Chapter 9: Day Before the Storm
Author's Notes: First, my apologies for the delay in this Chapter. As is always the case, Life decided to interfere with my plans to get this story written up, but at least it's done now, and I'm happy with the results.
I wanted to add a small plug for another story that's begun on AO3. The story, "Away We Go," is an incredible story that puts Naoto and Nagatoro split apart for three years after an incident that shatters their relationship. it's a great read and I'm really impressed with the author's efforts. It's truly a great read. (Link here: /works/46704958/chapters/117628933 )
Saturday morning was cloudy and cool as Naoto rang the doorbell to the Nagatoro house. Hayase came out as soon as the bell rang, saying her goodbyes as she ran to his open arms and hugged him. "Morning, Nao-kun, I'm looking forward to this," He kissed her on the forehead and they walked to the car. They climbed into his family's minivan, his mother behind the wheel, "Good Morning, Hayase, I hope your parents were not too upset with you coming with us."
She smiled as she belted herself next to Naoto, wrapping her arm around his as they drove off. "No, they were looking forward to seeing what you have planned for tomorrow night. My mother can get carried away about food, the consequences of having three children who are all involved in athletics." Chisato smiled as she looked at the two through the rear-view mirror.
About 10 minutes into the drive, Hayase was asleep on Naoto's arm, her body betraying the fact that she was unable to sleep the night before, partially because of her lingering sadness to her Uncle Shoujo's death but also for being excited to spend the day with Naoto and his mother. Naoto gently extricated his arm from her hold and unbuckled their seat belts, adjusting himself so she could lay her head on his lap. "She must have been too excited to sleep last night, poor thing," Chisato said as she watched as her son put his arm around her to protect her.
The ride into Yokohama was quiet save for the New Age Music she liked to listen to when she was working on a case. The music helped her focus on her tasks, whether it was driving or preparing a legal case. Naoto merely looked out at the scenery as he unconsciously stroked Hayase's arm as she slept. The hilly landscape that separated the Miura Peninsula from Yokohama felt like an endless bank of forest, shrouded in mists. Naoto was envisioning scenes from his Fantasy Manga set in hills like this when Hayase stirred and looked up, "Senpai? Did I fall asleep?" she stretched and moved onto his lap, hugging him as she fell back asleep. Naoto gently kissed her temple as He held her, "She's gonna be okay, Mom," he said softly as the skyscrapers that delineated Yokohama's Business and finance district came into view.
Chisato parked the min-van in the main parking lot not too far from the entrance, as the two climbed out of the back, hands clasped tightly. The sounds of stall workers hawking their foodstuffs and the smells of the food being cooked at the food stalls made for a morning experience she wouldn't forget.
She held Naoto's hand as they wandered the produce stalls, watching him check the freshness of the vegetables he wanted to use for dinner, gladly holding a bag for him as he picked out some fresh daikon radishes. By the time they finished with the produce, he had three beautiful Haas Avocados that were imported from Mexico. They cost a couple thousand Yen more than he was planning on spending, but he did manage to talk the seller into giving him a discount on the other produce he purchased.
"Senpai, where did you learn to negotiate like that?" She asked as they moved through the meat and fish stalls. He smiled and pointed to Chisato, "It helps to have a negotiator in the family, Mom's an attorney, so negotiations are second nature to her," Chisato smiled. "He watched me shop and learned how to get the best deal, So Hayase, aside from the avocado tempura, what is your mother's favorite dish?"
"Mom's not that picky an eater. Because of the three of us, she eats pretty much anything. Dad, on the other hand, gets particular about the food he likes to eat, but we can usually handle it. He does love a good steak now and then."
For the next couple of hours, the three wandered the stalls of the market, selecting produce and meats for the dinner. Naoto and Chisato took the time to introduce Hayase to their friends who owned some of the stalls, all of them were happy that Naoto had found a girlfriend, and some of them were surprised to learn that she was an athlete as well.
Around Noon, the three stopped at a small yakisoba stall in the market, one run by an old friend of the family. "Chisato-chan, Naoto-kun, welcome Back!" the elderly gentleman said as he waved from behind the griddle, "And who do you have with you?"
Naoto squeezed her hand, "Hello, Higurashi-Sama, this is Hayase, my girlfriend, she goes to school with Me." Naoto never wavered in his introduction, feeling her squeeze his hand as he introduced her as his girlfriend. We'd like three orders of our usual as well, please."
Higurashi-Sama smiled, "Welcome Hayase-chan, it is a pleasure to meet you, you must be very special to my favorite artist here for him to be with you," she tossed three servings of noodles and vegetables onto the hot griddle, stir-frying the entire order together impressively. "Are you also a third-year student like Naoto here, Hayase-chan?"
She smiled as she watched him toss the food into the air as it caramelized from the sauce he poured over it, "Actually I'm a year behind him, we met last year when I started at our high school, but we've only recently started dating seriously in the last month or so," She paused a moment as it hit her that even though they've known each other for nearly two years, their romantic joining was still brand new.
Higurashi-Sama smiled as he presented three plates of perfectly cooked Yakisoba, "Well, here's to new Love and the promise it holds for the future, Enjoy your lunch, my friends." They took a seat at one of the tables that looked out onto the market stalls. As they laid out their trays, Naoto pulled out his sketchbook, suddenly hit with some inspiration. Chisato watched as her son began to sketch a scene from the marketplace, translating a little bit of the shopping trip onto the sketch paper.
Chisato took a bite of the food, "Hayase, I'm curious, what do you want to do after high school?" Hayase stopped mid-bite, looking at Naoto. He held her hand under the table and squeezed it, silently telling her that it was alright to say how she feels. He continued to sketch with his other hand, stopping occasionally to put down the pencil and take a bite of food while continuing to hold her hand.
"To be honest, Hachiouji-Sama, I've been conflicted about what I want to do. I know that Naoto and I have a few months left together before he graduates, but he did help me rediscover my love for Judo. I joined the Judo club at the start of this school year, and I've been working my way back to the level I was at before I stepped away from it."
Chisato put her chopsticks down. "I heard about your tournament match against that one Olympic hopeful, Orihara, was it? Naoto told me that you two knew each other growing up, and you nearly beat her." Hayase blushed at her comment. "Is there something you'd like to do after your Judo career is over? Or did you want to make a career out of it as a Judo coach, perhaps at a high school?"
Hayase looked perplexed. The thought of teaching Judo hadn't crossed her mind before. She inherited a natural talent for the sport from her family, but since her original loss to Orihara, her interests had withered to almost nothing. It took Naoto's encouragement for her to face off against Orihara six months ago in the school's tournament, and even though she didn't win, she found her love for the sport again. Now with her and Naoto together, she was more than motivated to beat her rival that ever before. But Naoto's Mom did make a good point, what would she do once she beat Orihara?
"I… I haven't really thought that far ahead, to be honest," she said, her cheeks blushing. "But I guess I'm going to take things like we're taking our relationship, one day at a time. Both my brother and sister were InterHigh Champions when they were in high school, and I would like a chance to earn one now. After that, I'm not sure," She paused and looked at Naoto lovingly, "But what I am sure of, whatever happens, I know I want your son to be with me, I can't ask for someone better in my life." Naoto was bright red as his girlfriend essentially told his mother that she wanted him in her life for as long as possible.
Chisato smiled. The girl was being honest, she truly did love her son, that was clear. There was something else about her that seemed very familiar. She remembered when she and her husband were just starting their relationship, she became his biggest supporter during the last two years of his collegiate career. She learned the basics of golf, and helped him prepare for tournaments as best she could. When he qualified for the pro tour, she and Baby Naoto would accompany him at certain courses close to their home in Hayama. Naoto could do the same for her, she thought, he could be a positive factor for her overall future.
"Well, Hayase, I hope that you keep at it," She pulled out a small photo book and showed her a picture of herself, her husband, and an infant Neaoto posing with one of the championship trophies he won on the professional tour, with Naoto's little body sitting inside the trophy's bowl. Hayase giggled at the picture, especially at her boyfriend's goofy baby grin as he lay in the trophy. "Naoto's father loved doing that when he won a trophy like that. When he was on the Pro Golf Tour, he was a gifted golfer, he had a real sense of the course. We did hope that Naoto would have inherited some of that physical talent, but he seemed to have inherited my grandfather's artistic style."
Naoto blushed at the mention of his maternal great-grandfather, a celebrated artist in the pre-war era. He continued sketching the surrounding market stalls as they ate. Hayase kept an eye on his sketching as she talked with his mother, always enjoying watching his passion come out on the paper or canvas. Part of him always wished he had met his ancestor, if for nothing else to talk about the creative art process.
Gozo Muriyama was known for his majestic land and seascapes in the Showa Era, as a student of the famed Nihonga Artist, Kobayashi Kokei. After the War, he supported his family, including Chisato's father, with a number of his art pieces being sold in America and Europe, providing the family with much needed funds to keep food on the table. By the time Chisato was born, the family had established themselves in Hayama.
"Thank you, Mrs. Hachiouji, I hope to bring some of this up to my parents soon, maybe even tomorrow night," Hayase was squeezing Naoto's hand like it was a hand grip exerciser, but he wasn't letting on he was hurting. "Because of the success my brother and sister have had in the sport, I know my parents expect me to do the same, but…" She paused, not sure if she wanted to open up to Naoto's mother about her own issues. Naoto gently squeezed her hand, his silent way of telling her that it was okay to tell her, she looked at him and saw the look he was giving her, as if to say, "It'll be alright, Hayase." She nodded slightly and let go, putting her hands on the table, steadying herself.
"Before I lost that match to Orihara, I had always beaten her easily. For years, I relied on my natural talent to win my matches, and never thought to train or practice to get better." She took a sip of her soda, allowing her to brace herself for admitting her dark truth. "Then that day came when she completely beat me, out of nowhere. But the truth was, she took every loss and used it to motivate her, until she surpassed me. But she didn't stop there, she's now being considered for a spot on the National Judo team for the next Olympics."
She looked down for a moment, taking a deep breath. "I couldn't handle losing so completely like that, so I walked away from Judo, and just aimlessly wandered about. I helped out with the Swim Club, but I was never an official member. Then I met your son, and I will admit that I wasn't the nicest person to him," She paused as her eyes misted up a bit. I'm ashamed of it now, but I made him cry the first time we met, I teased him mercilessly for the stupidest of reasons, I'm ashamed to admit to you. At the time, I was surprised at how good his artwork was, but I made fun of the premise of his manga, because I didn't know how to talk to a boy like him. I grew up where getting teased was how we interacted with each other. I wish I understood how I felt back then, but I'll be honest, you'll never see me act like that with him again, I now understand what I was feeling all this time."
She looked like she was ready to cry as well then felt Naoto's arm around her waist, "Before you go on, Hayase, Mom, I want you to know that she apologized for how she first treated me, and I forgave her already. Honestly, we wouldn't be where we are now if she hadn't gotten me out of my shell."
Chisato sat there stoically, listening to both of them, "So as I understand you're now part of the Judo club, right? Naoto mentioned you had participated in the school tournament back in March. Was that what got you to rejoin?"
She nodded, "Partially, but it was Naoto who motivated me the most, during the lead up to the tournament, I was feeling the same nerves as before, unsure of my abilities and I was ready to withdraw from the tournament, but your son said that I didn't know what would happen until I got out there. Then, when I was facing her in our match, and everyone was cheering for her to finish me off, he shouted at me to not give up, and his words gave me strength and I would have beat her, if the clock hadn't run out." Naoto chuckled at the memory, proud of her second effort that day six months ago. "It wasn't easy at first, there are members of the club who knew me before I quit, who thought I had been a coward to walk away from the sport and weren't happy to see me come back. I understand them now, but it took a while to get them to see I was sincere in my desire to return to my previous level of competition."
For all of her understandably righteous anger, Shiki did come around and saw that Hayase had become willing to work at her skills again. Ironically enough, it was Naoto's defense of her on more than one occasion that made her realize that she was being overly harsh on Hayase, and since the Summer, when they attended a judo training camp together, had begun to see her in a more positive light.
"So, when is your next big competition, Hayase?" Chisato asked, now very curious as to the athletic ambitions of his son's love interest. Hayase put down the chopsticks on her empty plate. "We have the Fall InterSchool Judo Tournament in Fukuoka in October. That's a team and individual competition. So we all will compete based on weight classes. I'm hoping to reach the Semi-finals at least, but both my siblings think I have a good shot at winning an individual title, if not this year, then next year for sure."
Chisato looked impressed, in many ways Hayase's drive reminded her of her husband's when he was still playing professionally. Hayase started to grin as she continued. "There's a team from Saitama that We've heard some things about. They're all first-years, but they nearly took down one of the top judo teams in the country during the summer tournament. Our Coach opted to not send us due to Orihara having a qualifier the same weekend for the World Championships."
Naoto finished his food, "You never mentioned other schools before, Hayase, is there something about these girls that piques your interest?" She leaned on him, "From what I heard and saw from the highlights, these girls made a splash at the Summer Kukushi, and I want to see what all the hype is about." She flashed a grin at him, one of those he remembered from her countless teasing. The grin used to cause him to tremble in fear, but now, he knew she had something she was focused on and it thrilled him to see her like that.
"Oh, then I definitely will need to be there, huh?" He said back, returning the grin. She smiled back and kissed his cheek.
"Oh you know it, I need my biggest backer there to inspire me, maybe you can sketch me during a match. I'd love to see what you could do with a sports theme," Chisato was surprised as she watched their interaction. It started to make sense to her. Hayase was inspiring her son the same way he was encouraging her to pursue her judo dreams. "I bet we could convince the school to let you go with us on the condition that you sketch us in action, that could be something to display for the Cultural Festival." Hayase said as Naoto consolidated their trays.
Naoto pressed the bridge of his nose, as if he was trying to adjust glasses that were no longer worn, "I'll be happy to come out and sketch something, but I don't know if it would be good enough for the cultural Festival," he said embarrassed.
Hayase smiled and squeezed his hand, "Silly Senpai, you know you sketch your best when you have your favorite Model to pose for you," she tilted her head, flashing a wide toothy grin, one that used to frighten Naoto, but now thrilled him, he knew that she was going to get him motivated to do his best, which is what he planned on doing for her as well.
"All right, I guess I have no choice but to do my best for you, huh?" she giggled as he used one of her own lines at her. Chisato could only giggle at the overt flirting his son and the girl he loved were engaged in, she couldn't recall him ever being this engaged in the past when he shunned most social interactions.
"You know, I'm happy at how much you've influenced my son, Hayase, thank you. I am looking forward to meeting your parents tomorrow, but I think we have everything we need, so why don't we head back and Naoto and I will start prepping things for tomorrow, and maybe you two can go catch a movie tonight, what do you say?" The two looked at her, "That sounds like a great idea, Hachiouji-Sama, What do you think, Senpai, a movie after dinner tonight?"
Naoto nodded, "I love that idea too, all right, let's head home then, I want to wear something nice for dinner tomorrow anyway, I may need Sakura's help with that." The three got up from the table, said their goodbyes to the Owner and headed out of the market, Naoto carrying bags of meat and produce for the ride home. He loaded the back of the mini-van and drove off for Hayama. Unlike the ride in, where Hayase was asleep for most of the ride in, she was wide awake and chatty during the trip home. She looked at the sketch he made during lunch, the market stalls by the yakisoba stand. He drew the workers and the customers like they were just out of focus on a picture, giving the illusion that they were in motion as he sketched them.
"Wow, Senpai, it looks like you took a picture instead of drawing it, that's really good," she said as she looked at it. "Your landscapes are getting even better, I think this one could be perfect for your portfolio."
By the time they reached Hayama again, Chisato was grinning like the Cheshire Cat, understanding how this petite girl managed to bring her son out of his seemingly permanent shell and out into the sunlight again. She had a better picture of the tanned girl's motivations and how Naoto played into them, she was just like him, only where Naoto had become introverted and withdrawn, Hayase was a social butterfly and gregarious. Surely, they meshed perfectly, it was only a matter of time, from what she learned from the two of their strange relationship, that they would fall in love with each other. Behind her, Hayase was talking about the upcoming Autumn Tournament.
"So it was a big surprise to us that the Team Captain announced she was stepping down and named Shiki as her replacement as Team Captain," Hayase said as she leaned back onto Naoto's chest, his left arm wrapped around her stomach. "Are you okay with us dropping you off at your parents house or did you want us to take you to your friend's place instead?" Chisato asked as she pulled off the highway into the town.
"I texted Sakura already, she's going to meet me at my house, and we'll go through my closet first before deciding on whether I need to go shopping or not." Chisato nodded as she turned down the road that led to the Nagatoro home. As they pulled up, Sakura was approaching and came over to the minivan as she and Naoto got out.
"Mom, this is our friend, Sakura Inori, Sakura, I'd like you to meet my mother, Chisato Hachiouji," Naoto said as she smiled and bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ma'am," Sakura said. Chisato smiled at the blonde girl, "It's nice to meet you as well, I guess at some point, I'll get to meet all of your friends, Naoto,: she said with a smile. "We'll let you two enjoy the afternoon, come on, Naoto, we have dinner to prepare for tomorrow," she said.
"Give me a moment Mom," Naoto said. Sakura excused herself and went into Hayase's house, to give them some time together. "I'll call you about 5 and we'll figure out what movie we'll see, okay?"
She kissed him quickly, "Sure thing, Senpai, I'm looking forward to it," She kissed him again, putting her arms around his neck before they parted. He waited until she was inside her house before returning to the mini-van. As she drove off, Chisato couldn't stop grinning, "I'm going to enjoy having her as a daughter-in-law," she said, making Naoto blush a bit.