Chapter 3: For My Daughter, Capture Her!
"Even though I still feel a bit off, Moeha, you'll stay here tonight... Uh, for bathing, you don't seem to have a change of clothes. How about this, I'll take you to buy some tomorrow..."
Looking at the Little Girl obediently sitting on the sofa, Aragaki Takiya still felt a bit unaccustomed, but he couldn't deny that her arrival had brought a touch of life to the home. Although he didn't know how to take care of Children, her appearance also gave him an opportunity to learn.
"But if that's the case, the money I earn from my part-time job might be a bit stretched."
While Aragaki Takiya was pondering the issue of living expenses, Aragaki Moeha, who was beside him, seemed to sense that her father had something on his mind. For a moment, she didn't know what to do, but fortunately, she remembered how she used to comfort her mother. So she stood up from the sofa and placed her father's hand against her cheek.
"This is..."
Aragaki Takiya, feeling a warmth in his hand, came back to his senses, only to find that the Loli, who had been sitting obediently on the sofa, was now in front of him, pressing her soft cheek into his palm.
In that instant, Aragaki Takiya's previously worried mood vanished without a trace, replaced by a strange feeling. He didn't dislike this feeling, but the last time he felt this way was when he was with another White-Haired Loli... "Nah, it's okay, big brother... uh, Dad is thinking about a part-time job, so you can stay here for now. This will be your home from now on."
Aragaki Takiya, who had initially intended to say "big brother," immediately corrected himself after feeling the pressure on his palm. Similarly, after saying the word "Dad," he also saw Aragaki Moeha's smile. How should he put it? Even without the filter of her being his daughter, he still felt that a Children's smile was the most beautiful thing in the world.
"Alright, since it's decided, uh... what do I do next?"
Looking at Aragaki Moeha, who was smiling at him, Aragaki Takiya, who had just made a promise, suddenly felt at a loss. What to do next? He had no experience in this area. Or... "Oh, I almost forgot the most important thing!"
Looking at the Little Girl in front of him, although he could basically confirm she was his daughter, Aragaki Takiya still wanted to confirm some things through her. And most importantly, how did he and Eriri, two people who weren't very familiar, end up together? All of this made his curiosity grow wildly.
"Right, Moeha, look at me. I want to ask you some things..."
Hearing her father call her, Aragaki Moeha immediately perked up. She hadn't seen her father in a long time. If it weren't for the memories assisting her, she might have missed him today. So now, she was very attentive to her father's words.
"Um, can you tell me about your mother? And how we met."
Looking at Aragaki Moeha's serious expression, Aragaki Takiya asked earnestly. Although he had some interaction with Eriri in elementary school, compared to her, he seemed even less significant. After all, she had been friends for a while, while he might have just been a passerby from beginning to end.
"Dad and Mom..."
Listening to her father's question, Aragaki Moeha's mind couldn't help but recall past events. Back then, Dad and Mom... "I don't know, because I never deliberately tried to understand, and then later Dad..."
Aragaki Moeha's voice suddenly became low, as if she had thought of something bad, and tears even welled up in her eyes.
"Huh? Me? Did I do something wrong?"
Seeing her about to cry, Aragaki Takiya quickly spoke to comfort her, but at the same time, a hint of doubt arose in his heart. Although Children often cried, was his daughter a bit too prone to crying?
"No, Dad didn't do anything wrong, it's just..."
Aragaki Moeha said, wiping away the tears from her eyes.
"For a while, Dad never came home, and Mom was almost never home either. Usually, only Grandma accompanied me. At that time, I even asked Grandma why Dad and Mom weren't coming home..."
Hearing this, Aragaki Takiya gradually understood. If he wasn't mistaken, it was likely that either he or Eriri had a problem. As for what kind of problem... "Later, I found out that they said Dad was sick and had to go to a very distant place to recuperate. After that, I never saw Dad again."
After saying this, the somewhat scared Aragaki Moeha directly hugged Aragaki Takiya. She loved her parents very much, and they were very happy when they were together. So now, she just wanted to find her mother quickly, and then the family of three could live happily together.
"Is that so..."
Feeling the trembling Little Girl hugging him, Aragaki Takiya gradually clarified some future developments, but during this time, a subtle feeling also arose in his heart. How should he put it? To die of illness in the prime of his life, Aragaki Takiya was very dissatisfied with this.
"But Moeha, think carefully about how you got here. I'm only a High School Student now, there must be something different from the Dad you remember."
The young man comforted her softly.
"I don't know, I only remember that Mom didn't come home that day, and Grandma also said she had something to go out for. Later, I lay in my room sleeping, and when I woke up, I found myself outside. Then it rained, so I ran into the hallway to shelter from the rain..."
"If that's the case, is it a coincidence?"
Looking at the Loli with tears still on her face, Aragaki Takiya no longer doubted. However, if she really traveled from the future, then his current mission was to capture her mother and ensure the smooth progression of history?
Aragaki Takiya thought about the last time he saw Eriri surrounded by many girls chatting at school, and he shook his head. To reveal everything in that situation would be tantamount to self-destruction, and bringing Aragaki Moeha out might also have adverse effects. So, everything still needed to be considered carefully.
"Forget it, let's not think about it so much for now. Moeha, you can stay here for now. For sleeping, you can sleep in my bed. Uh, I'll figure out the rest later..."
Comforting the somewhat frightened Loli, Aragaki Takiya silently recalled everything that had just happened. So, his current mission was to capture his future wife for his daughter?