A story about a time I went to eat eel and encountered a precious moment

Last Saturday, yes, the day I went to Okawa Elementary School.

Actually, the main reason for the day was to go out for lunch, and I stopped by Okawa Elementary School on the way back.
Recently, I've been avoiding crowds due to COVID, so I don't go into the city much.
I went to Ginzan Onsen last month, but on other weekends I've mostly been lounging around at home, so we decided to go somewhere far away for lunch.

That's when I vaguely thought of eel.
There are several long-established eel restaurants in a town called Tome, about an hour and a half drive from Sendai.
It's so famous that people come from quite far away to eat there, and it seems they originally served eel caught in the Kitakami River that flows right next to it.

I usually eat eel around the midsummer ox day when it's not very tasty, so we decided to go, thinking it's better when it's cold (even though it's already spring).

The shop opens at 11:00, so I adjusted my time and arrived 5 minutes early. There were about 10 cars parked in the lot, with people inside them. Soon, everyone started getting out of their cars and heading toward the shop, so I followed them.

It wasn't open yet, but there was a sheet at the entrance to write down your name. I wrote my name in the 4th spot and waited. It looked like we would be able to get in easily.

However... when the shop opened, they asked, "Are there any guests with a reservation for 11:00?" It seems reservations are possible, and about 3 groups were called in. From there, people were called in the order they had written their names, but surprisingly, it ended after the 3rd group.
We were the 4th group and were told, "I'm sorry, but would you mind waiting 40 to 50 minutes?"
I think about 20 people went in. The shop has more capacity, but I understood that there must be a limit to how many eels can be grilled at once, so I decided to wait.
They said they would call my mobile number when it was our turn, so I gave it to them and walked around the neighborhood.

While looking at the old townscape and the former police station that is now a museum, I got a call in 30 minutes.

I hurried back to the shop and was shown to our seats.
The interior was Japanese-modern, different from the image I had from the outside, but it was calm and had a nice feel.

I ordered the double-layered box, which has eel between the rice as well, and waited for a while.

We were at a table, but behind us seemed to be a private room, and I could tell there were people there through the frosted glass. It seemed like a guest had arrived, and they were exchanging greetings.
The voices were coming through clearly, so I ended up listening without meaning to.

"Nice to meet you, my name is [Name]."
"I'm her father, [Name]. I've always heard about you from my daughter. Please, come in."
"Excuse me."

Wait? Could this be...?

"Um, I am seriously dating [Name]..."

Oh! It really is a marriage proposal!
I thought I had stumbled upon an amazing scene. When I think about it, you rarely get to hear other people's conversations in this situation. It's like a scene from a drama.

I found myself feeling nervous just listening to them.
Surely the father wouldn't say, 'I won't let my daughter marry you!' here, would he? No, he wouldn't have come to a place like this if that were the case.
I pretended to look at my smartphone while focusing all my attention on what was happening behind me.

Then, suddenly, the father said in an overly loud voice, 'Let me say this first! I don't want to keep you two on edge, so I approve of you both! I'll support you so that you can be happy together!!' He said it in a voice that was almost like shouting. He must have been nervous.

I think everyone around us who was listening was probably clenching their fists in their hearts, cheering them on.

After that, it was just him trying his best to flatter his future father-in-law, and the daughter helping to smooth things over. And with the father happily talking about various things while interjecting the powerful phrase 'Your happiness is what matters most' at key moments, and the mother adding laughter to the conversation, it was a lovely scene.

Under the clear blue sky outside, the marriage proposal and the first meeting between the families proceeded harmoniously.

Well, the eel was delicious.
But more than that, I felt a warm and happy feeling.

We left the restaurant agreeing to come back and eat again next year.
Wishing the young couple all the best!

If the person who went to the eel restaurant last Saturday to ask for permission to marry is on Note and happens to see this, let me know.
I'll give you a wedding gift!

The end