Stealing Spree

Not convinced, huh?

Well, I expected as much. Besides, from how he reacted to what we showed, it’s more likely he’s testing our mettle. With Otoha also speaking up like that, I could somehow guess that he’s more or less satisfied.

Just that, he’s still possibly looking for more from us.

But what could that be? He wasn’t waiting for me to come out and reveal the complexities of my relationship, it’s more like, he wanted to hear what we wanted to do in the future.

I did say, I couldn’t care less about her status as a member of the Kaneko House. Was he expecting me to show some kind of ambition to be involved in them?

Following that fake sobbing, the old man fixed his sunglasses and put on the straw hat. He stood up from the cushion and walked towards the sliding glass door without looking back at us.

I thought we only had a few minutes…

“Is it over?” I muttered to my side. Otoha also appeared baffled at her grandfather’s action. Her eyes followed his back and so, I did the same.

“I… don’t know.”

Since we weren’t dismissed by him, we remained seated while only looking at what he was going to do.

He stepped out of the villa through that opened door and began walking to the grassy area where squirrels and rabbits ran about.

Looking at him from where we were sitting, he’s like someone who became one with nature. The squirrels stopped and looked up at him. The rabbits began running in circles around him. And some birds seemingly waited until he appeared before flying down from the branch of a tree and landing on his shoulders and outstretched arm.

On top of that, colorful butterflies seemingly appeared out of nowhere and took their place on top of his straw hat.

What the hell am I looking at? Is it possible to learn that kind of power?

Wait. No… He seemed to have something that attracted those animals, birds and butterflies to him

It’s fairly hard to see from afar but… that seemed to be the case.

“… Your grandfather. Is he always like that?” I asked the girl beside me who started giggling at the baffling sight we were watching.

He said he’s not convinced but he just left us here to come and join nature. Although I couldn’t see his expression given that he had his back turned towards us, he was probably enjoying himself.

“Quite… I told you. He's eccentric… That’s also why only select people can stand toe to toe or be in his good grace. He’s always this peculiar. There’s this one unforgettable day I had with him. When my parents left me behind for a business trip when I was five, grandpa brought me to an arcade. He rented the whole place for me, to have me play whatever I want.”

“I’m five… you hear me? And I’m a girl. Even though I found the arcade interesting, I ended up crying instead. Not knowing what to do in that dark place. When grandpa saw me like that, he clapped and shouted to the staff who were hiding. A few seconds later, the lights of the place flickered in colorful lights. That stopped me from crying. But as a child, my attention span easily reached the end of its wick. I was about to cry again but he carried me in his arms and we went through every game in that arcade. Shigemasa-jiisan became his opponent. The two old men were… as you might expect, also oblivious to the arcade games. However, even if they struggled a lot, they endeavored to put a smile on my lips.”

With Otoha narrating that story, both her lips and eyes were smiling. That was surely a fond memory for her.

I better not comment on why he brought her to an arcade instead of an amusement park, alright? He's eccentric. That’s enough to answer why.

“It was also during that day my love for stuffed toys came about. You see, I was still unsatisfied after everything they went through. We eventually arrived by the rows of crane games. At first, he asked the staff to open it so that he could get me one. However, I acted like a brat and asked him to play and get me one through his hard work… You can guess the result.” Otoha grinned before closing her eyes, most likely, she’s trying to relive that day through her memory.

Obviously, the old man failed. Not just once but many times… But he kept at it until he won something for his granddaughter. That’s some dedication.

I couldn’t help but applaud him in my mind. That alone told me the lengths he could take for Otoha… She’s really his favorite. Or perhaps, because he’s the only girl among his grandchildren, he’s being favored a lot.

Although he had other children, with Otoha’s father being put next in line, his uncles and aunts made up their branch families. And, although unbelievable, they failed to sire a girl. So, among the tens of grandchildren, he only got one granddaughter.

Well, if he knew that Otoha’s brother possessed a womanly heart, he’s probably not going to be amused.

Anyway, Otoha’s stories about his grandfather continued as we watched him feed the birds and animals surrounding him.

There's another rather unbelievable story that happened just recently. This past winter, they went to Hokkaido for a skiing trip as a family.

According to Otoha, even at his age ranging around 60’s – past retirement age – he always favored moving his body around.

They apparently also rented the whole place. No. They bought it.

However, even with bodyguards all over, protecting them and watching out for any accident, her grandpa disappeared one night after sliding down a slope.

Everyone panicked at that moment and the search team was immediately dispatched.

They failed to find him because of a sudden blizzard. But when morning came and they resumed their search, they found him inside an abandoned hut, snuggling among a family of brown bears…

They’re wild bears that found their way inside that course. As to how he tamed them that they didn’t even attack him, no one knew.

In the end, he sent the bears away with a smile after giving them food that could last them for a few days.

It’s weird, true. But with Otoha’s narration, it didn’t seem to be exaggerated at all.

Through that, I couldn’t help but feel that her grandfather was shrouded in a mysterious veil. He’s simply unfathomable.

If not for seeing what’s in front of us today, I might find that story as something filled with exaggeration…

Anyway, it was ten minutes later when her grandfather returned inside. The animals and birds as well as the butterflies returned to where they were, happy and satisfied. And likewise, the old man was laughing contentedly as he sat back down on his cushion.

“Oh… I apologize for stepping out on you two. You see, I noticed that it’s the right moment to come out and greet those little ones…”

“That’s rude, grandpa. You should’ve dismissed us first.”

“We’re not done here yet, are we?”

“That… I understand.”

“Now, my darling girl, you don’t have to pull that face on me… Your relationship… I’m not convinced. However, I won’t be a villain and separate you two… I said what I said earlier in hopes to light a fire in you. And I’m successful, am I not?”

With those words directed to both of us, the old man then shifted his focus back to me and asked something I hadn’t expected, “By the way, young man, is Miss Sayuri doing well?”