Kamiyagawa originally planned to discuss the details of his desire to take over custody of Zashiki.
However, Ms. Natsuki's expression recovered from her trance, and she spoke before him:
"Kamiya-kun, is that bell really Zashiki-sama?"
"Zashiki...sama?" Kamiyakawa raised his eyebrows, "Yes, yes."
"No wonder." Natsuki showed an inexplicable expression of relief.
She recalled some memories from her childhood.
If it were Zashiki-sama, then everything that happened to his family now would make sense.
Natsuki continued to ask: "Do you want to bring Mr. Zashiki home?"
"Um."
"Although I may not be qualified to ask this, will you treat Zashiki-sama well?"
"Yeah." Kamiyakawa was a little confused as to what the little flat-headed mother wanted to do, but still nodded.
"I see."
"Huh?" Now it was Kamiyakawa's turn to be confused, "Aunt Natsuki, I don't understand what you mean..."
"That's it..." Natsuki held up the hearing aid and showed a sad smile, "Take that bell away."
Kamiyagawa:?
On the way to Nagatomo's house, Kamiya typed up nearly 800 words of draft.
He planned to use emotion and reason, use an impassioned essay-style speech, present the facts, and reason to persuade Nagatomo's mother to hand over Zashiki Warashi to him.
But, that’s it! ?
Auntie, are you too considerate?
I haven’t started talking about anything yet!
Do you really not consider listening to what I have to say first?
"As you can see, Kamiya-kun." Ms. Natsuki spoke again, "My family can no longer receive Zashiki-sama. Even if you don't take her away, she will leave on her own."
Nagatomo’s home——
The furnishings are messy, the money is gone, family members are at odds, and everyone has a gloomy look on their face...
Zashiki Warashi.
The legendary god of good fortune and guardian of the home.
According to legend, a household with a zashiki will be protected by this little monster and become prosperous.
But if there is someone in that family who is indolent, not enterprising, and just thinks about getting something for nothing all day long.
The protection of that seat will be ineffective.
A family that has lost its blessing will suffer bad luck, money will be lost, and family members will be at odds.
In the end, Zashiki Warashi will be disappointed and leave to find the next suitable family to live in.
…
That was a story a long time ago, about eighty years ago.
The protagonist of the story is named Taro Kono.
He was a child living in Iwate Prefecture, the birthplace of the Zashiki legend.
Taro has been without his father since he was a child and has been dependent on his mother.
My mother had to work in the fields during the day and make some meager money by doing needlework for others at night. To provide food and clothing for mother and son, as well as Taro's tuition.
But fortunately, Taro is a well-behaved child.
He studied hard as his mother hoped. He would tell her interesting things that happened at school every day when he came home, and would rub her shoulders while she was still doing needlework at night.
The mother and son lived in poverty but happily.
Until one day.
Taro came home from school and asked excitedly: "Mom, you didn't secretly give birth to a sister for me, right?"
After hearing this, my mother laughed out loud: "It's not easy to raise you. How can I raise another sister?"
"So who is that girl in the corner?" Taro pointed to a corner of the house.
The mother looked in the direction Taro was pointing. There was nothing there.
"Taro, tell mom what that girl looks like."
"Wearing a red kimono, with baby hair, she looks a little younger than me, and looks very cute!" Taro described truthfully.
"Maybe it's Zashiki-sama who came to our house!" Mother became happy and quickly took out the only snacks in the house and placed them in the corner, "Zashiki-sama, if it's really you, just try some snacks. .”
The snacks in the corner slowly floated into the air and disappeared little by little, as if someone was tasting them in small bites.
"Mom, she said the snacks are not delicious." Taro acted as a microphone on the side.
Mother watched the snacks being eaten and was very pleased: "Yes, I don't have any good snacks in a small family, but Zashiki-sama wants to come to our house to play often."
The next day, Zashiki Warashi came again.
Just like yesterday, I ate the snacks at home and then played with Taro for a while.
"Mom, mom. Zashiki-sama spoke to me today."
"Good boy, what did she say?"
"Zashiki-sama said that she doesn't like people who are indolent. If Taro is lazy in the future, she will follow me with a sad face. Like this!"
Taro imitated the look Zashiki Warashi showed just now and put on a slightly funny expression.
It made my mother giggle: "From now on, Taro must not be a lazy person. Zashiki-sama hates such people."
"Definitely not!"
In the days that followed, Zashiki often appeared at the home of the mother and son.
Every time Taro conveyed the news of Zashiki's appearance, my mother would be very happy.
That is the legendary God of Fortune.
Later one night, while my mother was doing needlework, she suddenly fell ill with lung disease and coughed violently.
At this time, she felt a pair of small hands pat her from behind, and her strong lung cough improved.
The mother originally thought that Taro was helping her soothe her cough, but when she turned her head, she found that Taro had fallen asleep beside her.
"Zashiki-sama, is that you?" Mother asked.
But everything was quiet and no one answered.
From this day on, my mother no longer regarded Zashiki simply as a god of good fortune, but as a family member.
My mother would often talk to the air and talk about home affairs. She couldn't see Zashiki's existence and was just talking to the imaginary Zashiki-sama.
The days passed.
Taro has finally grown up. He is indeed lazy and unwilling to make progress. Taro was admitted to college and became an excellent adult and a doctor just as his mother expected.
And he also married a beautiful wife.
The family that was originally just a mother and son finally began to become lively and prosperous.
"This is all due to Zashiki-sama's blessing." Both Taro and his mother believed this.
Later, Taro had his own child, a well-behaved daughter with a slight congenital hearing impairment.
But it doesn't matter, the whole family loves this new life equally.
They named Taro's daughter Natsuki.
Kono Natsuki.
Natsuki is growing up slowly, and Taro's mother is aging slowly.
When Xiao Natsuki was four years old, Taro's mother finally died. A severe lung cough was about to kill her.
As she lay dying, the family gathered around the old lady.
"Taro, is she still there?" the old lady asked in a gossamer voice.
Kono Taro couldn't answer, the adults couldn't see Zashiki. And Taro has been an adult for a long time, and he has not seen Zashiki-sama for many, many years.
Is she still there?
Taro doesn’t know either.
The old lady's originally cloudy eyes suddenly became slightly clearer. She smiled and raised her thin hands.
"Don't cry, child."
After the old lady said this, she lost her breath, and there was no one where she stretched out her hand.
At this time, the four-year-old Xiao Natsuki pulled the corner of her father's clothes:
"Dad, the little sister next to grandma is crying so sadly..."
