I Thought This Was a Slice of Life

"Alright!"

The five little girls answered in unison and began tidying up with Shuya.

At this moment, Shuya also started to feel nervous.

Their mother, Rena, was coming back.

Shuya's little heart began to thump wildly.

...I have to talk to Rena properly today and leave a good impression!

Shuya clenched his small fists.

After tidying up, Shuya heard the sound of the front door opening.

A beautiful voice drifted over:

"Ichika, Nino, Miku, Yotsuba, Itsuki, I'm home. Hm...? Is Shu-chan here too?"

"Mom!"

"Mommy!"

"Welcome back."

"Mom, I missed you so much!"

"Mom, listen, Shu-chan brought a super pretty cake today!"

"H-h-hello!"

The Quintuplets rushed out, and Shuya went to greet her as well, his speech slightly stuttering.

Just as he stepped out of the living room, Shuya saw a mature and beautiful woman crouching down, hugging the five little sisters.

The twilight sun spilled down, and in the golden glow, one large figure and five small ones embraced.

It was as beautiful as a painting.

Section 8 True Love

Seven o'clock in the evening.

"Shu-chan, I've been troubling you so much lately. They must be quite noisy, right?"

Rena apologized to Shuya, who was helping her wash the dishes nearby.

"Not at all. Kids this age should be lively. Besides, I got to have dinner here too."

Shuya stayed sharp, terrified of saying the wrong thing.

Hearing his old-fashioned tone, Rena couldn't help but smile gently and said, "Shu-chan is about the same age as them... besides, such a simple dinner can't compare to the cake you brought."

Shuya didn't respond to her last sentence, only saying:

"It's not strange. I've never really been like a child."

Shuya flashed a toothy grin: "My mental age is that of an adult, Rena-nee."

Even though no one believes me, I really am an adult, Shuya sighed inwardly.

"That's truly impressive."

Rena curled her lips, wiping the dishes absentmindedly while tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Shuya was struck by her effortless beauty.

Although he had heard that Rena was cold and stern while working at the school, at home, she acted completely differently from the rumors.

Beautiful as a flower, gentle and considerate—she was a perfect woman.

Afraid of making a fool of himself, Shuya quickly lowered his head to wash the dishes.

"Hm? Ichika and the others have fallen asleep."

Rena said suddenly.

"Oh, let me see... you're right. They must be tired from playing."

Shuya said, "After we finished the cake this afternoon, I played house with them for a while."

"Thank you so much, Shu-chan."

Rena let out a sigh, put the last pair of chopsticks away, and dried her hands.

"Shu-chan, why don't you chat with me for a bit before heading back? Go sit down for a moment, I'll bring you some tea."

Rena's slender hands pressed onto Shuya's shoulders, pushing him out of the cramped kitchen.

"Rena-nee..."

In the living room, Shuya sat on a chair, watching Rena's back. Her straight posture seemed to carry a hint of fragility.

Shuya knew her stress had always been immense.

Her husband had passed away early, and she was raising five daughters alone. In a place like the Japan Administrative District where the cost of living was high, surviving on a single salary was, by any measure, far from enough.

The reason the Quintuplets were so happy about the cake he brought was that, if he hadn't brought it, they wouldn't have been able to afford it at all.

Why were the Quintuplets not in nursery school or kindergarten even though they were already five years old?

Because there was no money.

Fortunately, Rena was a teacher, so educating her daughters was not difficult.

Inoue Hikoo and Hanazawa Sakura also often found excuses to give them little things, and Rena never turned them away.

Shuya knew that Rena was a proud person at her core; such people never easily accepted charity from others.

But for the sake of her daughters, she could cast aside her own pride.

Even if she had to lose face, she would still provide better conditions for her daughters...

Maternal love...

Shuya forced himself to stop thinking about it; he was afraid he would end up crying like a dog.

However, he did not pity Rena.

He knew she did not need it, and that would be a sign of disrespect toward someone who worked so hard.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Rena brought over two cups of clear tea.

"I apologize, we only have this coarse tea."

"It doesn't matter; what matters most is who you're drinking with."

Shuya said it without missing a beat.

"Hehe, Shu-chan is so mature." Rena was amused and gently tapped Shuya on the forehead, blinking her eyes: "But you shouldn't say such flirtatious things to women so casually, you know."

Shuya smiled warmly: "Mm! I only say it to Rena-nee."

"You child, really... well, alright."

Rena gave up; she had lost count of how many times they had interacted like this.

She opened her mouth and said: "Um... could you tell me, how were they today?"

"Of course, let me tell you, they were so happy today..."

Shuya chatted with Rena about the Quintuplets, who were currently sleeping like five little piglets.

The smile on Rena's face grew wider and wider.

Shuya then went on to talk about how his parents had set him up, hoping to gain some sympathy.

It wasn't until nine o'clock in the evening, when Shuya started to feel exhausted, that Rena finally stopped.

"Let's leave it at that for today; Shu-chan should go back and get some sleep."

"I suppose so."

After all, Shuya was still in a child's body and needed sleep.

"Then I'll be heading off now, I'll come back tomorrow."

"Mm, I'll see you out."

Rena walked Shuya all the way to the door.

She watched as Shuya sat at the entryway, taking off his slippers and putting on his small shoes.

"...Shu-chan."

"!"

Shuya's entire body stiffened as he felt himself being hugged from behind. Two soft mounds pressed against the back of his head, and his nose caught a whiff of a faint, lingering fragrance.

...It's a good thing I'm a child, I can handle this!

...Why am I a child? I don't want to handle this!

Shuya roared repeatedly in his heart.

In reality, Shuya was stammering and unable to say a word.

Rena whispered gently in his ear: "Coming over every single day, you've really worked hard, Shu-chan."

"Ah... that... mm... no, not at all."

"With someone like you who likes them so much around, I can rest easy."

Rena's words seemed to carry a hidden meaning, yet they also seemed like they were spoken without a second thought.

However, Shuya did not notice any of this; after hearing those words, he suddenly lost all his energy and felt a sudden sense of listlessness.

"Get home safely."

Rena affectionately kissed him on his small cheek.

"Ah, wu... mm."

Shuya's mood sank even further.

He broke free from Rena's embrace and ran to open the door.

"Hehe, are you shy? Honestly."

Rena knelt on the floor, observing Shuya's reaction as if she found it quite amusing.

"Sigh, big sister Rena."

Shuya gripped the door and gritted his teeth. After two seconds of silence and an incredibly complex internal struggle, he suddenly turned around. Suppressing his trembling voice, he asked as if trying to sound casual:

"Um... in your heart, am I just the kid from next door?"

"?"

Rena raised her willow-leaf eyebrows. After a moment of thought, she suddenly broke into a smile, staring right at Shuya.

Shuya was so nervous that he broke out in goosebumps.

No, no, no, don't tell me she figured it out?!

Damn it! Why did I even ask that!

While he was dying of nervousness, Rena's eyes crinkled with a smile: "Me? I... have always looked at you as a son-in-law."

Shuya's expression turned flustered instantly: "I-I-I, I'm leaving first!"

He hurriedly shut the door, leaving Rena behind to cover her mouth and laugh.

"Sigh..."

The moment the door closed, the flustered look on Shuya's face vanished instantly.

He leaned against the door.

He tilted his head back, resting it against the cool door panel.