Whispers in the Winter Wind

With their reunion in Japan only a week away, Xinyi, Yunxue, and Jingliu grew concerned about what clothing they should pack, understanding that they needed to prepare for the return of their city's cold climate. Layena, standing next to Yasushi as he observed Xinyi, who had returned home after a fruitless search for a partner, also felt a sense of unease concerning her own wardrobe selections for the trip.

"Are you all set with your clothes?" Yasushi questioned, turning his head towards Layena.

Layena offered a nod, her words coming with an easy confidence. "Yes, I have already finished packing, and I'm completely ready for this trip. I'm truly very enthusiastic to see everyone again." A scarce smile formed on her face, her attention on Xinyi who was still organizing her things.

"Want to know why she's so happy?" Xinyi said, continuing to pack without turning her head. This comment caused Layena's cheeks to flush with color, but she did not attempt to stop Xinyi. "It's because she loves the snow. She genuinely enjoys playing in it. When no one is around she is making snow angels, or building something with it."

Yasushi wasn't particularly taken aback by Xinyi's revelation. Snow is not a common experience for many people, with some individuals never seeing it during their entire lives. In an odd way, the majority seem to appreciate it, particularly when it doesn't cause any problems or obstacles in their daily lives.

"I can understand that. I would likely do the same thing if I weren't accustomed to snow. Although, it is a bit of a surprise after you have been living with us for so long," he admitted, turning his attention towards Layena.

Still blushing from the earlier comment, Layena began to fidget with her short hair, her voice a touch soft. "W-well… I just… like it, that's all. No matter how much time I have lived in the city with everyone, I still have a great love for it. One day, if I have children, I want to pass on that same love I feel."

"I can understand that," Yasushi responded, a warm smile forming as he looked at her. He could tell the emotion was genuine, making him feel comfortable with her sentiments.

The conversation transitioned into a discussion about the potential changes that they might discover in Ginsukimura, the place that held the most significance in their lives and also where Yasushi was originally from, holding the deepest connection to the place.

Yasushi started to consider the well-being of the people associated with the Gyudo Homeless Association and the current conditions surrounding homelessness in the area. It had not been very long after their graduation that they decided to move to London.

Despite moving away, Yasushi had maintained communication with Akazuki and Kyousuke, which mostly involved personal updates, with occasional mentions about the association's work. However, these details were never very specific, leaving Yasushi wanting more information. This made him look forward to returning, eager to see everything with his own eyes.

In general, Yasushi had mixed feelings of joy and anticipation about going back to his hometown and reconnecting with everyone. He was also enthusiastic to personally congratulate his closest friend. He looked forward to the trip, feeling a sense of eagerness to see familiar faces, and being there to support the people he cared for.

+-+

Two days prior to the scheduled reunion, Yasushi and his group commenced their journey to Japan. They were comfortably situated in their private jet, and Yasushi had brought along his younger sister, as well as his daughters and their respective mothers. Though Yinhaie and Nandini, the two mothers, would have likely accompanied him on this journey no matter the circumstance.

His younger sister, Himari, was overcome with a sense of wonder as she stared out the plane's window, taking in the expansive world below. His daughters, Advika and Yue, were equally captivated by the view from above. Their faces were pressed against the glass, their eyes wide with excitement.

"They have been glued to the windows for the last two hours," Yinhaie commented, sitting across from the group. She watched the children with a soft expression on her face, finding joy in their excitement.

Yasushi, settled in his seat beside her, responded with a warm tone, "I cannot blame them at all. It is always such a unique and thrilling sensation when you get to experience this for the first time."

Yinhaie nodded in agreement, and they continued to converse while Yasushi tried to get a little extra work done, but his attempts were quickly stopped by Nandini and Jingliu, who shut his laptop with a playful teasing, which resulted in a slight grumble from him.

+-+

"And just like that, they're out cold," Nandini commented as she carefully placed her daughter, Advika, in one of the bedrooms, where Himari and Yue were already fast asleep.

The three children, after their extended period of watching the world below them from the plane window, had spent the remainder of the time playing, watching a few movies, eating, and eventually succumbing to their exhaustion. They had been in the air for approximately six hours, making their sleep well-deserved.

Their flight plan included the normal course, with stops at two countries before making their final way to Japan. They would also follow the same path on their return trip to make sure the children with them would not become overly restless. This was a vital point in their minds to make sure all the children were comfortable.

They were about two hours away from landing at their first stop to refuel and check for any potential issues. So, for the time being, they decided to just take things slowly, enjoying the peace as the children rested, and prepared for their journey ahead.

"Let's hope they don't feel too overwhelmed by the sights they'll see in the first country we're landing in, which is Warsaw in Poland, followed by Novosibirsk in Russia," Yasushi said, joining Nandini. He was considering how the children would perceive the new environments as they continued with their travels.

They decided to head back to the cabin to further relax and enjoy some food. Everyone else was also unwinding, though Xinyi was completely asleep in her seat, while Jingliu was absorbed in a book.

Yunxue was occupied with a game on her phone, and Layena was focused on something she was reading, also on her phone. Yinhaie was busy preparing food, with Jingliu helping her. Nandini joined them in the galley, while Yasushi sat down, pulling out his phone to look at their group chat.

When he opened the app, he noticed a bunch of messages that had been sent over the past couple of hours. They were all just plans about what they would do on their vacation, which made him smile. It seemed everyone was ready for their time off to make the most of the holidays.

The three of them soon emerged from the galley, carrying the food, and they gently woke Xinyi, who had been sleeping soundly and drooling slightly. However, she did not seem to care, as she happily began to eat her meal. Jingliu sat beside Yasushi as he expressed his appreciation for the food.

"What exactly are you looking at on your phone?" Jingliu asked, a touch of concern in her tone. "We already bought them presents, you know?"

"Hmm? Oh…it's not about that," Yasushi explained, thinking about the presents that they all had already. "Yes, we do have presents for them, but I know Furuya has been wanting this for a long time, and knowing him, he's been very busy getting ready for the wedding, fixing up his house, and dealing with all the things that will revolve around starting a family with Catherine." He was thinking about the man's personal needs.

Jingliu's face lit up with a smile, and she stated, "So, you're looking for a gift from a friend to a friend, and not for the soon-to-be married couple."

"Exactly," Yasushi replied, continuing to eat and talk while scrolling through the app on his phone, searching for a few other suitable gifts for Furuya. He wanted to give a gift that showed his care.

After some searching, he found a few options and then found local businesses within Ginsukimura that offered these items, making him happy since it would be easier than waiting for deliveries and would support local businesses.

+-+

Their initial stop brought them to Warsaw, Poland. His younger sister and daughters appeared to be quite puzzled by their surroundings. The people they encountered were speaking in languages other than English, Japanese, or Chinese, which were the languages they were familiar with, leading to their confusion.

After a brief explanation from Yasushi, the children seemed to understand, and they decided to rely on their parents and their brother for all communications. They had a limited time of only one hour at this stop, so they would have to quickly adjust to the new environment.

This meant that they would need to adapt to the change in a short space of time, which might not be so easy.

They took a walk around the area, checking out various stores. Yasushi was mostly with the group, accompanied by Jingliu, Yinhaie, and Nandini. Both of the mothers were reluctant to leave their children's side, wanting to be there in case they needed anything.

They eventually made their way to a small food court, where they decided to purchase some food for the children and light snacks for themselves.

Yasushi and Yinhaie went to place their order while the rest found a table. However, as they waited, they noticed quiet snickering around them. They looked around and saw a group of teenagers staring at Yinhaie and making inappropriate comments.

Yinhaie and Yasushi had both unfortunately experienced such situations before, so they were somewhat used to it, but it still caused them a great deal of annoyance. However, they chose to avoid a confrontation, realizing that it would create unnecessary trouble for a stop that was only meant to last for an hour.

"It doesn't matter what country we're in, there will always be some teenagers acting the same way," Yasushi murmured in Japanese, causing Yinhaie to chuckle and nod in agreement. They understood that it was simply a reality of the world.

They finally reached the counter and placed their order, but from the sides of their vision, they could tell that one of the boys was very obviously and slowly approaching them. Yasushi could tell the boy's intentions, which were made fairly obvious.

Yasushi and Yinhaie exchanged a quick glance, and an understanding was formed between them. Just as the young teen boy raised his hand, attempting to slap Yinhaie's ass, Yasushi quickly intercepted it, stopping it before it even made contact.

The teenagers immediately ceased their laughter, but before they could even begin to speak, Yasushi focused his ki and directed it towards all of them, creating a wave of dread that enveloped them. The boys froze, their eyes wide with terror, staring directly at Yasushi in absolute horror.

He then switched to Polish, addressing them with a chilling tone. "She is the mother of one of my children. Do not touch her in an inappropriate way, is that clear?" he asked, his voice like ice.

All of the teenagers frantically nodded, their heads bobbing up and down, before he released his ki, freeing them from the overwhelming pressure. As soon as they were able, they all ran away as fast as they could, utterly terrified. Yasushi sighed, feeling somewhat embarrassed and ashamed, thinking it wasn't a very classy thing to do, especially towards teenagers.

"I apologize for that," Yasushi said to Yinhaie, who just gave him a smile in return, not at all bothered by the action. "Damn kids..."

Yinhaie chuckled, her tone playful as she responded, "Old man Yasushi is almost a reality now, isn't he?" She was teasing him, knowing he was getting older.

Yasushi paused for a moment, looking directly at her as he spoke, "I'm...like 26 now, right? About to turn 27?" He was trying to come to terms with his age, which seemed like a large jump in recent years.

Yinhaie smiled warmly at him, nodding her head in confirmation. He was definitely in the middle of his twenties now, a fact that made her amused. Yasushi was quickly approaching the age that he would have considered as old not too long ago, and it felt quite strange to him.

However, before they could continue talking about it, their food order was ready, so they headed back to their table to eat. The others had no idea what had just transpired between them.

They all began eating and talking, and both his daughters and little sister said that the food was quite tasty, although a little strange compared to what they were used to. But they had been taught to always try new things and not judge based on appearances, whether it was food, people or anything else.

After they finished eating and cleaned up, they left the food court, deciding to explore more of the terminal. They eventually met up with Xinyi's group, who had purchased even more snacks for the journey, which made them all happy.

+-+

Once again, they boarded their private jet, ready to head to their next destination, which was Novosibirsk in Russia. Once they arrived, it would be another one-hour stop where they would be free to do as they pleased. However, in reality, it was another hour of excitement and fun for Yasushi's daughters and his little sister, as they seemed to be the most eager to experience the new locations.

But that would be several hours from now, so they had plenty of time to relax or sleep before they arrived. However, Yasushi's younger sister, Himari, approached him and settled onto his lap. Her voice was soft and gentle.

"Yasu…" she mumbled, looking up at him with a curious expression.

"Hmm?" Yasushi hummed in response, looking down at her and gently rubbing her head, his expression soft.

"The world is very big, isn't it?" she mumbled, clearly thinking about the experiences she had just had. The times of her being shy were long gone, and now she was more energetic and open to the world.

"It is. It's much bigger than you can even imagine," Yasushi replied, continuing to stroke her hair, his tone was gentle and he had a soft smile on his face.

Himari appeared to be lost in thought, her brow furrowed as she pondered something deeply. Everyone around them observed her, waiting with anticipation to see what she would say next. After almost two minutes of silence, she looked up at Yasushi with a bright smile forming on her face.

"I...want to be smart. Please teach me about everything!" she declared, surprising Yasushi and everyone else around them with her sudden request.

"Teach you everything? Your big brother is not that smart, I can assure you. You should ask Jingliu or Xinyi if you want to be taught a lot of things, they were the best at school, even more intelligent than I was!" Yasushi said, pride evident in his voice, which caused both women's cheeks to turn a light shade of red.

Himari's eyes lit up with wonder, staring at Xinyi and Jingliu with a newfound interest. They were smarter than her brother? That was something that she needed to investigate further.

She bowed her head slightly and politely requested, "Please teach me, big sis Xinyi, big sis Jingliu!" Her request was innocent and polite, not something they could refuse.

Neither of them could really refuse her, and in the end, they gave in and accepted her request. This decision would be the first step in creating an intelligent young woman in the future.