Chapter 1 – Same Old Morning
The front door rattled as Shin shoved his shoes on with a scowl. Reina followed, her purse on her shoulder, already frowning at the kitchen table.
"You better not screw this up, Yuta," Shin growled.
At the table sat Yuta, legs kicked up, chewing calmly on a piece of toast like he owned the place. His shredded arms flexed with every bite, but his attitude couldn't be lazier.
"Relax, big bro. I'll take good care of her. Go earn the money." He waved dismissively with his free hand.
Reina's eye twitched. Shin looked one second away from throwing his younger brother through the wall.
"Don't worry," Yuta added with a smirk, "Aoi's in safe hands."
That only pissed them off more. They left, slamming the door, their voices still echoing down the hallway. Yuta chuckled to himself, finished his toast, and stretched.
Then he trudged upstairs, pushed open the door to Aoi's room, and flopped on the floor beside her tiny bed. Within minutes, he was out cold.
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A few hours later, Yuta stirred awake. A pair of big eyes were staring down at him.
"...Again?" he muttered, blinking.
As always, Aoi was already awake, crouched beside him, watching like he was her morning cartoon.
"Wash your face," he said, pushing himself up.
The two went through their little routine: washing up side by side, Yuta brushing his teeth lazily while Aoi tried to copy. Then he threw together breakfast—sloppy, but edible—and they ate while watching anime on the couch.
By mid-morning, Yuta sprawled out with a sketchpad while Aoi doodled beside him. Both ended up napping afterward, sunlight streaming through the window.
Lunch was chaos. They tried cooking together. The kitchen exploded with flour, vegetables rolled across the floor, and half the seasonings were gone by the end. Still, Yuta managed to clean it all up, leaving the house spotless if a little emptier in ingredients.
"Hide and seek?" Aoi asked, tugging his sleeve.
Yuta grinned. "You're on."
For the next hour, the house echoed with giggles, Yuta pretending not to notice Aoi's tiny feet sticking out from behind curtains. Eventually, he took her out to the park. They ran, swung, and played until her energy burned out.
By the time they got home, she was half-asleep in his arms. He tucked her into bed and dropped onto the couch, pulling out his phone.
One ring. Two rings. Three rings. Four.
On the fifth try, Shin finally picked up.
"What do you want?" his brother's furious voice snapped through the speaker.
Yuta smirked. "Just checking in. Don't work too hard, old man. Your daughter's happier with me, anyway."
Shin's yell nearly burst the phone speaker. Yuta hung up mid-curse, laughing to himself.
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Evening came. The front door opened, and Reina stepped inside, exhaustion on her face. Aoi jumped up and ran to her, Yuta trailing behind.
"Mama!" Aoi hugged her leg.
Yuta opened his arms as if expecting the same.
Reina smiled sweetly—then kicked him straight in the side.
"Out."
"Never," Yuta laughed, brushing it off.
She sighed, shaking her head. "Fine. Sit down. I'll cook dinner."
Yuta smirked, dropping into a chair like he owned the house. Aoi climbed into his lap.
When Shin finally came home, sweaty from work and frustration still in his veins, he was greeted by the sight of Aoi clinging to Yuta, giggling, while his freeloading brother ignored him completely.
Shin's eye twitched. Again.
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