When I used the febreeze as emergency measures in the room, at the beginning it was uncomfortable having the room smell like a nice store’s bathroom but, maybe because it dissipated with time or my nose got used to it the discomfort disappeared.

In the middle of the room where discarded clothes were scattered around in place of furniture, right now Misaki and I are sitting on top of the futons that are lined up together.

Misaki is hugging a pillow around the same size as her and lazily staring outside the window. In the beginning Misaki only sat next to the window, but when I resolved the tobacco stink crisis she moved around quite a bit.

While feeling the feeling the slight change, and holding a book with one hand I think deeply.

There are 8 Yukichi’s (80,000 yen) left in my wallet.
My next payment will be on the 28th.
With some rough calculations the amount of money we can use per day is 2500 yen.

One person would be easy, with Misaki making two it’d still be doable for just food but from now on I should gather money for things other than food. For example the bathhouse fees, and then there’s laundry fees… s.h.i.t, maybe I was too hasty buying the futon.

Because of that I think about money. If I can work 10 more times this month, I’ll also get 3,000,000 yen from the Livelihood Protection program. Thinking about the previous stuff, that should be enough. In other words, thinking it through I don’t have to worry about expenses.

But…

I secretly look at Misaki’s face. I tilt my head.

I decided on being a splendid parent.
I don’t know the common sense but, at the very least having a freeter father isn’t good for the child, right? While I understand that in my mind, I have no hopes or dreams of being able to find a job…

**TL Note: Freeter is someone who lives off part-time work

Fumu fumu, the system for going from part-time to full-time… ueh, the hourly wage is 900 yen. Who would apply for that.

I tossed aside the job listing book I’ve been reading since morning and fall over. It wasn’t the usual hard floor but rather the futon that caught me as I let out a big yawn. In that position I stared blankly at the ceiling and then I felt the presence of something moving above my head. ‘Something’, Misaki’s the only person here though.

“What’s up, worried about that book?”
“…n.”
“It’s not a book for kids. I mean, can you even read?”
“…hiragana, only.”

A new reality.
My Misaki can read hiragana!

“Do you like reading books?”
“…Momotaro, like.”
“Then wait right here! I’ll go buy it right now!”

The great me is in a bookstore. My name is Tendou Ryousei.
Fuu, it was really hard to find this store.
This is the first time since I’ve been born that I entered a bookstore but, I thought there’d be a lot of bookshelves and this place wouldn’t be any different. But like the bathhouse, it seems like recently they’ve been evolving, huh. Besides books they sell manga character-like toys, card games, and various other things. At the entrance they even have a stylish sign with “animate” on it… bookstores wouldn’t survive unless they did this much, huh.

Well, let’s put that aside… Momotarou, where is it?
There’s a manga called Momokyan Sword but, it doesn’t seem to be suited for kids, rather it seems like its intended for men to crowd around, or rather I feel like I’ve seen this at the pac.h.i.n.ko parlor… This is the closest to Momotarou!? What’s the h.e.l.l!? In the first place this isn’t even the kid’s corner!

Shop a.s.sistant? Would it better to just ask the shop a.s.sistant?

“Hey you, haven’t seen your face ’round here.”

Again someone calls out to me. An ossan in civilian clothes, is he a shop a.s.sistant?

“You need something from me?”
“Nothing like that, it’s just unusual. I saw you from before but, you lookin’ for somethin’?”
“Momotarou.”
“…ku, hahahaha.”

What the h.e.l.l, this guy. What’s so funny, he lookin’ for a fight?

“My bad, my bad, don’t glare at me like that. No it’s just that was too funny, I couldn’t help it.”

As I thought he’s lookin’ for a fight? That’s it isn’t it?

“We don’t sell anything like Momotarou here.”
“…Stop saying stupid stuff. This is a book store isn’t it?”
“Yeah but the books here are our oxygen (nourishment for otaku).”

**TL Note: He says our oxygen, but it’s read as nourishment for otaku

What the h.e.l.l is he saying, is he alright in the head?

“By the way, why’re you lookin’ for Momotarou in the middle of a weekday? What about your job?”
“You too, what’re you doing in the middle of a weekday?”
“I run an independent business, I’m free until 8.”

A night shop guy, huh. I knew he was suspicious.

“Well, I’m something like that.”
“Hou, what shop?”
“My bad, I was just showing off. I’m unemployed.”
“Ku, hahahahaha… this guy’s good. You’re the best.”

I know.
If you keep piling up lies you’ll only hold despair.

“Hey you, if you wanna work why not come to my place?”
“Aaah? Who’d want to do night work?”
“Whaat, it’s just a special of the day store.” **TL Note: If you watch shokugeki no soma that’s the kind of restaurant he and his dad ran.
“It’s a bar ain’t it. I swore I won’t go near tobacco.”
“Hou, then don’t worry. We don’t allow smoking.”

… That’s, probably not bad. No, but…

“Then if you want I can take you to a store that sells Momotarou?”
“I’ll hear you out.”

As a result, I got several books that had Momotarou, some shoujo manga the ossan recommended, and then some kanji drill exercise books, writing utensils, and a dictionary and returned home.

“Be happy Misaki, I bought lots of stuff for ya.”

I showed Misaki, who was sitting in the corner hugging her pillow while staring into s.p.a.ce, the books and her eyes shined.

…Fuu, just seeing that face, going to buy that stuff was worth it.

“…can’t read.”
“You write in that kanji drill book. You study characters with this.”
“…study?”
“What, you don’t what that is?”

nod.

“Seriously? Eeeh, you memorize new things you don’t know. In this case, Misaki remembering characters would be studying.”
“…now, studying?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Study your words, alright.”
“…n.”

Ooh, she seems happy?
Yosh watch me, making someone motivated is my specialty.

“Misaki, this is what I think. People who can read characters, they’re really cool…”
“…cool?”
“Yeah, super cool.”
“…want to, squeeze?”
“Yeah, makes me want to squeeze.”
“…n.”

I answered naturally but, what does that mean?
Well, I wanted to get her motivated so it’s fine.

On this day, Misaki started studying.
Misaki didn’t know how to use the exercise book, but once I showed her she immediately memorized it.
While watching the enthusiastic Misaki write in the exercise book I thought of the past again.