After arriving at our destination I checked my watch and it was a little after 8. They still conduct business until 10 so we have some flexibility. The only problem is if Misaki won’t lose to her sleepiness but when I look at her she seems fine. I wonder if she took a nap.

Putting that aside, maybe because it’s peak hours but compared to before there are a lot of people. While lining up for a little while to buy a ticket, while making sure not to lose Misaki I move towards the dressing room. Of course there isn’t mixed bathing but, well, a 5 year old shouldn’t be a problem. The clerk didn’t stop me either, so it’s definitely fine.

I thrust our stuff in the open locker and diligently remove my clothes—hm
I face Misaki who pulled my boxers, she’s doing a banzai pose. **TL note: as in both hands raised in the air kind of like a kid that wants to be picked up

“What, can’t take off your clothes yourself?”

nodnod.

“Jeez, don’t move around too much ok?”

Really, a brat that can’t do anything… well nobody taught her anything. But, she knows to brush her teeth….. hmm? What does she know? What doesn’t she know? Or maybe, at this age kids don’t know how to take off their own clothes? … dunno.

“…still?”
“Oh, my bad my bad.”

As I pull off her clothes, an intense smell hits my nose. Buying new clothes was the right decision. **TL Note: this guy has never heard of a laundromat apparently, jeez.

When I was a kid, I heard that after a bath your nose resets but, I didn’t think the world would change this much. I should be careful from now on.

“Yosh, let’s go.”

“What’s up, why are you looking at my crotch?”
“…what’s that?”

‘What’s that?’ huh?

“My peepee.”

“(Stranger 1) Oi, that guy just said peepee to his daughter.”
“(Stranger 2) Seriously? What high level.” **TL note: I’m not sure this comes across well but he basically means that it was a difficult task and he handled it easily so his level must be high

Crap, I wanna die.

“…level?”
“I’ll tell you later. For now let’s go to the bath, the bath.”

nodnod.
While giving my son the stink eye she nods.

“Anyway, stop starin’.”

“Listen Misaki, when a good girl sees a peepee they’d turn away embarrassed. Got it?”

“Yep, so look away embarrased alright? One, two, three.”
“…hard”

Misaki scowls with a serious expression.

“…model.” **TL Note: the japanese is おてほん which I couldn’t find a translation for so this is just what makes sense contextually

“…model.”

She said with a little force, puffing out her cheeks.
…oi, are you trying to make fun of my level being called high? You just raised the bar.

“Fine by me, I’ll show you.”

The stronger the enemy the more exp you get when you overcome it.

This is for the sake of getting even more exp!

“Yosh, then here I go.”
“…n.”

Resolving myself I quickly stoop over, and look at Misaki’s crotch.
A pure flowerbud wrapped in pure white that hasn’t known any filthiness—ah, crap, somehow I’ve just become normally embarrassed.

“…n.”

Oh? Did it get across?

Misaki nods and looks at my son again. Then she makes a line with her mouth and slightly lowers her head while her cheeks color a bit and slowly turns away.

“…like that?”

Misaki said looking proud.
Eh, did I really seem like that?

“…You pass.”

In exchange for giving up something important I clench my fist looking at the delighted Misaki.
… The exchange rate didn’t match.

After this and that we went on to the bath.

It looks a little like a splendid onsen.

Standing in front of all the baths, I grab Misaki’s hand who’s looking around restlessly and move toward the shower area.

“…bath.”

“…n.”

Misaki obediently nods while I sit her in a seat-like thing and carefully turn the faucet.

While thinking that I was using my hand to test the temperature, I suddenly noticed.

“Misaki, is this alright?”

“How about this?”
“…n.”

As I thought, Misaki and my feelings were different.
…Fuu, being able to be this sensitive, I’m seriously great.

“Then, I’m gonna wet your hair for the shampoo.”

“W-what’s wrong!?”

When the water hit her hair, Misaki puts up both hands in resistance.

“…hot.”
“No but, just before you felt with your hand and said it… ah.”

Dumbass! The hand and head have different senses!

“Sorry Misaki… first is shoulder, then neck, then finally the head… that’s common sense.”

It’s vague but I feel like when I went my parents bathed me they made such considerations… shit, I’m an idiot.

Redoing everything.
From start to end I wash Misaki’s short hair and then put shampoo on both my hands. I apply this to Misaki’s hair… h-how should I do it?

Crap, I’ve never washed anyone else’s, let alone some kid’s, hair. Is it the same as washing mine? But, what if it hurts? … Yosh, I’ll do it nice and soft.

“…mn.”

“…tickles.”

“…n.”

What’s with this tension, I haven’t felt like this since I argued with my boss.
…Misaki, this girl is definitely not some normal kid.

“Close your eyes, alright?”
“…n.”

With the strain of putting a string through the eye of a needle, I somehow manage to successfully cover Misaki’s hair in bubbles.

“…name.”

“..name.”

“…no.”

“…yousei?”

“…Ryou-kun?”

“…Ryou-kun.”

“…Ryou-kun, hands, big.”

**TL Note: Small Japanese lesson so you can kind of understand kiddie talk in Japanese. A lot of nouns are repeated by kids and when parents talk to kids. In this case hands is te. So she says otete. The O generally refers to a more respectful tone or referencing something with respect which is also taught to kids for cultural reasons. Similarly from above, penis is chinpo but ochinchin is a very childlike way to refer to it thus peepee. I didn’t have a good english version of hands so I’m making this note. The reason I’m explaining all this is I think a lot of characterization from dialogue is lost in most translations so I want to do you guys justice.

“‘Cause I’m an adult.”

“Yeah, if you become an adult you become big.”

“There’s no way you’ll get this big right?”

H-huh? Somehow she seems to be sulking?

“…Shampoo, bad.”

She’s angry!?

“Isn’t it fine? Being smaller is cuter.”

“Ou.”
“…n.”

Yosh, fixed her mood.

“Then, I’m gonna wash away the soap.”
“…slow.”

W-what, what does that mean?
Slow or anything, I’m just using the bucket from the shower? **TL Note: Think anime bathhouse scenes where they use that bucket

“Ou, leave it to me.”

Crap, I said it.

What should I do?

“…not yet?”

Didn’t you say slow?!
I got it. I’ll just pour it all over you!

“…nn!”

“…bad.”
“Sorry!”

Dammit! I completely don’t get it!

Battling with this and that, the feeling of success from finally reaching the bathtub has faded. Sinking in the reasonably warm bath until my shoulders I let out a long sigh. This feels great.

“…bring down.”

“…knee.”

“…n.”

I lower my knee a little, and was attacked by a soft feeling.

“…hard.”

What is this kid doing… you just wanted to sit, huh? That’s right, with her height if she sits she can’t breath, huh.

“That bath over there would be fine then right?”
“…here.”

Here is fine, huh? Sitting on my lap…. well, it’s in water so it’s probably fine?
… I dunno. She says it’s fine so it’s fine.

“…wall.”
“Wall?”

Another hard to understand code. What does that mean?

“…back, hand.”

Hmm? Wall, back, hand… ah, like this?

“…n.”

I put my hand on Misaki’s small back and feel a slight resistance. It looks like she wanted to lean against something.

“…”

Jeez, closing your eyes looking like it feels so good….

If I don’t take a bath Misaki will complain about the smell again anyway.

“…”
“…”

The time flows as we relax. I almost lost myself and fell asleep, but if I did that Misaki would sink in the bath so I kept alert. Even though I say that, the sleepiness still comes.

…This feeling, when was the last time I had it?

Spacing out while I hold up this small girl with my right hand, I suddenly thought.
Calming, wasting time at ease, I don’t really know but it’s not a bad feeling. For several years, I’ve spent a lot of time spacing out but… this is completely different. I wonder why.

As I was wondering, we were arrived at the closing hours and got out of the bathtub.

Next I was lost on what to do with the old clothes, for now I put them in the bag I got from the clothing store. Probably, if I wash them they can still be used.
After finishing my preparations, we aimed for the exit but Misaki’s feet stopped.

“What’s up?”

Following Misaki’s eyes, that’s the trashcan, where I left my old clothes.

“…Ryou-kun?”

“…why?”

“…won’t use?”

“…Don’t need, throw away?”

Following the flow I was going to answer, but my words were blocked.
If you don’t need it throw it away. That’s Misaki’s biggest landmine.

But, if I pick it up here what should I do?
From now on, do I save everything?

I look at Misaki’s expression and her eyes are clouded over as she looks at me worriedly waiting for an answer. Those eyes feel like they held some expectation. The hope that I’d surely pick up those clothes. If I did that, she’d definitely be happy.

…There’s no meaning in that.

“Yeah that’s right. If you don’t need it throw it out.”

I betrayed her.
Showing that kind of expression she hung her head.

“We only have 2 hands. If we go holding onto everything we’d fall over.”

I put my hand on her head and ruffle her hair.
After that I get on my knee and look her in the eye, and make an awkward smile.

“That’s why, you only hold onto the most important things.”

“Yeah. Don’t every forget your feelings of gratitude.”

“Means giving thanks.”

Was it a little too difficult? Or maybe I just don’t have any persuasive power?
Misaki makes a face saying she doesn’t understand.

…Can’t help it, huh.

I walk to the trashcan, face the smelly clothes and lower my head.

“Thank you very much.”

…Embarrassing.
What the hell is this, what am I doing.

“…thanks.”

Looking at the voice, by my side Misaki was lowering her head just like me.
Looking at that Misaki slowly raises her head and smiles.

That wasn’t the smile of someone just loosening the edges of their mouth.
Her eyes were narrowed as she showed a truly happy expression.

That’s why once again thought—