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Of course, I don’t really mean that in such an exaggerated way, but in the eyes of normal people, it wouldn’t be wrong to say I am currently going through something extremely rare.
I had just learnt how to differentiate right from wrong when I lost both my parents in an accident, and I was brought up by my very energetic older sister. It’s possible that my life of difficulties had begun on a one-way trip at that point.
And now, studying in university, theoretically I should be living by myself in my own apartment–– but now, my apartment has a group of three girls', composed of a middle school student, an elementary school student, and a kindergartener.
Hm? Why did it end up like this? It’s kind of hard to say though.
If I really had to explain things, it’d be a very long story.
If you asked me how I felt about such a situation, it’d be that girls of these ages were creatures extremely hard to comprehend.
And I am the father of these three hard-to-understand creatures.
“You can’t enter the toilet!”
The cries of an elementary school student echoed in this cheap apartment early in the morning.
I’m saying this first; I did not do anything that would get me arrested.
I purely wanted to enter the room equipped with the toilet, the shower and the sink to make use of them.
But even though I had no ill intentions, I was being lectured by a girl with golden hair and twin tails, whose height was only up to my chest.
She probably inherited her golden hair from her mother, and her looks would be that of a young idol. I expect tons of guys would be more than willing to pay if we could charge to see her angry face. But it’s a different case altogether since we’re family, and all I can say is how hard it can be to live with a ten-year-old girl.
“I told you before, didn’t I, you can’t enter a toilet for a period of time after a girl has used it. Please take note of the basic courtesy guys should have!”
“But Miu-chan, I only want to wash my face…”
“Just bear with it.”
That’s just unreasonable; I’ll be late for class if I wait any more.
Besides, my goal isn’t the toilet itself, but the sink that’s next to it.
Forget it; I’ll just buy some flower-scented air fresheners on the way back – I thought as I walked towards the dining table with my face a little oily.
At the dining table, the angel of my household – three-year-old kindergartener – Hina, was sitting upright.
How innocent and cute and sensible, plus she wouldn’t say anything like “you can’t go to the toilet”.
“Oi-tan has an afro~ Afro~~”
My three-year-old niece started laughing as I prepared to sit down.
Kids of this age all seem to be like this, but either way it wasn’t that funny to begin with.
My hair was extremely messy because I had just woken up – she was laughing so happily just because of this.
“Hina, don’t laugh at me anymore. By the looks of things I might have to go to my university lectures with this hairstyle.”
Yup, it’s all because of your older sister stopping me from using the sink that it’s like this now.
“Thanks for waiting–– breakfast is here––”
The unreasonable sister served the food.
Today’s menu is toast and salad, nothing more.
It’s quite the simple meal.
Not only that, the toast was burnt slightly in some places while the salad was just sitting in the bowl – if canned tuna was going to be added, it’d have been better if they at least got rid of the oil.
Well comments aside, it’s better than nothing.
“Onee-chan was planning to make corn soup, but it looks like it failed – that’s why breakfast looks like this now––”
“Ah, you’re mean! Miu, don’t say anything unnecessary!”
A voice of discontent came from the room, followed by a 2nd year middle school girl with mid-length hair, Sora-chan.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that she’s the head of the household.
I understand that it’s a little strange coming from me – but in this household, I don’t even have a little bit of dignity as a parent.
“Really, Onii-chan, at least wash your face before eating.”
See, I got scolded again. Ahh, I told you it was because of Miu-chan already.
Our family of four sat down around the table to begin our meal, without giving me any time to defend myself.
“Then, I’m digging in.”
On the cue of the eldest sister Sora-chan, our family began to eat our breakfast.
“Hina wants strawberry jam––!”
“I got it, I’ll give it to you now but you can’t put on too much––”
“Onee-chan, I already said that the salad was enough for me––”
“No–way, you must finish up the toast… eh? Ahh, really! I already said not to put on too much jam!”
“Yaaa–– sticky and gooey––”
“Ahh, really, stay still and don’t move…”
Crash!
“Ah, Hina just knocked the milk–”
“Ahhh, this is bad! It’s on her uniform!”
“Onee-chan, here’s the dishcloth!”
“Thanks, Miu, wipe that area.”
Early in the morning and it’s chaotic as hell.
Just last month, this room only had the sounds of the television and the sound of me eating my meals.
Besides, I originally had my doubts about the needs of having to eat a proper breakfast……
“I say, Onii-chan! Stop daydreaming and help us!”
“Right~ Right~”
Even though the eldest sister Sora-chan is just in middle school, but she always tries her best, and ever since we began living together I’ve always been lectured like this. So I could only hurriedly pull out a few tissues and helped clean the results of Hina’s breakfast.
“Speaking of which, Oji-san, you’ve got some milk on your shirt too.”
“Eh? Are you kidding?!”
“Ah, hold on a moment. I’ll wipe it off for you, please don’t move around.”
Even though the second sister Miu-chan is only in elementary school, her mannerisms are just like an adult’s.
It’s a complex feeling to have her wipe my clothes like this.
Ah, but it’s not like that kind of guilty feeling……
“Oi-tan, Oi-tan!”
“Hm? What’s wrong, Hina?”
Lastly, is the youngest sister, three-year-old Hina.
She is my sister’s daughter, and the only one who is related to me by blood.
“Oi-tan, your hair is an afro!”
“You said this just now……”
I’ve been spending such lively mornings with these girls for almost two weeks as of today.
Even though I wouldn’t say I’m used to it, but by now it’s already become a daily routine in my house.
“Oji-san, are you working today too?”
Miu-chan asked after she wiped the milk stain off my shirt.
“Yup, I’ll be returning home for awhile after class before going.”
“Then, everyone can have dinner together tonight.”
Sora-chan seemed to be slightly happy as she said that.
“Hina wants hamburg steak!”
“Really, that’s all Hina ever eats.”
“Okay~ then what recipe should I challenge this time––”
“Eh? O-Onee-chan’s cooking?”
“Sora… i-if possible, let’s just get takeaways…”
“Hina likes to eat takeaways––”
“I-- I won’t screw up this time! Really! Absolutely! I mean it!”
The memory of a dark matter hamburg steak was stirred from our minds.
“Okay! We’ll take the chance today to go to a restaurant!”
“Ah, it’s the shop next to the university, right?”
“Ice cream~ buy ice cream on the way back~”
“Y-you guys……”
Sora-chan looked angry, with her hands trembling slightly.
“I will DEFINITELY make it extremely delicious, so resign yourselves!”
The milk carton in her hand was squeezed flat with a pop.
White liquid flew all over the place.
“Ah –Onee-chan! It’s stained the clothes again!”
“Waaah!”
“Ahahahaha! Oi-tan, afro afro! Onee-chan is fun!”
We began the second round of cleaning in a panic. At this moment, I took a glance at my watch and my face turned green instantly.
“This is bad! Hina’s going to be late for kindergarten!”
“Eh—!”
“Eat faster! As your guardian, I won’t forgive such things as not eating your breakfast!”
I announced this – even though I myself never had the habit of having breakfast until two weeks ago.
“Okay—!”
Hina answered in a cute way as she munched on her toast.
“I got it, Oji-san.”
Miu-chan, with the face of an idol, answered me as she began putting toast and salad into her tiny mouth. Just how does she manage to stuff so much food in?
“…… What’s that about, that guardian thing?”
Lastly the eldest sister Sora-chan said as though unhappy, sat down by the table and began eating her breakfast at top speed.
I began eating my toast quickly as well after making sure of the girls’ conditions.
After breakfast I’ll bring Hina to kindergarten first, and then head to university for classes before going to work……
I would never have imagined that such a life would suddenly happen to me.
Also, who could ever have imagined that I would understand the feelings of a father at my age?
The story of the four of us – living together in an apartment the size of 6 tatami mats–––
Began, just like that.
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