Accidentally become a father-Chapter 60: Information from Television

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I stared at Yuna for a few seconds.

Water was still dripping from her hair.

She had not changed out of her uniform yet.

A few drops fell onto the bathroom floor.

"...I have never taken a shower by myself."

I answered briefly.

"Now you will learn."

She looked at the shower.

Then looked back at me.

"...by myself?"

"Yes."

She appeared to be thinking hard.

Her hands were still gripping the edge of the towel.

"...what if the soap gets in my eyes?"

"Rinse them."

"...what if the water is too hot?"

"Turn it to the left."

"...what if it is too cold?"

"Turn it to the right."

She fell silent again.

---

It seemed she was processing the information one piece at a time.

Then she spoke again,

"...Papa."

"Hm."

"What if I fall?"

"The floor is not slippery."

She looked down at the bathroom floor.

Then shuffled her foot slightly.

Testing it.

"...it is a little slippery."

"A little."

She stared at the shower again.

Then stared at me.

"...did Papa shower by yourself when you were little?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"I do not remember."

She tilted her head.

"...weird."

"Why?"

"Because usually on TV... families bathe together."

I let out a small sigh.

"Television often oversimplifies reality."

She did not look like she understood that sentence.

But she kept trying to explain. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"In the anime I watch... the father helps wash their hair."

She raised her hands.

As if demonstrating.

"Then the child says, ’thank you, Papa.’"

I remained silent.

She continued.

"And it is like that in soap commercials, too."

She pointed at her own hair.

"The father helps rinse it."

I answered briefly.

"That is a commercial."

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Yuna looked at me.

"...so it is a lie?"

"Not always."

"But not always true."

She thought for a moment.

Then said quietly,

"...my friend said so, too."

"Which friend?"

"Miho."

She twisted the end of the towel in her hands.

"She said when she was little, she would often bathe with her papa."

I asked,

"When she was little?"

"Yes."

She stared at me.

"...I am still little, too."

I did not answer immediately.

---

Yuna stood quietly at the bathroom door.

Water was still dripping from her hair.

Then she spoke in a very small voice.

"...Papa."

"Hm."

"...if I shower by myself..."

She stopped.

"...I am scared the soap will get in my eyes."

I looked at her.

Her expression was not dramatic.

She was not crying.

She merely looked hesitant.

Like someone who had never tried something before.

She added quickly,

"...Papa doesn’t need to help."

I waited for her next sentence.

"...Papa just has to... stay right there."

She pointed to the corner of the bathroom.

"So if I do it wrong... Papa will know."

I shook my head slightly.

"No."

My answer was too fast.

Yuna blinked.

"...I can’t?"

"No."

She stared at the bathroom floor.

A few seconds of silence.

Then she said quietly,

"...oh."

There was no drama.

There was no crying.

She simply gripped her towel tighter.

And looked at the shower again.

As if trying to decide whether she was truly brave enough to shower by herself.

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