The Assassin Girl Who Stayed by My Side in Another World… Somehow Followed Me Back to Modern Japan - Chapter 23: Bit by Bit

Chapter 23: Bit by Bit

I kept my eyes fixed on the window, doing everything I could to focus on nothing—especially not the very real sensation pressing against my arm.

“Hirotooo! Morning!”

Nothingness. I am nothing.

Besides, the thing pressing into me—yeah, I love her, but still—it’s just my daughter’s body.

There’s nothing weird about this. Nothing at all.

Stay calm, me.

“…Hiroto?”

While I was mentally chanting be the void, Honoka suddenly popped up right in front of me, leaning in like she was trying to peer straight into my soul.

“Uwah!”

“Why are you ignoring me?! …Wait, was even saying hi not allowed?”

“N-No! Sorry, it’s not like that—I was just spacing out and didn’t notice.”

Okay, technically I wasn’t spacing out. I was very actively trying not to think.

But still, I apologized—since from her point of view, I basically looked like I was blanking her.

“Ohh, really? Then let’s try again. Good morning, Hiroto!”

“Yeah. Good morning, Honoka. …What about Hayato?”

“He’s still out with a cold. But he’ll probably be better by tomorrow!”

…Can you really predict that kind of thing?

I mean, I don’t get it—but hey, at least she’s staying positive.

That’s a good thing, so I’ll just roll with it.

“Glad to hear it. I’m looking forward to seeing him.”

“Me too!”

While we were chatting like that, I finally started to forget the feeling of Aira clinging to my arm—

Until, out of nowhere, she tightened her grip even more.

“Huh? Hiroto, what’s wrong? Your face looks kinda red.”

“Eh? Ah—no, I just… it’s a little warm.”

“Warm? This time of year?”

“…………”

Yeah, no. That was a terrible excuse.

It’s definitely not warm right now.

“You were totally lost in thought earlier too… Hiroto, are you worrying about something? If you are, I mean, I can at least listen? I don’t know if I can actually help, but…”

Just as I was starting to panic internally, Honoka looked at me with genuine concern and said that.

…It really did make me happy she cared.

But this wasn’t the kind of thing I could talk about.

“I appreciate it. Really. But I’m not worrying about anything—so don’t worry.”

Okay, yeah. That was kind of a lie.

It’s not like I don’t have any worries… but they’re definitely not the kind you can just casually bring up.

Not even with a close friend.

Because literally every single one of my current problems revolves around Aira.

Sure, part of it’s just wanting to make sure she can live a normal, comfortable life.

But the biggest, most ridiculously unmanageable problem?

Yeah—how the hell do you even begin to deal with your daughter being seriously in love with you as the opposite sex?!

There is no way I can talk to Honoka about that.

I mean, let’s be real—just the fact that I have a daughter at sixteen is already completely insane.

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Okay, that’s good then. Anyway, the bell’s about to ring, so I’m heading back to my seat.”

Honoka turned to walk off…

Or so I thought—until she paused and glanced back with one more question.

“Oh, by the way, I’ve been wondering… what’s up with your arm? You’re sitting kind of weird.”

“…My arm’s just a little sore. Don’t worry about it. I’m fine.”

“Okay!”

With that, Honoka finally returned to her seat.

Once I was sure she was all the way back, I grabbed a pen with my non-dominant hand and scribbled a quick message on the desk.

[Aira, I don’t mind or anything, but could you please let go soon?]

Since I wrote it with my left hand, it came out super messy.

Still, if we kept this up, people were definitely going to get the wrong idea—

…Okay, even more of the wrong idea.

But hey, better late than never, right?

“(…—was close.)”

Aira’s soft whisper tickled my ear again.

This time, though, I was ready for it—so I only flinched a little.

Pretty sure Aira, still clinging to my arm, was the only one who noticed.

…Close? What does she mean by that?

Wait—was she talking about Honoka?

N-No way, right?
I mean, I did make it clear yesterday that Honoka has a boyfriend…

“(…Hiroto, I’ve been wondering since yesterday—are your ears, like, super sensitive?)”

While I was still busy overthinking that whole “close call” comment, Aira suddenly whispered that to me.

…So she wasn’t talking about Honoka?

[They’re not.]

I still wasn’t entirely sure what she meant, but I didn’t want her getting any weird ideas.

So I quickly scribbled back a reply—messy handwriting and all.

“(…Then why does your body twitch every time I whisper like this?)”

[It doesn’t.]

Okay, sure—if she caught me off guard, I might flinch a little.

But now that I know she’s whispering in my ear, no way that’s still happening.

…Also, seriously. Could she not say it like that?

I mean, yeah, I get that she probably doesn’t realize how it sounds, but—

I’m a teenage guy, okay?

When she phrases it like that, it just… sends my brain to weird places.

…Not about Aira, obviously.

She’s my daughter.