[MHCISQD] Chapter 339: New Year

Mikoto's father, Misaka Tabigake, was a cheerful middle-aged man with a scruffy beard, always wearing a confident yet somewhat frivolous smile on his face.

According to what Mikoto said, her father seemed to have quite a good way with women, but every time something was about to happen, her mother would somehow track them down precisely, leaving him no room to stir up any trouble. Over time, he gave up on such ideas altogether.

After getting married and having Mikoto, Tabigake handed over control of his wallet to Misuzu, leaving him without the means to indulge in anything.

In comparison, Renault really felt lucky.

Well, perhaps he got carried away with that thought; he could only say that he and Tabigake had taken different paths in life.

"Hey there! You must be Renault! Nice to meet you. Mikoto has told me a lot about you!"

Upon meeting Renault, Tabigake didn't put on any airs; he just smiled and greeted him, casually putting an arm around Renault's shoulder.

"Hi, Uncle. You must be tired from work. Please come in and have a seat."

After inviting the Misaka couple in and chatting for a while, Renault asked Mikoto to accompany her parents while he continued to help Mikumo in the kitchen.

Tabigake had learned from his wife that although their families were neighbors, Mikoto practically lived at Renault's house most of the time.

He wasn't surprised or worried about it; in fact, he was quite happy.

"Back in the day, Mikoto had such a boyish personality that I worried she wouldn't find someone to marry. But now, all those worries were needless, hahaha~"

Sitting on the couch, Tabigake said with a laugh.

"Dad!"

Mikoto had no way of dealing with her father's comments, so she could only glare at him and seek her mother's help.

Unfortunately, on this matter, the couple had a united stance.

In the past, Mikoto had a boyish and impulsive personality, and she was a tsundere. They had always worried that their daughter would end up single.

But fortunately, she met Renault, and they could now rest assured that she was married.

Looking around, Tabigake asked, "By the way, I heard Renault has a younger sister. Why haven't we seen her?"

"Yuriko is handling something at the bookstore; she'll be back soon."

Since it was the end of the year, Yuriko was preparing to tidy up the bookstore and close it for a week. Today, she was finishing the last tasks.

Half an hour later, Yuriko returned, while Renault and Mikumo had finished preparing today's feast.

Sitting around the dining table, Renault brought out the prepared red wine—a special purchase recommended by some Pro Hero friends who enjoyed it.

Tabigake clearly appreciated it, unable to take his eyes off the wine. He grabbed the bottle and opened it, pouring a glass with a smile. "Tsk tsk tsk, this stuff is hard to come by. Looks like you know some good people, Renault."

"I know Hawks; he recommended it to me."

"Oh, that guy has some skills. But he's been up to something mysterious lately, like working undercover or something. Anyway, it doesn't matter. Come on, Renault, let's have a drink!"

Tabigake casually spilled the beans about highly classified matters and judging from his current expression, it was clear that he intended Renault to hear it. Even if Renault didn't mention Hawks, Tabigake would find a way to bring it up.

Upon hearing this, Renault's expression subtly changed, but he quickly regained composure.

Since they were dining at home, age restrictions didn't matter when it came to alcohol. So, Renault had prepared a bottle of low-alcohol fruit wine for Mikoto and Mikumo to taste.

Yuriko, on the other hand, declined the fruit wine and, like Misuzu, opted for red wine.

As they began eating, everyone watched the new year's program on TV and enjoyed their meal and drinks.

Tabigake kept talking about the interesting things he had seen around the world during the past year. Knowing Renault's ambition to become a top Pro Hero, he also mentioned some famous and powerful Pro Heroes from different countries and regions.

"In different countries, there are dark organizations and their own top Pro Heroes. Take All Might, for example; he used to operate overseas before returning here. But in recent years, I haven't seen any Pro Hero who could match All Might's strength. At best, they are on Endeavor's level."

Tabigake's account gave Renault a clearer understanding and a rough idea of his current strength.

The potential of One For All was incredibly high, and Renault wasn't sure if he was stronger than All Might at his peak.

However, with All Might's retirement, besides the not-yet-defeated All For One, the only threats he needed to be cautious of were the secretive 'Doctor,' the ever-growing power of Shigaraki Tomura, and All For One's loyal servant, 'Gigantomachia.'

Nevertheless, Renault didn't fear any villains as long as he continued to train and broke through his current bottleneck. Yet, the Level 5 bottleneck was proving to be quite challenging. Even with Yuriko's help, finding the right method didn't guarantee an easy breakthrough. Renault had thought it would come naturally.

Over these days, Renault had tried several times with Yuriko, but they seemed to fall just a bit short. It was frustrating to be so close to the finish line, yet unable to break through the final barrier.

In the end, they had to temporarily set it aside and accumulate more time.

Seeing Renault lost in thought, Tabigake patted his shoulder and said, "Enough thinking for now; we all believe you can become a top hero. How about having a drink with me for the time being? I won't let Mikoto continue living here if you can't do that much, you know!"

"Dad!!!"

Renault snapped out of his thoughts and raised his glass, clinking it with Tabigake's. Drinking alcohol? Well, he wasn't afraid of that at all.

As they continued eating and drinking, the television started showing 'Kohaku Uta Gassen.' Besides popular idols, many highly-rated Pro Heroes were also participating, ensuring the program's quality.

Time passed slowly, and the bottles of red wine that Renault had bought were gradually emptying. Mikoto had already had a bit too much to drink, and Mikumo was getting close, but still managing better than her.

Yuriko, on the other hand, was just like Renault, showing no signs of drunkenness.

The meal continued until late at night.

After having their fill, the Misaka couple decided to leave and headed back to their neighboring house, leaving the young ones to await the arrival of the new year.

Finally, at midnight, the new year arrived.