I Thought This Was a Slice of Life

No matter how much he threw a tantrum, she never cared, simply walking away in silence and still calling him for dinner with gentleness that evening.

Takaki Egawa ran out of the dark room, and the light outside chased away the darkness in an instant.

It wasn't just the family of Takaki Egawa.

Whether in the Japan Administrative District or the Great Hua Administrative District, countless people watching the animation were moved to tears, men and women alike.

Most of the women were sobbing, while the men stubbornly tilted their heads up, resolutely refusing to look in the direction of their daughters or sons.

It wasn't just families; many people watching the animation alone felt a bitter ache in their hearts.

Yuki Kusano was one such person.

Like many others struggling alone in the big city, her eyes blurred with tears.

She remembered how she had used being busy with work as an excuse, and how it had been a long time since she had seen her parents back home.

Her hometown was in a sparsely populated rural area, where the only thing worth mentioning was the beautiful scenery.

So she had run away, heading to Tokyo to chase her dreams.

After working for over a decade, she had finally achieved some success, and although she worked overtime every day, she felt it was worth it for her career.

Yet deep in her heart, there was always an unfillable void.

She had no friends she could truly confide in, no boyfriend to dote on her, and certainly no parents to unconditionally tolerate her.

Everything was so cold.

Everything was so realistic.

Yuki Kusano didn't hate the big city, because she had indeed realized her dreams here.

She knew this was the price.

But watching this episode of the animation, a sudden, deep-seated exhaustion welled up from within her body.

She remembered her father's rough but warm hands, his tanned and stern face that only revealed a smile in front of his family.

She remembered her mother, a plain, plump woman whose cooking was always so ordinary, as unremarkable as her hometown.

But for some reason, Yuki Kusano felt that those ordinary dishes were more delicious than anything she had ever eaten in the big city.

More... nostalgic.

Yuki Kusano hadn't been back home for several years because she was afraid of being pressured to get married.

She realized with a start that she couldn't even remember what her parents looked like the last time she saw them.

She thought of the words of Uesugi Yuichi.

---But, parents are surprisingly easy to grow old.

Yuki Kusano's heart tightened, and she began to worry about their health.

"...Tomorrow, I'll go back for a visit."

Yuki Kusano muttered to herself, her eyes red.

She pulled out a tissue to wipe her eyes, composed herself, and then called her boss to ask for leave.

"Hello, Kusano?"

Yuki Kusano's boss was a middle-aged man of forty-one or forty-two, and his voice sounded muffled at this moment.

"It's me, boss, um... I'd like to..."

"Ask for leave, right?"

"Ah, yes, yes."

"No problem, go ahead."

While Yuki Kusano was still dazed, her boss hung up the phone.

Yuki Kusano didn't know that on the other end of the line...

Her boss silently put down his phone.

The middle-aged man was watching the television in his dark home.

He silently lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.

His hand was trembling.

A tiny red ember flickered in the darkness.

The man stared blankly at the television; the animation was still playing, but he could no longer take it in.

After a long while, he finally made up his mind.

"I should... go back for a visit too..."

"...After arguing for so many years, it's time to make amends."

The man stubbed out his cigarette, stood up, and began to pack his luggage.

Countless similar scenes were unfolding across the Japan Administrative District and the Great Hua Administrative District.

However, most people chose to finish watching the eleventh episode of Alien Baby Hikari-chan before taking any action.

In the plot.

After Uesugi Yuichi finished speaking, a silence fell over the room.

"Uesugi-sensei... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things."

Yuzuki Sasaki was indeed a good girl; she had taken Uesugi Yuichi's advice to heart.

But she remained deeply confused.

"I've thought about it, and I can understand the reasons why my parents are doing this, but, but... I really, really want to keep learning from you, Uesugi-sensei."

Yuzuki said this tactfully, trying her best to show her affection while ensuring Uesugi Yuichi wouldn't discover her true feelings.

"...That is exactly why I am here."

Uesugi Yuichi said, "Conflicts between parents and children are common, and it is not strange for there to be situations where they do not understand each other."

"At times like these, other factors need to intervene."

Uesugi Yuichi stood up, straightened his clothes, and said calmly:

"And this is precisely where a teacher's duty and responsibility lie."

"A teacher, beyond just teaching books, must also nurture the person."

"That is why this profession holds such a lofty status, and why it is so respected."

"Although I am not a teacher at your school, since you call me sensei, I will fulfill my responsibility to the very end."

"This is... the most basic morality of a teacher. Leave it to me, Sasaki. I will definitely make your parents agree to let you continue learning to paint."

"U, Uesugi-sensei!"

Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!

So cool! So incredibly cool! So handsome!

Uesugi-sensei is super cool!

Yuzuki Sasaki's cheeks flushed crimson, and the little person inside her heart was rolling around in excitement.

Section 41 38 A Genius of Communication

"Sasaki, just wait and see."

Uesugi Yuichi smiled confidently, picked up Hikari-chan, and let him fly him back downstairs.

Then, with a determined gaze, he pressed the doorbell.

Footsteps approached, someone stopped behind the door, and Uesugi Yuichi guessed they were looking through the peephole.

Then the footsteps retreated quickly into the house, and faint sounds of conversation drifted out.

Uesugi Yuichi waited for a while, and the door finally opened.

Greeting him were Yuzuki's mother, who looked troubled, and her father, who wore an expression of anger.

Uesugi Yuichi keenly noticed that Yuzuki was sneakily observing from the stairs.

Don't worry, everything will be resolved soon.

He gave Yuzuki a wink.

"Hey, you guy, what exactly... hmm? A baby?"

Yuzuki's father was about to start shouting, but suddenly saw the cute baby in Uesugi Yuichi's arms.

He was a bit stunned—why wasn't this guy playing by the rules?!

Yuzuki's mother turned pale, her body trembling: "C, could this be Yuzuki's son?!!!"

"Idiot! How is that possible! We are with our daughter every day; if she had a child, wouldn't we know?"

Yuzuki's father scolded his wife.

"Ah, sorry. Let me put him down first."

Uesugi Yuichi realized then that it was highly inappropriate to keep holding Hikari-chan.

He placed Hikari-chan on the ground.

Then, he took a deep breath.

The audience in front of their televisions were all waiting for him to turn the tide, guessing how he would persuade Yuzuki's parents.

Uesugi Yuichi smiled with absolute confidence.

In an instant—

Tiger Landing Dogeza!

"I beg of you! Please entrust Sasaki to me—! I will definitely treat her well! (referring to teaching)"

Uesugi Yuichi did not disappoint anyone!

He was still that goofy, handsome middle-aged man!

Uesugi Yuichi screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing throughout the neighborhood.

The surrounding neighbors began to poke their heads out to take a look.

Yuzuki's mother: "???"

Yuzuki's father: "...(silently pulls out a broom)"

Looking like a furious guardian deity, he brandished his weapon and swung it down: "Hey! So you're the scoundrel! You're the one who deceived my daughter! Die!"

"Oof!"

Uesugi Yuichi felt a sharp pain in his back and realized he was being attacked; he agilely covered his head and rolled away repeatedly, dodging left and right.

Yuzuki's father chased after him, swinging the broom.

"Dad! Stop it!"

Seeing that the situation was turning bad, Yuzuki came out to hold her father back.

Her mother did the same, grabbing her husband for fear that something might happen.

Uesugi Yuichi lay on the ground, and only when he saw that Yuzuki's father had stopped chasing him did his panicked heart finally settle.

"Damn it! What on earth is going on? Did I say something wrong?"

He looked completely bewildered.

But lying there wasn't a solution, so Uesugi Yuichi stood up.

He felt this was all a misunderstanding and intended to explain it clearly: "Dad, listen to me!"