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Chapter 13: The Start Of His Martial Journey

The next day...

The Satsuki family stood in front of the imposing gate of the Hinobe residence, scheduled to visit today.

Though Okinaga had been here once before and thought, "It's really huge," his parents began meticulously adjusting their appearance, clearly determined to avoid any missteps.

Okinaga understood the excessive nervousness when meeting wealthy people, but knowing how easygoing the Hinobe family was, he reassured his parents, which seemed to relax their expressions a bit.

When they rang the intercom, the head of the Hinobe family, Shuichiro, whom they had met yesterday, greeted them. However...

"Oki-kuuuuun!"

Nakuru dashed over and hugged Okinaga tightly. 

The impact was so strong that it forced the air out of his lungs, making him fall backward.

"I've been waiting for you, Oki-kun!"

Nakuru's smiling face filled his vision, making any pain disappear.

"Haha, good to see you, Nakuru-chan."

"I told you yesterday to call me Nakuru!"

Her puffed-up cheeks were adorable, making him want to poke them to deflate them.

"Alright, alright, sorry, Nakuru."

When he called her name, she smiled happily while still sitting on top of him. 

His parents, who hadn't anticipated this situation, were stunned...

"Ahem! Nakuru, this is in front of guests."

"! Sorry!"

She hurriedly stood up and moved away from Okinaga.

"And it's dangerous to jump on someone suddenly. Apologize to Okinaga-kun."

"Y-yes... Oki-kun, I'm sorry."

Though she looked clearly downcast, Okinaga wasn't hurt and wasn't angry.

"Haha, it's fine. Energy is the best, Nakuru."

When he patted her head, her face lit up with a smile again. 

She was like a small animal, and if she had a tail, it would surely be wagging.

"Oh dear. I'm sorry about my daughter."

"Oh, no, it was surprising, but don't worry about it."

"Yes, really. I'm amazed at how quickly Okinaga got close to such a cute girl," Aoi said, though her remark was somewhat puzzling.

Everyone then entered the main house of the Hinobe family and were led to the living room.

As they took their seats, a woman appeared from behind the sliding door, carrying a tray with tea and sweets. 

Though Okinaga expected it to be Nakuru's mother, Yukina, it turned out to be someone else.

The woman had long, lustrous black hair flowing down to her waist, and her kimono suited her perfectly. 

While Yukina was beautiful, this woman was equally striking. 

Her every movement was graceful, mesmerizing everyone present.

Both Okinaga and Yuji were captivated, but Okinaga knew his father was in trouble...

"Ouch—!"

Yuji's pained expression showed he'd been elbowed by Aoi, whose smiling eyes clearly weren't amused.

As everyone was served tea and sweets, the woman quietly took a seat beside Shuichiro. Interestingly, Nakuru had taken a seat next to Okinaga.

‘She seems to have taken quite a liking to me,’ thought Okinaga, not minding Nakuru's presence since she was cute and there was no harm in being liked.

"Thank you for coming all this way. I'm Shuichiro Hinobe," began Shuichiro, initiating mutual introductions.

After Nakuru's cheerful introduction, the beautiful black-haired woman bowed gracefully and smiled as she spoke.

"My name is Tsutae Nanamiya. I live and work here."

As Okinaga found himself admiring her beauty, their eyes met, and she smiled kindly, making his heart race. He quickly looked away.

‘She's really beautiful. She must be very popular,’ he thought. As he stole glances at Tsutae, Nakuru lightly pinched his side.

"Uh... what?"

"Nothing..."

Then, he noticed their parents discussing future plans, with Aoi asking many questions about the Hinobe family and their martial arts.

"I understand your concerns. Learning martial arts involves the risk of injury if one isn't careful," said Shuichiro.

Though this was true for any sport, martial arts especially involved rigorous physical activity, increasing the likelihood of injuries.

"I will oversee the training with utmost care, but injuries may still occur. I need Okinaga-kun and his parents to understand that."

Yuji seemed to accept this without much concern, but Aoi still looked worried.

Okinaga, eager to train, wanted to reassure his mother.

"Mom..."

"Oki-chan...?"

"I'll be fine! I'll get stronger learning martial arts, and I'll protect you too, Mom!"

Though his words were somewhat embarrassing, they were heartfelt.

"Haha, that's my boy. Aoi, he'll be fine. Let's support him, okay?"

"Alright," said Aoi, her resolve clear as she bowed to Shuichiro.

"Please take care of our son."

Shuichiro straightened and bowed in return.

"I will look after him."

Thus, Okinaga's journey into martial arts began.