Chapter 64 Nekono: I'm here. A chibi-style Furuya doll...
Furuya's boyfriend? Oh, so Nekono is Furuya's boyfriend, not Morofushi's. Oh, I misunderstood. By the way, why does the name Nekono Ikuya sound so familiar?
After awkwardly exchanging greetings again, Kenji Hagiwara memorized this message.
But then he remembered, "Hey, didn't Kojinpei say he saw Kofuruya fall in love at first sight and quickly find a girlfriend?"
Oh, Kenji Hagiwara glanced at the smiling Ikuya Nekono and suddenly realized—Jinpei might have been accidentally played by Furuya?
Alas, poor little Jinpei.
...But what's even more pitiful is his current awkward situation after making such a blunder. Is there anyone who can save the day? Anyone will do, really.
Just then, a voice as beautiful as a heavenly melody broke the silence.
"Oh, Young Master Yumi? What a coincidence, running into you here."
Someone actually came to the rescue? Kenji Hagiwara looked up in surprise, and then was even more surprised to see Matsuda Jinpei's father—Jotaro Matsuda.
Kenji Hagiwara: ? They know each other too?
Of course they recognized each other. Nekono Ikumi also heard the calm yet slightly surprised voice coming from not far away. Looking in the direction of the voice, she saw a tall, burly middle-aged man with casual clothes but an undeniable fierce aura smiling at them.
Nekono Ikuya immediately deduced the information about the person in her mind: it was innocent passerby A—Matsuda Jotaro!
He immediately laughed and said, "Just call me Yuya or Nekono. Mr. Jotaro, it's been a long time. You look great. I haven't congratulated you on winning the WBA and WBO championships yet."
A former innocent bystander, whose entire career was nearly ruined by a case he was innocently implicated in, is still shining brightly in the boxing ring.
In the past few years, Jotaro Matsuda has won two international gold belts, the WBA and WBO. He has already conquered two of the four major international boxing organizations, and has not only become a world champion but also a unified champion. He is now aiming for the WBC and IBF. It remains to be seen whether he can conquer all the major international boxing organizations in his lifetime and become the "undisputed world champion".
However, his current achievements have already satisfied Nekono Ikuya. His impulsive act as a child helped to promote the birth of a world boxing champion, and the positive feedback is incredibly strong! Moreover, after becoming acquainted with this world boxing champion through a case, Nekono Ikuya was very optimistic about his boxing ability and casually arranged for the Nekono Group to become his brand sponsor. After all, advertising is always a good thing, right? And now this action has yielded rich returns—the world boxing champion's appeal is still very strong, and the publicity returns from this sponsorship far exceeded expectations.
So even though they hadn't seen each other for a long time, Nekono Ikuya still had a deep impression of Matsuda Jotaro, and now it seems that Matsuda Jotaro felt the same way about him.
After Nekono Ikuya graduated from university, the Nekono Group began to release some official information about him. Nekono Ikuya would occasionally attend business gatherings, but not often. Matsuda Jotaro should have paid extra attention to him because he could recognize him as an adult at a glance.
Wait, Matsuda Jotaro, Matsuda?
Last weekend at the bar, I met Rei and Kagemitsu's friend Matsuda Jinpei, who also has the surname Matsuda. If I remember correctly, Matsuda Jotaro has a son who is about the same age.
Nekono Ikuya subtly observed Matsuda Jotaro's appearance, then recalled Matsuda Jinpei's features, feeling that they looked remarkably alike.
What a small world!
"Thanks to you." Matsuda Jotaro's smile widened when he heard Nekono Ikuya call him by his name.
He strode over, about to thank Nekono Ikuya, when he suddenly saw two other tall and distinguished young men standing next to Nekono Ikuya.
One of them looked particularly familiar to him: shoulder-length black hair, violet droopy eyes, and a gentle smile that was always on his lips. Wasn't this Kenji Hagiwara, his son's childhood friend who had always liked to run to his house to play with Jinpei since they were little?
"Second-year graduate student?" Matsuda Jotaro exclaimed in surprise.
In my memory, the two of them, Yansou and Jinpei, were always inseparable, but the young man in front of me seemed much more mature than the mischievous boy I remembered. It seems that the months at the police academy have been quite a tempering experience.
Kenji Hagiwara immediately stood up straight and flashed a bright and friendly smile: "It's me, Uncle Jotaro! It's been so long! You still look so healthy!"
"Haha, I can't compare to you young people."
Matsuda Jotaro patted his still-thick chest with a hand that could punch a child, and said modestly.
His gaze shifted between Kenji Hagiwara and Ikuya Nekono, and he asked curiously, "This surprises me. You two know each other?"
Nekono Ikuya naturally picked up the conversation: "It's a coincidence that we just met. Hagiwara and Matsuda were my childhood friends and classmates. It seems we are very destined to meet."
After saying that, Nekono Ikuya looked at Morofushi Kagemitsu, who greeted her politely: "Uncle, I am Morofushi Kagemitsu, a friend of Matsuda and Hagiwara."
His clear blue eyes and gentle demeanor immediately made him likable at first glance.
It seemed his stubborn son had made some good friends at the police academy. Matsuda Jotaro said "good" several times, a complex and gratified smile on his face.
He had felt regretful when his son refused to follow in his footsteps in boxing and chose to go to police academy. Now, seeing his son surrounded by such excellent and reliable companions, he felt a strange mix of emotions. He was even more moved when he learned that his former benefactor had appeared in his son's network in such an unexpected way.
"I didn't expect Jinpei's friend to know you too. That brat never told me before."
Morofushi Kagemitsu blinked, probably because Matsuda Jinpei himself didn't know either.
"What a coincidence," Matsuda Jotaro remarked, then looked at Hagiwara Kenji, "That Jinpei kid didn't get into any trouble at the police academy, did he?"
The best person to ask this question is Kenji Hagiwara. Matsuda Jotaro knows that Kenji Hagiwara has helped Matsuda Jinpei deal with many interpersonal relationships since he was a child. His son is arrogant and sharp-tongued, and he doesn't mince words. He often offends people unintentionally. Fortunately, Kenji Hagiwara often smooths things over for him. Otherwise, Matsuda Jotaro would be afraid that his son would be ostracized by everyone.
Although it seems like Matsuda Jinpei is the one excluding everyone else. Sigh, poor Hagiwara Kenji. Anyway, it's good that Hagiwara Kenji is around, otherwise he wouldn't be so worried about Matsuda Jinpei.
Kenji Hagiwara's mind flashed back to their chaotic police academy days, especially the scene of Jinpei Matsuda and Rei Furuya fighting and then finding him with a first-aid kit.
Uh... well...
He had already remembered from Matsuda Jotaro's attitude where his familiarity with the name Nekono Ikuya came from. For a while, Matsuda Jotaro always mentioned this name to him and Matsuda Jinpei, along with the thrilling experience of almost suffering an undeserved disaster that ruined his entire career, which was truly unforgettable.
So, the Nekono Ikuya in front of me is the little benefactor that Matsuda Jotaro often mentioned in the past? Wow, then isn't Furuya Rei the boyfriend of Matsuda Jinpei's little benefactor?
Oh, Matsuda Jinpei got into a fight with Furuya Rei so soon after entering the police academy, this...
Kenji Hagiwara blinked slowly, smiling like a fox: "There were some troubles, but they were all resolved satisfactorily in the end."
How can the saying "no fight, no friendship" not be considered a solution?
"Uncle Jotaro, don't worry, Jinpei is doing very well, it's just..." he smiled innocently, "it's just that he keeps saying he wants to spar with you again."
Upon hearing this, Matsuda Jotaro let out a hearty laugh: "That brat's really gotten too big for his britches! Alright, when he comes back from vacation, I'll teach him a lesson in the boxing ring!"
Kenji Hagiwara has an innocent face. Jinpei, this is what you said after you fought to a draw with Furuya. You were the one who kept saying you wanted to go back to your uncle for extra training. After learning from Furuya, you even boasted that you had evolved and wanted to go back and have a good spar with your uncle.
He even said that he might be able to defeat his father in the boxing ring this time, which is really a bit of an exaggeration. I'm not exaggerating at all.
Speaking of which, Kenji Hagiwara really admires Rei Furuya. He was able to fight to a draw with Jinpei Matsuda, who had been trained by his father, a world boxing champion, since childhood, and even subtly suppressed Jinpei Matsuda. That's impressive.
Rei Furuya, who was also taught by Blake and other martial arts masters, remained silent with a smile.
Did you think the novel things they tried with Ikuya Nekono were only artistic things like pottery? No, martial arts were included too.
After solemnly thanking Nekono Ikuya, Matsuda Jotaro and Hagiwara Kenji left. He was about to fly abroad again and wouldn't be able to come back for a long time. He was planning to take this opportunity to see his son, and Hagiwara Kenji led the way.
Kenji Hagiwara: I finally found a chance to leave without being too embarrassed. Thank you, Uncle Jotaro, and thank you, Jinpei!
Nekono Ikuya and Morofushi Kagemitsu also arrived at their destination soon.
The mental hospital in front of me is not the kind of mental hospital you see in movies or in people's stereotypes. It has no iron bars, the windows are bright and clean, and outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows is a beautifully maintained garden.
The patients were scattered across the lawn and activity room. Nekono Ikuya and Morofushi Kagemitsu easily passed the young men painting on the lawn and sunbathing on the benches. The nurses who had been quietly observing, not wanting to disturb the peace, saw them but merely nodded slightly in greeting; none of them bothered to ask them anything.
They've been here so many times before that the locals are very familiar with them.
The corridor was wide and quiet, with ample sunlight streaming into the room through the windows. Nekono Ikuya didn't accompany Morofushi Kagemitsu into the conversation room, but stopped at just the right moment, just as before.
Morofushi Kagemitsu also stopped in his tracks. He had been here countless times, but this time he was a little nervous.
“Kagemitsu,” Nekono Ikuya suddenly called out Morofushi Kagemitsu’s name, then looked steadily into his eyes, his expression calm, “I’m here.”
I've always been here.
In the activity room next door, a young girl was intently working on a jigsaw puzzle, her fingers deftly moving the pieces. Beside her, an elderly man listened with his eyes closed to the soft classical music playing from a vinyl record, a faint smile playing on his lips.
As a result, Morofushi Kagemitsu immediately calmed down.
A smile flashed in Nekono Yuuya's eyes. Suddenly, he took out a chibi version of Furuya Rei from behind his back. He placed the chibi Furuya Rei next to his face, grabbed its hand with two fingers, and waved it.
"Oh, Zero's here too."
The chibi version of Rei Furuya, with a serious expression, looks at Kagemitsu Morofushi alongside Ikuya Nekono.
As a result, Morofushi Kagemitsu not only wasn't nervous, but couldn't help but relax and smile.
"Yes, Zero is here too."
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