Extra chapter for reaching 500 Power Stones.
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Haruya's yell echoed through the silent room, a mixture of disbelief and pure joy.
The man standing in the doorway was a sight he hadn't seen in nearly a year, but every detail was seared into his memory.
Kenjiro Sumeragi was a tall man with a lean but muscular build, with broader shoulders that showed hidden strength.
His black hair was neatly swept to one side, and his face, though tired from travel, was handsome, with a kind smile that had always been a source of comfort for Haruya.
He wore simple, casual clothes. A gray polo and dark slacks, which was a sign he had just arrived home from a long trip.
"Dad!" Haruya yelled again, scrambling off the piano bench. He ran across the room and threw himself into his father's arms.
Kenjiro laughed, a deep, warm sound that filled the room. He wrapped his arms around his son, a tight embrace that spoke of a year's worth of missed hugs.
He ruffled Haruya's hair. "Hey, kiddo. It's good to see you. You've grown a lot. I almost didn't recognize you."
Haruya pulled back, a wide smile on his face. "Yeah, it's been a while," he said, a bit out of breath. He looked up at his father. "I thought you were going to be gone for longer. I almost forgot what you looked like."
Kenjiro chuckled, a gentle shake of his head. "I almost did, too. But a man can only go so long without seeing his boy. It's good to be home." He looked past Haruya to Tsumugi, who was still standing by the piano, a small smile on her face. "And look at you, Tsumugi! You've grown up so much. You're almost a young lady."
Tsumugi walked towards them, her hands clasped behind her back. "Welcome back, Uncle Kenjiro! We're so happy to see you."
Kenjiro patted her head, his smile soft. "Thank you, Tsumugi. I'm happy to be back. So, are you here for the whole summer? How have Minako and Masaru been?"
"They've been doing well! I'm here for a piano competition with my mom, and we've been staying here with Onii-chan and Aunt Akari. She and Mom went out together earlier, but they should be back any time now," she said.
As if on cue, the front door swung open, revealing Akari and Minako.
They were laughing about something, carrying shopping bags in their hands.
The two women stopped in their tracks when they saw Kenjiro, and their laughter died down.
Akari's eyes widened, and a slow, warm smile spread across her face. She dropped her bags and walked over to her husband.
She gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Welcome back, Kenjiro," she said, her voice soft and full of relief.
Akari had always been used to her husband traveling. He had a lot of business to take care of, but she still missed him. He was gone, and she was here, taking care of their son and the family business, but when he came back, it was like no time had passed at all.
Minako, on the other hand, was less reserved. She gave her brother a big hug, her voice filled with a genuine warmth that Haruya had always loved. "I haven't seen you in a while, Kenjiro. How was your trip?" she asked.
Kenjiro just shrugged, his smile not wavering. "It was going quite well. I just had to get some business done, but it was nothing too exciting. I'm just happy to be home now."
He looked back at Haruya, a glint in his eyes. "So, I've been hearing quite a lot lately. It sounds like you've picked up your mom's talent for pastry making and even been learning from the Nakiris, huh?"
Haruya felt a wave of surprise. It wasn't that his dad didn't pay attention, but hearing him talk about it in person, after listening from afar, was a different kind of feeling.
Kenjiro had always been a quiet, supportive presence, and this moment felt more direct and personal than their usual phone calls. "Yeah," he said, the word coming out easily.
Kenjiro just laughed. "And it looks like you've even got a talent for music now." He pointed towards the piano. "I heard a beautiful song coming from the house, and I knew it had to be Tsumugi. But then I heard another song, and it sounded a bit clumsy, but then it got better and better. I didn't want to disturb both of your progress, so I just stood outside and listened. It was a beautiful song."
Haruya was a bit surprised. "You've been listening?" he asked, his voice filled with surprise.
"Maybe for about half an hour," Kenjiro shrugged. "I was listening to the first song, and it was so beautiful. I didn't want to interrupt." He looked at Tsumugi and then at Haruya, a warm, proud smile on his face.
He patted both of their heads again. "Good job, you two. You're both very talented."
Akari and Minako were a bit surprised.
They had been gone for a few hours, and they had no idea that Haruya had been playing the piano.
Akari walked over to them, a puzzled look on her face. "It sounds like your talent extends far beyond studying and culinary," she said, her voice filled with curiosity.
Tsumugi nodded, her eyes wide with excitement. "He's so good, Aunt Akari. He learned so fast! We recreated the song that I lost, and he helped me remember everything. He's a genius!"
Minako observed her nephew Haruya for a while, a thoughtful look on her face.
She had always known Haruya had a certain knack for things, but this was on a whole other level. Her daughter, a child prodigy, was praising him, and that meant something. "Why don't I introduce you to Tsumugi's mentor? If you're interested, you could learn more."
Tsumugi seemed excited at the idea of her cousin being her fellow pianist. "That's a great idea! Onii-chan, pleaseee~ won't you try it out?" she asked, her eyes wide with hope.
Haruya thought about it for a while.
He was already so busy with his training at the Nakiri mansion and his friends from school.
It might be too much, and he didn't know if he could add another thing to his plate.
But a part of him was curious.
He wanted to see the full extent of his Adaptability skill, the special ability that he had kept for so long. He knew it was pretty suitable for music, just like with cooking.
And he wanted to see how far he could go.
"I don't mind..." he said, his voice a little hesitant. "But I don't think I'll have as much time to practice as Tsumugi does, would that be alright with her mentor?"
Minako smiled, a knowing look on her face. "Don't worry, Haruya. If Tsumugi can praise you so much, then I'm guessing your talent is not low. Her mentor, Hiroko Seto, is a very renowned pianist in Japan. I'm sure you will learn quickly from her teaching. She loves a challenge."
Akari intervened reluctantly. "Are you sure you want to try this, Haruya? Won't you get burnt out from doing so much? You're already putting in a lot of time with Senzaemon, after all."
Kenjiro laughed, a confident sound that put Akari's worries at ease. He knew his son better than anyone. "I'm sure he'll be fine, Akari. Don't worry, Haruya should know his own limits," he said, and he was right. Haruya had always been a mature boy, and he knew when to stop.
Haruya nodded and looked at his mom with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Mom. I just want to see the world Tsumugi loves so much. It'll be a great way to learn something new," he said.
Tsumugi, hearing this, jumped and wrapped her arms around Haruya's neck. "Thank you, Onii-chan!" she said, her voice filled with a mixture of relief and happiness.
Minako nodded, a satisfied look on her face. "Then it's settled. I'll introduce you to her mentor after Tsumugi's competition. I'm sure she'll be very happy to have you." She looked at her brother and her sister-in-law, a small smile on her face. "I'm glad we could do this for him."
They all talked for a while longer, the four of them in the living room, a family reunited.
Haruya felt a sense of peace wash over him, a feeling that had been missing for a while.
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A/N: The next series is now to be added. With the character I added, can you guess which it is? Originally, I did not have the idea of adding this series to this fanfic, but instead, over the next one I write. However, when I added Tsumugi, I just thought how perfect her character would be to match it with a certain group of people. So being the "just do it" kind of guy that I am, I just decided to add it. I've already thought of how I will resolve the biggest issue in this series, so there's no need to worry much about it. Thanks for reading.
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POWER STONE GOAL - 1 EXTRA CHAPTER WHEN REACHED:
100 POWER STONES (✔)
200 POWER STONES (✔)
300 POWER STONES (✔)
400 POWER STONES (✔)
500 POWER STONES (✔)
600 POWER STONES (X)