see what's drawn on this."

When you open the sketchbook, the first thing you see are pencil drawings that look like children's scribbles: kittens wearing skirts, mermaids with big eyes, and so on.

Then, there were sketches of various handsome men, some even already dressed up.

"Oh?"

Naoki Nagayama looked at Tsuruko, who had collapsed weakly onto the sofa.

"What is this? A crane?"

"...is the prototype for a character in a comic book."

"what?"

"Comics! Comics!!"

Tsuruko said, as if she had given up entirely.

"It's a comic! I'm drawing a comic, so what?! Is that not allowed?!"

Naoki Nagayama was somewhat disappointed when he heard it was a manga.

"Tsuruko, tell me."

Naoki Nagayama, seeing Tsuruko's somewhat embarrassed and annoyed expression, hesitantly asked in a low voice about his worries.

"This can't be...it can't be a BL manga, can it?!"

"???"

Tsuruko paused for a moment, then her face turned even redder, and she threw the sofa cushion at her older brother.

"Baka-ni-chan, what are you thinking about?!"

"Phew~~~ I'm relieved!"

Naoki Nagayama breathed a sigh of relief, then sat down with a smile.

"But it's just drawing comics, what's the big deal? Why did you have to come all the way to Red Fish Institute?"

Tsuruko's apartment in Tokyo is quite spacious, and it's on a high floor!

"I don't want anyone to know about this before it's finished."

Tsuruko said somewhat awkwardly,

"I'm still learning."

"Studying? I remember you were pretty good at drawing."

Naoki Nagayama looked puzzled.

Seeing that her older brother seemed determined to get to the bottom of things, Tsuruko decided not to hide anything anymore!

She took out a stack of professional Kent paper from a storage cabinet under the wine cabinet next to her, with pre-drawn sketches on it.

Naoki Nagayama took a look and, judging from the characters and plot, it seemed to be a story about handsome men and beautiful women meeting in an ancient-style courtyard. Moreover, it was drawn with an extremely delicate style and particularly intricate lines, which is exactly the kind of art style that people are willing to put a lot of effort into these days!

It's only the beginning.

"I've wanted to draw comics since I was a child, and now I want to draw a love story similar to a Japanese version of Romeo and Juliet."

Now that she had been discovered, Tsuruko retrieved her hidden drawing board and painting tools one by one, preparing to rearrange them.

"I've only painted a few. Tokyo is too noisy, so I wanted to find a quiet place to paint."

"Haha, she really has a girlish heart!"

Naoki Nagayama chuckled a few times, but was forced back down by Tsuruko's murderous glare.

"Alright, alright, drawing comics is not a bad hobby!"

Anyway, now that Tsuruko is financially independent, she can freely pursue any dream she wants, whether it's creating stories or becoming a manga artist.

"The drawing is finished, where are you going to submit it?"

"It's not decided yet."

Tsuruko became even more hesitant.

I don't know if the editor will accept it.

"."

Naoki Nagayama paused for a moment, then shook his head. "That stupid little sister..."

Putting aside Naoki Nagayama's current influence, just considering his own status in the publishing industry, if his sister wanted to publish one of her own manga, all the major publishing houses would be scrambling to do so! Who wouldn't want to snatch Naoki Nagayama away from them?!

However, Naoki Nagayama did not say that such easy success could easily dampen other people's enthusiasm!

"My drawing skills are indeed somewhat immature."

Naoki Nagayama offered a pretentious critique, which made Tsuruko's teeth itch with envy.

"If you have time, you can check out the animation department on the fifth floor of the Tree Friends Building. There are many professional comic artists there!"

"You can go and familiarize yourself with it!"

"Todoroki Dou?"

Tsuruko's eyes lit up at first, then she tensed up.

"But is it really appropriate for me to suddenly disturb you like this?"

"Then I'll take on the role of supervisor part-time. I'll monitor the progress, but I won't be responsible for it!"

"Huh?"

"It's just to check how far each project has progressed, like helping me see if the animation department is slacking off!"

Is this alright?

"It's okay!"

Naoki Nagayama shook his head.

"And they're currently working on two anime series and an anime movie! There's so much to see!"

"Okay! I'll go after I finish drawing!"

"You're still going to paint at the Red Fish Garden?"

Naoki Nagayama was somewhat surprised.

"Aren't you lonely being alone?"

"It's so cool here in the summer! Plus, a housekeeper comes to cook for me every day! And there's also a housekeeper and yard maintenance staff."

"."

Naoki Nagayama seems to have forgotten that wealthy people live in seclusion with a large retinue of servants! How could they possibly be lonely?!

"Okay, okay. Stay as long as you want!"

Thinking of this, Naoki Nagayama didn't try to persuade him any further, but instead gave him some advice.

"But don't forget to call your father and mother!"

"Hi!"

After spending an hour or two at Akaiyuin, having drinks and a meal, and resting for a while, Naoki Nagayama drove back to Tokyo after the sun went down.

Of course, he won't drive the whole way. After arriving in Nagoya, he will naturally meet up with the film crew and then go back together.

The Rolls-Royce will naturally be driven by the film crew's driver.

At Yamazakura-in Temple in Tokyo.

The renovated swimming pool is almost finished, and the pool is filled with clear blue water, its surface shimmering.

The pool water is continuously circulated 24 hours a day, and a fresh batch is added every week. It is even equipped with a circulating heating system to maintain a constant temperature, so you can swim even in winter.

But you don't need to during the hot summer months~

At this moment, the butler, Afu, was restraining Eitaro and using a water sprayer to wash him from head to toe. The dog had wanted to go into the water for a long time, but he had just run in the garden and his paws were covered in dust.

"Mom, let's go swimming!!"

Xia Hua, wearing a swimsuit and an inflatable swim ring around her waist, was about to run barefoot towards the pool.

"Autumn beans and burlap sacks!!"

Akina quickly grabbed her and then put swimming goggles and a swimming cap on her.

"Remember, if you want to swim, you must be accompanied by an adult, understand?!"

"Hi!!"

Seeing that she nodded, Akina followed her towards the pool.

After arriving at the pool, Akina went into the water first, stood in the shallow end, and then let Hana-chan come down.

The little one had swum in the bathtub before, and now that he was in the water, he happily splashed around, making water everywhere, and was having a blast! He wasn't afraid of water at all~

"Alright, Hua Jiang. Come on, Mommy will teach you how to swim!"

Akina gently supported the baby's belly and laid her flat.

"If you place your hands flat, you will float."

"Come on, kick your legs hard!"

"Push your head out of the water and take a breath."

"."

With the help of the swimming ring, Xia Hua was soon able to move on the water, albeit slowly.

At this moment, Eitaro finally finished showering, rushed to the edge of the pool, and then plunged into the water, splashing up a lot of water!

"Yingtaro!!"

Akina was a little angry and splashed water on the dog. But the dog didn't seem to notice and swam happily in the pool, its doggy paddle move was very smooth!

Labradors are water dogs after all; the water should be their home turf.

"Eitaro swims so fast!"

Hua Jiang sighed.

"Mom, let's chase after them!"

"."

How could she possibly swim past the dog? Akina could only carry the little guy towards the dog's direction.

In the midst of this joyful atmosphere, Hua Jiang suddenly said:

When is Dad coming back?

Akina was somewhat surprised:

"Hmm? Does Hana-chan miss her dad?!"

Naoki Nagayama has been away filming for three days now! Natsuka is already missing him!

"Dad says he can swim!"

"Hmm, he'll probably be back tonight. Or maybe tomorrow morning."

"Oh, then let Dad come swimming too!!"

"Good~"

(End of this chapter)