novelraw Chapter 135: What is the Concept of Earning Five Million Yen a Month? The Leaders of Omagari City Are Stunned!
Chapter 135: What is the Concept of Earning Five Million Yen a Month? The Leaders of Omagari City Are Stunned!
At this moment, Nohara Hiroshi couldn't bear to listen anymore: "Big brother, let's go." Nohara Hiroshi patted Nohara Semashi's shoulder: "Since we're free today, let's go to the city and settle the loan matters all at once."
"Ah? Oh! Okay!" Nohara Semashi woke up as if from a dream.
Regarding the loan matter, Nohara Hiroshi had already chatted with him on the phone previously. At this time, he didn't have any hesitation and nodded heavily: "I'll go get the car right now!"
Thus, the brand-new Toyota Land Cruiser, like an awakened steel behemoth, let out a deep roar full of power on that dirt road full of rustic flavor.
Nohara Semashi held the steering wheel. His large hands covered in thick calluses actually appeared exceptionally steady at this moment.
Moreover, Nohara Hiroshi discovered that this burly eldest brother of his...
Seemed to have learned how to drive with one hand as well!
Coupled with the Armani suit he bought in Ginza, the crisp lines perfectly outlined his burly and robust figure. His face was resolute, his eyes simple and honest, yet due to the tempering of his identity as a "President" these past few days, there was an added touch of confidence and composure that even he hadn't noticed.
Nohara Hiroshi also nodded inwardly: 'Mhm, as expected, a Buddha relies on gold clothing, and a person relies on their attire. This saying is indeed correct!'
His eldest brother right now truly had great temperament! "Hiroshi, are... are we really going to take out such a big loan?" Nohara Semashi, while skillfully maneuvering this vehicle that seemed somewhat overly massive for the country dirt roads, still couldn't help but ask softly in an uncertain tone.
"It's not 'we', it's 'you'." Nohara Hiroshi leaned against the passenger seat and said in a calm and indifferent voice: "You are the President of 'Nohara Agricultural Corporation'. Taking out a loan is something your President should do."
These words made Nohara Semashi stare blankly for a moment: "Ah? Me?"
"Mhm." Nohara Hiroshi shrugged his shoulders: "However, as a member of the board of directors, I can also guarantee for you. Right now, I am your guarantor."
"Oh, oh." Nohara Semashi nodded thoughtfully.
Although he didn't quite understand.
But listening to his younger brother was correct.
Nohara Semashi looked ahead at that familiar, boundless stretch of emerald-green paddy fields, and that simple, honest heart began to beat violently.
President...
This word, which he had previously only heard on TV and seemed completely out of reach, had now become his, Nohara Semashi's, most genuine identity.
This heavy honor personally draped over him by his younger brother infused his already highly responsible heart with a massive power capable of splitting mountains and cracking rocks at this moment!
"Alright! I got it!" He nodded heavily. All the hesitation on his tanned face had faded away, leaving only the blazing fire of a pragmatist!
The car quickly drove into the urban area.
The city center of Omagari City didn't have the suffocating skyscrapers of Tokyo, but it possessed its own kind of prosperity and liveliness characteristic of a small city.
The JA building was a five-story beige building that looked somewhat aged. It formed a stark contrast with the brand-new, modernized building next door bearing the "Akita Bank" sign.
Familiar with the routine, Nohara Semashi parked the car in the exclusive parking spot at the entrance of the JA. His posture had long lost its initial awkwardness, replaced by the confidence of being a master.
However, before they even stepped out of the car, the clean glass door of the JA was suddenly violently pushed open from the inside with a "whoosh" sound.
A middle-aged man in a crisp suit, hair combed meticulously, looking to be in his early fifties, hurriedly came out to welcome them with a face full of smiles.
Behind him followed four or five similarly well-dressed subordinates who looked like department leaders.
"Oh my, my! President Nohara! Manager Nohara! You have finally arrived! We have been waiting for a long time!"
The person who approached was exactly the Chairman of the Omagari City JA, Suzuki Kentaro.
This figure, who was usually the undisputed local emperor within the entire agricultural system of Omagari City, currently had his chubby face blooming with a nearly fawning enthusiasm. That posture was as if the Nohara brothers were not two juniors coming to do business, but two top-tier officials coming down from Tokyo for an inspection.
"Chairman Suzuki, you are too polite." Nohara Semashi hurriedly got out of the car and shook his hand, feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the unexpected favor.
Although he was also a "President" now, in front of these true local kingpins, his qualifications were still very green.
Nohara Hiroshi, on the other hand, merely stepped out of the car calmly and gave a neither humble nor arrogant nod to the overly enthusiastic chairman.
"Chairman Suzuki, good morning."
"Oh my, my! I wouldn't dare receive such courtesy! I wouldn't dare!" Suzuki Kentaro hurriedly waved his hands. When his eyes, narrowed into slits, saw Nohara Hiroshi's face—which looked even younger and more handsome than in the newspapers—that heartfelt shock swept through his entire mind like stormy waves!
"Manager Nohara... truly... truly young and promising!"
He rubbed those large hands that were slightly sweating due to excitement, his voice full of irrepressible awe and envy: "Your... those works of yours, our entire JA, from me as the chairman down to the cleaning ladies, are all your loyal fans! Especially that 'Kasou Taishou', it's simply... simply a masterpiece! That worthless son of mine at home emulates those creative ideas on TV every day, using bedsheets to act like ghosts, almost scarring his grandmother into a heart attack!"
This compliment full of rustic flavor caused the several JA leaders on the side to uncontrollably let out good-natured roaring laughter.
"Yes, yes!"
"Manager Nohara truly is the pride of our Akita Prefecture!"
"When we go out for meetings in the future and brag to the JAs of other cities, we finally have some capital to boast about!"
For a moment, praises came pouring in like a tide.
"You're flattering me too much." Nohara Hiroshi merely listened quietly, a gentle smile hanging on his face, occasionally returning polite nods to those praises.
He knew these were merely the exquisite but unfilling appetizers before the main banquet.
As expected, after the pleasantries, Suzuki Kentaro respectfully invited them into that luxurious reception room located on the top floor, which was normally only used when receiving important leaders.
"Manager Nohara, you coming back this time, are you preparing to... continue expanding the scale of our 'Nohara Agricultural Corporation'?"
After taking a seat, Suzuki Kentaro personally brewed top-grade Gyokuro tea for the two, his posture very humble.
He looked at this young man before him, who, although young, seemed to harbor a vast universe capable of containing an entire era within his calm eyes. His heart, already somewhat weathered by reality, uncontrollably began to beat violently.
He was also from a farming background, having only barely climbed to his current position relying on a bit of shrewd calculation.
He knew better than anyone how difficult it was to stand out in this seemingly calm countryside.
But this young man before him...
He recalled those near-mythical legends concerning Nohara Hiroshi that he had heard from his friends in Tokyo.
A Level 3 Director, Manager of the Independent Production Department, simultaneously advancing three projects under him, each being a viewership rating myth sufficient to make the entire industry tremble!
And his monthly bonus, reportedly...
Thinking of this, Suzuki Kentaro's heart pounded even more wildly. He looked at Nohara Hiroshi and, using a tone full of uncertainty, cautiously probed: "Um... Manager Nohara, I heard... I merely heard, that you currently in the television station, have a monthly bonus of... of over five million yen?"
"Boom——!"
This number, like a true atomic bomb, exploded thunderously in everyone's minds!
In the reception room, those several JA leaders who were just accompanying them on the side almost simultaneously drew in a breath of cold air, their faces written full of unbelievable shock!
Five million!
In one month!
This... what concept was this?!
This sum of money was enough for these so-called "leaders" to save up for a full ten years without eating or drinking!
And this, was merely someone's one month's bonus!
"It's not that exaggerated."
Amidst this dead silence filled with shock and absurdity, Nohara Hiroshi's voice was as calm as an unfathomably deep lake.
He picked up his teacup, gently blew on the tea leaves floating on top, and unhurriedly corrected: "Five million is just the base bonus. If you calculate ad revenue shares and year-end dividends, on average... it's about around ten million."
"..."
The entire reception room instantly fell into a bizarre, pin-drop silence.
If five million was an atomic bomb, then ten million was an orbital weapon sufficient to destroy all their cognition!
Suzuki Kentaro felt as if his brain had been thoroughly turned into mush by a high-speed blender!
He stared blankly at this young man before him who was calmly sipping Gyokuro tea, as if what he just said wasn't ten million, but a thousand yen. That heart, already somewhat weathered by reality, was at this moment thoroughly shattered by an unprecedented, massive power named "dimensional strike"!
This had completely exceeded their scope of understanding!
Let alone Omagari City.
Even in Akita Prefecture, what young man or successful entrepreneur could have this income!?
"Ma... Manager Nohara..." His voice had become somewhat hoarse due to extreme shock, and he subconsciously switched his address to the most reverent honorifics: "Rest... rest assured! Starting today, the affairs of your Nohara family are the affairs of our entire Omagari City JA! All procedures will have a green light! All policies will be tilted to the absolute maximum! If anyone dares to trip you up behind your back, I, Suzuki Kentaro, will be the first to object!"
This declaration, full of the flavor of a pledge of loyalty, made all the JA leaders present subconsciously straighten their backs. Their faces were written with a resolute sense of sharing the glory.
"I am truly thankful to the leaders of the JA."
Nohara Hiroshi merely smiled calmly. He turned his head and gave a meaningful glance to his eldest brother sitting beside him, who was similarly shocked beyond addition by these words.
Nohara Semashi instantly understood.
From that seemingly ordinary briefcase, he took out a thick envelope tightly wrapped in kraft paper, and respectfully placed it in front of Suzuki Kentaro.
"Chairman Suzuki, this is a small token of our brothers' appreciation. It's nothing much, but we hope you will... accept it."
The corner of Suzuki Kentaro's eye twitched imperceptibly.
He looked at that envelope, its thickness, its weight...
That heart of his, long since thoroughly saturated by money and power, pounded even more wildly at this moment.
He knew that what was inside was not just money.
It was an immense favor sufficient for him to firmly establish a foothold in this small patch of land!
"Oh my, my! Manager Nohara! President Nohara! What are you doing?!" Even as his mouth said this, that chubby large hand had long since uncontrollably swept that envelope to his side without leaving a trace.
His smile grew brighter and brighter, and his voice was full of heartfelt enthusiasm: "By the way! I just heard President Semashi say that you came here this time, wanting to... arrange a loan?"
"Yes." Nohara Hiroshi nodded.
"A small matter! This is a trivial matter!"
Suzuki Kentaro slapped his thigh hard. His posture made it seem as if what Nohara Hiroshi wanted wasn't a loan, but a cabbage from his backyard.
He grabbed the phone on the desk and yelled into the receiver with an almost commanding tone: "Hello! Is this Branch Manager Oshima of Akita Bank?! It's me! Suzuki Kentaro! Right now, immediately, at once! Bring your Credit Department Manager, and roll over here to the JA! I have a massively distinguished guest from Tokyo here! If you neglect him, I'll make you suffer the consequences!"
That domineering and arrogant roar made everyone present subconsciously shrink their necks.
Only Nohara Hiroshi continued sipping his tea calmly, an indifferent smile curling up the corners of his mouth.
Don't just look at banks and the JA seeming to have no relation.
In fact, the connection wasn't shallow.
If a bank wanted to issue loans, as long as it had ties with the JA, then just like now, whenever an agricultural practitioner came over, wouldn't they directly seek out the bank that had a good relationship with the chairman?
This was living, breathing performance metrics, the sort that flowed in continuously!
Suzuki Kentaro's phone call was less of an order, and more like gifting that Akita Bank Branch Manager Oshima a massive deal that would make him wake up laughing from his dreams.
As expected, before Nohara Hiroshi could finish his second cup of Gyokuro tea, the heavy mahogany door of the reception room was violently pushed open once again.
This time, it wasn't one person who rushed in, but two.
At the lead was a plump man with a comb-over hairstyle, his face piled with a commercialized smile. It was precisely the Branch Manager of the Akita Bank Omagari Branch, Oshima Keisuke.
Behind him followed a young man wearing gold-rimmed glasses who looked shrewd and capable—the Credit Department Manager, Kobayashi Takuya.
The two had clearly jogged over. A fine layer of sweat still covered their foreheads, and their crisp suits looked somewhat wrinkled from the vigorous movement. However, this didn't affect the heartfelt, near-fanatical excitement on their faces in the slightest.
"Chairman Suzuki! We're here!" Oshima Keisuke's voice arrived before he did, a voice so loud it almost lifted the roof.
When his gaze fell upon the two Nohara brothers in the reception room full of JA leaders—the brothers who were composed to the point of seeming like they were sipping tea in their own back garden—those eyes of his, long since thoroughly saturated by money and worldly wisdom, instantly erupted with a burning light comparable to a searchlight!
He didn't even have the time to exchange further pleasantries with his "food and clothing parent" Suzuki Kentaro. He dashed forward and deeply bent his waist toward Nohara Hiroshi and Nohara Semashi.
A standard ninety-degree bow full of awe and humility!
"Manager Nohara! President Nohara! We meet for the first time, I am Oshima Keisuke from Akita Bank! This is our Credit Department Manager Kobayashi! I have long admired the great names of you two;
seeing you today, you truly are... dragons and phoenixes among men, dragons and phoenixes among men!"
This street-smart flattery instantly made Nohara Semashi's tanned face flush the color of pig liver.
He stood up somewhat awkwardly, wanting to return the greeting, but didn't know what kind of posture to adopt when facing this leader who was usually placed high above as a branch manager.
After all, to the common people, a branch manager was a major leader.
Nohara Hiroshi, however, remained sitting calmly, not even lifting his butt.
He merely smiled and gave a neither humble nor arrogant nod to the bank branch manager who had practically folded his waist ninety degrees.
"Branch Manager Oshima, you're too polite."
This calm and indifferent posture caused the awe inside Oshima Keisuke's heart to sweep through his entire mind like stormy waves!
This young man before him was absolutely not someone a local branch manager like himself could easily afford to offend.
"Alright, alright, don't just stand there. Sit down and let's talk."
Suzuki Kentaro, the chairman of the JA, finally found an opportunity to showcase his "hostly duties".
Like the most passionate host, he invited the two bankers to sit down.
"Oshima, I called you over today because there's a massive good thing I want to benefit you with."
He picked up his teacup, lightly skimming the foam with the lid, his voice carrying authority: "These two young talents of the Nohara family are preparing to flex their muscles in our Omagari City, adding bricks and tiles to the agricultural development of our hometown. Right now, they need a sum of startup capital. As a banker, shouldn't you... also show some appreciation?"
"Of course! Of course!" Oshima Keisuke nodded repeatedly, his comb-over head shaking like a rattle drum.
He turned his head and looked at Nohara Hiroshi. The commercialized smile on his face had long transformed into the most sincere humility:
"Manager Nohara, please rest assured! Regarding the loan, our Akita Bank will definitely provide you with the most favorable, top-tier policy support! In terms of interest rates, we will absolutely follow the lowest standards stipulated by the nation! As for procedures, we will also set up a dedicated green channel to ensure that the funds are transferred to your company's accounts in the shortest possible time!"
This statement, bursting with sincerity, made all the JA leaders present nod in satisfaction.
"Very well." Nohara Hiroshi finally set down his teacup. He looked at these two bankers before him, who had long since been somewhat suffocated by his invisible aura, and spoke calmly: "Since that's the case, let's discuss the specific details."
He paused, and under the increasingly burning gazes of the two, slowly extended three fingers.
"Three hundred million yen. This is our loan requirement for the first phase."
"..."
The entire reception room instantly fell into a bizarre, pin-drop silence.
Oshima Keisuke and Kobayashi Takuya almost simultaneously drew in a breath of cold air. Disbelieving shock was written all over their faces!
Three hundred million!
This number, like a true atomic bomb, exploded thunderously in their hearts, which were already accustomed to dealing with units of "tens of millions"!
They originally thought the other party would at most take out a loan of tens of millions, or at the absolute maximum, one hundred million.
Who would have known that the moment this young man opened his mouth, it was... three hundred million!
This sum of money was enough for their small branch to fulfill an entire year's KPI!
"Ma... Manager Nohara..." Oshima Keisuke's voice had become somewhat hoarse due to extreme shock. A fine layer of cold sweat had even broken out on his comb-over head: "Three... three hundred million yen... this... this is no small amount. According to regulations, we require... require you, the guarantor, to provide... your income and employment proof."
As he spoke, those shrewd eyes imperceptibly swept across Nohara Hiroshi's face. Hidden deep within that gaze was a final, tiny probing.
He wanted to see if this young man was truly capable, or if he was... bluffing.
Moreover, the bank's management of bad debts was very strict.
Although he was the branch manager of Omagari City.
But...
He also couldn't afford to bear any risks!
"As it should be." However, Nohara Hiroshi merely smiled calmly, as if all of this was within his expectations.
From his seemingly ordinary briefcase, he took out a document he had prepared long ago, neatly enclosed in a transparent folder, and handed it over casually.
"This is a photocopy of my employee ID, my bank statements, and my pay slips from the past six months. You can take a look."
Oshima Keisuke and Kobayashi Takuya exchanged a glance, both seeing a trace of irrepressible nervousness in each other's eyes.
Kobayashi Takuya, the Credit Department Manager, took a deep breath. With a near-reverent posture, he took that thin folder, which felt as heavy as a thousand catties, with both hands.
Then he slowly opened it.
Next.
His pupils rapidly contracted!
The first page of the folder was an exquisitely produced photocopy of his employee ID, bearing a one-inch hatless photo of Nohara Hiroshi.
The young man in the photo had delicate features and sharp eyes, full of confidence.
And below the photo, that line of position marked in bold Serif font fell like an invisible heavy hammer, ruthlessly smashing onto his heart!
[TV Tokyo · Production Bureau · Independent Production Department · Manager — Nohara Hiroshi]
Manager!
And it's the Manager of the Independent Production Department!
Kobayashi Takuya felt his breathing thoroughly stall.
Although he was only a manager of a small local bank, he knew very well what the position of "Manager" signified in a behemoth like TV Tokyo.
It meant that this young man before him had already stood at the absolute pinnacle of the entire Japanese television industry's pyramid!
Trembling, he turned to the second page.
It was a pay slip with a simple format, yet containing content sufficient to drive anyone crazy.
[Name: Nohara Hiroshi]
[Position: Manager of the Independent Production Department (Level 3 Director)]
[Base Salary: 1,000,000 Yen]
[Position Allowance: 500,000 Yen]
[Project Bonus (Yamishibai): 600,000 Yen]
[Project Bonus (Tales of the Unusual): 1,400,000 Yen]
[Project Bonus (Kasou Taishou): 2,200,000 Yen]
[Total: 5,700,000 Yen]
"..."
The entire reception room fell into a bizarre, pin-drop silence once again.
If the position of "Manager" was an atomic bomb, then this string of numbers long enough to suffice to suffocate anyone was an orbital weapon sufficient to destroy all their cognition!
Oshima Keisuke felt as if his brain had been thoroughly turned into mush by a high-speed blender!
He snatched that pay slip, his eyes, long since thoroughly saturated by money and power, staring fixedly at the sum at the bottom that resembled an astronomical figure.
"Ones... tens... hundreds... thousands... ten-thousands... hundred-thousands... millions..."
Shivering, he counted the string of zeros, feeling his heart almost jumping out of his throat.
"Five... five million seven hundred thousand yen?! This... this is merely your one month's... income?!"
"No."
Amidst this dead silence filled with shock and absurdity, Nohara Hiroshi's voice was as calm as an unfathomably deep lake.
He picked up his teacup, gently blew on the tea leaves floating on top, and unhurriedly corrected: "This is merely the salary and bonus from the television station. If you include the royalties from my manga and ad revenue shares, on average... it probably reaches around ten million."
"..."
The entire reception room thoroughly lost its voice.
Everyone stared blankly at this young man before them calmly sipping his Gyokuro tea. Those faces were written full of unbelievable shock.
They felt as if they weren't receiving a client, but rather, meeting a living God of Wealth walking amongst humans!
"Ma... Manager Nohara..."
Oshima Keisuke couldn't sustain himself any longer. This figure, whose words carried absolute weight in the entire banking circles of Omagari City, "thumped" and slid down from his chair.
He scrambled over to Nohara Hiroshi on his hands and knees. On his chubby face, all the commercialized smiles had vanished, leaving only the purest reverence originating from the depths of his soul.
He bowed ninety degrees on the spot and spoke loudly:
"Rest... rest assured! Three hundred million! No! Five hundred million! As long as you speak the word, our Akita Bank will definitely achieve it for you even if we have to smash our pots and sell our iron! The interest rate... we'll use our internal employee welfare standard! No! Even lower than that! Treat it... treat it as our bank's small token of respect for you!"
This subservient declaration made everyone present subconsciously draw in a breath of cold air.
This branch manager had never been this polite before.
Only Nohara Hiroshi, continuing to sip his tea calmly, nodded and said: "Then I'll leave it in your care, Branch Manager Oshima Keisuke."
...
Night fell, and the city lights came on.
Inside the most luxurious Izakaya in Omagari City, the lights were bright. The warm orange halos illuminated the entire private room with a bit more hazy poetic flavor.
A banquet filled with rustic flavor and the scent of capital was ongoing enthusiastically.
"Come, come, come! Let me toast Manager Nohara another cup!"
Suzuki Kentaro, this JA chairman, had already drunk until his face was completely flushed. He held his wine cup and said: "Manager Nohara, you are the pride of our entire Omagari City! The child prodigy of our Akita Prefecture! From now on, our entire JA will look to your lead! If you tell us to go east, we will absolutely not go west!"
"Chairman Suzuki is right!"
Oshima Keisuke, this bank branch manager, was similarly drinking until his tongue was somewhat tied. He hugged Nohara Semashi's arm, as if hugging a life-saving straw, his voice full of irrepressible excitement: "President Nohara! From now on, we are a family! Your 'Nohara Agricultural Corporation', is our Akita Bank's most esteemed VIP client! Whatever you need, just speak! Matters regarding money aren't an issue at all!"
Watching this scene full of contrast and charm, Nohara Hiroshi and Nohara Semashi exchanged a glance. Both saw a tacitly understood, satisfied smile in each other's eyes.
Time passed very quickly.
When this banquet full of "strategic significance" finally began to calm down before the midnight bell tolled, Suzuki Kentaro and Oshima Keisuke were both dead drunk. They were awkwardly supported by their respective subordinates and sent back home.
Before leaving, Nohara Hiroshi stuffed those two already-prepared bottles of "Juyondai" into Suzuki Kentaro's embrace.
This JA chairman hugged those two heavy wooden boxes like hugging two newborn children. His mouth muttered incoherently, repeatedly babbling about "good brothers" and "loyal friends". His chubby face was overflowing with a massive sense of satisfaction, as if he had obtained the entire world.
Just like a small township leader in 1990 China, although he had drunk Maotai, who could truly ignore two bottles of Maotai delivered to them?
This represented weight!
He patted his chest, drunkenly guaranteeing Nohara Hiroshi that tomorrow—no, tonight—he would draft a report overnight, submitting this model case of the Nohara brothers "returning to their hometown to start a business and feeding back into their hometown" to Akita Prefecture!
He wanted to fight for the highest honors and the most massive policy support for them!
After all, the current Japan was also advocating for the development of rural areas.
Developing agriculture.
Wasn't this right now a perfect exemplar arrived?
Looking at those few sedans swaying as they disappeared into the night, Nohara Semashi exhaled a long breath of murky air, a mix of alcohol and emotion.
"Hiroshi, is... is this whole thing considered... settled?" His tanned face still carried a somewhat dreamlike sense of unreality.
Three hundred million yen.
Just an afternoon, and then eating a meal, and it was done?
"Mhm, it's settled." Nohara Hiroshi smiled and nodded. He tossed the car keys of his own Crown Majesta to his oldest brother: "You drive, I'm a bit tired."
"Ah? I... I also drank." Nohara Semashi subconsciously tried to refuse.
"It's fine." Nohara Hiroshi merely waved his hand. This posture was so calm and indifferent, it was as if he was talking about a trivial matter: "Drive."
Nohara Semashi looked at his younger brother's handsome profile, which had "I'm happy to do it" written all over it, and the small concerns born from alcohol instantly vanished into thin air.
He grinned, revealing an honest smile, skillfully sat into the driver's seat, and started that V8 engine.
The black behemoth let out a low roar, carrying the two brothers, and blended into that tranquil night full of rustic flavor.
"Not bad, big brother." Nohara Hiroshi leaned in the passenger seat, looked at the fast-receding fields outside the window, and casually teased: "You're brave now, even daring to drive after drinking?"
"Hehe." Upon hearing this, an expression of confidence belonging to a veteran countryside driver surfaced on Nohara Semashi's tanned face: "It's fine, I didn't get drunk. Besides, in this rural area of ours, there aren't that many strict rules. People running on the street are either relatives or friends. If we really run into a traffic cop checking cars, we roll down the window, say hello, offer a cigarette, and it's over. No one will truly make things difficult for us."
This logic full of a "society built on personal relationships" flavor caused Nohara Hiroshi to burst into a hearty fit of uninterrupted laughter, utterly unable to hold it back anymore.
"Hahahaha! Then last night, in front of Miss Ikuna, why did you say you couldn't drive?" He turned his head, his clear eyes flashing with the mischievousness of watching a good show.
"I..."
This contrast full of disparities acted like the sharpest knife, accurately piercing into Nohara Semashi's already fragile heart.
His tanned face flushed to the roots of his ears at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"I... that was... that was out of respect!" He hemmed and hawed for a long time, and finally stiffened his neck, roaring in a tone akin to anger born from extreme embarrassment: "A big brother's matters do not need a younger brother like you to worry about! Just take care of yourself!"
That fierce in appearance but feeble in reality, distressed look once again caused Nohara Hiroshi to laugh even more openly.
Outside the car window was the hometown's bright, clear moon, and that boundless stretch of paddy fields gleaming with silvery ripples under the moonlight.
Inside the car window, it was the long-lost laughter between the two brothers, filled with warmth and joy.
Everything was moving in a better direction.
Everything was becoming perfect!
PS: That's four chapters for today, wishing everyone can give more monthly and recommendation tickets~ I'll try to write more for the main story~ Things have been a bit busy at home and at work these past two days, otherwise I would have released even more, once I'm done with things I'll continue to work hard on coding~ Thanks everyone for your support~
(End of Chapter)