Chapter 13: 013, Showa 56, nothing is different, is it?

Opening my eyes, I saw a ceiling that was both strange and familiar.

This room was even slightly smaller than the one at the Makino house, barely large enough for a desk and a bed, though items could be stored in storage boxes within the closet.

My old clothes no longer fit, so I could only take out casual autumn/winter loungewear from my suitcase—warm, fleece-lined cotton clothes and loose knit cardigans.

All washing and grooming had to be done downstairs. When Nagayama Tsuruko saw me, she remarked, "I feel like Ni-chan's style is very trendy. Is this what celebrities are wearing these days?"

"No, this is a fashion style from 30 years in the future!"

"Hmph, such arrogance~" No one even believed my truth.

Nagayama Aoki, however, spoke up: "It's too plain. There's no color at all. It's New Year's, shouldn't it be a bit more lively!"

*So you're wearing red socks to pretend it's your zodiac year, I see.*

Today was the final day. To prepare the New Year's feast, the Nagayama household had been busy since morning. Since it was a family that ran an izakaya, Father was also helping in the kitchen, leaving the children to act as assistants.

Preparing a three-day feast for five people was no small undertaking. Even with the whole family pitching in, they didn't finish until after 3:00 PM, and lunch had been nothing more than a quick bite.

The time waiting for dinner was always quite boring. Before the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen began, there weren't many particularly interesting programs on. The three siblings decided to go for a stroll.

At this hour, most shops on the street were already closed. The three of them wandered along the paths where patches of residual snow remained.

After walking for a short while, Nagayama Tsuruko began to grumble, "This is so boring. The shops are closed, there's no one around, and it's so cold. I'd rather just stay home and watch TV."

"It's not easy to see such a quiet scenery normally," Aoki added.

"Ni-chan, is Tokyo always this empty? Do they celebrate the New Year here?" Tsuruko looked toward Naoki.

"Tokyo, huh? Come to think of it, I've never spent a New Year in Tokyo myself."

"So you don't know anything at all..." Tsuruko mocked him in her Osaka dialect.

"Still, I know more than someone who has never left Shizuoka." "Hmph~"

"Speaking of modern Tokyo, the streets should still be very lively. Those big shopping malls don't close, and many have year-end events. If you were walking around downtown Tokyo right now, there would definitely be many people. You could even go play pachinko."

Nagayama Tsuruko became visibly longing: "I'm definitely going to get into a Tokyo university in the future! I want to be a white-collar worker in the big city!"

"You want to be a corporate slave? That's very hard work~"

"What's that supposed to mean? Shouldn't an older brother encourage his sister to work hard at a time like this?"

"Hai, hai, do your best, Tsuruko-chan~"

Nagayama Naoki soothed his bristling sister, when suddenly the eldest brother spoke up: "Naoki, you've changed a lot this year!"

"Ha, I have indeed learned quite a few tricks regarding styling and grooming, and I've started working out."

"Not that aspect, but other aspects." I had always thought Nagayama Aoki was a simpleton, but it turned out he was a man of profound wisdom hidden behind a dull exterior.

Tsuruko chimed in again: "He's right! Ni-chan used to be super dull~"

"Well, living alone in a big city, one is bound to experience many things. Times change so fast; if you don't change with them, you'll be left behind~" The current Nagayama Naoki was no longer afraid of being discovered as a different person.

"You certainly have a way with words," Tsuruko said with a hint of disdain. "What are these styling tricks? I want to learn!"

"I'm not telling you~ haha."

"You must tell me!"

By the time they returned home, Mother had basically laid out the New Year's feast on the table. The family gathered around the table to eat the New Year's Eve meal while waiting for the Kohaku Uta Gassen to begin. Suddenly, Tsuruko pointed at the TV and shouted, "Ni-chan, is that you?"

"Huh?" Naoki froze, then saw a soda commercial on the television. A refreshing and handsome young man was chasing a green plum—from the seed to its growth into fruit—then he picked a bottle of green plum-flavored soda from the tree, took a sip with a bright smile, and said, "This is the taste of the green plum I love~"

The commercial had reportedly been running for a while, but this was the first time Nagayama Naoki had seen it on TV.

Watching his own commercial with the whole family was a massive moment of social death. Nagayama Nanako said with a smile, "Naoki really is quite handsome!" The others were also chuckling.

The joyful atmosphere lasted until the Kohaku Uta Gassen. At this point, everyone was holding tea and eating sweets.

Seeing Seiko Matsuda appear on the program, Nagayama Naoki couldn't help but think of the songs he had sold; they should be released by the end of January, and when that happened, another small sum of money would be coming his way~

As they watched, the Kohaku Uta Gassen came to an end, and the sound of temple bells filled the television.

Amidst the 108 bell tolls of the temple, the first year of the 1980s officially passed.

The Japan that followed would remain in a period of rapid development, entering the bubble economy in 1986, reaching its peak in 1991, and then plunging into the abyss...

The morning of Showa 56 was no different from any other.

Even though they had stayed up until dawn celebrating, his young body felt no fatigue, and the cold air outside the window served to refresh Nagayama Naoki's spirit.

Nagayama Nanako had already prepared breakfast, which was the leftovers from the New Year's feast, reheated with hot water. "Okaasan, Happy New Year~"

"Happy New Year, Naoki. You're up so early?"

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep."

"Do you have plans for the New Year?"

"Nothing special." He couldn't exactly say he just wanted to stay cooped up at home until the end of January. "Ah, right, New Year's gifts. I brought New Year's gifts for everyone."

"Really?"

"Nani nani? I heard 'New Year's gifts'~"

The New Year's gift Tsuruko had been pining for had been delayed until now. Usually, New Year's gifts at home were prepared by parents—new clothes, shoes, scarves, and such—but since Naoki was considered independent this year, he had brought gifts back himself.

Nagayama Naoki went to his room to retrieve several gifts: for his mother, a brand-new skincare set; for Tsuruko, the latest cosmetics. Naoki wasn't actually familiar with these; he had bought them based on the recommendations of the sales ladies. Regardless, the sales ladies had been all smiles when he left, so they must have earned a good commission~

As for his father and eldest brother, their hobbies were limited. After working hard, his father enjoyed drinking tea, so Nagayama Naoki gave him a purple clay tea set. His restless eldest brother actually enjoyed sea fishing, so he received a new fishing rod.

As soon as the gifts were in hand, Nagayama Tsuruko and her mother happily began comparing them, looking as though they were about to have a serious discussion on how to use the cosmetics.

Father remained composed, simply putting the tea set away in a frequently used cabinet, while the eldest brother was impatient to go and try out his new fishing rod.

On the first day of the New Year, the entire house was filled with an atmosphere of happiness.

(End of Chapter)