After arriving at our destination I checked my watch and it was a little after 8. They still conduct business until 10 so we have some flexibility. The only problem is if Misaki wonât lose to her sleepiness but when I look at her she seems fine. I wonder if she took a nap.
Putting that aside, maybe because itâs peak hours but compared to before there are a lot of people. While lining up for a little while to buy a ticket, while making sure not to lose Misaki I move towards the dressing room. Of course there isnât mixed bathing but, well, a 5 year old shouldnât be a problem. The clerk didnât stop me either, so itâs definitely fine.
I thrust our stuff in the open locker and diligently remove my clothesâhm
I face Misaki who pulled my boxers, sheâs doing a banzai pose. **TL note: as in both hands raised in the air kind of like a kid that wants to be picked up
âWhat, canât take off your clothes yourself?â
nodnod.
âJeez, donât move around too much ok?â
Really, a brat that canât do anything⊠well nobody taught her anything. But, she knows to brush her teethâŠ.. hmm? What does she know? What doesnât she know? Or maybe, at this age kids donât know how to take off their own clothes? ⊠dunno.
ââŠstill?â
âOh, my bad my bad.â
As I pull off her clothes, an intense smell hits my nose. Buying new clothes was the right decision. **TL Note: this guy has never heard of a laundromat apparently, jeez.
When I was a kid, I heard that after a bath your nose resets but, I didnât think the world would change this much. I should be careful from now on.
âYosh, letâs go.â
âWhatâs up, why are you looking at my crotch?â
ââŠwhatâs that?â
âWhatâs that?â huh?
âMy peepee.â
â(Stranger 1) Oi, that guy just said peepee to his daughter.â
â(Stranger 2) Seriously? What high level.â **TL note: Iâm not sure this comes across well but he basically means that it was a difficult task and he handled it easily so his level must be high
Crap, I wanna die.
ââŠlevel?â
âIâll tell you later. For now letâs go to the bath, the bath.â
nodnod.
While giving my son the stink eye she nods.
âAnyway, stop starinâ.â
âListen Misaki, when a good girl sees a peepee theyâd turn away embarrassed. Got it?â
âYep, so look away embarrased alright? One, two, three.â
ââŠhardâ
Misaki scowls with a serious expression.
ââŠmodel.â **TL Note: the japanese is ăăŠă»ă which I couldnât find a translation for so this is just what makes sense contextually
ââŠmodel.â
She said with a little force, puffing out her cheeks.
âŠoi, are you trying to make fun of my level being called high? You just raised the bar.
âFine by me, Iâll show you.â
The stronger the enemy the more exp you get when you overcome it.
This is for the sake of getting even more exp!
âYosh, then here I go.â
ââŠn.â
Resolving myself I quickly stoop over, and look at Misakiâs crotch.
A pure flowerbud wrapped in pure white that hasnât known any filthinessâah, crap, somehow Iâve just become normally embarrassed.
ââŠn.â
Oh? Did it get across?
Misaki nods and looks at my son again. Then she makes a line with her mouth and slightly lowers her head while her cheeks color a bit and slowly turns away.
ââŠlike that?â
Misaki said looking proud.
Eh, did I really seem like that?
ââŠYou pass.â
In exchange for giving up something important I clench my fist looking at the delighted Misaki.
⊠The exchange rate didnât match.
Â
Â
After this and that we went on to the bath.
It looks a little like a splendid onsen.
Standing in front of all the baths, I grab Misakiâs hand whoâs looking around restlessly and move toward the shower area.
ââŠbath.â
ââŠn.â
Misaki obediently nods while I sit her in a seat-like thing and carefully turn the faucet.
While thinking that I was using my hand to test the temperature, I suddenly noticed.
âMisaki, is this alright?â
âHow about this?â
ââŠn.â
As I thought, Misaki and my feelings were different.
âŠFuu, being able to be this sensitive, Iâm seriously great.
âThen, Iâm gonna wet your hair for the shampoo.â
âW-whatâs wrong!?â
When the water hit her hair, Misaki puts up both hands in resistance.
ââŠhot.â
âNo but, just before you felt with your hand and said it⊠ah.â
Dumbass! The hand and head have different senses!
âSorry Misaki⊠first is shoulder, then neck, then finally the head⊠thatâs common sense.â
Itâs vague but I feel like when I went my parents bathed me they made such considerations⊠shit, Iâm an idiot.
Redoing everything.
From start to end I wash Misakiâs short hair and then put shampoo on both my hands. I apply this to Misakiâs hair⊠h-how should I do it?
Crap, Iâve never washed anyone elseâs, let alone some kidâs, hair. Is it the same as washing mine? But, what if it hurts? ⊠Yosh, Iâll do it nice and soft.
ââŠmn.â
ââŠtickles.â
ââŠn.â
Whatâs with this tension, I havenât felt like this since I argued with my boss.
âŠMisaki, this girl is definitely not some normal kid.
âClose your eyes, alright?â
ââŠn.â
With the strain of putting a string through the eye of a needle, I somehow manage to successfully cover Misakiâs hair in bubbles.
ââŠname.â
â..name.â
ââŠno.â
ââŠyousei?â
ââŠRyou-kun?â
ââŠRyou-kun.â
ââŠRyou-kun, hands, big.â
**TL Note: Small Japanese lesson so you can kind of understand kiddie talk in Japanese. A lot of nouns are repeated by kids and when parents talk to kids. In this case hands is te. So she says otete. The O generally refers to a more respectful tone or referencing something with respect which is also taught to kids for cultural reasons. Similarly from above, penis is chinpo but ochinchin is a very childlike way to refer to it thus peepee. I didnât have a good english version of hands so Iâm making this note. The reason Iâm explaining all this is I think a lot of characterization from dialogue is lost in most translations so I want to do you guys justice.
ââCause Iâm an adult.â
âYeah, if you become an adult you become big.â
âThereâs no way youâll get this big right?â
H-huh? Somehow she seems to be sulking?
ââŠShampoo, bad.â
Sheâs angry!?
âIsnât it fine? Being smaller is cuter.â
âOu.â
ââŠn.â
Yosh, fixed her mood.
âThen, Iâm gonna wash away the soap.â
ââŠslow.â
W-what, what does that mean?
Slow or anything, Iâm just using the bucket from the shower? **TL Note: Think anime bathhouse scenes where they use that bucket
âOu, leave it to me.â
Crap, I said it.
What should I do?
ââŠnot yet?â
Didnât you say slow?!
I got it. Iâll just pour it all over you!
ââŠnn!â
ââŠbad.â
âSorry!â
Dammit! I completely donât get it!
Â
Â
Battling with this and that, the feeling of success from finally reaching the bathtub has faded. Sinking in the reasonably warm bath until my shoulders I let out a long sigh. This feels great.
ââŠbring down.â
ââŠknee.â
ââŠn.â
I lower my knee a little, and was attacked by a soft feeling.
ââŠhard.â
What is this kid doing⊠you just wanted to sit, huh? Thatâs right, with her height if she sits she canât breath, huh.
âThat bath over there would be fine then right?â
ââŠhere.â
Here is fine, huh? Sitting on my lapâŠ. well, itâs in water so itâs probably fine?
⊠I dunno. She says itâs fine so itâs fine.
ââŠwall.â
âWall?â
Another hard to understand code. What does that mean?
ââŠback, hand.â
Hmm? Wall, back, hand⊠ah, like this?
ââŠn.â
I put my hand on Misakiâs small back and feel a slight resistance. It looks like she wanted to lean against something.
ââŠâ
Jeez, closing your eyes looking like it feels so goodâŠ.
If I donât take a bath Misaki will complain about the smell again anyway.
ââŠâ
ââŠâ
The time flows as we relax. I almost lost myself and fell asleep, but if I did that Misaki would sink in the bath so I kept alert. Even though I say that, the sleepiness still comes.
âŠThis feeling, when was the last time I had it?
Spacing out while I hold up this small girl with my right hand, I suddenly thought.
Calming, wasting time at ease, I donât really know but itâs not a bad feeling. For several years, Iâve spent a lot of time spacing out but⊠this is completely different. I wonder why.
As I was wondering, we were arrived at the closing hours and got out of the bathtub.
Next I was lost on what to do with the old clothes, for now I put them in the bag I got from the clothing store. Probably, if I wash them they can still be used.
After finishing my preparations, we aimed for the exit but Misakiâs feet stopped.
âWhatâs up?â
Following Misakiâs eyes, thatâs the trashcan, where I left my old clothes.
ââŠRyou-kun?â
ââŠwhy?â
ââŠwonât use?â
ââŠDonât need, throw away?â
Following the flow I was going to answer, but my words were blocked.
If you donât need it throw it away. Thatâs Misakiâs biggest landmine.
But, if I pick it up here what should I do?
From now on, do I save everything?
I look at Misakiâs expression and her eyes are clouded over as she looks at me worriedly waiting for an answer. Those eyes feel like they held some expectation. The hope that Iâd surely pick up those clothes. If I did that, sheâd definitely be happy.
âŠThereâs no meaning in that.
âYeah thatâs right. If you donât need it throw it out.â
I betrayed her.
Showing that kind of expression she hung her head.
âWe only have 2 hands. If we go holding onto everything weâd fall over.â
I put my hand on her head and ruffle her hair.
After that I get on my knee and look her in the eye, and make an awkward smile.
âThatâs why, you only hold onto the most important things.â
âYeah. Donât every forget your feelings of gratitude.â
âMeans giving thanks.â
Was it a little too difficult? Or maybe I just donât have any persuasive power?
Misaki makes a face saying she doesnât understand.
âŠCanât help it, huh.
I walk to the trashcan, face the smelly clothes and lower my head.
âThank you very much.â
âŠEmbarrassing.
What the hell is this, what am I doing.
ââŠthanks.â
Looking at the voice, by my side Misaki was lowering her head just like me.
Looking at that Misaki slowly raises her head and smiles.
That wasnât the smile of someone just loosening the edges of their mouth.
Her eyes were narrowed as she showed a truly happy expression.