Ch 26 Celebration

As the day arrived, the house buzzed with the chatter of guests, a mix of acquaintances of Will and Margarette, along with a sprinkling of invited neighbors. Amidst the joyous occasion and heartfelt laughter, a remarkable sight caught Margarette's eye: a boy, around 11 years old but with the stature and appearance that could easily be mistaken for a high schooler, stood in the corner with a girl and another child who bore a striking resemblance to him.

Approaching the trio with a warm smile, Margarette asked, "Hey Ichiro, are these your siblings?"

Ichiro turned towards Margarette, a sense of pride evident in his demeanor as he gestured towards the two beside him. "Yes," he replied, "this girl is Tsumiki," indicating the girl beside him, who smiled shyly in return, "and that grumpy kid is Megumi," he added with a chuckle, gesturing towards his brother, who scowled in response.

Margarette couldn't help but laugh at Ichiro's candid introduction, finding the dynamic between the siblings endearing. "Nice to meet you all," she said warmly, extending her hand towards each of them in turn. "You've got quite the lively bunch here, Ichiro."

"Thank you ma'am Margarette" ichiro gave a slight bow and offers his gratitude to Margarette

"Huhuhu, you three are very close," Margarette remarked, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Yes, we are," Ichiro replied with a proud smile, exchanging a knowing look with his siblings.

"I see. Then, Ichiro, please let your siblings enjoy today's occasion, alright?" Margarette advised, her tone gentle and understanding.

"Yes, I will. Thank you very much," Ichiro responded graciously, nodding in agreement.

"Well then, I'll have to let you be, since I have to attend to the other guests," Margarette said, giving a small wave before departing, leaving the three siblings alone.

"Alright, you two, since today is a celebration, I want you guys to eat as much as you want, understood?" Ichiro declared, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Yes!" Tsumiki exclaimed eagerly, her enthusiasm contagious.

"Alright," Ichiro acknowledged, before noticing Megumi's less enthusiastic response. "What's with that lukewarm reply, Megumi? Aren't you excited?"

Megumi hesitated, searching for the right words to express himself. "I am, it's just that-"

Before Megumi could elaborate, Ichiro interrupted with a knowing smile. "I understand, Megumi. You don't have to force yourself. You can just sit here, and I'll bring some food for you, okay?"

"Alright," Megumi agreed quietly, a sense of relief washing over him.

As Ichiro turned to fetch some food for his brother, he couldn't help but reflect on Megumi's reserved nature. 'Well, Megumi is always reserved, even in anime,' he mused to himself. 'I kinda understand him. I'd even feel bad if I force him to interact with other people for my own selfish reasons. But let's put that aside for now.' With a determined nod, Ichiro set off to ensure his brother felt comfortable and included in the celebration.'

As the day came to a close and everyone began to head home, including Megumi and Tsumiki, Ichiro breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally, I can rest now. Today was quite hectic," he mumbled to himself, heading towards his room.

Before he could reach his destination, Ichiro was intercepted by Kyle. "Hey, Ichiro," Kyle called out, catching his attention.

Ichiro turned to face Kyle, offering a tired smile. "Oh, hey Kyle, what's up?"

Kyle shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing much, just wanted to let you know that we'll be heading back to Africa tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Ichiro's brows furrowed in surprise. "Isn't that a bit too soon?"

Kyle nodded, his expression serious. "Well, Will said that we need to go back since he has to tend to his hotel."

Ichiro nodded in understanding. "Ah, managing a hotel must be tough."

"It definitely has its challenges," Kyle agreed with a wry smile. "So, make sure you give a proper farewell to your siblings, okay?"

Ichiro nodded again, gratitude evident in his eyes. "Of course, thanks for letting me know, Kyle." He watched as Kyle walked away, contemplating the sudden departure and the impending goodbyes he would have to bid to his siblings

As Ichiro settled into his room for the night, he allowed himself to rest, knowing that the next day would bring both farewells and new beginnings. Morning arrived swiftly, and as he made his way out of the house, he noticed a sleek black car parked nearby. The window rolled down, revealing Shui.

"Hey, Shui," Ichiro greeted him warmly.

Shui's eyes lit up with recognition. "Hmm? Oh, hey kid, long time no see."

"Yeah, thanks for not telling them I came back the other day," Ichiro expressed his gratitude.

"No problem," Shui replied casually, reaching for a pack of cigarettes.

Curiosity sparked in shui's mind. "So, how was living with Kyle?"

Ichiro shrugged. "It was okay, I guess. He was a good teacher."

"I see," shui nodded, absorbing ichiro's words, "well see you later kid"

As Shui prepared to leave. "We won't be seeing each other for a while, Shui," ichiro remarked

Shui glanced at him, surprise flickering across his face. "Hmm? Why's that?"

"I'll be going back to Africa," Ichiro explained. "The reason I came back to my house was to bid farewell to my siblings."

Understanding dawned on Shui's features. "I see. Well, be careful then," he advised, his tone sincere.

Ichiro nodded solemnly. "I will." With a final wave, Shui drove off, leaving Ichiro to contemplate the transient nature of their encounter and the journeys that lay ahead for both of them.

As Ichiro entered the house, he was greeted by a heartwarming scene. Megumi was engrossed in the book he had gifted him, while Tsumiki proudly wore the pendant Ichiro had given her. Tsumiki was the first to notice Ichiro's arrival, her eyes lighting up with excitement as she rushed over to him.

"Hey, Ichiro, does it look good?" Tsumiki asked eagerly, gesturing to the pendant around her neck.

Ichiro smiled warmly at her. "Oh, yeah, it looks great on you," he praised, genuinely pleased to see her wearing it. "And it seems Megumi quite likes the book I gave him," he added, nodding towards his younger brother who was deeply immersed in the pages of the book.

After complimenting Tsumiki, Ichiro turned his attention to Megumi and tsumiki. "So, Megumi, Tsumiki, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked, his tone gentle yet serious, indicating that he had something important to discuss with them.

As the atmosphere shifted to one of seriousness, both Tsumiki and Megumi sensed the gravity of Ichiro's words, immediately halting their activities to give him their full attention.

"Kyle said last night that we will be going back to Africa today," Ichiro began, his voice tinged with a hint of resignation.

Tsumiki's expression softened with understanding. "I-I see... well, it can't be helped now, can it?" she responded softly, trying to mask her disappointment.

Ichiro nodded solemnly. "Yeah."

Sensing the sadness in their voices, Ichiro took a deep breath, trying to ease the tension. Tsumiki offered him a reassuring smile, her eyes reflecting understanding and support, while Megumi simply nodded in agreement with Tsumiki's sentiment.

Realizing the impact his departure would have on them, Ichiro attempted to lift their spirits. "Well, no need to be sad, since I'll be coming back in the near future. I can't promise you guys that it will be soon, but I will come back," he reassured them, his voice filled with determination. "And you know my motto, don't you?" he asked, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Tsumiki and Megumi nodded, their eyes lighting up with recognition as they recited in unison, "Endure with perseverance, achieve with determination."

Ichiro's words rang with determination and sincerity as he reiterated his commitment to keeping his promises. "That's right, so when I said I'll be back in the future, it's not just empty words, it's a promise, okay? So, don't be sad," he reassured them, his voice steady and reassuring.

Tsumiki nodded, her eyes shining with trust. "Y-yeah, that's right. You always come back, isn't that right, Megumi?"

Megumi nodded enthusiastically, a smile brightening his face. "Yeah, Ichiro always keeps his promises."

Ichiro chuckled softly, touched by their unwavering faith in him. "Now, that's more like it. Since I'll be going back to Africa now, I want to capture some memories before I go."

With a swift movement, Ichiro retrieved a camera from his bag, holding it up with a grin. "Alright, you two, come close and say cheese!"

"Cheese!" Tsumiki and Megumi chimed in unison, their smiles genuine and infectious as Ichiro captured the moment, preserving the memory of their bond and his promise to return.

As Ichiro arrived at the airport, he was greeted by Kyle, Will, and Margarette, who were waiting for him.

"Hey, Ichiro, are you done saying goodbye to your siblings?" Kyle inquired, his tone gentle yet understanding.

Ichiro nodded, a hint of sadness lingering in his eyes. "Yeah," he replied quietly, his thoughts momentarily drifting back to the heartfelt farewells he had exchanged with Tsumiki and Megumi.

"I see," Kyle responded, placing a reassuring hand on Ichiro's shoulder. "Well then, let's go."

As they made their way towards the boarding area, Ichiro's resolve strengthened. 'I'm going to make sure that I become strong so that I could save everyone,' he thought to himself, a sense of determination surging within him. 'Fellow jjk fans in my previous world, I'll make sure to save everyone.'

With his resolve firmly set, Ichiro boarded the plane, ready to embark on his journey back to Africa, his heart filled with determination to fulfill his promise and protect those he cared about, no matter the challenges that lay ahead.

A/N hey guys Author here starting next chapters I'll be focusing on subjugating the ten shadows so that we could progress more faster with the story 😊😊😊