An hour after that profoundly emotional moment, the atmosphere within the home had become considerably more relaxed and easy. Aiko and Kirio, the grandparents, were now deeply immersed in conversation, thoroughly enjoying their time spent with everyone present.
The room was filled with a noticeable warmth, stemming from their lively exchanges and the comforting presence of the entire family gathered together.
Aiko and Kirio were playfully interacting with Himari, their exchanges lighthearted as they chatted with Yasushi and Xinyi, Jingliu's parents, catching up on recent stories and updates. Yasushi, for the moment, remained slightly apart, giving them room to reconnect with one another, knowing that ample time for more meaningful conversations would come later.
Across the room, Yasushi sat with his daughter Advika, who had climbed onto his lap, content and cozy. She playfully moved her attention between him, Jingliu, and Nandini, discovering limitless amusement in the smallest, most insignificant distractions.
Her pure, uninhibited joy brought genuine smiles to their faces as they watched her, completely charmed.
Yinhaie was close by with Yue, spending their time with Yunxue, Layena, and several other members of the household staff. Their shared activities brought a strong sense of unity and togetherness to the gathering.
With the day's work already completed, the staff joined in the lively atmosphere, knowing that the cleanup could easily wait until the end of the evening.
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Some time later, they sat around the dining table, the meal well underway, and the conversations were full of life. Everyone seemed at ease, their voices flowing back and forth with the ease and comfort of a shared meal.
"Everything in this house feels like it's straight out of a sci-fi movie. Does it ever feel like too much?" Kirio, the grandfather, asked as he glanced at his son, his tone more curious than judgmental.
"At first, yeah. It's a lot to take in," Yuji replied, resting his hands on the table as he spoke. "But honestly, you adapt quickly. It simplifies so many of the day-to-day tasks. Things you'd normally spend hours on just...get done."
"Like laundry?" Aika, the grandmother, chimed in, her tone carrying just enough amusement to show she wasn't entirely serious.
"Not exactly," Yuji answered, a faint smile forming. "We still have the staff handle that. Some things need a personal touch, and we don't want to rely entirely on machines. Especially with the more delicate stuff."
Aika nodded, her expression softening, her approval clear in the small gesture.
"But it'll be like that one day," Liang Yang, Jingliu's father, added to the ongoing conversation. "Humans have always strived to evolve and change, constantly pushing boundaries. One day, just like those sci-fi movies we see, those visions will become a real reality because of the innate human desire to achieve more."
Yuhan Yang, Jingliu's mother, nodded in agreement, her expression earnest. "You two are aware of the nature of our work, as we discussed earlier. However, it is something that will only continue to develop and improve over time, particularly with our 'special' supporters and financial backers, and potentially, in the near or distant future, we may be able to extend the human lifespan to well over hundreds of years."
Upon hearing this pronouncement, both Aika and Kirio were visibly shocked, their faces displaying a mixture of disbelief and awe. They were old, often referred to as "grandparents," but never in their wildest dreams had they ever thought that they would hear such words spoken in their lifetime.
The idea was something more fitting for the realm of fiction, not something grounded in reality! But here they were, hearing it firsthand, the words delivered with a sense of seriousness and conviction.
They continued eating and chatting, the conversation slowly changing to a more relaxed and informal tone, moving away from the weight and seriousness of their professional lives. However, Yasushi was briefly drawn back into the discussion, and he explained his current role within the company.
He clarified that his current responsibilities were not particularly groundbreaking or demanding; he was not yet involved in anything excessively critical. He was, for the most part, engaged in the more common aspects of the company: documentation, meticulous record-keeping, testing of equipment, and providing assistance wherever it was required.
Yasushi was intelligent; he had graduated within the top ten of his class, though both Jingliu and Xinyi had achieved the highest honors, and his position was closer to the bottom of that select group.
Nevertheless, he did not resent his present position. Yes, the paperwork could be tedious, but the work itself, particularly when he was testing different quantum technologies and advancements in artificial intelligence, filled him with a sense of happiness and excitement. It was this aspect of his job that he found truly rewarding.
When he shared these thoughts, the others expressed surprise. They had assumed he was likely growing weary of his usual work, but Yasushi had always been more of a hands-on individual, someone who preferred practical involvement over sitting behind desks and attending meetings, even though he recognized the need for those activities.
"Well now, you're a lot more down-to-earth than I was expecting, Yasushi. Heh," Kirio chuckled, "you're definitely cut from the same cloth as me. I had that exact same mindset, that same work ethic, back when I was a young man working at the railway and the factory. I'd just shut my mouth, do my job. If I liked it, well, that was a bonus! If not? Well, I just got on with it. Money's money at the end of the day," he finished, a broad grin spreading across his face as he looked directly at Yasushi.
Yasushi gave a soft chuckle in response, nodding slowly. "Yes, the pay is certainly appreciated, but I do find myself genuinely enjoying the work. If I am required to take on different responsibilities, then of course, I will. But for now, I am content with what I do. Jingliu and Xinyi are going to be more deeply involved in the administration department anyway," he explained, glancing towards the two women as he spoke.
Aika nodded, her expression thoughtful, before she added her own thoughts to the conversation. "Yes, those two are exceptionally bright. It's good to focus on your studies, but please, you two, remember to allow yourselves time to rest, okay?" She paused briefly, before continuing, "I heard someone say this once: 'Taking regular time to rest reminds us that we're more than just workers; we're complete people who deserve replenishment and peace.' So, rest when the opportunity presents itself, and work when you must. Is that understood?"
Xinyi and Jingliu both offered silent nods, their heads moving in unison. They weren't quite sure how to comfortably insert themselves into the current conversation, so they simply used the nods as a way of acknowledging what was said.
The meal went on, with discussions moving easily, the subjects changing frequently as the evening progressed.
Eventually, the dinner concluded, and the group began to disperse, each heading to different areas of the house. The women, together, made their way toward the kitchen, intending to assist the household staff with the cleanup of dishes.
The husbands offered their help as well, but were playfully turned away by the women, who told them to go do "men things," and so they did as they were jokingly told.
Yasushi, however, found his grandfather, Kirio, gesturing him toward a different room. Kirio had subtly pulled him aside, expressing his desire to have a private discussion. Yasushi brought Xinyi and Jingliu along with them, wanting to include them in the upcoming conversation.
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Okay, I understand. I will remove those words and be mindful of my word choices. Here's the revised text:
"So, what was it you wanted to discuss, Grandad?" Yasushi asked, his voice calm as he, Xinyi, and Jingliu settled down across from the older man.
Both women were holding one of Yasushi's daughters, cradling Advika and Yue, who were mostly sound asleep in their arms, their breathing soft and even.
Kirio looked at Yasushi, then his gaze went to his sleeping granddaughters before he let out a long sigh. "We know about the circumstances surrounding the birth of Advika and Yue… and frankly, after speaking with your parents and meeting them, your grandmother and I don't care in the slightest. However, there are a few bad apples among the extended family, so I advise you not to bother with trying to meet them," he explained, his tone grave and serious.
Yasushi frowned slightly at this information. He had half expected his grandfather to express disapproval or judgment, but he was pleasantly surprised that Kirio was instead warning him about potential issues with other members of the family.
"In what way do you mean?" Yasushi asked, wanting more information about his grandfather's words.
Kirio sighed once more and began to speak, "Like I said, your unique situation will be judged and ridiculed by them. Your grandmother and I are partially responsible for this, after all we were the ones who shunned your parents back then. And now…those we've been in contact with for many years are strongly against reconciling with them, and they've even promised to shun you if they were to ever come across you."
Yasushi's brow furrowed as he responded, "How did they find out?"
"During our first few meetings with your parents, it was tense, but we managed to reach an understanding and apologized for the wrongs we committed. They, in turn, said they were willing to forgive us and wanted us to be a part of your life. So, because we were happy about this opportunity, we told several people," Kirio explained, his eyes narrowing with a mix of sadness and regret.
"Did they start to shun you as well?" Yasushi asked, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the old man in front of him, concern evident in his expression as he waited for his grandfather's response.
His grandfather, again, moved his head in a nod that seemed weighed down with shame. He did not want to admit it, but they were also now being ignored. It was quite ironic, really; the ones who had shunned their own son and daughter-in-law were now being shunned by the others.
After being shunned and ignored by the people they had always supported — the ones they had always been with — they started to truly understand the pain and suffering they had caused Yuji and Kohana, Yasushi's parents, throughout all those years of isolation.
This was the reason they had sought their forgiveness and wanted to be a part of their lives, although Yasushi could also see that it might simply be that they were completely lonely in their old age. Being shunned by everyone would be a horrible way for their lives to end. He, however, was not heartless enough to say this out loud.
"I see…did they do or say anything to you? Like, were there any threats or anything of that nature?" Yasushi asked, wanting to know more about how the rest of their family had reacted to the news.
Kirio shook his head slowly and then sighed deeply. "No, it wasn't anything like that. They simply told us to 'fuck off' and not to bother them again, because we wanted to reconcile with your parents, and get to know you, Himari, and your daughters," he said, his voice heavy with sadness.
Yasushi closed his eyes for a brief moment, absorbing the information. He felt relieved that his grandparents hadn't been subjected to threats of physical violence, but he couldn't shake the odd feeling he had about why their extended family would react with such animosity.
"May I ask why they're like this? You mentioned it was your fault, so…" he trailed off, his look directly on his grandfather, waiting for him to continue.
Kirio paused, falling silent as he gathered his thoughts, searching for the best way to explain this complicated situation to Yasushi. After a moment, he looked back at them and began his story.
It had all begun because Kirio's own parents, along with Aika's parents, were extremely religious. They believed that anything done outside the confines of their religion was a sin, and they took this belief to its furthest extreme.
Because of these extreme beliefs, any action or word from Kirio and Aika that their parents deemed "out of line" resulted in severe punishment. Over the years, and with each instance of being considered out of line, these thoughts and ideas became deeply rooted in both Kirio and Aika's minds.
This upbringing shaped them as they grew, and it was the reason for their being bullied throughout their school years. From elementary school through middle school, high school, and even college, they were ostracized and tormented for being so extremely religious and rigid.
Everyone around them appeared "normal," while they were the outliers, completely disconnected from their peers. This was the case until their parents arranged for them to be married in their early twenties. They were unhappy about it initially, but they eventually married and started a family.
They did, of course, develop genuine feelings for each other over time. However, the deep-seated scars of their past and the beliefs of their parents were so deeply entrenched that it would take a dramatic and life-altering event to change them.
The turning point in their lives occurred when their family essentially disowned them. Following this rejection, their family maintained complete silence for an extended period. However, a change occurred when they initiated contact after attending therapy and witnessing Yasushi's high school graduation through a social media post.
Yet, the situation took another turn when the rest of the extended family disowned them, upon discovering that they had reached out to Yasushi's parents. This revelation came as a shock to them. And this is the current situation. Kirio concluded his explanation, releasing another sigh.
"It requires extreme circumstances for most people to reconsider their deeply held views. For some, this transformation occurs early in their lives, for others, it comes much later, and for some, it never happens. We are fortunate that we experienced this jolt back to reality. We are working to make amends for our past actions…" Kirio stated, his tone tinged with sadness and defeat.
Yasushi stood up and then knelt down in front of his grandfather. "Well, it is good that you and grandmother decided to reconsider your stance. I am certain that mom and dad had begun to worry about Himari, as she was not going to have any grandparents. When I was younger, I didn't think about it much, but seeing the differences in our family structures now, it has become clear that she needs you both," he conveyed, his tone thoughtful and understanding.
"…Yes… we will do our best," Kirio responded as he wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "But, there is something I need to ask."
Yasushi tilted his head, displaying his confusion, before Kirio smiled, a playful glint in his eyes. "When should we expect to see more grandchildren between you and Jingliu, and possibly Xinyi?" he asked, his tone bordering on teasing.
Yasushi became still, unsure of how to answer, but when he glanced back, he noticed both girls' faces flushed with embarrassment. He had anticipated the question for Jingliu, but not for Xinyi — although he didn't blame his grandfather, given his past of having children with Yinhaie and Nandini.
Yasushi offered a smile, though it appeared somewhat strained on his face, as he spoke, "Maybe in the future, after a few years have passed, maybe. Once they've completed their studies, and they have started their careers, and we've achieved some more stability in our own jobs."
Kirio's demeanor brightened. His previous despondency seemed to evaporate completely. "Oh? You did not specify whom you meant, so I will take it that you are okay with the possibility of it being both of them?" he asked with a playful tone woven into his words, prompting Yasushi to let out another sigh.
"I mean—"
"Yeah, me as well!" Xinyi declared, her voice a soft exclamation, and she was careful not to disturb the two sleeping children who were in their hands. Her excitement was undeniably obvious as she openly embraced the older man's playful prodding.
Jingliu did not say a single word, directing her attention toward Xinyi, who responded with a small huff. However, a goofy smile remained on her face.
Aika arrived, eventually, joining them, along with the other adults, and Kirio provided them with a summary of the conversation they had just had. The group then engaged in gentle teasing of the trio, leaving Yasushi feeling self-conscious and unable to effectively deflect their teasing.
The remainder of the Christmas break and New Year's period, with the grandparents still present, was full of life and happiness. After having the opportunity to reconnect with Yasushi's parents and their grandchildren, and also meeting their great-grandchildren for the first time, their lives improved significantly, becoming much more vibrant.
They made a solemn promise to themselves to continue evolving and striving to be better individuals, not wanting to revert to the people they had been in the past. And just like that, time passed at a very slow pace.