[Transparent World] (02) Author: Cassano

Author: Casano
Word Count: 5467

Transparent World (Part Two)

Following Hideki's directions, after lunch, I took the most convenient bus to the countryside where his
father lived. On the way, Hideki, worried I might get lost, specially sent me a
neighbor's phone number.

During my studies abroad, I had visited a village once during my holidays. I always felt that the Japanese countryside
was very different from ours; it had a very simple, pastoral feel, without too much high technology or
noise .

Perhaps this was influenced by masters like Miyazaki Hayao; I also hoped that there might be
unknown creatures hiding in a field or forest, protecting people and nature. Of course, I
never encountered any.

Around sunset, I arrived at the place Hideki had indicated. It was a rather old
house. As I approached, an uncle stared at me expectantly.

"Hello, does Harusuke Takahashi live here?"

"Who are you?"

"I'm Hideki Takahashi's friend. He asked me to come and pick up his father."

The uncle's face showed a look of sudden realization. "Why didn't Hideki come?"

"He's too busy with work and couldn't get away right away, so he asked me to pick up his father."

As far as I know, Hideki's relationship with his father doesn't seem to be very harmonious. I'm not too
clear on , but it seems to be related to his mother.

So he went out to work to support himself at a very young age. It was the same when he was in college
. During summer vacation, everyone else went home, but he was the only one who stayed in Osaka to continue working part-time. After starting work, he
only sent money home and didn't go home much.

Perhaps that's why he didn't even inform his own family in advance when he got married for the first time. I
think this is related to that.

"Come on, let me take you inside. By the way, you have to be careful. Harusuke has a bad temper."

After walking a few steps, the uncle turned around and reminded me very seriously.

The room was pitch black; without a light, nothing could be seen. The uncle skillfully located the light switch
.

Under the light, I could finally see the room clearly. Although not large, it was
very tidy, and the tools needed for farm work were neatly arranged. It was clear the owner was
a clean and meticulous person; such people are usually demanding and demanding.

Despite being mentally prepared, I was still startled when I first saw Hideki's father, Harusuke
.

Harusuke had a thick head of short hair, mostly gray, but still with some black strands,
as if proclaiming his indomitable spirit. His skin was dark from years of labor, and
the muscles in his arms were very defined. If he were to fight me, I probably wouldn't be his match.

The wrinkles on his forehead and around his eyes were unusually pronounced. Most frightening were his eyes, possessing
a sharpness uncommon for someone his age. He looked at me like I was prey, giving off the air of an ancient
Japanese samurai.

"How are you feeling? And you… by the way, what's your name?"

"Inoue Kazuya, just call me Kazuya."

Hearing the commotion, Harusuke sat up in bed, leaning back against the mattress.

"This Mr. Inoue is Hideki's good friend; he's here to pick you up."

After hearing the older man's introduction, Harusuke's eyes narrowed, and sure enough, he shouted
, "Why didn't he come himself! Why send a stranger? Does he not want to acknowledge me as his father?"

The atmosphere became awkward for a moment. Fortunately, having worked in domestic companies for so long,
I was already adept at this kind of improvisation.

"You misunderstand. Hideki is dealing with a very important task, and the company doesn't allow him
to take leave . He had no choice but to send me to pick you up. On the way here, he kept telling me to take good care of you.
"

I didn't know if Harusuke believed this clumsy lie, but his expression was
more amiable than before.

Because it was already quite late, we decided to stay another night at Harusuke's house and
catch the train .

Throughout the night, I could hear Harusuke's occasional low moans of pain, as if he was enduring excruciating pain
, unwilling to tell anyone.

After I fell asleep, I was suddenly awakened by a series of clattering noises. Getting out of bed, I saw that Harusuke
had knocked over all the cups beside his bed while trying to get some water. This stubborn old man, even with such a serious injury, was still trying to be brave
.

Early the next morning, our neighbor, an older man, took us to the nearest
station in his truck. Yesterday, we had been delayed for a long time because we didn't know the way, so this saved us a lot of
trouble .

Once we arrived in Osaka, I immediately took Harusuke to an orthopedic hospital. The doctor diagnosed
him with only a minor fracture in his leg, thankfully not too serious.

After the cast was put on and medication was prescribed, he was told he could go home to rest.

Harusuke must have been away from a big city for a long time. Although he acted very composed the whole way, I
noticed his eyes kept glancing at the novel things he didn't see in the countryside, especially
when he saw pretty girls in short skirts. There was a strange look in his eyes, or maybe I was just imagining things.

When we got home, Hideki hadn't come home from work yet, and only Mao was there.

"Hello, oh! Um, I should call you Dad, hehe. Hideki will be back soon. Dad, please rest in
your room a bit

. Kazuya-san must be exhausted too." Mao seemed completely unafraid of Harusuke, speaking to him so calmly. Harusuke,
seeing this daughter-in-law he was meeting for the first time, also showed a different kind of kindness than usual. Although he
still didn't smile much, it was much better than when he was with me.

The room where Harusuke was staying was exceptionally clean. Apart from a few essentials,
there weren't many unnecessary items. Perhaps considering his mobility issues, Mao suggested that they buy
a wheelchair.

I'd actually suggested this idea while we were in the hospital, but Harusuke had firmly rejected it.
He's still walking with a cane.

After settling Harusuke in, I went back to my room to rest. To be honest, I was exhausted from the journey.
The physical exhaustion wasn't that great, but the mental strain was much greater. Harusuke hadn't
said a word, and I didn't know what to say, nor did I dare to say anything, afraid of saying something that might anger this hot-tempered
old man .

Thinking about it now, I realize I've never treated my own father like this. It's almost laughable that I had to be so subservient to a
complete stranger.

A little later, Hideki finally got off work. When he saw Harusuke, the two
stared at each other coldly for a long time, neither willing to speak first. I immediately sensed something was off, but I
didn't know how to ease the tension. Fortunately, Mao said dinner was ready, which gave everyone a way out
.

At the dinner table, Mao diligently served food to her "father," while Hideki seemed oblivious to
Harusuke's presence, preoccupied with his own meal, recalling
the lively scene of me and the couple getting drunk together the night before—a stark contrast.

"Is Dad's injury alright? If anything's wrong, you should have just told us."

Mao had already inquired about Harusuke's injury when he arrived home, and
bringing it up again was probably meant for Hideki's benefit; I think she sensed the tension between father and son.

"I can handle things myself. You don't need to worry about me, just go about your business,"

Harusuke maintained his stubborn attitude.

"Since you're injured, don't be so stubborn. Just get someone to take care of you,"

Hideki suddenly said, somewhat annoyed. Surprisingly, Harusuke didn't get angry, but
he didn't respond either, pretending not to hear.

After dinner, everyone went back to their rooms to rest. I had already
rested a bit when I got back, so I wasn't very sleepy.

As I stepped out of my room to watch TV, Mao happened to come out of her bedroom, smiling
and nodding . As we passed each other, she suddenly called out, "Mr. Kazuya."

"Yes, what is it?"

"Ah! No, it's just... I just wanted to ask Mr. Kazuya for a favor."

I waited for her to continue: "I hope Mr. Kazuya can persuade Hideki to be
kinder I really don't want any unpleasantness between them. Although I'm his wife,
I think he'd be more receptive to your advice if he's willing to listen. Please."

I hadn't expected this young woman, dressed in a glamorous style and whom I'd previously thought was unreliable, to have
such a thoughtful and kind side. I began to feel ashamed of my judgment.

The light was still on in Hideki's room. I knocked on his door and only went in after receiving his permission.

"Oh! Kazuya-kun, are you still up so late? By the way, thank you so much for today. I'm really sorry to have troubled you to do this for me
."

I waved my hand with a smile. "Although there are some things I really shouldn't say, as your good friend,
I have to. Would you like to hear them?"

Hideki was taken aback at first, then probably guessed what I was going to say. He lowered his head and thought for a while
before saying, "I don't have many friends I can confide in. Sometimes there are things I can't even tell
Mao . But you're the only one I can't hold back with. I can tell you anything without reservation. It's really
strange, even though you are..." "I'm Chinese, but I'm Japanese."

Hearing his answer, I knew he understood what I was about to say, so I boldly
asked, "Then can you tell me why your relationship with your father is so cold? Because the uncle only seemed strict
along the way , I really don't understand."

Hideki seemed lost in memories, remaining silent for a long time before finally sighing and saying, "
I think it must be related to my mother."

Hideki rarely talked about his family with me. I only knew that he had a father who was still alive, but I
had never heard him mention his mother.

"My mother was a very good and kind woman. Back then, that person and my mother were very loving, and our family
could be considered one of the happiest families in the village."

Hearing Hideki refer to his father as "that person," it was clear how much he hated him
.

"Later, he became addicted to gambling and gambled away all the family's money. When the creditors came to the door, they started beating people because
he couldn't pay . After beating people, they started taking things away. When one of the thugs saw my mother,
he even tried to take her away. If the villagers hadn't come, I don't know what would have happened.
"

I never expected that Hideki had such a painful childhood memory. Although I didn't experience it myself, I could still tell
from his expression that the incident left a shadow deep in his heart.

"And then what happened?"

"Later, that guy learned his lesson and started working hard, gradually paying
off ."

Hideki chuckled bitterly again. "But I never imagined he was so incorrigible. After quitting gambling, he
fell in love with women again, squandering money at hotels, completely disregarding my mother and me. In the end
, my mother couldn't take it anymore and left home alone. I haven't seen him since... He's a complete
gambler and lecher!"

I couldn't believe that the seemingly serious and upright Uncle Harusuke had been like this before.

"But so many years have passed, perhaps Uncle has realized his mistakes. Should
n't ?"

Hideki remained noncommittal. After leaving the bedroom, I felt unusually heavy-hearted.
I could advise others with those words, but if I were Hideki, what would I do? I shook my
head vigorously, still unable to come up with an answer.

I was planning to pour myself a glass of water and go to sleep, but as I passed Harusuke's room, I heard
voices . It was Mao's voice; the two of them seemed to be getting along quite well.

But then, strange images started popping into my head: a burly man and a young girl...
The combination of a beautiful and sexy girl in spring is enough to spark all sorts of fantasies.

Influenced by what Hideki had just said about the older man's past, I couldn't help but worry that he might
do something inappropriate to Mao.

Once curiosity and that voyeuristic urge arise, it's hard to suppress. I strained my ears, trying my best to listen to
what was happening inside.

But after listening for a while, I still couldn't hear very clearly; I could only hear a harmonious atmosphere, people chatting and laughing
. After listening for a while and still not hearing anything unusual, I thought I was just imagining things. This is real
life , not an adult film sold in a video store.

So I went back to my room to sleep, but I couldn't fall asleep, so I just lay on
the floor in a daze. After a while, I suddenly heard a knock on the door: "Mr. Kazuya, are you asleep?"

It was Mao's voice. I was a little surprised, but I still answered: "Oh, not yet. Please come in."

The door was pushed open, and Mao walked in, dressed casually. She seemed to dress quite casually at home,
not so particular. Sometimes she would just throw on a t-shirt and shorts and go out. It was hard to imagine that she
was already married.

"I'm so sorry to bother you."

"Not at all, what did you want to see me about?"

"It's nothing important, I
just ."

I waved my hands repeatedly, "Oh, that's what it was. You don't need to worry about it.
When Hideki took care of me a lot too, it's nothing."

Mao smiled cutely, "Yes, Hideki often tells me your stories."

I immediately became interested, "My stories, what are they?"

Mao didn't answer me immediately, but smiled mischievously at me.

"What are they? I really want to know."

Only then did Mao answer shyly and a little embarrassedly, "He said that he and you have been to '
that kind of place'."

After saying that, Mao's eyes began to drift to the side, not daring to look at me.

I, on the other hand, racked my brains trying to remember what 'that kind of place' was, and only when I saw her charmingly
shy expression did I realize that Hideki had actually told me all my embarrassing stories.

Actually, every man has this dream: to visit a Japanese brothel.

Before coming to Japan, I researched some Japanese brothels online, but there was very little information,
and I didn't know if it was true or not. They all mentioned one thing: Japanese brothels don't cater to Chinese customers
, and you can't get in without someone you know.

Later, after becoming close with Hideki, I casually mentioned this idea to him. Unexpectedly, he smiled
and patted my shoulder, indicating he completely understood, because he himself had been there once or twice with his own money.

I immediately felt hopeful and asked him if he could take me there once. He hesitated for a moment
before finally agreeing.

That trip was truly one of the most exciting experiences of my life. Brothels are similar in nature to brothels
in ancient , although such groups still exist in China today, they can no longer be
openly discussed.

If possible, I would love to write about that trip, but writing it here might be
a bit long-winded. In short, it was different from ordinary prostitution in China. The girls there had a way of making you
feel completely relaxed, wiping away all the fatigue of the day.

"Ah! This is so embarrassing, I'm almost

too ashamed to face anyone." This kind of thing is never a good thing, especially for a girl to say it
. I scratched my head sheepishly.

Mao, however, seemed to understand, saying, "It's nothing, all men are like that. The fact that
Mr. is so open about it shows you're a good person who doesn't lie."

I didn't understand her logic for being a 'good person.'

"Hideki's father must be asleep already,"

I changed the subject.

"Yes, Dad said he's very grateful for your care along the way."

I chuckled awkwardly, and the atmosphere in the room suddenly turned cold.

"Well then, I won't disturb Mr. Kazuya's rest any longer. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

After Mao left, I lay down on the floor, thinking that I might have a hard time falling asleep tonight.

(To be continued)

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