Challenge: The Fool with the Surname Okayamine

Chapter 4 Kindergarten Graduation, Wearing a Veil, and Meeting the Parents

Two years have passed in the blink of an eye, and it is now July 1979. The happy kindergarten days are about to come to an end.

During these two years, Sawa walked to school with Ming every day. During this time, Ming saw many qualities in Sawa that were different from those he had met before: kindness, gentleness, and occasional bravery. All of these qualities deepened Ming's interest in her.

As for those who used to bully Sawa, they stopped bullying her. After all, Ming was right next to her. You could say that you couldn't beat Ming by yourself because Ming was lucky, but if you couldn't beat him even with seven people attacking together, then there's nothing more to say and you should just accept your defeat.

Incidentally, since Sawa's family runs a rice bowl business, Ming would always come here to do some free work after finishing his piano practice during holidays. There was no real reason for this; he was just bored at home alone. There weren't many entertainment options in Japan at that time.

Even the eldest son of the head of the top-tier wealthy family, the Okamine family, doesn't really have much fun to do every day except play chess in the courtyard.

As a result, Sawa's parents, Saori Yamato and Iwahira Yamato, gradually began to notice the little boy who would come every Saturday and Sunday dressed in a little suit to chat and laugh with their daughter and help her out. (Chatting and laughing: Sawa was talking to herself while Mei stood there listening expressionlessly.)

He also admired Ming's gentlemanly manners when serving things. Although he looked a bit fierce, he was definitely a good person, and he also helped make the small restaurant in Shandawu very successful.

Then, over the course of two years, Sawa thoroughly understood Ming's behavior and logic. Ming was a very two-faced person. Although he would say he wouldn't help, he would always silently come to help whenever something went wrong, and the only reason he gave was that they were "brothers".

With the introduction over, let's turn our attention to today. Ming, as usual, walked to the kindergarten with his "good brother" Shan Da Shahe and sat in close seats.

As soon as she sat down, before the teacher arrived, Sawa asked Ming a question:

"Ming, uh... I'd like to ask which primary school you'd like to go to after graduating from kindergarten?"

"Not yet. My father said that if I don't have any ideas, I can learn at home."

Ming spoke without any emotion, as if he hadn't noticed the meaning behind the girl's words at all.

At this point, the girl's face flushed slightly, her index fingers clasped together slightly, and then she mustered her courage to say:

"Um... if you haven't decided which elementary school to go to yet, could you go to the same elementary school as me? It's that... Sakura Elementary School."

The girl gripped it tightly, and Ming asked, slightly excited, as he looked at the object in his hand.

When he felt Sha's soft little hand grasp him, Ming's heart skipped a beat. Perhaps because he had never even touched a woman's hand in his past life or this life for various reasons, he naturally didn't know what this feeling was like. He would probably think of it as a physical stress reaction similar to being suddenly touched.

Ming pretended to think for a moment, then nodded and answered, feigning composure:

"Uh... oh, I understand. I'll talk to Father about it!"

Hearing Ming's seemingly calm reply, Sawa was overjoyed. She smiled brightly and met Ming's gaze, expressing her delight.

After school, Ming first escorted Sawa back to the mountain house, and then walked back to the Gangfeng family mansion.

As soon as he got home, Ming dutifully said to the people inside:

"Mother, I'm back."

Upon hearing Ming's voice, a woman with a large pregnant belly walked out of the room. This woman was Ming's mother, Okamine Orihime.

As for why the mother wanted to give birth to a younger brother, it was because the father, Wu Yilang, felt that Ming only loved the mother and not the father, so he decided to create a pseudonym to release his pent-up paternal love.

"You're back! How was Xiaoming's day at kindergarten?"

Orihime asked Ming with concern, "It's alright, Mother is fine." Ming immediately went forward to help his mother as she came out, and led her to sit down on the stone bench in the center of the courtyard to chat.

The carp swimming around in the pond also made the atmosphere at home more peaceful.

"Hmm, it seems Xiaoming is very happy today."

Sunlight fell on Ming's face as his mother spoke these words for no apparent reason.

"Uh! Mother, I didn't show any expression, did I? Why do you say that?"

Unable to understand what Orihime was saying, Ming stared at his beautiful mother with lifeless eyes, trying to find an answer.

Seeing the puzzled look in her child's eyes, Orihime simply smiled slightly while sitting there, and then said:

"Yes... Xiaoming, haven't you noticed yet? You've seemed so happy every day since you started kindergarten."

Have you found a friend you like?

Orihime gently stroked Ming's head and smiled tenderly. She noticed that her son always came home with a smile on his face.

Ming's face flushed red instantly, and his expression was naturally observed by Orihime.

As Ming was thinking, he suddenly remembered something he seemed to need to discuss with his father, so he whispered to Orihime in a barely audible voice:

"Mother, I want to tell you and Father something. Could you please pass it on for me?"

"What's wrong, Xiaoming?"

Upon hearing the request, Orihime asked Ming curiously.

"Because... I don't want to study at home, I have a friend... who wants me to go to elementary school with her."

Ming spoke softly with his head down, while Zhiji listened attentively, feeling gratified to hear her child admit that he had friends.

"Oh, I see. So, which elementary school does Xiaoming want to go to? I'll talk to Wuyilang about it," Orihime encouraged him with a smile.

"Really? Mother! I want to go to Sakura Elementary School! Is that okay?" Ming looked up, his eyes were empty but his heart was still full of joy.

"Oh, sure, but..." Orihime stood up with a faint smile and curious eyes, gently patting Ming's shoulder as she continued with a smile:

“Xiao Ming, since you have a friend, could you bring her home to play? Of course, as her mother, I would also like to go with Wu Yilang to see her.”

"Yes, Mother!"

Ming and his eyes met, and without hesitation, he wanted to introduce his "brother," whom he had just recognized two years ago, to his mother.

"Go ahead, Xiaoming. It's still early. Go play for an hour and then come back after I call the servants to prepare the meal!"

"Yes, Mother!"

Ming was perhaps too excited, so he rushed out of the house without even changing out of his kindergarten uniform into a kimono or a gentleman's suit.

"Oh my, it's been a long time since I've seen Xiaoming so energetic. He probably inherited it from his father, Wu Yilang, who always has a blank expression on his face, but today he's in an exceptionally high mood. I can even tell."

Orihime gently stroked her belly and continued speaking to the little life inside:

"You agree, right, Kotaro? When you're born, you must be a cheerful person."

After saying this, Orihime smiled happily, sat on the stone bench in the courtyard, and admired the carp in the pond at home.

Soon after~

Ming ran to the front of the mountain house, and after hesitating for a while, he mustered up the courage to push open the door and go inside.

As soon as he entered the mountain house, the aroma of various rice bowls wafted into Ming's nose, and the lively discussions among the customers were endless.

Seeing so many people, Ming casually glanced around and spotted Sanda Saho, who was busy at work.

Upon seeing people, Ming waited for Sha to bring out a bowl of miso soup before stepping forward.

"Ming, what are you doing here! Oh... I thought it was only Friday today?"

Seeing Ming, who would never normally be here at this time, Sawa's eyes were filled with doubt as she began to think. Still unable to find an answer, Sawa finally asked:

"Is there something you need, Ming?"

"........."

Ming remained silent as usual, and the atmosphere in the space became quiet, completely out of place with the lively atmosphere around him.

"Um...Sawa...My mother said she'd like me to bring you to my house for a meal, is that alright?"

Ming asked expressionlessly, but Sawa couldn't stay calm after hearing the invitation. Her cheeks turned red and steam started coming out of her head because of Ming's request to meet the parents. She turned into a cute "steam princess".

After steaming for a while, Sawa finally calmed down. She looked at Ming, who was standing in front of her without saying a word, with a bit of panic. She immediately tried to appear calm and turned around to run to the kitchen.

"Wait...wait a minute...Ming, I'll go tell my mom, please wait for me!"

Ming nodded, quietly waiting for Sawa's results.

A few minutes later, Sawa ran back, her face flushed and looking very excited.

"My mom agreed to let me go to my classmate's house for dinner! Let's go now."

Sawa grabbed Ming's hand and pulled him outside.

After Ming was pulled away by Sawa, Sanda Saori and Sanda Iwahira came out of the kitchen and looked at the departing figures of the two, and couldn't help but sigh.

"Hey, Iwahira, what do you think of this kid named Ming? I think he looks fierce, but he's actually a very gentle kid. He seems to take good care of our Sawa. How about we find a child husband for Sawa in advance?"

Saori Yamada, the mother of Sawa, said this and asked her husband with a smile, but Iwahira Yamada, the father, did not think so.

"How could I! Why would I give my daughter, whom I've raised with such care, to that guy who's dressed so gaudyly? She's such a lovely daughter!"

Shan Da Yanping spoke loudly, his heart filled with resentment towards the man who made his daughter think about him every day while neglecting his father.

"By the way, when Ming came to help out during his vacation, Yanping didn't refuse; he just treated the little boy as a regular friend of his daughter and didn't pay much attention to him."

"Okay, okay~ You didn't refuse, did you? When Sawa asked us to have dinner at that child's house, you didn't say anything either."

"Hmph, I just didn't want my daughter to be sad!"

After Iwahira finished speaking, he immediately walked back to the kitchen, as if he didn't want to continue.

At this moment, Sawa was still unaware of what her parents were talking about, and had already been brought into Ming's house.

Inside the dining room in the center of the Okamine family home, Ming's father, Takeichiro, and mother, Orihime, sat cross-legged at a small Japanese table, where exquisitely luxurious Japanese dishes were laid out before them, awaiting the arrival of Ming and their child's so-called first "friend."

A few hours later, the Japanese-style sliding doors on both sides of the room were slowly pushed open, and Ming led Shahe in after a slight bow.

"I'm coming in."

"I...I'm coming in..." As soon as she entered, Sawa was faced with the fierce-looking Takeichiro, which made her a little nervous. She hurriedly spoke the entrance etiquette, and then introduced herself, "Also...nice to meet you. My name is Yamada Sawa. My father and mother run a rice bowl business. Hello, Auntie and Uncle!"

Seeing Sawa's nervousness, Ming subconsciously reached out and gently took her hand. Although Ming didn't know why he did this, his body took the initiative to give the girl beside him courage. This scene was naturally witnessed by Takeichiro and Orihime, whose expressions were slightly complicated, but only for a moment.

"Haha, don't be nervous, little girl," Okamine Orihime said to Sawa with a smile. "Have a seat, you and Xiaoming must be starving."

Hearing this, Sawa's tension eased slightly. She bowed to Takeichiro and Orihime again before sitting down next to Akira.

After sitting down, everyone started picking up sashimi with their chopsticks at Takeichiro's signal, and the scene became quiet for a while.

However, Ming is the only one who doesn't dare to eat sashimi, so when he holds his chopsticks, he often has to pick and choose among the fish to find something like tempura before he can eat it.

Ming's behavior, which was the only thing that did not conform to etiquette, was naturally noticed by Takeichiro, but this time he did not care. Instead, he asked Sawa all sorts of questions with Orihime.

For example, questions like, "Little sister, how did you meet Xiaoming?" or "Little sister, how is Xiaoming usually to you?" or "Little sister, what is your impression of Xiaoming?" are common questions that parents around the world ask their children.

Sawa answered these questions seriously, but didn't pay much attention to the food on her plate. Occasionally, she would pick up a few pieces and put them in her mouth when she saw others taking a bite.

As they listened, Takeichiro and Orihime were overjoyed. Their child had made such a close friend so quickly, and even revealed important information that they didn't know Ming liked kittens.

Finally, Orihime and Takeichiro asked the question they most wanted to ask:

"Little sister, what's your relationship with our Xiaoming?"

It was Orihime who spoke up. Because of his intimidating gaze, Takeichiro couldn't communicate easily, and even as the head of the family, he just echoed her. They weren't concerned about the children's early romance. After all, Ming's grades were ridiculously excellent. If Ming wanted to answer their calculus questions on the spot, it wouldn't be a big problem. Even finding a child bride wouldn't be a problem.

But at this point, Sawa became awkward and hesitant. She didn't know how to bring up her relationship with Ming, and her voice paused slightly before she finally said:

"This... Uncle... Aunt... this..."

Seeing the girl hesitate, Orihime's eyes lit up, and she immediately pressed for an answer:

"What is it!"

"........."

All that was met with was silence, a deathly stillness.

Just then, Ming, who had nothing to do after eating tempura, noticed his parents' question and immediately blurted out:

"They're brothers!"

Both Takeichiro and Orihime were stunned by their son's expressionless reply.

Silence became the dominant theme in the room. After nearly a minute of silence, Orihime and Takeichiro exchanged a glance, both with puzzled expressions on their faces.

They had expected to hear some romantic answer, but instead it was "brothers." But thinking about it carefully, what would kids this age know about love?

But Ming, who has lived two lives, simply lacks experience with girls and mistakenly believes that his most trustworthy relationship is with his brothers. What a misunderstanding!

The living room fell silent as the three of them ate their meals in silence, a process that continued indefinitely.

It wasn't until after dinner in the evening, after discussing the elementary school she would be attending and seeing Sawa off from the Okamine house, that Takeichiro finally took her to a bedroom alone to talk.

"Xiao Ming, why do you think such a cute girl can't be your brother?"

Wu Yilang, looking puzzled as if his expression hadn't improved much, asked.

"It's simple, because that way we can trust each other."

Ming gave his answer, but Wu Yilang's expression changed drastically.

"Damn it, what kind of behavior is this? That's not how I taught you!"

Wu Yilang pulled out a wooden sword from somewhere and attacked Ming, who, out of trust, did not dodge.

"Ah!"

Wu Yilang grabbed his child and started beating him out of frustration. Ming didn't fight back out of politeness, which resulted in his buttocks being almost red from the beating.

Why...did you hit me?

"Because you're so stupid it's beyond saving!"

"Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!"

That night, for the first time since Ming's transmigration, he experienced the profound love from his father. The Gangfeng family home was filled with the sound of slapping all night, which did not stop until the early hours of the morning.

On the fourth day, Ming and Sha went to the graduation ceremony together.

Looking at Deming, who still couldn't straighten his back, Sawa asked in confusion:

"You've been feeling hot and bothered lately, are you still feeling better?"

"It's alright."

Ming's serious face perfectly concealed his speechlessness as he calmly spoke.

Soon after, both of them graduated from kindergarten.