Chapter 302: Loneliness

“Welcome, is it just you today?”

“I’m here for an appointment. May I ask if a Mrs. Hasegawa has made a reservation?”

“I’ll check for you. Please wait a moment.”

After a short while, the server said to the guest in front of her, “Yes, there is a Mrs. Hasegawa who made a reservation, and she’s already here. Would you like me to show you to her table?”

“Yes, thank you.”

With the sound of light high heels clicking on the floor, the female guest quietly and elegantly followed the server as she walked.

Soon, she saw the person she was meeting sitting at a table near the indoor fountain. What was a bit unexpected, however, was that there were two strangers sitting beside her.

When she reached the middle-aged lady’s side, she softly called out, “Mother.”

“Naoko, you’re here! Please sit down.” Hasegawa Kyouko quickly ushered her daughter to sit.

Although she didn’t know the two strangers, Naoko still politely nodded at them in greeting.

After ordering a drink from the server, Hasegawa Kyouko immediately introduced them, “Naoko, this is Mrs. Shokawa, and this young man is her son, Mr. Shokawa Masafumi. Mrs. Shokawa is a good friend of mine, and it’s rare for us to meet. I didn’t expect to run into her here. Mrs. Shokawa, this is my eldest daughter Naoko.”

Mrs. Shokawa immediately complimented, “Your daughter is indeed an outstanding beauty. With such a beautiful daughter, Mrs. Hasegawa, you must be quite worried.”

“You’re too kind.” Hasegawa Kyouko chuckled. “Naoko, I forgot to mention earlier, Mr. Shokawa Masafumi is a graduate of the University of Tokyo. He’s currently helping his father run a department store, a very capable young man. Also, Mr. Shokawa is a very filial child. If he hadn’t come out with Mrs. Shokawa today, I probably wouldn’t have met them.”

Seeing her mother repeatedly emphasize that their encounter was just a “coincidence,” Naoko couldn’t help but feel a little amused.

“Hello.” Despite knowing her mother’s intentions, she still greeted the two politely.

Seeing her son staring blankly at Mrs. Hasegawa’s daughter, Mrs. Shokawa chuckled and gently tapped his arm, signaling him to say something.

Shokawa Masafumi immediately spoke to Naoko, “M-Miss Hasegawa, may I ask what kind of work you do?”

“I do some translation work for a women’s magazine.” Naoko answered briefly.

“Ah, I see. That’s nice. Very good.” The nervous University of Tokyo graduate wiped his sweat while desperately trying to find a topic to discuss.

Seeing her son like this, Mrs. Shokawa immediately jumped in with a smile, “I heard from Mrs. Hasegawa that you majored in foreign languages at university, so your English must be excellent. Masafumi is good at everything, except foreign languages. I wonder if Naoko could find some time to teach him?”

Naoko wanted to tell her, Madam, you’re being too obvious. Glancing at her mother, she smiled and replied, “If you want to learn a foreign language, it’s better to find a specialized tutor. If Mr. Shokawa is really interested, I can recommend a part-time tutor friend of mine. Sorry, I need to visit the restroom.” After speaking, she politely stood up.

After Naoko left, Mrs. Shokawa immediately turned to Mrs. Hasegawa and asked, “Mrs. Hasegawa, does your daughter really have no boyfriend?”

Hasegawa Kyouko forced a smile and said, “Of course not. Naoko is my daughter; do you think I wouldn’t know that?”

“But she doesn’t seem to show any interest in my son, Masafumi.”

Kyouko comforted her, saying, “Young people need time to develop feelings.”

Mrs. Shokawa nodded and replied, “That’s true.”

When Naoko returned, Mrs. Shokawa continued to play the role of a mediator for her shy son, while Kyouko unwittingly joined in, as if selling her daughter.

In less than twenty minutes, Naoko learned that this man, Shokawa Masafumi, had been an outstanding student since childhood—an exemplary model, abstaining from smoking and drinking, with a spotless and proper lifestyle, practically a saint.

Under the increasingly obvious joint efforts of the two ladies to promote him, Naoko, who had previously experienced being forced into blind dates by her mother, maintained a polite smile and responded gently and courteously.

This delicate balance was broken when someone approached them.

Feeling someone coming closer, Naoko was about to turn her head, but suddenly, a hand gently covered her eyes from behind.

Naoko did not struggle, and instead, a sincere, charming smile appeared on her lips. She softly said, “You’re here.”

“There was traffic on the road, so I’m a bit late,” the man behind her said, removing his hand from her eyes.

At that moment, the other three people were all surprised, staring at the man who had walked up and made such an intimate gesture toward Naoko.

“Mother-in-law, it’s been a while. How have you and Father-in-law been?” Lei Yin greeted Hasegawa Kyouko politely.

“You… How did you end up here?” Kyouko couldn’t have expected his sudden appearance.

Lei Yin casually replied, “I had an appointment with Naoko today, so I came to pick her up. I hope I’m not disturbing you, Mother-in-law. Naoko, it’s about time, let’s go.”

Naoko nodded and then stood up, saying to her mother, “Mom, you and Mrs. Shokawa chat slowly, we’ll leave first.”

“Wait a moment, Naoko,” Kyouko quickly called out to her.

“Is there something wrong, Mother-in-law?” Lei Yin asked with a sincere expression.

Hearing him repeatedly calling her “Mother-in-law,” Kyouko felt at a loss for words, unsure of how to respond.

Seeing them about to leave, Mrs. Shokawa, sitting at the side, couldn’t hold back her anger and questioned, “Mrs. Hasegawa, didn’t you just say your daughter has no boyfriend?”

“Mrs. Shokawa…” Kyouko wanted to explain but didn’t know how to clarify the complex relationship between the man and her daughter.

At that moment, Lei Yin suddenly kindly turned around and said, “Madam, please don’t misunderstand. Naoko really doesn’t have a boyfriend because I am not her boyfriend, I am her fiancé.”

Upon hearing this somewhat humorous answer, which felt like a parody of a “no one got hurt in a plane crash because everyone was already dead” type of joke, Naoko couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh.

As the two walked out of the restaurant, they could still hear Mrs. Shokawa’s persistent questioning in the background.

After getting into the car, Naoko rested her head on his shoulder and asked, “You just ran out like that, do you think Amy will be upset?”

“With Aiko and Bibi with her, she shouldn’t feel bored. Since we have nothing to do, how about finding a place to rest?” Lei Yin suggested as he reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear, revealing her fair and delicate face.

“Okay,” Naoko murmured softly with her eyes closed.

While gently caressing her left cheek, Lei Yin smiled and said, “It seems your mom hasn’t given up yet.”

Naoko opened her eyes and replied, “The moment she called me out saying she wanted to see me, I already felt it was strange that she didn’t just ask me to come home but arranged to meet outside instead.”

“She’s paying off a debt of love. She’s worried you’ll end up with the wrong person. For all we know, she might still think I’m some high schooler who hasn’t fully grown up yet.”

His near-crude humor made Naoko laugh, and she couldn’t help but playfully nudge his chest with her hand.

Lei Yin leaned down and kissed her left cheek before helping her sit upright and fastening her seatbelt.

After securing her seatbelt, he looked at her face and noticed her gazing at him with a tender expression, her eyes filled with affection.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Just one glance from her enchanting eyes, and Lei Yin could already feel the heat rising within him.

“If you keep looking at me like that, I won’t be able to resist devouring you right here,” he whispered teasingly in her ear.

Naoko blushed and instinctively lowered her head in shyness.

Seeing her embarrassed expression, Lei Yin felt his self-control slipping away.

After lightly squeezing her hand, he quickly sat upright, fastened his own seatbelt, and started the car.

After driving for over half an hour, Naoko, gazing out at the scenery, noticed they had unknowingly arrived in Shibuya.

“Lei, where are you planning to go?” Naoko asked curiously. If they were just looking for a place to rest, it didn’t seem necessary to travel all the way to Shibuya.

Lei Yin smiled and said, “I suddenly remembered a place I haven’t visited in a long time, so I wanted to check it out.”

After driving for another twenty minutes or so, the car gradually slowed near Jingumae in Shibuya. Naoko started to suspect where he was heading.

Finally, the car stopped in front of a small, somewhat Western-style café.

“Do you remember this place?” Lei Yin asked as he held her hand and helped her out of the car.

Staring at the entrance, Naoko softly replied, “How could I ever forget?”

“Let’s go inside.”

“Okay,” Naoko answered, her eyes slightly red as she reached out and hugged his arm.

When they entered, a girl in a server’s uniform who had been standing behind the counter immediately approached them with a smile. “Welcome.”

While Lei Yin was busy reminiscing and searching for the spot they had sat at back then, Naoko suddenly turned to the server and asked, “Is table 16 available? If it’s free, we’d like to sit there.”

The server glanced toward the innermost corner and said, “Miss, that table is available. Please follow me.”

As they followed the server, Lei Yin couldn’t help but laugh. “Your memory is incredible—you even remembered the table number.”

Naoko said nothing, simply holding his arm tightly as they walked slowly forward.

Once they were seated at a quiet corner in the innermost part of the café, the server immediately pulled out a notepad and pen. “What would you like to order?” she asked.

Naoko glanced at him before turning to the server and saying, “Two cappuccinos, please.”

“Alright, please wait a moment.” After taking their order, the server quickly walked away.

Lei Yin glanced around the café and remarked, “It’s been almost three years. It’s a relief this place hasn’t closed down.”

Naoko remained silent, her gaze lingering on him with a dreamy, almost dazed expression.

Lei Yin found her behavior a little strange and was about to ask when he heard footsteps approaching from behind. Recognizing the sound as the server bringing their coffee, he waited.

Sure enough, the server arrived, carrying two cappuccinos on a tray. As she approached, the young woman’s expression suddenly brightened with recognition. “Oh, it’s Miss Hasegawa! It’s been such a long time!”

Hearing someone call her name, Naoko turned to look at the server and smiled. “It’s been a while, Shoken. Are you still helping your sister manage the café?”

“Yes, we’re short-staffed, after all.”

“You’re such a good girl. Have you started your summer break yet?”

“Yes, and next year I’ll start preparing for the university entrance exams,” Shoken replied as she placed the coffees on their table. While setting Lei Yin’s coffee down, she seemed to glance at him a little longer than usual.

After arranging the coffees, she smiled and said to Naoko, “Please enjoy your coffee, Miss Hasegawa. I’ll get back to work now. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Alright, thank you.”

Once the server had walked away, Lei Yin reached out and gently took hold of Naoko’s left hand, toying with her delicate fingers. “You seem very familiar with this place. Why is that?” he asked.

As he played with her hand, Naoko gazed at him with infinite tenderness.

After a while, she spoke softly, “Lei, I used to come here often. Whenever I missed you terribly, I’d come to this café. This table is where I first confessed my feelings to you. Every time I came, I’d order two cappuccinos—one for myself and the other for your seat. Doing this made me feel like you were really sitting across from me.”

Listening to her voice, as gentle as silk, Lei Yin’s heart swelled with emotion.

He understood that the “before” she spoke of referred to the two years he had been missing. How many of the most precious years of a woman’s youth can be wasted waiting?

Though her tone was calm, Lei Yin could feel the depth of her longing and loneliness during that time. The weight of guilt he felt for the woman in front of him was immeasurable.

As if sensing his thoughts, Naoko tightened her grip on his hand and said softly, “Lei, I never felt like it was difficult—not even a little. Truly. Because I knew you would come back. And now, haven’t you already fulfilled the promise you made back then?”

Lei Yin looked at her with deep affection. After a moment, he lifted her slender hand to his lips and kissed it gently. “After we finish our coffee, shall we take a walk outside?”

Naoko nodded lightly, then reached over with her other hand, tore open a sugar packet, and poured it into his coffee.

After she finished, Lei Yin smiled and took a sugar packet of his own, tore it open, and poured it into her cup.

Naoko watched his movements in silence, her gaze tender and gentle like flowing water.