บท 70: Christmas ’23 Omake – Last Christmas Part 4
Hisashi ended up having to carry Reina again. Short legs were really a problem, but she didn't mind if she got to ride on her big brother like she was some kind of giant. Their parents were holding each other's hands watching the two of them with warm smiles.
They came across a bunch of stalls lining the way selling all kinds of street foods and drinks being prepared on the spot for all the people coming to the Meiji shrine for Hatsumode.
It didn't take long for Reina to see something that got her interest, pulling Hisashi's hair as if to steer him towards her target like he was her steed.
Her heels were digging into his chest. "Go there!" she screamed excitedly.
Hisashi sighed, but complied. "Ok, ok. I'm going. Calm down," he said.
It ended up being a stall that had a variety of candied fruit.
There was a slightly chubby man at the stall. "What would you like young lady?" he asked.
Reina got too shy to say anything so she just pointed towards the things she would like.
The man gave her a kind smile packing up the things she pointed at. "Was that everything you wanted?" he asked her.
She nodded shyly.
Hisashi smiled at the kind man and handed him the money. "Thank you," he said before joining their parents again.
They had gone and grabbed some hot drinks for them to share and warm up in the cold weather.
He grabbed one of the candied fruits from the box handing it up to Reina who happily accepted it.
At one of the stalls an elderly man was brushing yakitori(grilled chicken skewers) with teriyaki sauce while turning them over. They smelled so good it didn't take him long to decide what he wanted for a snack. The yakitori was juicy and had a nice char from the charcoal grill. The smoky meaty dish hit just right on his empty stomach.
It was nice to finally get some warm food and drinks in their belly after being on the move most of the morning.
They walked over to a takoyaki(octopus meatballs) stall. The man behind the counter used chopsticks to constantly flip the takoyaki that were cooking on the dimpled takoyaki hot plate with practiced precision.
When Hisashi placed his order the guy flicked the takoyaki out of the pan and into a container like a pro. It was rather impressive how dextrous the guy was.
Reina had an entirely different strategy as she kept going for all the different kinds of sweets, candies and deserts she could get.
Hisashi shared a few bites of his food with her to make sure she wasn't only eating sweets, because if given the chance she totally would.
She couldn't get enough of the candied strawberries that ended up being her favourite. Her chin was red and sticky with the juices, but that couldn't stop her enjoyment.
Hisashi was just worried about it dripping on top of his head so he quickly helped her wipe it off. She giggled trying to avoid his hands.
A young lady wearing an old-fashioned black and white maid outfit that came down to her calfs was watching Reina have fun with a soft bittersweet smile. She had sleek black hair put up in a tall bun was watching Reina having fun with a soft smile.
A pale young man with white hair and glasses wearing a tan suit turned to look back at her. "What is it? Aren't you coming Kanae?" he said. It was hard to tell whether he was upset with how even he was.
She shook her head and smiled back at him. "It's nothing young master," she said.
He was already walking off, too busy to enjoy the afternoon and celebrate the way the Saito family was. She quickly chased after him.
They walked around exploring the stalls and stores along Omotesando street only heading back to Harajuku station once it started getting late.
When they got home it was already time for dinner. Yuzuki brought out a large layered sleek black lacquer box. She had been preparing Osechi Ryori the last few days. When she unstacked the tiers each was revealed to be filled with a huge selection of dishes to convey their wishes for the new year. It was absolutely stuffed with food.
All four of them were excited to dig in. The main dish was the Nishime, which is a chicken and root vegetable stew.
Reina went straight for the candied chestnuts and sweet potatoes instead though. It seemed despite all the candy she ate during the day her sweet tooth was still not sated.
Yuzuki put some of the salmon kombu rolls on Hisashi's plate with a warm smile. "Here, I know how much you love these," she said.
Hisashi had always enjoyed the salmon kombu rolls. The combination of salty, savoury and umami was the best.
Hisashi nodded with a smile. "Thanks mother," he said.
"You have to make sure you eat enough," she said.
He grabbed some of the yellowtail teriyaki himself which had also turned out great. He was more of a sucker for the savoury flavours.
Their father was savouring the herring roe, that neither of the kids were big fans of. To each their own.
Meanwhile Yuzuki was nibbling on sweet black soybeans. They looked more like shiny black pearls than beans.
As a light desert there was enough mochi stuffed with red bean paste for all of them.
After their meal they relaxed over some nice tea while Reina started playing with her toys and stuffed animals, but it didn't last long.
By the time they finished their tea it was already late and Reina had fallen asleep on the couch, exhausted by the long and exciting day.
Hisashi picked her up taking her upstairs to her bedroom. He placed the already sleeping Reina in her bed tucking her in for good measure a small smile as he watched the cute little gremlin. She could really be cute and when nothing was distracting from it it became all the more obvious. Like when she was quiet and sleeping. Not that she couldn't be cute when awake.
"Hisashi-nii," she mumbled in her sleep.
He gently rubbed her head making sure not to wake her up.
-X-X-X-
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Writing Soundtrack: Maroon 5 - Various Tracks
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