novelraw Chapter 1: Nohara Hiroshi
Chapter 1: Nohara Hiroshi
The morning breeze was restless, as if the violent storm from last night still lingered in the air, making Nohara Hiroshi feel slightly irritated the moment he woke up.
But when he turned his head and saw the girl still nestled in his arms, with her fair and delicate face, gently furrowed brows, a faint blush that hadn't yet faded from her cheeks, and those slightly pouting lips still swollen and rosy from being kissed too much, a soft smile spread across his face.
Because Nohara Hiroshi knew perfectly well who she was — his girlfriend, his already-engaged fiancee, his future lawful wife, and the mother of his children yet to be born.
Koyama Misae, from Kumamoto Prefecture.
'According to Japanese tradition, once we're married, she'll be called Nohara Misae, won't she?' The corners of Hiroshi's mouth curled even higher.
Unable to resist, he leaned in and pressed his lips gently against those soft, rosy ones once more.
"Yamete..." Still deep in her dreams, a flicker of alarm crossed Misae's face. She pursed her pink lips and mumbled sleepily, "Hiroshi-kun, I'm really so tired right now."
And as she mumbled, her slender, curvaceous body shifted and squirmed slightly in Hiroshi's embrace.
"Misae, you little temptress," Hiroshi forced himself to hold back and carefully slid his arm out from under her head.
Glancing at the faint glow of dawn outside the window, he stretched lazily and got out of bed.It was exactly six o'clock in the morning.
Thanks to the reliable biological clock Hiroshi had developed since his university days, even though he'd been up until one in the morning the night before — and had woken up at five for another round — he still managed to wake at his usual time.
'Better freshen up first.' Hiroshi rubbed his lower back as he climbed out of bed.
He caught a glimpse of the youthful, vibrant body still hidden under the thin blanket, along with the fair, slender legs peeking out, marked with faint blue-purple pinch marks. He couldn't help but let out a satisfied sigh.
Splaaaash—
Hiroshi took a quick shower, then wrapped himself in a towel and dried off.
"Chiseled features, a strong physique with six-pack abs — I almost look like Takeshi Kaneshiro, don't I?" Hiroshi mused as he toweled off his hair, studying his reflection in the mirror with undeniable satisfaction.
But at that thought, a tinge of wistfulness crept in.
Because, unfortunately, even though this world had Japan, had Tokyo, had all the countries of the world, and looked more or less the same as his previous life—
One had to understand.
This world had no Takeshi Kaneshiro. It had none of the familiar figures from his past life.
'Perhaps that's for the best. No need to tempt fate.' Hiroshi finished drying off, pushed open the bathroom door, and stepped out, instinctively glancing toward the floor-to-ceiling window of the apartment.
The sun had already risen.
Sunlight spilled between the towering skyscrapers, transforming their countless glass facades into shimmering, rippling lakes — reflecting the dreams and aspirations of the countless young people who had come to Tokyo, this cosmopolitan metropolis, chasing their ambitions.
Including Nohara Hiroshi, a young man from the small city of Omagari in Akita Prefecture.
'Who wouldn't dream of the big city?'
Looking at Misae, still fast asleep with a sweet smile gracing her exquisite, youthful face — that face still plump with the glow of collagen — Hiroshi felt that all his hard work was paying off.
At this moment, he was brimming with fighting spirit.
He headed to the kitchen, took out eggs and two containers of vegetables he'd bought the evening before from the fridge, then grabbed sliced bread and popped it into the toaster.
Hiroshi began preparing breakfast.
With a soft beep, the machine started toasting the bread. Meanwhile, Hiroshi deftly rinsed the vegetables, then pulled out a frying pan, drizzled in some olive oil, and began stir-frying.
On the side, he whisked eggs with milk and cheese, then made a silky scrambled egg in a small specialty pan.
By the time everything was done —
Ding! Right on cue, the toaster chimed, signaling the bread was ready too.
"Wow! What a feast!"
Just then, the kitchen door slid open. A waft of delicate fragrance hit Hiroshi from behind as a curvaceous body pressed against his back with astonishing elasticity. An excited, delighted voice rang in his ear: "Arugula! Nozawana! And cheesy scrambled eggs! These are all my favorites!"
"Of course. This is a breakfast made with pure love — crafted from the heart, just for my cute, beautiful, vivacious Misae-chan~"
Hiroshi chuckled softly.
Then, in one smooth motion, he turned and pulled the petite yet curvaceous figure behind him into his arms. With practiced ease, he pressed his lips against hers.
And this time, his tongue was decidedly aggressive.
"Mmph—!"
Accompanied by soft, wet sounds, her delicate face flushed crimson, even the tips of her earlobes turning so red they looked ready to bleed.
Her body went limp against Hiroshi's, and only his arms around her kept her from sliding to the floor.
Once everything was in order—
And Hiroshi was thoroughly satisfied — only then did he release his grip on Misae's slender waist.
Looking at her face, flushed to the point of breathlessness, her expression as adorable and bewildered as a startled fawn, he grinned and said, "Time for breakfast."
The girl was none other than the freshly awakened Koyama Misae.
"Hiroshi-kun, you're so mean," Misae pouted, biting her lower lip lightly. Her large, dewy eyes gazed up at him — looking utterly adorable yet stubbornly defiant, even after being thoroughly ravished.
It nearly made Hiroshi swallow hard, his desire stirring all over again.
This was exactly why he loved Koyama Misae — he could sense that irrepressible spirit at the core of this adorable girl, that endearing stubbornness that gave her such a unique aura.
It made him want to conquer her.
Of course.
At this point, Nohara Hiroshi was already a conqueror who had firmly planted his flag.
"Here, take these plates over." Hiroshi gently flicked the tip of Misae's delicate nose and handed her two plates of lightly stir-fried vegetables.
Then he picked up the scrambled eggs and the toast, and together they headed to the dining area.
Calling it a "dining area" was generous — it was really just a small section of the apartment that didn't take up too much space, furnished with a little two-person table. And just like that, it became their dining room.
"And the milk." Hiroshi grabbed a large bottle of milk from near the door. A big glass jug, two liters — just enough for the two of them at breakfast.
It was fresh milk, delivered by the milkman that very morning.
"Hiroshi-kun, are you sure you don't want to accept the offer from Futaba Corporation? To become a senior manager's assistant?" Misae paused mid-bite and looked up curiously.
She was genuinely curious.
After all, Futaba Corporation was a reasonably well-known trading company with a large shopping complex in one of Tokyo's prime commercial districts and a chain of over forty branded supermarkets.
For someone like Hiroshi — a fresh graduate from a university that was hardly prestigious — it was an excellent opportunity.
"Yeah, I don't want to go to Futaba Corporation." Hiroshi swallowed a mouthful of bread and smiled. "I've got my own plans."
As he spoke, his gaze drifted toward the corner of the room.
Misae followed his eyes and looked over as well. A hint of suspicion crossed her delicate features. "Hiroshi-kun, you're not... seriously thinking about becoming a manga artist, are you?"
There in the far corner stood a drawing board, along with stacks of white paper and various drawing tools piled neatly beside it.
Misae had known for a while now that Hiroshi had a passion for drawing, and also for taking... rather risque photos and videos.
But now, on such a major career decision—
For this economics graduate to say he wanted to become a manga artist — it truly shocked Misae. She could barely wrap her head around it.
"Don't worry, not a full-time manga artist." Hiroshi understood Misae's concerns perfectly.
A reassuring grin spread across his face. He even reached out and gave her cute button nose another playful flick — she was standing there looking as dazed and adorable as a bewildered teddy bear — and said with a smile, "It's just a side gig. If it makes money, great. If not, it's just a little extension of my hobby, that's all."
"Oh, okay," Misae replied, nodding along with a look that said she didn't quite understand but it sounded impressive so she'd go with it.
But she quickly snapped back to attention.
She blinked, her pink tongue darting out to catch a stray drop of oil from the corner of her lip, and asked with a puzzled tilt of her head, "Then where are you planning to work?"
"Tokyo Broadcasting System."
"Tokyo Broadcasting... System?!" Misae's eyes went wide. Now she truly looked like the cutest, most bewildered teddy bear in the world.
"That's right. One of my classmates has an uncle who works as a producer at Tokyo Broadcasting System, so I asked him to put in a word for me," Hiroshi explained. "I'm heading over for an interview today. And from what I've gathered, this uncle of his is currently putting together a horror-themed animation project — so I've prepared my trump card." His eyes shifted toward the stack of white paper in the corner.
Upon closer inspection, those sheets weren't blank at all — they were fully drawn and neatly organized manga storyboards.
"Su... Sugoi!" Misae gasped — still not entirely sure what was going on, but deeply impressed nonetheless.
After all, from the day they'd met until now, she knew one thing for certain: Nohara Hiroshi was one seriously capable man.
Yes. Capable.
As that particular train of thought continued, Misae lowered her head ever so slightly, a shy, rosy blush coloring her cheeks.
"Oh, Misae—" Hiroshi suddenly spoke up.
"What is it, Hiroshi-kun?" She looked up, puzzled.
"That job you mentioned at Oyamada Bussan — don't take it."
"Huh?" Misae blinked, confused by his sudden statement.
Her lips pressed together, and her expression turned slightly wounded. "Hiroshi-kun, you're already twenty-three — a university graduate. You have no idea what it's like for people like us who only finished high school. A salesclerk position at Oyamada Bussan might not sound like much, but it's actually a perfectly good job."
Educational discrimination existed everywhere.
And although Misae had gone on to attend Kato Kiyomasa Private Women's Junior College, it was a private institution — and a short-term program at that, where you could graduate in just a few months.
Society didn't really recognize that kind of credential.
All she could do was console herself.
So for Misae, the position at Oyamada Bussan was actually a rather satisfying prospect.
"How about opening your own cafe and dessert shop instead?"
Hiroshi smiled without elaborating further, then looked at her. "That way, you'd be your own boss. No more watching your supervisor's mood. And your schedule would be completely free, right?"
Misae was absolutely floored by his words. "Hiroshi-kun, what do you... what do you mean, open a cafe and dessert shop?"