Accidentally become a father-Chapter 66: Bitter Things

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The program on the TV changed.

Now it was a quiz show.

Colorful lights flashed on the screen.

Yuna watched it very seriously.

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After a few minutes, I stood up.

I picked up my coffee mug.

Then walked to the window.

I cracked the window open a little.

The cold air slipped in.

Yuna immediately looked over.

"...Papa."

"Hm."

"Why did you open it?"

"To let the air out."

She watched me pull a cigarette from my pocket.

Then looked at the window again.

"...oh."

I lit the cigarette.

A thin trail of smoke drifted upward.

Yuna watched it.

Her eyes traced the smoke as it moved higher.

"...Papa."

"Hm."

"That smells."

"Yes."

"Why do you smoke it?"

I answered briefly.

"Habit."

She thought for a moment.

"...does it taste good?"

"No."

She immediately looked confused.

"...no?"

"It’s bitter."

Yuna tilted her head.

"If it’s bitter... why?"

---

I exhaled the smoke toward the window.

"Adults often do unnecessary things."

She stared at me for a few seconds.

Then said very honestly,

"...strange."

I didn’t deny it.

Yuna sipped her chocolate again.

Then looked at my coffee mug.

"...coffee is also bitter."

"Yes."

"Do you like bitter things, Papa?"

"Not always."

"Then why drink it?"

"So I don’t get sleepy."

She thought about that.

"...chocolate can do that too."

"It’s not enough."

She looked dissatisfied with that answer.

Then she stared at the empty noodle bowl on the table.

"...instant noodles aren’t bitter."

"True."

"They’re good."

"Yes."

She looked at me again.

"...that means instant noodles are better than cigarettes."

I exhaled smoke again.

"A logical conclusion."

Yuna looked satisfied.

She leaned back against the kotatsu.

---

Half of her body sank back beneath the blanket.

The TV was still on.

A quiz contestant answered a question wrong.

A loud buzzer sounded.

Yuna gave a small laugh.

Then she looked at me again.

"...Papa."

"Hm."

"When I grow up..."

She paused for a moment.

"...I don’t want to smoke."

"That’s a good choice."

"And I don’t want bitter coffee."

"That’s fine too."

She nodded.

"...but instant noodles are okay."

I said flatly,

"Sometimes."

---

She drank her chocolate again.

Her mug was almost empty now.

For a few seconds, she just watched TV.

Then suddenly she spoke again.

"...Papa."

"Hm."

"If it rains again..."

I looked at her.

"What?"

She smiled a little.

"...can we play in the rain again?"

I thought about it for a moment.

Then answered briefly.

"If there is no lightning."

Yuna looked very satisfied with that answer.

She leaned deeper into the kotatsu.

Her eyes were still on the TV.

But her movements were starting to slow down.

Like someone who was getting sleepy without even realizing it.

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