Becoming A Father Figure

Chapter 15: Afraid to Tell

The satisfying dinner left everyone pleasantly full.

Sora and Miu sprawled on the floor, completely drained, while little Hina, her tiny belly content, mimicked her sisters, lounging lazily on the ground, unmoving.

Sora was too worn out to say a word.

Miu, in her languid state, lay on her side, her legs extended in short socks. She cast a glance at Yuuta, who was still enjoying his meal.

"Big brother, it's all your fault. You made Miu eat so much... I can't move now..."

Hina chimed in, "It's all Uncle's fault! Uncle is the worst~"

Yuuta didn't mind Miu's comments, but when he heard Hina joining in, he set down his bowl and addressed her, "Hina, Uncle put in a lot of effort to prepare something delicious for you. How can you say such things? Isn't it tasty when Uncle makes it?"

"It's yummy!" Hina moved her hands and feet playfully, resembling a little turtle on the ground. "But Mommy's cooking is even yummier!"

"In that case, it appears I'll need to keep improving. Enhancing my culinary skills isn't a matter of a day or two. Let's go to a family restaurant tomorrow; Uncle received some advance payment today, so it's a perfect occasion to celebrate."

Hina's face lit up at the idea of going out. "Okay! Hina wants to go out and play with Uncle!"

Sora slowly sat up and addressed Yuuta with a puzzled expression, "Uncle, spending like this will quickly deplete our funds. We must start saving money now."

Miu, known for her practicality, also sat up and regarded Yuuta seriously. "Yeah, big brother, you can't possibly earn enough money for all four of us with your part-time job, can you?"

"Don't worry about money for now, just leave it to me. I went out today to sell a light novel I wrote before, and I'll receive royalties soon. I also have some savings, not much, but enough for a meal."

Yuuta explained, although he didn't want to reveal to the two kids that he was a novelist. However, to put their minds at ease and alleviate their concerns, he decided to share this with them.

"A light novel? Hey, hey! Big brother, let me see your light novel!" Miu exclaimed, crawling on the floor and reaching directly for Yuuta's arm, shaking it excitedly.

Under Sora's watchful gaze, she noticed Miu pressing her chest against Yuuta's arm and immediately scolded, "Miu! Don't disturb uncle's meal!"

Hina tilted her head, lying on the floor and observing her sister and uncle. "Uncle, what is a light novel? Is it delicious?"

"A light novel is a type of story, Hina. Are you feeling sleepy? After dinner, I'll help you take a bath and get ready for bed," Yuuta responded, not delving into a detailed explanation for Hina.

Given the limited space in the bathroom, it was challenging for three people to bathe together effectively, so Hina often followed Yuuta for a bath, which could be managed with just two buckets of water.

"Hina isn't sleepy!" Hina energetically declared.

Yuuta didn't push the matter; children tended to become drowsy fairly quickly. Even an energetic Hina, by seven or eight o'clock, would begin to feel drowsy and want to go to bed.

Miu, however, remained persistent in her inquiry as she sat by Yuuta's side. "Big brother, tell me quickly, what kind of light novel did you write? Show it to us!"

Sora, too, expressed her interest in Yuuta's novel and had a thought. "Uncle being a university student is impressive! Your light novel must be fantastic!"

Miu nodded confidently, "Uncle mentioned he's getting royalties, so it must be a fantastic novel! When it's published, we must buy several copies for our collection!"

Seeing these two admiring girls gazing at him, Yuuta couldn't help but feel extremely embarrassed.

'Konosuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!' is an intriguing novel, but it undeniably includes elements that might be exciting for boys, potentially causing discomfort for girls.

The very reason Yuuta had been reluctant to disclose his involvement in writing novels was precisely due to this awkwardness.

["So, Uncle, you write this kind of novel, huh? With that unimpressive male protagonist and some of those inappropriate scenes, is this what you really think?" Miu questioned.]

["You can write these kinds of plots, and it's a harem novel with one guy and multiple girls! I must have been mistaken about you!" Sora chimed in.]

Yuuta's thoughts were in turmoil. He had limited exposure to otaku culture in the past and didn't want his family to know that he was involved in such writing. From his perspective, crafting these stories was almost as embarrassing as having his family discover that he wrote ecchi novels.

He had teenage girls in his household, and, as an elder figure, producing novels where the protagonists formed relationships with young girls would indeed be deeply shameful, wouldn't it?

He couldn't confess. Revealing this facet of his life would make it hard to face anyone ever again!

How could he maintain his image of righteousness in front of Hina and the two girls going forward?

"You might not understand it; I wrote it in English. Do you know English? Let me teach you how to write English characters, like my name, which is written like this."

Yuuta quickly devised a strategy, leveraging his language skills to shift their focus away from this sensitive topic.

"That's amazing! Big brother knows a foreign language!" Miu admired Yuuta even more.

Sora also gazed at Yuuta with delight. "I didn't realize Uncle was so talented!"

Yuuta awkwardly smiled and stood up. "I'll go wash the dishes; you can take a break."

The world of novel writing seemed like a dark alley he had wandered into!

He couldn't help but ponder how authors who wrote novels involving mothers and sisters managed to face their own family members. It felt like a source of endless embarrassment!