The Fourth Period Is Modern Chinese (Continued)

"Eh, b-but I think my brother actually likes it..."

"Ah—well, he's kind of like an old man who stays home all the time..."

Hearing Yuihama mutter that with some hesitation, I took an even bigger hit than Komachi had earlier. The blow was so devastating that even though I was sitting in a chair, my upper body swayed crookedly to one side.

N-No... I didn't start drinking it because it was trendy. Um, I just genuinely liked sweet things like milk tea, and the chewy texture of the pearls was interesting too... Besides, in Taiwan, where it originated, bubble tea had long since become an established drink. It was beyond being described as popular or unpopular... I thought it would gradually become something similar in Japan too... Like the sundae ice cream sold at Mini Stop in summer...

Just as I was desperately defending bubble tea—or perhaps defending old men—Iroha added another blow with casual indifference.

"Old men always like chasing trends from two weeks ago."

"I get it. I think so too... When they come up to you and say, 'This is popular now, right?' it's kind of hard to deal with..."

Yuihama said irritably, her face wearing an expression like she had been thoroughly frightened.

However, Komachi, who was listening nearby, looked even more frightened.

"You two are way too familiar with the ecology of old men..."

"Ah, because of Dad..."

"Right, right, because of Dad."

Hearing Iroha and Yuihama give the same answer, Komachi seemed to realize something and kept muttering under her breath.

"I see... Ohh, so that's how it is..."

What? What was that supposed to mean...? What kind of dads were they talking about...? I didn't really understand, but it was terrifying. Better pretend I hadn't heard anything.

Note: Papa-katsu generally refers to compensated