After Natsuki and Tsubame finished bathing, it was family time.
What children need most is companionship. Family games are naturally indispensable, of course, mainly building blocks, drawing, and playing puzzles—simple and happy.
In a blink of an eye, it was nine-thirty in the evening.
"Aoi, it's almost time for bed," Tsubame said gently.
"Not sleepy at all…" The daughter blinked her eyes cutely, "Mom, can we play a little longer?"
Natsuki said from the side,
"Then let's play for another half an hour."
Aoi immediately became happy:
"Thank you, Dad!"
"Natsuki-kun," Tsubame's cheeks puffed out slightly, and she whispered, "Spoiling children is not good behavior."
Natsuki leaned close to Tsubame's ear and whispered, "Mainly, I feel relieved."
"Eh?" Tsubame was stunned, "What do you mean?"
"If a child is too obedient, doing whatever adults tell her to do, it's actually not good," Natsuki whispered, "The truth is, being able to act spoiled means Aoi feels more secure."
"Hmm…" Tsubame raised her right hand, tucked the hair that had fallen by her ear behind it, and nodded gently, "That makes some sense."
Natsuki asked curiously, "Did Senpai never act spoiled with her parents when she was little?"
"…Of course I did."
Tsubame looked away guiltily.
Natsuki raised his right hand, rubbed the top of Tsubame's head, and said gently, "Senpai, you can act spoiled with me from now on."
"I don't want to," Tsubame's pretty face flushed slightly, and she couldn't help but retort, "I'm a year older than you, okay?"
"What if you're a year older?" Natsuki said righteously, "It's only natural for a mother to act spoiled with her Dad, right?"
Tsubame glared at him, embarrassed and angry:
"So I said, it's not a real Dad and Mom!"
Natsuki leaned down to complain to Aoi: "Aoi, Mom says she doesn't want me anymore."
Aoi immediately became anxious. She quickly hugged Natsuki with one hand and Tsubame with the other, saying pitifully, "Mom, don't abandon Dad."
"Don't be afraid, Aoi, I was just joking…" Tsubame quickly smiled, "I didn't say I don't want Dad."
Natsuki shook his head and said, "I don't forgive you."
"Eh?"
"Senpai just abandoned me and now wants me back. My heart has been greatly traumatized," Natsuki covered his chest, "Unless Senpai kisses me, I won't forgive you."
Tsubame bit her lip, glaring at him in shame and annoyance:
"Natsuki-kun, don't push your luck!"
Natsuki leaned down to complain to his daughter:
"Aoi, look, Mom is being mean to me again."
Aoi timidly looked up and pleaded softly, "Mom, don't be mean to Dad."
"I won't be mean to him anymore."
Tsubame took a deep breath, clenching her fists, wanting to hit him.
You actually complained to your daughter, you're shameless!
Natsuki smiled and pointed to his cheek, as if nothing had happened:
"Senpai, hurry up."
"Kiss, then!"
Tsubame's pretty face was flushed as she leaned over and gave Natsuki a kiss on the cheek.
"Mom, I want a kiss too!"
Aoi looked over with an expectant face.
"…"
In a blink of an eye, it was ten o'clock in the evening.
This time, Tsubame issued a strict order: "We're done playing for today. Children are growing at night, so they can't stay up late."
"Oh."
Aoi nodded obediently, not saying she wanted to continue playing this time, but instead said:
"Dad, let's sleep together tonight?"
Aoi's face was full of anticipation as she said:
"Just like at home, I'll sleep in the middle, and Dad and Mom will sleep on either side."
The so-called 'home' was actually the eerie old house where they played family games in the nightmare. To melt the heart of his nominal daughter with love, Natsuki and Tsubame slept with Aoi every day.
"That..."
Tsubame's pretty face flushed upon hearing this, and she immediately wanted to refuse.
However, facing her daughter's hopeful gaze, the refusal died on her lips, unable to be spoken.
"I have no objections," Natsuki said with a smile, seeing Tsubame look over. "It only happened a few days ago, but it feels like a long time ago."
Tsubame's eyes flickered, and she couldn't help but recall the scenes from the nightmare.
The greyish-white world.
The eerie old house.
Her taking on the role of Kayako.
Aoi as the evil spirit daughter.
In the nightmare, the entire world consisted only of their family of three. They truly spent every day together, accompanying each other. Although the time wasn't long, it was actually very happy.
"Alright then..." Tsubame softly agreed, her eyes gentle, as she stroked her daughter's little head. "We'll sleep together tonight."
After a simple wash-up, the three of them went to Tsubame's room.
A large bed was exceptionally soft; there was no problem for three people to sleep on it.
"Natsuki-kun, turn off the light."
Tsubame sat on the bed and said softly.
Natsuki nodded and turned off the bedside lamp. Aoi slept in the middle, and he and Tsubame slept on either side.
"Dad, I want to hear a story."
Aoi hugged her doll, her voice full of anticipation.
Natsuki said:
"Then I'll tell one story, and after that, it's bedtime."
"Mhm, mhm," the elementary schooler said expectantly, "I want to hear the story of Snow White!"
Natsuki pondered for a moment, then said:
"A long, long time ago, there was an ice-covered kingdom. The King and Queen had a daughter named Snow White. Snow White's dream from childhood was to become King."
"But she waited and waited, and the Queen just wouldn't pass away."
"Finally, one day, Snow White reached her limit of patience. She shouted, 'How can there be a Crown Prince for seventy years in this world?!' Then, in a fit of rage, she uprooted the weeping willow outside the palace, raised the willow tree, and charged into the palace, killing her way in and out seven times..."
"Snow White is so amazing!"
Aoi's eyes widened, exclaiming in admiration.
"Natsuki-kun, don't teach bad things to Aoi," Tsubame's bright eyes glared over.
Natsuki changed the subject, saying:
"Alright, Mom will continue the story."
"Eh, that..."
Tsubame had no choice but to continue making up the story, though it became much less engaging.
A moment later.
Natsuki suddenly rolled over, quietly moving from the left side to the right, then embraced Tsubame.
"Wait, wait a moment..." Tsubame said nervously, "Aoi hasn't..."
"Aoi is already asleep," Natsuki whispered, holding Tsubame from behind. "Don't believe me? Listen."
Tsubame listened, and indeed, her daughter's breathing had become even. She had fallen asleep at some point.
"Is my story that boring...?"
Tsubame felt a little disheartened.
Natsuki whispered:
"Only children like to hear grand and exciting stories, unlike me."
"What does Natsuki-kun like to hear?"
Tsubame looked over sideways.
Natsuki smiled and said:
"I only like to do *** with Tsubame-senpai."
"Pah!"
Tsubame's pretty face flushed slightly, and she lightly spat, pushing him away:
"Go away, hurry back to sleep."
"Tsubame-senpai, don't move around. Aoi just fell asleep, don't wake her up," Natsuki said earnestly, kissing Tsubame's ear. "It's been a long time since I've held Tsubame. Let me hold you for a while, I promise not to do anything."
"Pah~"
The flush on Tsubame's pretty face rapidly deepened, and she couldn't help but want to spit at him.
He said he wouldn't do anything?
Then explain what your hand is doing!
A moment later.
"Tsubame-senpai, help me..."
Natsuki whispered, his breathing hot.
"...Liar!"
Tsubame bit her lip, her pretty face flushed like fire, her voice trembling slightly:
"You, you're going too far!"
"Shh~"
Natsuki shushed her softly, lowering his voice:
"Tsubame-senpai, be quiet. You don't want Aoi to hear, do you?"
Tsubame: "..."
Lewd!
Shameless!
The Natsuki from before wasn't this lewd!
"Only this once, no next time."
Finally, having no other choice, and to avoid waking her daughter, Tsubame ultimately bit her lower lip and bore everything alone.
The night passed without incident.
The next day.
Seven o'clock in the morning.
"Dad, good morning..."
Aoi rubbed her eyes, sitting up drowsily.
Tsubame had also just woken up, with visible laziness on her face.
Natsuki walked to the bedside and said:
"Go wash your faces and brush your teeth, breakfast is ready."
"Oh..."
The mother and daughter got up together. Tsubame took Aoi to the bathroom to brush their teeth and wash up.
"Breakfast is bread and milk," Natsuki walked out of the kitchen. "Come eat."
Seeing the milk on the table, Tsubame's pretty face flushed, and she glared at Natsuki in embarrassment.
Natsuki innocently explained:
"The refrigerator was completely empty, there was nothing. I wanted to make breakfast, but I couldn't make anything."
"Hmph~" Tsubame hummed softly. "Aoi, eat your breakfast."
Tsubame's parents were both extremely busy people, rarely coming home throughout the year. Most of the time, Tsubame lived alone, so her food was basically bread, and she rarely cooked for herself.
Because of what happened last night, Tsubame was now just elegantly eating her bread, unwilling to drink the milk.
However, Aoi noticed this detail. Aoi carried the cup over with both hands:
"Mom, drink your milk."
Tsubame lightly coughed twice and said:
"I don't feel like drinking it today."
Aoi looked up, her face serious, and said:
"Mom, you can't be a picky eater. You can only grow tall if you drink milk."
"..."
Facing her daughter's lecture, Tsubame had no choice but to take the cup, glaring at Natsuki in annoyance, then gently took a sip of milk.
"Aoi, shall we go out together later and buy some clothes at the shopping mall?"
Tsubame said gently.
Aoi paused, a timid expression clearly appearing on her face, obviously unwilling to go out.
Natsuki said from the side:
"I'm off today, and I'm going shopping with Mom. If Aoi doesn't want to go, she'll have to stay home alone."
Aoi then became happy:
"Then Aoi wants to go!"
"..."
After breakfast and tidying up, the three of them left together.
Upon reaching the apartment building, Aoi clearly showed fear at the sight of the streets full of pedestrians and vehicles. She nervously gripped one of Tsubame's fingers, refusing to let go, like a small animal afraid of being abandoned. She only gradually relaxed once they reached the shopping mall.
Next, of course, was shopping time.
Tsubame was always very generous, and even more so with her daughter. She took Aoi on a shopping spree, while Natsuki transformed into a bag-carrying tool, responsible for carrying things and taking photos from behind.
After an unknown amount of time shopping, Natsuki suddenly heard a surprised shout from behind him:
"Natsuki-senpai?"
Natsuki turned his head to look. A junior high girl with twin pigtails, similar in appearance to Chika but more youthful, came into view. It was Moeha.
"It really is Senpai!" Moeha excitedly jogged over, her big eyes sparkling, chattering, "My friend and I came to the shopping mall to play. I saw Senpai's back from afar just now and thought it looked so familiar. When I came closer, it really was Senpai!"
This Moeha, like Chika, had an outgoing and lively personality, chattering:
"What are you doing at the shopping mall, Senpai? Are you alone? Do you want to come play with us?"
Natsuki said:
"I'm not alone, I came today to buy clothes."
"I'll help Tsubame buy clothes," Moeha said enthusiastically, volunteering herself. "I've specifically studied fashion sense, you know, I'm definitely much better than my sister."
As she spoke, Aoi ran out of the fitting room and came before Natsuki, calling out expectantly:
"Dad, I've changed my clothes."
Natsuki smiled:
"Looks good."
"Eh?" Moeha's eyes widened in disbelief. She froze for two seconds, then finally reacted, letting out an involuntary gasp, "Eh eh eh?!"
"S-Senpai," Moeha pointed at Aoi-chan, saying in disbelief, "She just called you Dad, didn't she?"
"She wasn't wrong," Natsuki said, "I am indeed Dad."
"How is that possible!" Moeha couldn't help but retort, "She's already four or five years old, isn't she? Did Tsubame have a child when he was in elementary school?!"
Facing the super excited Moeha, Aoi was startled and quickly hid behind Natsuki.
"It's a long story..." Natsuki raised his phone and took two quick photos of Aoi, "So I won't tell it."
"No, Senpai!" Moeha immediately became anxious, shaking Natsuki's arm. Her gossip-loving heart was incredibly strong. "I want to hear it, I want to hear it! My sister never told me!"
Natsuki stroked Aoi's head, told her to go back to the fitting room, and then said:
"The Strange Tale entity in the hotel has formed its own separate dimension. One day in reality, a very, very long time has passed inside. It's perfectly normal to have a daughter, right?"
"I see, how amazing!" Moeha exclaimed, then suddenly remembered something even more important, "Senpai, Senpai, if Aoi-chan is your daughter, then who is Aoi-chan's mother?"
Natsuki said leisurely:
"You guess."
"Hmm..." Moeha held up a finger and said, "Is it someone I know?"
Natsuki nodded:
"That's right."
Moeha quickly asked again:
"So, is it someone from the group who acts with Senpai...? Is Aoi-chan's mother's figure good?"
Natsuki recalled what happened last night, then said:
"Very good."
"C-could it be my sister?!" Moeha's eyes immediately widened, "Have I become an aunt?"
"You're thinking too much," Natsuki retorted, "If Chika had a child, do you think she'd be able to keep it from you?"
Moeha subconsciously shook her head upon hearing this:
"She wouldn't be able to, my sister definitely wouldn't."
After saying that, Moeha quickly reacted: "Then who is Aoi-chan's mother?"
"Don't ask so many questions, and don't be so curious," Natsuki said sternly, "And don't even think about becoming a player; you might accidentally end up with a child."
This Moeha is incredibly curious, it's necessary to teach her a lesson and let her know how terrifying the world can be.
"Hmm..."
Moeha subconsciously covered her lower abdomen, stepping back half a step in panic.
She was just a junior high third-year student; she didn't even have dating experience, let alone suddenly becoming a mother. That kind of thing was terrifying just to think about.
"Your friends are here," Natsuki glanced at the junior high girl nearby and waved, "Go play."
Moeha pitifully said:
"But Senpai still hasn't said who Aoi-chan's mother is."
While speaking, Moeha stood on tiptoe and peered into the fitting room, wanting to find out the truth.
"I don't want to say," Natsuki shook his head, "That's a matter of personal privacy."
In fact, Natsuki had just received a message from Tsubame. The content was simple: she couldn't reveal her identity.
"But if I don't know, I definitely won't be able to sleep tonight," Moeha said pitifully, "As long as you tell me the answer, Senpai, I'll do anything you want."
Natsuki glanced at her and said:
"What if it's something lewd?"
"Th-that..." Moeha stammered, "What if my sister finds out?"
Natsuki casually said:
"Can't you just hide it well from Chika?"
Moeha: "..."
Although she had never dated a boyfriend, Moeha could tell that this sentence was too scummy.
Scummy perverted idiot Senpai!
If her sister found out, she would definitely be super sad!
"I-I'm going back first," Moeha's face flushed, and she turned and ran, "Goodbye, Senpai!"
"..."
After watching Moeha walk away, Natsuki walked to the outside of the fitting room and said softly:
"Tsubame-senpai, Moeha has left."
Tsubame finally breathed a sigh of relief, covering her chest and pulling open a gap in the curtain: "Natsuki-kun didn't tell on me, did he?"
"Of course not," Natsuki said, "I promise."
"Your promise has no effect now," Tsubame chided, then exhaled softly, "Luckily Moeha didn't find out, otherwise it would have been troublesome."
A girl's curiosity for gossip is incredibly strong. Once discovered, it wouldn't even take until the start of school for the news of her having a daughter to spread throughout the entire campus.
Tsubame absolutely did not want to be on the campus headlines for 'unwed pregnancy' news; it was too embarrassing no matter how she thought about it!
Natsuki said from outside:
"Moeha is actually fine. She knows our player identities, so even if I told her, she wouldn't spread it. However, if we encountered Tsubame's friends, that would be troublesome."
Tsubame quickly stopped him:
"Natsuki-kun, don't jinx it!"
Fortunately, Tsubame was lucky. During the subsequent shopping, she didn't encounter any of her classmates, successfully escaping a disaster.
Night fell in the blink of an eye.
Natsuki was having dinner with Tsubame and Aoi when he suddenly received a message.
Moeha: "Ahhhh! I can't hold it in anymore! I feel like I'm going to die if I hold it in any longer!"
Natsuki: "What do you mean?"
Moeha: "No matter what, I have to know who Aoi-chan's mother is, so... I agree to Senpai's lewd request!"