Stealing Spree

With plates scraped clean of the dessert, the lively chatter at the dinner table had gradually turned into softer conversations.

Minoru, satisfied with the victories he acquired while playing with Eri and Futaba and full from the two desserts he had eaten, had started to yawn. His bedtime had already arrived and no matter how much energy he recovered from eating, it couldn't stop his drowsiness from taking over.

Noticing the boy's drooping head, Miwa-nee ruffled his hair, "Alright, Minoru. Time for bed. You've had enough excitement for one day. Ruki, can you help me carry him upstairs?"

The little boy pouted slightly, but a single look from Miwa-nee was enough to dispel his protests. He then looked at me, as though trying to find an ally, but I just opened my arms, picking him up from his chair.

Understanding that he had no more escape from bedtime, he said goodnight to Akane and the other girls as I carried him upstairs. His small arms wrapped around my neck as I made my way to his room.

"Papa," Minoru mumbled sleepily, resting his head on my shoulder. "They're gonna play with me again tomorrow, right?"

"Mhm. They'll visit again," I replied with a chuckle as I gently patted his back. "But only if you promise to sleep well tonight. You've got to be full of energy if you want to beat Eri and Futaba-nee again."

The boy's lips curled into a satisfied smile and he nodded sluggishly. "Okay... good night, Papa."

Seeing the boy gently close his eyes, looking every bit comfortable, a warm feeling surged in my chest. I was probably not as adorable as him back then, right? I was born a rascal who immediately decided that Akane was mine.

When we reached their room, Miwa-nee was already there, pulling back the covers of their bed. I carefully laid Minoru down, tucking him in.

Miwa-nee leaned down to kiss his forehead, her expression soft and full of motherly warmth. As she straightened up, she glanced at me with a smile. "Thank you, Ruki. Look at you, you're already looking the part of a father to him."

"Am I? I still feel like I'm not at that level yet. Am I not still a little childish? Look at Eri and Futaba, they didn't even doubt our relationship. They're probably thinking I'm just an older brother or cousin to him."

"That's because they're not seeing what you're doing in the background. Granted, you're still lacking because you're still dependent on someone, but your effort shows, Ruki." Miwa-nee patted my back. "Don't put yourself down. Just focus on the present so that in the future when he can understand things better, there will be no more 'probably'. He'll know for sure that you're his father who watched him grow up and guided him."

"... Guide, huh? Miwa-nee, can I really do that when our situation is like this? It won't be normal. I'm afraid... it'll be hard for him, especially when he starts going to school. He'll make friends and they'll be curious about his parents... Can he proudly say that I--"

"Ruki," Miwa-nee interrupted my musings with a gentle touch on my arm. "Don't overthink things for now. You're already doing a fantastic job. And when the time comes, we'll deal with it together, okay?"

Her reassurance calmed my nerves a bit. She was right. I was overthinking things again, or rather, I was thinking too far ahead. While it would be inevitable in the future, it's not like we could find a solution to it at the moment.

There would only be two choices. Either we continue hiding it from the public that I'm his biological father or we let someone else, someone possibly more qualified step up or fill in that role for me. And there's only one candidate for that. My own father.

Ah. Right. There could be a third choice. That was to just not give a damn about what the people would say. However, that would definitely be the worst for the kid. ꞦàꞐꝊʙƐṠ

That was a bridge we'd have to cross later.

"Sorry for overthinking, Miwa-nee." I eventually said.

Miwa-nee pinched my cheek and kissed me before giving me a reprimanding look.

"It's not really that bad to talk about it, but Ruki. Let's not easily jump to conclusions, okay? Instead, let's keep having this kind of serious and mature discussion. That way, you'll eventually understand a lot more regarding future decisions. For now, remember that we love you, Ruki. Both Minoru and I. That won't change and I won't ever leave your side again regardless of what's waiting for us in the future."

"Mhm. I'll be in your care, Miwa-nee. Guide your... foolish man."

"Alright. Rule No. 1 for you. No self-deprecation. Instead, I'll tell you if you did something wrong or something isn't quite right. Deal?"

"Deal." I nodded firmly, feeling a weight lifted from my shoulders. Miwa-nee was right. For now, we needed to focus on the present.

We both glanced at the sleeping Minoru, our gazes filled with affection. After that, Miwa-nee turned back to me as she pushed me to the door, "Now, go back downstairs. Those girls are probably plotting something while you're gone. Especially Akane."

I laughed lightly and nodded. She's not wrong. I wonder what's happening there now?

In any case, despite how I ended up getting the lecture, I still pampered Miwa-nee before stepping out of the room and returning downstairs.

When I stepped back into the living room, the scene was unsurprisingly chaotic.

Akane and Eri had commandeered the couch as they playfully argued over who would get to sit closest to me when I came back.

Yep. It was Eri and not Fuyu. I had no idea what gave her the courage to do that. A touch of innocence? Or was she just trying to get the most out of our 'best friend' label?

Speaking of Fuyu, the girl pounced on me the moment I stepped back into the living room. She was like a praying mantis stalking a cicada. She had bided her time to be the one to get the first dibs on me rather than the two bickering girls.

Futaba, on the other hand, was standing by the kitchen counter with her arms crossed. She pouted when she saw me returning and although there wasn't any explanation for why she remained in that spot, my head came up with a theory that she was waiting for all the food she had eaten tonight to go down.

"Well, it looks like I missed something," I said as I approached the couch with Fuyu sticking her tongue out at the two.

"You did!" Eri playfully chimed, her lips curved up into a smirk while ignoring Fuyu's attempt to smugly gloat at them as she patted the spot beside her. "Ruki, sit here. Akane or Fuyu doesn't have to get dibs all the time! Your girl best friend takes priority too!"

Akane, with her quirk clearly acting up, puffed out her cheeks and wrapped her arms around herself dramatically. "Husband, don't listen to her! She's a traitor who keeps trying to steal you away!"

I smilingly shook my head as the slight weariness from the serious talk I had with Miwa-nee dissipated like smoke, "Alright, alright. Let's settle this peacefully."

I walked over and plopped myself between the two before pulling Fuyu down to my lap, effectively ending their argument as the three of them tightly held onto me.

"Problem solved," I added with a smirk.

"How is that problem-solving, Onoda-kun? You just... made things worse. And Eri. Why are you joining them?!" Stomping from the kitchen area, Futaba approached us with her arms crossed, her cheeks flushed red looking both embarrassed and annoyed.

She looked like she just saw something she wasn't supposed to. Or maybe, she was simply upset that she didn't have anywhere to jump in anymore. Who knows?

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