Chapter 6: Aragaki-san's Daily Life at School
"Mhm, so you have to eat on time while Daddy's not here. I've already prepared the food, so you just need to heat it up in the microwave. If you find it gross, just order takeout; I've put some money in the drawer..."
On this new day, Aragaki Takiya was incessantly telling the loli on the bed what to do while he was away. Although he felt a slight reluctance in his heart, he still had to finish his studies. Fortunately, he had taken the opportunity over the past few days to buy her a new phone and a SIM card, so it shouldn't be a big problem.
Compared to Aragaki Takiya's reluctance, Aragaki Moeha wore her unhappiness plainly on her face. Her originally smooth blonde hair looked a bit messy from just waking up, and her eyes were filled with tears that looked ready to fall at any second.
"Don't worry, Daddy will be back in the afternoon. Before seven o'clock, I promise! And you can chat with Daddy on your phone..."
Looking at the sad Aragaki Moeha, Aragaki Takiya felt the urge to take a leave of absence, but he immediately dismissed the thought. After all, taking leave wasn't a long-term solution, and she would have to learn to be independent sooner or later. He would just have to be a bit heartless for now.
"Okay..."
Seeing her father's reluctant expression, even though Aragaki Moeha really wanted him to stay, she suppressed her own desires. Rather than making things difficult for her father, she would rather be a good girl.
After a simple farewell, Aragaki Takiya set off on his way to school. It was currently April, spring break had just ended, and the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. However, he was in no mood to appreciate them; his thoughts drifted far away along with the students on the roadside... "Don't push, don't push, let me see..."
"Hey, Yuigahama, help me check..."
Amidst the noisy students, Aragaki Takiya just stood quietly to the side. He had no urge to squeeze into the crowd; he could just wait a little longer anyway. Rather than crowding around to excitedly see which class he was in, he'd rather wait patiently for a while. He didn't have much interest in it anyway.
"Good morning, Sawamura-san..."
"Ah, good day, Ishimaki-san..."
While Aragaki Takiya was waiting to the side, the sound of others greeting each other came from nearby. Aragaki Takiya wasn't interested in the topics girls chatted about, but he pricked up his ears when he heard a certain familiar name.
"Sawamura... Is it Eriri?"
Aragaki Takiya remained calm on the surface, but his gaze shifted to the side. After noticing the same hair color as his own little girl, he confirmed his suspicion. Although there were slight differences from when she was a child, the iconic blonde hair and tiger tooth had not changed.
"Hey, Sawamura-san, look! We're both in Class C~"
"Ah, yes, what a coincidence..."
Eriri, who was busy responding to her classmates' enthusiasm, didn't notice Aragaki Takiya's gaze. On the contrary, Aragaki Takiya heard useful information from their conversation.
"Class C?"
Based on the information from that girl just now, Aragaki Takiya chose not to wait any longer. After checking the surroundings, he picked a spot with fewer people and began to check which class he was in. Unfortunately, he wasn't in Class C, but in Class B.
"Seems a bit of a pity..."
Looking at his name under Class B from a distance, Aragaki Takiya felt a hint of regret in his heart, but it soon vanished. He took another look at Eriri and then chose to leave directly. Since he already knew what he wanted to know, there was no point in staying there.
"Was someone looking at me just now?"
After Aragaki Takiya left, Eriri, who had been chatting, felt a strange sensation. She looked around but didn't find anything unusual, eventually dismissing it as her imagination... "Phew~ I'll sit here. Good ventilation, good lighting, and not many people around..."
Arriving at the Class B classroom, Aragaki Takiya decisively chose the window seat in the last row. Although there was a saying that 'the back row by the window is the king's seat,' he didn't believe in that. As for why he chose this spot, it was simply because the lighting and ventilation were good.
Buzz~ Buzz~
While Aragaki Takiya was spacing out, the phone in his pocket rang. Feeling the vibration, Aragaki Takiya seemed to remember something and hurriedly left the classroom. However, shortly after he left, a short-haired girl walked into the classroom and, as if by some telepathic connection, chose the second-to-last window seat as her own.
"It's Moeha. You've woken up early. Have you had breakfast yet?"
Looking at the Little one with messy hair on the phone screen, Aragaki Takiya couldn't help but chuckle. However, when he noticed her slightly furrowed brows, his tone suddenly softened.
"I've already eaten. I just miss Daddy a little..."
Looking at her father on the screen, Aragaki Moeha thought back to her life before. It seemed that after her father fell ill, she could only see him through a phone screen. Back then, her father seemed much thinner than he was now, and his spirit wasn't as good as it was today.
Thinking of this, Aragaki Moeha, who already missed Aragaki Takiya dearly, felt her eyes sting. Tears instantly filled her eyes, showing signs of spilling over.
"Hey, hey, hey, don't cry. I'll be back tonight, and I'll bring Moeha something delicious..."
Seeing the Little one on the screen about to cry again, Aragaki Takiya hurriedly spoke to comfort her. Finally, through his coaxing and persuasion, she successfully stopped her tears. After repeatedly promising to go home early, he hung up the phone feeling somewhat exhausted.
"I feel so tired. I didn't believe them before when they said taking care of Children takes a lot of effort..."
After hanging up the phone, Aragaki Takiya complained inwardly. But thinking of the overflowing longing in Aragaki Moeha's eyes just now, he stopped his complaints.
"Forget it, I'll go back early after finishing work this afternoon..."
The young man muttered to himself and then walked toward his classroom. Although there usually weren't many classes on the morning of a new semester, he couldn't just disappear under the teacher's nose. After all, not every teacher was easy to talk to.
Returning to the classroom, Aragaki Takiya looked around and found no sign that a teacher had been there. Just as he was thinking his luck was pretty good, a female voice came from in front of him.
"Eh? We meet again."
Hearing a somewhat familiar voice, Aragaki Takiya turned his head to look. What met his eyes was a beautiful short-haired girl. Aragaki Takiya felt she was familiar, but his brain couldn't recall any information about her.