Chapter 121 Meeting the Parents: This Brother-in-Law is a Bit of a "Brother-in-Law Trouble"...
On the weekend, the sunlight was diluted by the thick clouds, casting a cold, white glow.
Yukimura Seiichi stood in front of the Kirihara family home, holding his girlfriend's hand in one hand and carrying a carefully prepared gift in the other.
Risa squeezed his hand and couldn't help but chuckle: "A world champion like you, sweeping the tennis world without ever getting nervous."
Yukimura glanced at her helplessly: "This is much more important than the service game in the final."
It was Kirihara Akaya who opened the door.
He was no longer the boisterous boy with overly bright and passionate eyes. Dressed in a simple black knit sweater, he had grown taller and had broad shoulders, standing in the doorway like a silent guardian deity.
“Risa-nee, Yukimura-senpai.” He nodded, his voice steady, even a little cold and hard. “Come in.”
Risa nudged her boyfriend and made a face at him, the gist of which was: See? This kid has already started testing you.
Yukimura smiled.
As I was changing my shoes in the entryway, Kirihara's mother came out.
"Oh my! Seiichi, Risa, come in, come in." She smiled and accepted the gifts. "You've come all this way, it's too much of a formality. Please come in."
She turned her head and called into the house, "Honey, they're here!"
Mr. Kirihara was sitting in the main seat of the living room, holding a magazine, maintaining the dignity of the head of the family. But he was so nervous that he didn't even notice that he was holding the magazine upside down.
He cleared his throat, stood up, and nodded to Yukimura with feigned seriousness: "Yukimura-kun, welcome."
The coffee table in the living room was piled high with a dazzling array of fruits and pastries. Kirihara's mother was busy pouring tea; the more she looked at her son-in-law, the more pleasing he seemed, and the smile on her face never faded.
After exchanging pleasantries, Kirihara's father began his "formal questioning": "Yukimura-kun, what are your future career plans? After all, the professional lifespan of a tennis player is limited..."
Yukimura sat upright, his gaze sincere, and answered each question earnestly:
"Yes, I have plans for that. I'm currently at my peak and will continue to compete. But I'm also considering a career transition after retirement, perhaps in tennis coaching or other sports-related fields. I've already received some preliminary offers."
"Please rest assured that no matter what choices I make in the future, I have the ability and confidence to provide Risa with a stable and happy living environment."
His answer was clear, confident, humble, and polite. As Kirihara's father listened, his initially serious expression gradually softened, and his eyes revealed admiration.
“Yukimura-senpai,” Akaya began, “being at your peak means flying all over the world, with seamless connections between races and commercial activities.”
He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, his eyes fixed on Yukimura. "Risa-nee's RS Films is also in a critical expansion phase. How do you plan to resolve this? Will you maintain the relationship through online video, like you've done in the past few years?"
This is a pointed question, but it's also very real.
The air condensed.
Kirihara's mother gasped, and Kirihara's father frowned but remained silent. Risa tried to speak, but Yukimura gently pressed her hand down.
“Akaya. I know better than you what Risa and I have each given up and what we have missed in the past few years. That’s why our plans for the future are not just a spur-of-the-moment promise.”
He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over Kirihara's parents before finally returning to Akaya's face.
"My team has the most professional planning, with clear off-seasons and training base selections each year, all of which can be coordinated with Risa's schedule. More importantly..."
He emphasized, "No matter where I am in the world, I will be there whenever she needs me. That has never changed."
Akaya stared at him without saying a word.
The atmosphere was tense, but Risa smiled and continued the conversation, chatting about some ordinary, lighthearted topics.
After chatting for a while, Kirihara's mother suggested that everyone have dinner first.
Kirihara's father took out his collection of whiskey and filled his and Yukimura's glasses: "Yukimura-kun, come on, have a taste of this."
Risa whispered a reminder, "Uncle, Ah-he usually doesn't..."
Yukimura winked at her, then smiled and raised his glass: "Thank you, Uncle. I'll keep you company."
After a few drinks, the atmosphere became completely lively.
Kirihara's father, no longer feigning seriousness, patted Yukimura on the shoulder, his face flushed: "Seiichi! Good! Very good! I'm entrusting Risa to you! She can be a little temperamental sometimes, so please be patient with her..."
Kirihara's mother also talked about what happened when Risa first came to their house.
“Seiichi, Risa loves to sleep in. When Akaya went to the U-17 training camp, she was almost late many times.”
As she spoke, she took out her phone, "I remember taking photos and videos at the time."
"Auntie!!" Risa tried to stop her.
"And this one, it's a design she created for a trade show. She stayed up several nights in a row, and used iced udon to relieve her headache. Her uncle even laughed at her, saying she looked like a drunkard with a hangover..."
As Yukimura watched the girl in the video rushing downstairs, her hair all messed up, shouting "Oh no, I'm going to be late!" and running out with her schoolbag, his eyes welled up with tenderness.
“Very cute,” he said softly, earning him a pinch from Risa in a moment of embarrassment.
After a hearty meal, in the second half of the meal, Akaya watched as his father and Yukimura chatted happily, even starting to address each other as brothers, while Akaya remained silent throughout.
Kirihara's father was a little drunk. He held Yukimura's hand and repeatedly said, "Seiichi! Good son-in-law! We are relieved to have Risa in your care!"
Kirihara Akaya picked up the whiskey next to him, poured some for Yukimura, and also poured himself a glass.
“Yukimura-senpai,” he spoke again, “if, I mean if, one day in the future, your performance declines, you can no longer win, your glory fades… how will you face it? And how will you face Risa-nee, who might have more brilliance than you at that time?”
This question was even more tricky than the previous one. It was about failure, about dignity, and even about human weaknesses. Even Kirihara's slightly tipsy father put down his chopsticks.
Yukimura tapped his fingertip on the wine glass and looked up.
“Aka, I’ve won, but I’ve also lost.” He said calmly. “I know what it feels like to fall from the top. I also know how to face any outcome with dignity, including failure.”
His gaze shifted to Risa, his tone incredibly gentle: "As for Risa's radiance... she was already dazzling when I met her, and I never felt that I needed to 'face' it. The brighter her radiance, the prouder I will become."
“What I love is not her brilliance and glory, but Risa herself.” Yukimura looked at Akaya. “This will not change, whether at the peak or in the trough.”
silence.
Kirihara Akaya leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples.
"Tsk, still so impeccable, Yukimura-senpai." The tense, aggressive Kirihara Akaya had disappeared, and his voice had returned to the respect and compromise of a junior.
"Alright, you've passed this test." He raised his glass and looked at Yukimura. "Be nicer to Risa-nee, or else," he smirked, "even if it's Yukimura-senpai, I'll still beat him up."
Yukimura gazed at the young man before him, who had shed his naiveté and become composed and sharp, a look of satisfaction spreading across his eyes. He raised his glass and lightly clinked it against Akaya's.
“Fine,” he replied gently, “but I won’t give you that chance.”
As they parted, Kirihara's mother held Risa's hand, tears welling in her eyes: "It's so good, so good... Seeing you happy, we can finally rest easy."
"Yukimura-senpai."
Kirihara Akaya called out to Yukimura, who was about to turn around.
"Please continue to give me tennis pointers in the future!"
After he finished speaking, he chuckled and added, "...Oh no! It should be—"
"Brother-in-law!"
The sudden address caught everyone present off guard, before they burst into laughter.
Risa smiled and stepped forward, pinching the young man's reddened earlobe: "Thank you, our knight. You did a good job."
Kirihara Akaya's ears turned even redder. He awkwardly turned his head away and muttered, "Who...who said you're my Risa-nee..."
Although the voice was soft, it was full of protectiveness.
Yukimura stood to the side, watching the interaction between the siblings, his smile deepening.
He casually placed his hand on Risa's waist and said to Kirihara Akaya, "You're welcome to spar anytime. However, next time it won't be like today."
Kirihara Akaya's eyes lit up, his initial awkwardness replaced by fighting spirit: "I couldn't be happier! Just you wait and see, brother-in-law!"
He called out "brother-in-law" even more smoothly than before.
-
The night breeze was cool, and the moonlight was perfect.
Yukimura and Risa walked hand in hand down the quiet street.
Risa smiled at his rare expression of relief: "How does it feel? The ultimate match point for the world champion?"
Yukimura took her hand, their fingers intertwined.
"More nerve-wracking than any Grand Slam final," he said honestly, a smile playing on his lips, "but also the happiest."
Risa smiled and leaned on his shoulder: "Congratulations, Yukimura, you've won another championship."
-
Unlike the tense atmosphere of meeting the parents at the Kirihara family's house, the Yukimura family's house was a completely different story.
Over the years, Risa has become quite familiar with Yukimura's sister. Whenever Risa comes across good cosmetics or exquisite jewelry while doing endorsements, she always remembers to send her a gift.
Occasionally, friends of Yukimura's sister would ask her to get Risa's autograph. Over time, the sister would often invite Risa to their home, and Risa thus had several informal meetings with Yukimura's parents.
After Risa's NHK morning drama became a hit, Yukimura's parents became her fans and subtly asked her for an autograph through his sister. They even took a photo together, creating some pleasant memories.
So Risa wasn't too nervous about this formal visit.
Yukimura's parents were cheerful and warm-hearted. Especially Yukimura's mother, who warmly took Risa's hand as soon as she saw her, with a gentle smile.
"Oh my, let me take a closer look! It's been a while since I've seen Risa, and she's become even more beautiful!" She smiled as she examined Risa, her eyes full of affection.
Risa bowed slightly and said softly, "Excuse me, Auntie."
Yukimura's father stood to the side, a warm smile on his face. He patted his son on the shoulder: "Good lad, you've finally decided to formally introduce yourself to us."
After several rounds of tea, the atmosphere became increasingly relaxed and harmonious.
Yukimura's mother stood up with a smile, took out a thick photo album, and said to Risa, "When you came to our house last time, you said you wanted to see photos of Seiichi when he was a child, so I specially found them out."
She winked mischievously at her son, "The funny things he did when he was little, I bet he's too embarrassed to tell you himself."
Yukimura sighed and rubbed his forehead, softly calling out, "Mom..."
Flipping through the photo album, there are pictures of young Yukimura in his school uniform, pouting and looking stubborn; there's a picture of him in junior high, holding the Rikkai University flag with sharp eyes; and a few more photos of him smiling unguardedly at the camera, even looking a little cute...
“Risa, look at this one,” Yukimura’s mother said with a smile, pointing to a photo. “It was the first time he won the junior championship. He was so excited that he insisted on sleeping with the trophy in his arms and wouldn’t let go of it no matter what we said.”
Risa couldn't help but laugh out loud.
After dinner, Risa wanted to help tidy up, but Yukimura's father asked her, "Would you like to go take a look at the yard? The camellias are in full bloom this season."
Risa paused for a moment, then nodded and followed.
The courtyard is meticulously maintained, and the owner's care is evident everywhere.
Yukimura's father briefly introduced a few of his favorite flowers and plants, and the two finally stopped in front of a patch of blooming camellias.
After a brief silence, he lowered his voice and said, "The path that Jing Shi has chosen is not easy. As parents, there is actually only so much we can do."
He turned his head, his gaze gently falling on Risa's face. "He has been very independent and patient since he was a child. But we are really glad that you have been by his side all these years."
He paused, as if carefully choosing his words, and finally said, "He seems more relaxed and more determined than before. That's good. I think you must be part of it."
Risa's heart trembled slightly.
After a moment, she solemnly replied, "It is my good fortune to be able to be by his side. I will always support him. And he has always supported me as well."
As the sun began to set, the two prepared to take their leave.
Yukimura's mother called Risa to her room, opened a glass cabinet, and displayed various jewelry pieces inside.
"Although you may not lack these things, it is a tradition of the Yukimura family. When meeting the parents for the first time, the prospective daughter-in-law can choose a piece of jewelry that she likes."
Yukimura joked from the side, "Since Mom has said so, then I have to let Risa choose your most treasured one."
"It's okay, pick whichever you like."
Risa looked around carefully, and finally asked softly, "May I have that photo album?"
Not only Yukimura's mother, but even Yukimura himself was taken aback.
Risa explained with a smile, "That photo album records moments from Oichi's childhood to adulthood. To me, it is more valuable than all gold and silver jewelry."
Yukimura's mother's eyes welled up with tears as she softly said, "Good child, Seiichi must have saved the galaxy in his past life to have met you."
Risa: "......"
There's no need to exaggerate like that.
In the end, Risa got the photo album she wanted.
Before leaving, Yukimura's mother took out a simple and elegant paper box and handed it to her: "These are some homemade snacks. They taste ordinary, but I hope you like them."
Yukimura's father stood at the door and said solemnly to Risa, "Thank you for coming today. Please come back anytime you have time."
I can come back anytime.
These four words carry immense weight.
Walking home, Yukimura gently took Risa's hand and whispered, "How are you feeling today?"
Risa stretched out her limbs, turned to look at her boyfriend, her eyes bright: "Uncle and Aunt are so kind."
Yukimura stopped and stood face to face with her.
His gaze was deep and gentle, like a sea filled with stars.
“They like you very much,” he whispered, “and from now on, they will like you as much as they like me. Even more so.”
Risa looked at him, nodded emphatically, and then smiled.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Congratulations on the debut of our prop "photo album"! We can finally use it for a bonus chapter! [doge]
I've started a new pre-order for this column, titled "Sanada-nii's Friend Confesses to Me," and the pairing is still Murakami. I originally wanted to write about Fuji, but for some reason, when I was discussing this topic with a friend, Murakami's image came to mind—a perfect match for a cunning beauty.
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