They took the train so that Hikaru didn't have to endure hours in a car. Hikaru had immediately protested that she had to be back by Sunday morning when Kiri had presented the tickets. He'd explained that he'd already arranged her absence with her uncle.
Hikaru knelt on the seat beside Kiri so she could stare out the window as they rode further north past farmland. "Look," she said excitedly again, "more cows!"
Kiri snickered, and when she looked at him a little unhappily, he coaxed her into his lap. "Here, sit like this and you can watch the exotic animals pass until it's too dark and I can cuddle with you."
"Sorry," she apologized.
He kissed her cheek and replied, "Nothing to be sorry for. But haven't you ever done any traveling?"
She shrugged. "Kao-ji-chan used to take us all camping once a summer after he moved in with us. Well, not camping really, because we rented a cabin-like building. And I've been to the ocean a few times too."
Kiri pursed his lips and started to say something, but stopped.
"What?" she asked.
"Is it so little because you don't like it, or having to ride in cars, or because of financial reasons?" he asked.
"I've liked everywhere I've been. I think when I was small it might have been financial and my father's schedules? Later maybe some of both? I do have a week long trip scheduled with Risa and Shizuoka right after graduation though," she replied.
"Oh," he said.
"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.
He kissed her. "Nothing, I was just hoping to spend the week after you graduate with you."
"Oh," she said unhappily.
"It's OK," he said.
"But I want to spend a whole week with you too," she told him.
He kissed her again. "We can. Any time after that I should be able to schedule a week off, though probably not more than a week at a time. But I've got four weeks of vacation and with the new job division, I should get to take it," he said hopefully.
Hikaru asked doubtfully, "Did you already schedule that week?"
He smiled and replied, "I put in for it, but I don't have confirmation. Where are you planning to go?"
"A few places, some famous castles and temples, nothing over seas, but then the last three nights at Southwind Hot Springs," she explained.
"Hmm," he replied.
She looked at him curiously.
"Will it be your first hot spring visit?" he asked.
She nodded. "The first for all three of us, why?"
"You'll probably like it then," he said.
"You've been there?" she asked.
He grinned and replied, "I've been to almost every hot spring I know of in the country and several overseas. That one is rather touristy and bland, but it's OK, and should be fun since you'll probably want to do more than just soak?"
She laughed and grinned back at him, "I see."
--
The station was small, but a rather elderly and hard used vehicle awaited them. Kiri obviously recognized it, as he didn't hesitate before leading Hikaru toward it. The driver was an older man who resembled Kiri and his mother a little.
Kiri greeted him cheerfully, "Hey uncle Mitsui, long time."
Mitsui laughed and replied, while Kiri deposited their bag into the back of the vehicle. "Yeah, but papa's getting on, and I was between jobs, so since our youngest is out of school, we moved back. Your aunt has our car today."
Kiri introduced Hikaru then asked his uncle, "Are you going to take over the place then?"
Mitsui shrugged and answered, "I might just be filling in the gap. Ren is finishing his business degree and says he plans to return when he's finished."
Kiri grinned and said with amusement, "We'll see."
Mitsui nodded in agreement.
They squeezed into the cab with Hikaru pressed tightly against Kiri's side when they were belted in place. Then they drove for at least a half an hour, though Hikaru couldn't guess the distance as much of the rest of the journey was spent winding through countryside with fields that alternated between crops and grazing animals. She watched everything that passed through the headlights avidly. Kiri grinned at her and chatted with his uncle.
When they pulled into the drive, Hikaru saw that the place was laid out a bit like a fortress in an anime. Two houses, a large barn, and several smaller buildings surrounded an open square that the drive spilled into.
Mitsui waved them off after they disembarked from the elderly vehicle, so Kiri led Hikaru to the more old fashioned house. He didn't stop to knock, simply entered and called out, "We're here!"
An elderly but spry woman practically bounced out of the kitchen, and exclaimed, "Welcome back!"
Kiri hugged her and then turned to introduce Hikaru.
--
Hikaru was introduced to too many people to remember that night. The only ones she was sure of identifying were Kiri's grandparents, Tae and Sora. There were numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins in and out of the pretty old house all evening. Amazing quantities of food poured out of the old fashioned kitchen.
When it was getting quite late everything finally settled down, and it was revealed that only Kiri's grandparents were actually living in the house.
Kiri's grandmother Tae assured them, "I prepared a futon before you arrived, in the room you've always used Kiri."
Gratefully he replied, "Thank you."
"What are your plans?" she asked.
Kiri replied, "I don't know, do you need anything done while I'm here?"
His grandfather suggested, "You could split some wood for me in the morning."
Tae scolded, "You can have the children work on that any time, we hardly ever see Kiri."
The two of them argued good naturedly for a few minutes and then Kiri's grandmother asked, "Don't you want to take Hikaru-chan out to see the end of the ocean while you're here?"
Kiri shrugged and asked Hikaru, "Do you want to go?"
Hikaru looked at him wide eyed and asked, "The end of the ocean?"
He laughed and replied, "I assumed it was such a famous feature of the area that you'd know about it. It's just where two oceans meet, it looks like more ocean." He shrugged.
Hikaru replied thoughtfully, "I'd like to go look at the ocean, also…"
He pulled her against his side and asked, "Also?"
"You said you lived here when you went to college, can we go see your college?" she asked.
He agreed easily, "Sure. Though," he warned, "it won't be very exciting."
Hikaru shrugged.
Kiri told his grandparents, "Then I'll help out in the morning and we can go around in the afternoon when it's warmer anyway."
Tae asked, "Would you like to take a bath with me before bed Hikaru-chan?"
Hikaru looked at Kiri uncertainly and he grinned at her and replied, "The tub is huge, you'll be fine."
"OK," she replied dubiously. Kiri's grandmother smiled and reluctantly Hikaru followed her to the bath.
When she stepped in the door she stopped and said, "Wow, I guess Kiri inherited his love of soaking!"
His grandmother laughed and told her, "I think maybe he picked up that trait here at least. I used to have to chase him out because he'd stay in for hours."
Hikaru smiled at her. And then her smile faded as Tae stripped out of her clothes and started to rinse off without hesitation. She turned to Hikaru and asked kindly, "Are you shy?"
Hikaru shrugged and replied, "Sort of."
Kiri's grandmother turned away from her and declared stoutly, "Alright, don't worry, I won't stare."
Hikaru undressed and rinsed off as his grandmother climbed into the tub. When she climbed into the tub Tae looked a little shocked and then looked away.
Hikaru said uncomfortably, "I don't mind if you look at me, it's just…"
Tae smiled and replied, "I understand." She stopped avoiding looking at Hikaru and when Hikaru looked back at her dubiously she asked cheerfully, "Do small breasts run in your family?"
Hikaru blushed like fire. "My mother is curvy and small," she replied. Then after a moment she said, "I don't have any idea what my grandmothers were like."
Tae asked, a little startled, "Neither of them?"
Hikaru shook her head and explained, "My mother's parents disowned her," she paused and added, "but I'm pretty sure they're both still alive from eavesdropping on some of my uncle's conversations." Hastily she added, "It wasn't on purpose, he was yelling."
"Oh," Tae replied faintly.
Hikaru nervously added, "And my father was an orphan, a ward of the state. He said the name they gave him didn't mean anything and took my mother's when they married."
"Goodness," Tae replied. Then briskly she added, "I'll admit I was hoping to get to quiz you alone a little, but I didn't mean to bring up painful family memories. Instead, why don't you tell me about yourself a little."
Hikaru looked at her blankly and said, "Um…"
Kiri's grandmother laughed and said cheerfully, "Alright then, I'll tell you something about Kiri instead." She soon had Hikaru giggling over a story about one of Kiri's summer break visits as a child. "That boy is incredibly lucky, and dreadfully determined sometimes," she finished, shaking her head.
After they'd gotten dressed in the pretty flowered yukatas that Tae had set out beforehand, Hikaru impulsively leaned over and hugged her. "Thank you," she said quietly, "I'm feeling much more comfortable here now."
Tae hugged her back, patted her cheek and replied, "I'm so glad. Now we'll let the boys have a turn." She winked and Hikaru laughed.
