Chapter 64 - Didn't know raising a daughter is this difficult

"Rie!" Umezaki Yushiro finds the bed empty. His daughter left the house again. "Did she go to the gaming arcade again?"

There is no telling when the seal on the pandora box of memories is broken. Umezaki Yushiro prays every day that it's never broken to let his daughter live happily.

"Professor, you should cut some slack. She gets bored staying at home all day." Yuhara Kozue hides his face behind the book. "She didn't tell me where she went."

Umezaki Yushiro sits down on the bed with tiredness. It's been two years since he brought her to H island. After two months of the fire, she woke up with no memories. She didn't even know her name. Umezaki Yushiro took that opportunity to give her a new life.

However, he didn't know that she would start running the moment she learns to walk again.

"I didn't know raising a daughter is this difficult."

"Technically, she is an a.d.u.l.t. You spoil her too much."

"She's my daughter. I will spoil her as much as I want." Umezaki Yushiro glares at his student. "Did you start writing your thesis?"

Kozue stares at the ceiling. "My gynophobia is not cured. So, I don't think that I am ready to graduate... So... "

"You just want to freeload at my home, Yuhara." Umezaki Yushiro cracks his knuckles. "Don't lie to me. I saw you sitting beside my daughter and laughing at her jokes. If you ever think of dating my precious daughter, I will make you graduate faster."

It's only been 3 years. He won't give away his daughter to another man so soon.

Yuhara must be the only graduate student in the world who is scared of graduating faster. "Professor, I don't even see her as a woman. That is the only reason why I can sit closer to her without any discomfort. When it's the other women, it comes back. I swear. If I ever date, I will not date anyone like her."

Umezaki Yushiro is irked. "Why you won't date anyone like her, brat? What's wrong with her? She's the most perfect girl in the world."

"But, Professor, you just told me that you would throw me out if I date her." Yuhara is confused. "Then, can I see her as a woman or not?"

Umezaki Yushiro picks up his sandal. "Come here. I will tell you whether you can see her as a woman or not. You dare to lie about your gynophobia to me. You should be writing your thesis instead of thinking of my only daughter as a woman."

The professor chases his student around the house with a sandal in his hand.

***

"The winner is..." The announcer stares at the name. "U_413."

Dressed in an orange jacket with cat ears and funny glasses, U_413 comes to the stage proudly and takes the prize. The announcer looks at the girl. "How old are you?"

"150." She waves her hand. "Maybe, I am 99. What does that get to do with you? There is no age limit."

"I am sorry." The announcer apologizes. That's actually the case. There is no upper age limit currently in esports. It's a good opportunity to recruit this hidden gem. The purpose of the tournament was to find hidden gems from different parts of the country.

"Are you interested in -"

The announcer is not affected by her arrogant behavior. She has all the rights to be arrogant.

"Get information about U_413. We will try to recruit her as a member of Team A."

***

I stop Yuhara's scooter in front of the food stall. "Aunty, do you have fish sticks?"

"Rie chan, your father was here a while ago." She packs 15 fish sticks and gives it to me. "He is furious. Go home quickly."

"Thank you, Aunty." I chuckle and go to my house. My father is probably not at home. I park the scooter and quietly make my way into the house.

"Umezaki san, you are back." Yuhara is sitting on his knees and balancing three thick books on his head. "I am getting punished because of you."

I laugh. "What will happen if the books fall?"

"He will make me write my thesis." Yuhara looks like he will cry. "Why did you run to play again? We have all the games in the house."

"I wanted to play with people who knew how to play." I pick up the books from his head and drops in on the floor. "I brought fish sticks. Do you want to eat?"

Yuhara stands up. His knees hurt. "Umezaki san, don't do that again. Professor Umezaki is extremely worried about you. You still need to take your medicine."

It's been two years since I was saved from the fire. In that fire, I also lost my memories. I woke up after two months and found my father beside me. He stayed beside me the whole time. He helped me stand up on my feet slowly. Sometimes, I wonder what I left behind in that fire. But, my father told me that past held no value. Only the present matters to build the future that I want.

However, he is always worried about me. I am sure that I am physically fine, but he would make me eat vitamins or some health tonics.

"Take this." I give the fish stick to Yuhara. I take one and bite into it. "Call my father and tell him that I am at home."

Yuhara sighs. "Let eat these fish stick peacefully."

"Leave some for him. He loves them."

Yuhara sets aside 6 of them. My father is a big eater. "I am going to die because of you and professor."

"You should write your thesis and leave." I stare at him. "I think that I would miss your scooter more than you."

Yuhara frowns. "Umezaki san, is that the only value I have in your life? How many times have I helped you leave the house to play games at the arcade?"

I start counting it in my head. It couldn't be more than...

"YUHARA!" My father steps inside the house. "So, it was you who was behind it. Instead of writing the thesis, you are -"

I run to him and shove a fish stick in his mouth. He blinks at me with surprise. I give him a big hug.

"Father, do you like it?"

The anger in his eyes vanishes instantly. "I will not forget that you stayed out at night again."

"If I tell you that I brought a prize, will you be happy?" I grin at him. "I defeated all of them and won 10k dollar prize. Aren't we going to celebrate my victory?"

He looks at me seriously. "It's only been two years. You should take the stress. Why do you insist on playing for money? I have been invited to teach at JHKP university. How about enrolling in the same university? If you don't like it, I will send you to another college."

"Father, I don't like studying. I am already 28." I make a face. "I will be too old in the class."

"That's not true." Yuhara says to me, "There are a lot of old students. I heard that there was once an 85 years old student who came to finish his bachelor degree. You look young, Umezaki san. If you want to enroll, I will also enroll in a course. Then, we will be a classmate."

"Yuhara, you can't even finish your thesis and you want to become her classmate." My father picks up his sandal. "You lazy student of mine!"

"Professor, don't misunderstand. I didn't mean it that way. I only wanted to make her feel at ease."

"You big liar! Come back here."