Chapter 232: Early Spring Events
On the first day of spring break, the Shinjuku area was sparkling as far as the eye could see.
Early in the morning, Toru Watanabe and Mai Asuka came to the tree-lined outer gardens of the Jingu Shrine.
“I went for a run.”
"Um."
Asu Mai watched Watanabe Toru walk away. Since she hadn't bought an oboe yet, she continued to practice the euphonium today.
Toru Watanabe stretched his body while walking to the area where he usually ran.
There was a black man in a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, who seemed to be preparing to measure his running speed.
A hundred meters ahead, a man in a sports jacket, stopwatch in hand, was ready to give orders.
Watanabe Toru also walked over and stood in a position so as not to affect the other party.
The black man - who, as he got closer, he realized was probably a mixed-race person - paid no attention to Watanabe Toru and concentrated on making preparations.
As soon as the man with the stopwatch waved his hand, he rushed out.
At first, he threw his arms away and ran, but the figures around him who were of the same level as him forced him to distract himself.
He was a very handsome young man whom I had never seen before.
A budding track and field athlete?
The muscles on his face flew apart and he sped up, faster and faster.
But, not only did he fail to shake off that person, but he overtook him?!
The distance of one hundred meters was over before I even realized it.
Because of the acceleration, the two rushed out for a distance before stopping.
"Does a marathon need to be run so fast?" the man muttered to himself in the island language and jogged away.
"Feiniao." A team member who was doing morning exercises came over. "10.21 seconds, not bad."
"How many seconds did that person take?" The mixed-race black man spoke in the island language.
The team member was stunned: "What that person?"
"The guy I just ran with!"
"I didn't notice. What's wrong?"
Cambridge Flying Bird wiped his sweat and looked at the man's gradually disappearing back: "Do you have any photos of athletes participating in the 100-meter race in the 2020 Olympics?"
"If we check, there should be something. What happened?"
"Nothing." Cambridge Asuka said, "I don't like Jingu Gaien very much. Let's go to Kokyo Gaien tomorrow."
"It's only the first day? Never mind. I don't care. It's just morning exercise anyway."
Toru Watanabe ran all the way over and saw a lot of black people.
With dark skin, well-defined muscles, and a determined and focused look, it is obvious that he is a professional runner who has been practicing for a long time.
There was a black man who was fast and steady. Just by looking at his running posture, you could tell that he was not an ordinary person.
Toru Watanabe caught up with him and ran side by side with him, learning the rhythm of the professional athletes.
The black man looked at him twice and introduced himself in English: "Lilesa."
"Watanabe." Watanabe Toru responded.
The two stopped talking and continued running silently in the outer gardens of the shrine at the same pace.
There are rows of ginkgo trees on both sides of the road. The wind blows the leaves and the cool breeze blows through the hair.
As I was running, a girl with a good figure appeared in front of me.
Watanabe Toru has been jogging here in the morning for a long time, but he has never seen this person. It seems that he is a contestant who won the marathon bid and has only recently started practicing.
The black man named Lilesa gave Watanabe Toru a look, and both of them slowed down at the same time.
Unfortunately, after one lap, the woman who didn’t exercise often was so tired that she started walking, so the two had to speed up.
After running five laps, Toru Watanabe was ready to leave.
He said to Lilesa, “Go Marathon!”
Lilesa didn't stop walking, but just gave a thumbs up.
Watanabe Toru paced slowly, and soon he heard the distant and moving sound of Mai Asuka's euphonium.
The two walked back together, and in the inbox on the first floor, Toru Watanabe took out two red roses that had just been delivered.
"For the one who loves me." He handed one to Asuka Mai.
"Thank you." Asu Mai reached out and took the flowers.
The two walked into the elevator and Watanabe Toru pressed the buttons for the 5th and 6th floors.
"I'm going to go back and take a shower and change clothes. Mai-senpai can sleep for a while."
"I'm with Toru."
"Teacher Koizumi and her family live next door." Watanabe Toru said with a smile, "Senior, you picked a good location, allowing students and teachers to be neighbors."
"Then let's move to another apartment."
"That's too obvious. When I get a chance, I'll introduce you to Mr. Koizumi."
Asu Mai tilted her head slightly: "Is it okay?"
"It doesn't matter. In their eyes, I'm not a good person anyway."
Asu Mai nodded slightly, "Toru and I will be the bad guys together."
"...If possible, I think we should try to be good people."
Without even ten words, the elevator reached the fifth floor.
Asu Mai's clear eyes watched Watanabe Toru walk out of the elevator without blinking.
"See you later." Toru Watanabe waited for the elevator door to close.
I returned to Room 502, took a shower, and while drying my hair, I saw the roses that I had casually placed on the table when I entered the room.
Toru Watanabe took a picture with his mobile phone and sent it to Rin Kiyono.
"knew"
"Very cool, I like it." Watanabe Toru put down his phone and the doorbell rang.
He walked straight over and opened the door.
"Watanabe, is the morning exercise over?"
"Good morning, Mr. Koizumi."
"Good morning."
It was Toru Watanabe who was not wearing a shirt, and Koizumi Aona couldn't control her gaze.
I took several glances at the strong chest, the waistline on the lower abdomen, and the slight mermaid line showing at the pelvis.
"Teacher, is there anything wrong?" Toru Watanabe regretted not wearing any clothes and pretended not to notice her gaze.
"I'm worried that you won't eat well during the holidays, so I came to call you to have breakfast." In order to control herself, Koizumi Aona stared at Watanabe Toru's face while speaking.
But just like you can't look directly at Kiyono Rin's face, the same is true for Watanabe Toru's face, which is not very friendly to most people's hearts.
So she simply prepared to leave.
"Get dressed and come here quickly. I have eggs in the frying pan."
"Yes, I'll be there soon."
He put on his clothes, went out and turned into Room 501. The door was open and he was too lazy to knock.
In the living room, Akiko curled up in a chair, hugging her calves and sleeping with her head tilted;
Perhaps because her chest felt too heavy, Miyazaki Miyuki fell asleep on the dining table.
"Good morning, teacher!" Toru Watanabe said loudly.
"Huh? Huh! What's wrong?" Akiko was startled awake and almost fell off the chair.
Miyazaki Miyuki woke up slowly, straightened her back and yawned for seven or eight seconds, and her pajamas almost couldn't hold on to her chest.
Really, really, really too big, foul level.
"Come and help." Koizumi Aona called out.
"I'll do it!" Watanabe Toru was very active.
While having breakfast, Toru Watanabe started talking about houses again because he was going to buy a house later.
"Teacher, are you really determined to buy this apartment?" he asked.
"Of course." Akiko said as a matter of course.
"What if you get married in the future?"
"Let your husband move in."
Watanabe Toru carefully looked at the sleepy Akiko and said, "Isn't this inappropriate?"
"Young man, you are not with Aona yet, so there is no need to think about such long-term things," said Miyuki Miyazaki.
"I heard it!" Koizumi Aona's voice came from the kitchen counter.
"It's my dream to buy a house here." Akiko picked up a piece of toast.
"dream?"
“At that time…”
"Wait, when?" asked Toru Watanabe.
Being interrupted, Akiko smacked her lips in dissatisfaction: "When I first came to Tokyo."
"Please continue."
"At that time, the three of us lived in a shabby apartment in Suginami District and spent a lot of time on the train every day."
Toru Watanabe thought about it and realized that Suginami Ward and Shinjuku Ward where Kamikawa was located were separated by Nakano Ward, so he would indeed have to spend a lot of time commuting to work every day.
However, in order to save money, the affordable housing there is a good choice.
"Every time the train passes Shinano-machi and I hear the conductor shouting 'Next stop, Shinano-machi' on the radio, I make up my mind to buy a luxury apartment here in the future. It's like I'm cursed."
"Why must it be Shinano-machi?" Toru Watanabe asked curiously.
"How much money can a person earn in his lifetime?" Akiko suddenly asked.
Toru Watanabe had never heard of any news in this area, but he had read a lot of books, and those novelists knew a little bit of everything in order to write books.
In Sanqiu Xian's novel "Three Days of Happiness", there is such an original passage:
"I read a book before that said that the lifetime salary of an office worker is between 200 million yen and 300 million yen, so everyone's life is probably worth that much."
This book is published by a publishing house under Kadokawa, and it is quite famous, so there shouldn't be any big problems.
"200 million to 300 million yen," he replied.
"So, among those who can earn 200 million to 300 million yen in their lifetime, how many people can afford to buy an apartment in Shinano-machi ?"
"Teacher Koizumi, I don't know the answer to this question." Toru Watanabe asked towards the cooking table.
"Don't pay attention to her," Mr. Koizumi responded. "When it comes to buying a house, her mind becomes unclear."
Akiko ignored Koizumi Aona and continued to explain her ideals to Watanabe Toru.
"Me," she pointed at herself, "Aona, Miyazaki Miyuki, if we don't eat, drink, or spend a penny, it will take the three of us ten years to buy one."
After that, she added contentedly: "This is a great dream."
Looking at Akiko, who was so proud and immersed in her dreams, Toru Watanabe couldn't help but think of his father.
When he was young, he climbed Mount Fuji on a motorcycle. Did he also have a great dream?
But rather than his dream, rather than the Yamaha motorcycle that took him to the top of Mount Fuji, he chose the Honda Cub that delivered goods, and he chose his family.
"Which things you consider as treasures is a personal matter." He remembered what Kiyono Rin said.
"If you really decide to buy it, have you ever considered taking out a loan?" asked Toru Watanabe.
"We are going to ask the bank recently." Koizumi Aona came over and handed him the hot milk. "If we can get a housing loan with 0 down payment or 10% low interest rate, we decided to buy it."
"A house worth 150 million yen, for the three of us as teachers... unless every class of Qingnai's students is the best in the country." Miyazaki Miyuki lazily ate strawberries with a knife and fork, "Young man, it's not easy to be an adult."
"I believe in the teachers," Toru Watanabe encouraged.
"Ah, Watanabe, when will you marry our Aona? I don't want to work hard, I don't want to save money, I just want to eat barbecue every day! Buy the latest clothes and mobile phones!" Akiko wailed.
Koizumi Aona wiped her hands and sat down.
"Don't listen to what Huangzi says. She is the most active in saving money among the three of us." She picked up the chopsticks.
"I've moved here for three months and I'm used to it." Watanabe Toru didn't mind.
"Watching my savings grow bigger and bigger is the only way to relieve my fatigue from work." Akiko picked up a small tomato with a knife and fork.
She looked at it affectionately, as if she was looking at her own savings which were not much but were growing slowly every month.
Watanabe Toru took a bite of the fried egg and said admiringly:
"Teacher Koizumi, the omelette is getting more and more delicious."
"Really?" Koizumi Aina laughed, "Then eat more."
"Hey, Watanabe, I'm talking to you about the house, did you hear me?" Akiko was unwilling to let the two go easily.
"I heard it. I'll go buy it this afternoon."
After hearing what Watanabe Toru said, Akiko became bored.
What she wanted to see were two people who hurriedly denied it, not two people who became thick-skinned and didn't take her seriously.
After dinner, Toru Watanabe helped wash the dishes.
After that, he left Room 501.
Koizumi Aona plans to wait until Akiko and Miyazaki Miyuki are completely sober, and then go to Mizuho Bank together to ask about the loan, and drive to Hakone for a trip.
Toru Watanabe and Mai Asuka, together with the agent, went to the landlord to discuss the purchase of the house.
The agent and the landlord were particularly surprised to see the two of them.
But as long as you can afford the money, whether the target is a 30-year-old adult, an 18-year-old college student, or a ghost, a monster, or a god, it is not a problem.
The rental return rate of this apartment is very high, but after the bargaining of the agent, it was finally sold at 5% lower than the market price.
Mai will sign and stamp the document tomorrow, and the property certificate can be obtained in about two weeks.
The island country's property certificate is called "Registration Identification Information", a document with a real estate identification code written on it - this is something Watanabe Toru only found out later.
Toru Watanabe transferred another 500 million yen to Asuka Mai.
After that, the two took a taxi to Meguro Ward, visited Jiyugaoka, and bought an oboe.
Jiyugaoka is a place with a melodious pace of life. The streets, food, desserts and furniture are all exquisite. In short, literary young people will fall in love with it at first sight.
Perhaps there are people like Akiko who regard living here as a great dream.
The two walked on a path called "Nine-Level Buddha".
The left and right sides of this road are lined with a variety of shops and benches.
There is a cherry blossom tree in the middle of the road. It is spring now, and the pink petals have become the umbrella cover of this commercial street, turning it into a corridor.
"Would you like some milk tea?" Toru Watanabe looked at the milk tea shop where all the girls were lining up.
“Too many people.”
"It's okay." Watanabe Toru said slowly, "We have plenty of time, take your time."
Asuhi Mai looked at him: "Yeah."
After waiting in line for fifteen minutes, it was their turn.
Holding milk tea, they walked under the cherry trees, looking at the cabinets around them, and went in to take a look when they saw something they liked.
When you are tired of walking, just find a place to sit down, drink a cup of milk tea and play with the pigeons that come near.
"Senior." Toru Watanabe put one hand on the chair, sitting casually with his body relaxed.
"Hmm?" Asu Mai withdrew her gaze from the pigeon at her feet.
"Once you have your own home, will you suddenly want to live your life seriously?"
"I'm very happy as long as there is Toru."
"I mean... well, how should I put it." Watanabe Toru thought for a moment, "For example, do you want to cook every day, take a good bath, go to bed early and get up early, and go out every week?"
Asu Mai held the milk tea, raised her slender snow-white neck, and looked at the cherry tree above her head.
She seemed to be savoring her feelings to see if they reflected what Watanabe Toru had said.
To her, apart from liking Toru Watanabe, all other feelings for her are vague. Without careful consideration, it is difficult to determine whether they exist or not.
"How about trying baking first?" Watanabe Toru looked at her pretty face. "Make cakes and bake cookies?"
"Tōru, do you want to eat?" Asu Mai looked at him.
"Yeah, I want to eat what senior sister made."
Asu Mai suddenly stood up.
"What's wrong?" Watanabe Toru asked curiously.
"Buy ingredients." She paused, then added, "And a baking reference book."
"Don't worry." Watanabe Toru pulled her back to the bench, "Let's talk about it after you've rested."
"Um."
Asu Mai rested her head on Watanabe Toru's shoulder.
There was not a cloud in the sky, and the wind, which was slightly chilly in the morning, had now turned warm.
An impeccable early spring.
