NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9: Water park
Yuta woke up early in the morning. The winter view of Tokyo was visible outside the window. Winter weather in Tokyo, Japan: daily highs drop by 3 °C from 14 °C to 11 °C, rarely falling below 5 °C or exceeding 17 °C. In simple terms, winter in Tokyo is not that harsh, but for Japanese people who are not used to the cold, today was a cold day. It was really cold today, but for Yuta, who could easily survive carpet bombing, the cold and heat were not something to worry about.
The first thing Yuta did was take a shower and brush his teeth. Then he dressed in his home clothes and leisurely went downstairs.
The kitchen in the Okkotsu family home was spacious and bright, perfect for cozy family breakfasts. In the center of the room was a wooden table for six, covered with a simple cloth tablecloth in a light shade. There were always fresh napkins and a small bread basket on the table.
The kitchen set, done in warm light brown tones, was located along one of the walls. Its smooth matte facades emphasized the simplicity and functionality of the room. Above the work area hung a shelf with several pots for spices and ceramic jars for rice, tea and coffee.
A large window took up most of the other wall. It looked out onto a small courtyard where natural light streamed in, filling the kitchen with a soft, daylight glow. On the windowsill were several pots of herbs – basil, cilantro and rosemary, which Yumiko liked to use in her cooking.
The floor was covered with cream-colored tiles, easy to clean and practical, and above the stove was a hood with a metallic sheen. Next to it was a neatly organized area with an electric kettle, a rice cooker and a small toaster.
Small details added coziness to the kitchen: a minimalist clock hung on the wall, and family photos and magnets from places they had vacationed were attached to the refrigerator.
This kitchen was not luxurious, but it felt like a family and warmth, thanks to the care and attention Yumiko spent a lot of time here.
Yuta's family was not rich, but they were not poor either. Yuta's father worked from eight in the morning until seven or eight in the evening, and Yuta's mother worked from nine in the morning until five in the evening.
Eiji Okkotsu was an accountant at a private company, and Yuta's mother, Yumiko Okkotsu, worked in an office. Now that their son was a first-rank shaman, they could afford better living conditions. But they didn't really want to change anything; they were quite happy with the average standard of living.
Eiji and Yumiko were already sitting at the table. Yui was still sleeping; today was Saturday. In Japan, school lasts six days, but every other Saturday is considered a day off.
Breakfast was prepared for Yuta on the table. He always got up early and never missed a morning meal. Today, he had tamagoyaki (omelet roll) for breakfast.
"Good morning, Yuta," Yumiko exclaimed with a smile.
"Good," Yuta replied, still a little sleepy.
"Do you have any plans for tomorrow or today?" Eiji asked.
Yuta thought about it. Gojo used to take him on missions, but he had been going on missions on his own for three months now. Of course, he was still taken to the scene by Windows (the shaman's assistants).
Yuta went up to his room in a second and brought his phone downstairs. His parents had already gotten used to Yuta's displays of power.
Yuta opened his old phone. He didn't see much point in changing it, since he only used it to listen to music, communicate with Gojo and his family, and receive messages from his superiors about incidents that required his help.
He looked at the messages. There were only entries from Gojo. They were the usual questions: "How are you?", "How do you like the first snow?", "How are you feeling?" and the like. Yuta quickly answered Gojo's questions and, out of politeness, wished him a good morning.
Gojo always called at first, but after realizing that Yuta rarely answered calls and didn't really like talking on the phone, he started texting every day - literally every day. At first, Yuta felt uneasy, but over time, spending more time with Gojo, he got used to it. Gojo was a man with endless energy for everything.
"Yeah, I'm free for these two days," Yuta said.
"Oh, that's good. It's your turn to choose, Yuta. Where would you like to go?" Yumiko asked with a beaming smile.
"Um, I don't know... a movie, maybe?" Yuta suggested awkwardly.
"Yuta, you always choose a movie. Maybe something different this time?" Eiji answered.
Sighing, Yuta finally chose another place:
"Then let's go to the water park.
The Okkotsu family often went out with the whole family at least once a month. They always took turns choosing where to go for the weekend. Yuta always chose the cinema, Eiji always chose bowling or club complexes, Yumiko always chose theaters, museums, or bands, and Yui, like Yuta, preferred amusement rides.
After waking up, Yui joined the family, and they began to get ready.
The Okkotsu family headed to one of Tokyo's most popular water parks.
The journey took a little over an hour. Throughout the journey, Yumiko carefully watched the various shows she had recently seen, Eiji joked about Yuta's lack of smiles, and Yui quietly hummed a melody from a popular anime. Yuta, in his usual calm style, listened to the conversations, sometimes responding with monosyllabic phrases.
When they arrived, they saw a huge building with a glass dome, through which they could see various water slides, artificial palm trees, and brightly colored lights. Yui happily exclaimed:
- Wow! This is even bigger than I imagined!
Yuta was silent, staring at the tower with a winding slide that went into a closed pipe.
-----
As a result, the family went to the changing rooms. Yuta changed into dark blue swimming trunks, pulled on a white T-shirt, and put on his usual calm expression. They left their things in the lockers, grabbed a towel, and headed to the main pool.
Yumiko and Eiji immediately noticed the wave pool where children and adults were gathering. They suggested that they start in it to warm up. Yuta, who was used to giving in to his family, agreed without arguing.
As soon as the waves appeared, Yui happily jumped into the water, waving her arms and laughing. Eiji tried to swim against the wave, but soon rolled off and simply enjoyed the movement of the water. Yumiko, sitting on the edge of the pool, praised Yui for her courage.
Yuta also calmly entered the water, feeling the waves gently tossing his body. He was not too emotional, but a small smile flashed across his face when Yui splashed water on him.
"Hey, Yuta! You're so serious, the water itself is probably afraid of you!" Eiji joked.
"Maybe," Yuta replied calmly, raising his hand and sending a small wave towards his father.
----
After the pool, they went to the slides. Eiji suggested starting with the tallest one, which spiraled before dropping you into the deep end.
Yui, full of enthusiasm, invited Yuta to go down with her.
"You're not scared, are you, Yuta?"
"No, but you're first," he replied calmly, tightening the strap on his wrist.
When Yuta found himself in line for the slide, he carefully watched the people who flew down with joyful cries. His calmness stood out among the noisy visitors. When it was his turn, he sat down in the hatch, felt the flow of water push him forward, and in a moment found himself inside a dark pipe illuminated by multi-colored lamps.
Descending into the pool, Yuta slowly floated to the surface and headed to the edge, where Yui was already waiting with a beaming smile.
"How was it?" she asked.
"Not bad," Yuta answered reservedly, squeezing water out of his hair.
-----
After an active rest, the family decided to ride the "lazy river." They took inflatable rings, each sat in one, and the flow of water began to gently carry them along the artificial riverbed.
Yuta, comfortably settled on the ring, enjoyed the view: artificial rocks with waterfalls, plastic palm trees, and a snowy winter landscape beyond the glass dome. Yumiko told stories from her childhood, and Eiji encouraged Yui, who tried to row faster to catch up with the others.
"Yuta, you've really relaxed," Eiji noted. "You have a face like you're meditating.
" "It's just good that everything is calm," Yuta replied, closing his eyes and leaning back on the circle.
-----
At the end of the day, the family went to the hot tub area. Here, you can sit in the warm water and relax, admiring the view through the glass dome. Yuta chose a corner away from the other visitors, immersed himself in the water, and felt the fatigue leave his body.
Yumiko and Eiji discussed how nice it would be to come here more often, and Yui, leaning on the edge of the tub, quietly dozed. Yuta simply listened to their conversations, feeling a rare peace for himself.
When they were getting ready to go home, Yuta looked at his parents with gratitude. This day had become a real rest for him, despite his reserved nature.
"Thank you for convincing me to choose something else," he said, already sitting in the car.
"You see, the water park is not so bad," Yumiko smiled.
Yuta nodded, thinking that maybe he would choose this place again next time.