Right before we left, Yumi-chan woke up so I was able to properly introduce myself. Since I would be the one picking her up from school the next few days, I really didn’t want things to be awkward between us. Thus, a formal introduction and a short chat were enough to ease any possible tension that might occur.
While on our way back to my apartment, Kurosawa-san was the one driving the car. Despite looking quite calm and focused steering the wheel, he kept silently glancing at me from time to time. Finally, after several minutes I couldn’t bear it any longer so I turned in my seat and asked what was going on.
“Kurosawa-san, is there something wrong? If you have anything to say, please just say it instead of acting like a stalker.”
“Nothing’s wrong. And I don’t act like a stalker.”
“Then why are you glancing at me as if you want to say something, but always deciding against it?”
“Was I being that obvious?” he finally asked, looking sideways at me and showing an embarrassed smile.
“Quite obvious, yes.” I said flatly. “Now tell me what is on your mind.”
Wow, having to say those words to someone really gave me a strange feeling. It’s been so long since I asked someone to speak their mind while around me, that I almost forgot how it felt. The frustration of having to guess other people’s thoughts, it’s something I haven’t experienced in many years. A bittersweet emotion engulfed me, making me smile sadly.
“I thought you might be forcing yourself too much.” Kurosawa-san’s words brought me back to the conversation.
“What? How am I forcing myself?” I asked in confusion.
“First, you offered to bring me to the hospital, now you’re even willing to pick up my niece from school and let her stay at your place. Will you be alright, Masato-sensei?”
Ah, I finally understood. Kurosawa-san was worried about my condition.
“You don’t have to worry about me so much. It’s true that it will be a bit stressful, but this is an emergency, isn’t it? Besides, Yumi-chan is very young, how many willful and negative thoughts can she have? It’ll be alright as long as I am careful not to get in contact with her.”
With that, Kurosawa-san’s mind seemed to be put at ease slightly. He simply nodded and didn’t insist on the subject, only promising to come and take Yumi-chan as soon as he could get off work.
It’s true that I was also a bit worried, especially about the first day. But as it happened, things went smoother than I had imagined.
Yumi-chan was a good kid. She was quiet and obedient and, just like her mother said, she wasn’t a picky eater. The first afternoon we spent together I took her to a small restaurant to eat an early dinner. I figured that I couldn’t feed a child, especially Yumi-chan, with instant ramen, or else Kurosawa-san would probably skin me alive.
We ate mostly in silence, exchanging just a few sentences here and there. However, I was surprised by the fact that it wasn’t uncomfortable to be around this kid. She was always very attentive not to bother me too much and never shied away from doing things herself or saying thank you whenever I helped her. I began to feel hopeful that these next few days would not be so bad after all.
At that point, I accidentally touched Yumi-chan’s hand while helping her put food in her bowl. A childish, resonating voice sounded inside my head. Thankfully for my brains, it was very different from her mother’s hyped-up rant.
Wow, mommy was right. This person is really beautiful. I know she said he is a writer but I bet he could be an idol if he wished, or at least an actor.
Really? An idol? How on earth did I end up being compared to an idol now?! Honestly, what is it with these people? Can’t they say something normal for once. Am I really that beautiful?
But I like daddy best. Daddy is more handsome than him. Daddy looks manly, especially when he hugs and kisses mommy.
Well, finally someone normal. At least she thinks I don’t compare to her daddy, just as it should be.
But I guess he works for uncle Rin.
I take that back. How is this normal?! And how exactly do I ‘work’ for your uncle Rin, child? Is there a trend lately that I do not know about?
En. Uncle Rin can be the manly one. He can do the hugging and kissing, just like daddy.
This is bad. This is really bad. For the first time since I made the offer I began to truly worry about the next few days. I felt like there was a conspiracy happening around me, like a net being thrown on top of me loosely at first, only to catch me tighter later.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Five minutes before we reached my place, I decided to strike up a conversation. After all, I didn’t know what Yumi-chan usually did at home after getting back from school.
“Uhm, Yumi-chan, is there anything you like to do at this hour when you are home? Like watching TV or reading?”
“I usually do my homework, but since I got injured, the teacher said I don’t have to do it for a while.”
“Ah, yes. Your mother said you were excused from school while your wrist heals. Wouldn’t you like to stay at home instead of going to school?” I asked with a smile, thinking of all those children who liked nothing better than to skip school and fool around.
But to my surprise, Yumi-chan shook her head seriously. Her reply stunned me a little.
“No. I prefer going to school even if I cannot write. I can still follow the lessons. If I skip a few days, it will be difficult to catch up.”
What a serious child, I thought. Completely different from other children her age. Could it be the inheritance she got from her grandparents who were teachers? Or perhaps Amami-chan was a rather strict mother, though she really didn’t look it?
I thought for a while, then remembered someone. Surely, as a girl, Yumi-chan should have the same inclinations, right? At least it was worth a try. Therefore, I took a deep breath and spoke again.
“Yumi-chan, do you, by any chance, like to color pictures? Having just the left hand for that shouldn’t be an issue, right?”
Yumi-chan’s pace slowed down and she strained her neck to look up at me. She blinked her eyes several times, looking thoroughly confused. I slowed down as well to match with her pace and held her gaze.
After a few seconds of silent communication, I saw her nodding her head slowly.
“Yes, I guess I can do that. But Masato-san, you don’t have to trouble yourself with me. I can just sit quietly until uncle Rin comes to pick me up.”
“It’s no trouble. Having something to occupy your time will make it fly faster, don’t you think so?”
“I guess.”
Really, what a serious child, I couldn’t help but think again. She could show a little more enthusiasm.
“Then let’s stop by the store before we go up.” I said, making a left towards the neighborhood store that sold all sorts of things. There should be something for Yumi-chan there.
The afternoon passed calmly afterwards. Yumi-chan was quite pleased with the coloring books and crayons I bought for her. But what she liked even more than those, was Fukuharu. The moment she entered the apartment and saw the cat her eyes began to sparkle like diamonds. She kept her thoughts hidden, but I could see the happiness showing on her face. Her blooming smile and childish embarrassment in trying to hide her real feelings made me smile to myself. For the first time I got curious to know what was really going on in her head.
Hence, I took the initiative to bump into her slightly. I cannot say for sure if I regretted it afterwards, but I can safely declare that my brain went numb from the noise. After hearing several ‘kyaaaa’s and ‘waaaaa’s I decided to spare myself and kept my distance.
Yumi-chan really liked Fukuharu very much. She played with the cat more than she spent coloring. Perhaps I should have counted on my cat’s natural charm and not buy her any books. But it was too late to regret it now. Besides, she would have to spend a few more afternoons here with me and the initial enthusiasm for the cat might dwindle after a while.
A few hours passed in this manner and it was time for Kurosawa-san to arrive. While I spent my time in front of the computer, Yumi-chan had exhausted herself between chasing Fukuharu around the apartment and drawing. Consequently, she ended up falling asleep on the carpet, a crayon still dangling from her fingers. Sheets of colored paper were spread around her legs and Fukuharu was curled up on top of them.
I had to admit, the image was rather lovely. It gave me a warm and fluffy feeling inside. I haven’t spent so much time with another person, apart from Kurosawa-san, in so many years that I forgot how nice it can be. Especially when that person is such a quiet and cute child, like Yumi-chan.
Fearing that she might catch a cold if she sleeps on the floor, I bent down and scooped her up in my arms. She was sleeping profoundly and probably dreaming of something nice, if the smile on her face was any indicator. Children can be really simple. They eat, play around, then fall asleep and slip into their own dreamworld, where they can continue to play safely and be happy. If some adults were more like them, perhaps I could trust them better.
I took Yumi-chan to the bedroom and placed her on the bed, then covered her with a warm blanket. I hesitated to leave and spent a couple more seconds watching her sleep. Her breaths were steady and her chest was rising and falling steadily. From where I stood, she looked like a small doll. Before I realized, my lips curved upward into a warm smile.
The sound of a knock brought me back from my thoughts. Kurosawa-san was here.
The moment I opened the door he slipped inside and analyzed me carefully.
“Masato-sensei, are you alright?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” I blinked at him in confusion. What was this person thinking?
“Was Yumi-chan good? Did she do anything to upset you or did she tire you out with her rambles and… thoughts?”
Ah, so that’s what he was worrying about. Before I could stop it, a chuckle escaped through my lips. This person was really strange. Instead of worrying about a strange man doing something to his niece, he was actually worried about his niece doing something to that man.
“Yumi-chan is a very good child. She was cute and obedient. Shouldn’t you be more worried about her, rather than me?”
“Masato-sensei, you don’t know but Yumi-chan she… she is a… well a handful.”
“A handful?” I asked in surprise. She didn’t look that way to me. After all, she had been so quiet and reserved all the time. At that moment, it had completely escaped my mind how in the beginning she kept thinking that I am beautiful like an idol or how she decided to randomly pair me with her uncle.
“Yes, a handful.” Kurosawa-san repeated firmly. “She is a chatterbox and she inherited her mother’s hyped squeals and screams, especially when she sees something she likes. Ah!” Kurosawa-san cried out suddenly, almost making me jump. “How did she react when she saw Fukuharu?”
“Well, she did seem happy to play with the cat, but other than that she said nothing.” I said pensively. Indeed, I could only hear those squeals of happiness only after touching her arm. She kept everything to herself.
“Huh?! Is that really so?” Kurosawa-san asked, his turn to blink in confusion.
“Yes. She played with him a lot. I also bought her some coloring books and crayons so she won’t get too bored if she didn’t want to watch TV or read.”
Kurosawa-san remained quiet for a moment. His face expressed extreme disbelief. I could also detect a peculiar glint in his eyes, like he was pleasantly surprised, but also something else, something odd that I couldn’t quite explain. It baffled me and his gaze made my skin break into goosebumps. That he would look at me like that, what could possibly be the cause?
Before I could think further into it, Kurosawa-san broke into laughter and shook his head.
“I’m relieved to know she behaved so well. Probably she was warned by Amami-chan or perhaps it was because you two are still not well acquainted. Either way, I am glad.” He stopped and looked around. “Where is she? We should be going now. My house is quite far away from here and she still needs to take a shower and go to bed.”
“She fell asleep while playing and I took her to the bedroom. It hasn’t been long since she fell asleep.” I said, pointing towards the bedroom door.
“Thank you, Masato-sensei.” Kurosawa-san bowed his head, a smile still hanging on his lips.
“No need.” I replied, looking away from him.
A strange feeling of softness crawled and scratched at my heart in that moment. Really, it appeared that this pair of uncle and niece had the same effect on me. Giving me these warm and fluffy tugs… so unfair.
I followed Kurosawa-san into the bedroom and watched how he tried to wake Yumi-chan up. She kept groaning and frowning in her sleep, shuffling away from his hands. It made my heart twinge with slight sadness, that she had to be pulled out from her dreamland so soon. Then, an idea popped into my head.
“Kurosawa-san, what if you let her sleep here tonight?”
I admit, I didn’t give it too much thought before I blurted it out, not realizing what having her staying overnight would entail. I just wanted to allow Yumi-chan to sleep comfortably for a while longer.
At my words Kurosawa-san stiffened slightly and his hands stopped while pulling at the blanket. He turned his head slowly, giving me a puzzled look.
“Masato-san, are you sure? I mean I can’t just…”
“Of course, you can stay as well.” I said quickly, thinking that he wouldn’t allow his niece to spend the night at my place by herself.
“Are you sure, Masato-sensei?” he asked. His voice sounded a bit hoarse, but it might have been just because he was surprised.
“Yes. The house is big enough for the three of us. Also, Yumi-chan’s school is closer to my apartment so she can wake up later than if she were to stay at your place. It will also be more comfortable for you since you have to go out of your way to drop her off and go to work. Having to pick her up in the late afternoon and drive for more than an hour everyday would be too tiring. So, I was thinking that…” I hesitated for a second, but finally managed to say the final conclusion. “You two can stay here until her father returns from his business trip.”
During my entire rant Kurosawa-san had remained quiet, but his ardent gaze was glued to my face. In the shallow light coming from the living room, I could detect an odd glint in his eyes, but I couldn’t make much sense of it. I kept wondering why Kurosawa-san kept staring at me weirdly. What was going on in his head? Were my arguments not enough to convince him? But I thought about it and it all sounded pretty logical. There was nothing wrong with my reasoning. Then why did he keep quiet like that?
“Masato-sensei.”
Kurosawa-san’s low voice startled me out of my silent speculations.
“Yes?” I asked, blinking at him and waiting for the final verdict.
“Masato-sensei, you are so very kind. Thank you very much.” He turned to face me and bowed at a ninety degrees angle. “Then, I will accept your offer and stay here with Yumi-chan for the next few days.”
Huh?! Just like that? Then what was the reason for you staring at me unblinkingly for half a century? I really felt like complaining for wasting my nerves and thoughts on this stupid person.
“Good. Then you can go shower first. We already ate dinner so if you want to eat go ahead and order something.”
And with that I turned around and left the bedroom. But a few seconds later I went back and rummaged through my dressing for a change of clothes. I finally found a pair of pants and a simple black t-shirt.
“You are a bit taller than me so I don’t know if this will fit you well, but try them out first.”
Actually, I exaggerated when I said he is just ‘a bit’ taller than me. In truth, Kurosawa san is almost half a head taller than me. Also, his body seems to be better proportioned than mine. I guess being older by one year doesn’t give me much of an advantage.
He took the clothes with one hand and placed the other on top of my head, playfully ruffling my hair.
“Thank you, Masato-sensei.” I heard him say before he pushed past me and went inside the bathroom.
I remained stunned in place and it took me a full minute to recover my senses. In a daze, I raised my hand and touched my hair. The strands were scattered in a mess, but the place he touched felt warm.
After showering Kurosawa-san came out and gave me another shock. My clothes, which on me were normally a bit loose, clung tightly to his body. His chest and abdominal muscles were sticking out through the fabric and even his legs looked stronger due to the tight pants.
“I’m sorry my clothes don’t fit you too well.” I said ruefully, suddenly feeling ashamed with my own body.
“It’s alright. I’ll go tomorrow and grab a few changes of clothes from my house.” Kurosawa-san replied in a natural tone. He didn’t seem to feel too uncomfortable. On the contrary, he seemed to be particularly pleased.
After the shower I went to my computer and continued writing, while Kurosawa-san flopped onto the sofa with a book in his hands. He must have brought it with him because the cover didn’t look familiar.
An hour later Yumi-chan woke up and Kurosawa-san helped her wash and change. Amami-chan had prepared a large bag of clothes in advance so that Kurosawa-san wouldn’t have to worry about anything.
When it was time to sleep, I arranged for him to stay in the bedroom with Yumi-chan.
“No.” he flatly refused when I told him about it.
“Kurosawa-san, you should go ahead and sleep. If you are afraid of waking her up during the night, I can get you a futon and place it beside the bed. Either way, it’s best for you to stay in the bedroom.” I insisted.
“Masato-san, I couldn’t possibly take your bed. It’s enough that you allowed us to stay here.” He kept on arguing. “I will sleep in the living room on a futon and Yumi-chan will take the couch.”
“You can’t let her sleep on the couch. It’s not comfortable for a child to sleep there.”
“But…”
“But nothing. Don’t be unreasonable.” I said firmly, showing an unusual amount of stubbornness, even for me. “You and Yumi-chan take the bedroom and I will sleep on the couch. Besides, I might spend the entire night writing and since the computer is in the living room, it will be easier for me to just sleep here until you leave for work.”
And that is how things were settled. During our verbal exchange Yumi-chan simply stared at us in silence. Now that I think about it, I wonder what she was saying in her head. But remembering those weird thoughts from earlier that day, I decided to ignore my budding curiosity.
Amami-chan shipping them is so cute!
thanks for the chapter! <3
Oh and she isn’t finished yet! 😆
<333 You’re welcome!
Is this the boyfriend’s shirt thing?? (≧▽≦)
Looks like everyone but MC knows about ML liking him lol
Thank you for the chapter!!! ❤️❤️
Hihihi =^.^= It’s a very sexy thing, isn’t it? ^_~
And yep, our poor cinnamon roll is just to oblivious XD
Welcome! ❤️❤️❤️
“You and Amami-chan take the bedroom” it should be Yumi-chan
Gah! Indeed! Thank you so much! bows <3333
What a long chapter~
The MC is really too dense 😌
It really was, wasn’t it? 😅 I never know when to stop XD
And yes, everyone already ships them but he is just too dazed to realize what’s happening XD
That’s not a bad thing. I like to read more~! ☺️
Glad to know that. To be honest I am the same 🤭
Well, our cute MC is dense, but it’s not really his natural problem, poor thing. After all, he has seen the human dark side for too long and his heart has frozen. It is because of ML’s dominating presence that he has begun to open up.
It will be a while before he realizes that he has fallen head over heels in love with him.
Mn, that’s precisely so. Keita had a rough time dealing with people’s thoughts and he became somewhat jaded and discouraged. Rintarou’s shining personality helped him warm up little by little. It’s a slow process, but then again, healing always is something that happens over time.