The Story About How I Was Fired From My Company and Then Picked up by a Possessive Streamer With Over 5 Million Subscribers - Chapter 136-137

Chapter 136: A Distorted Family

“Wow…! Is this our new home? It’s so beautiful!”

A few days had passed since Kanna was discharged from the hospital. Right now, it was just Kyoko and me by her side.

It seemed prioritizing Kanna’s mental stability was important, and since she recognized Kyoko and me as her parents, we decided to stay close to her.

Sayaka and Rimei could manage basic household tasks for now, but to be safe, I had explained the situation to Soji, Manaka, Haru, and Yuna, leaving the two in their care.

“This place…?”

“Yes, this is the house we used while searching for Kanna’s parents.”

As she spoke, Kyoko unlocked the door with practiced ease.

“Come on, Kanna, go inside. And don’t forget to wash your hands.”

“I know, I know!”

Unlike her usual mature demeanor, Kanna displayed a childlike tone and behavior as she trotted inside the house.

When I stepped inside, I was greeted by a simple yet oddly nostalgic atmosphere.

“This house… this apartment, was where the two of them lived before Kanna was born. After explaining the circumstances, we borrowed it for her,” Kyoko said.

So Kanna had rented this apartment in addition to her other house? That thought lingered as I placed the luggage we had brought with us.

My eyes were drawn to a shelf. On it was a photo of a young Kanna being held by a man and a woman, both smiling warmly.

“These are… Kanna’s parents.”

“Yes, Haruto and Aoi. If they were still alive, they’d be about fifty now.”

The incident twenty years ago… If the perpetrator had indeed killed them back then, they would have been in their thirties—coincidentally, around Kanna’s current age.

“It’s ironic, isn’t it? Kanna, who was once so small, has grown so much and is now close in age to her parents…”

“Were you acquainted with them, Kyoko?” I asked.

“No, not at all. I only learned about them thanks to Kanna sharing her story with me.”

“You were searching for Kanna’s parents without knowing anything about them?”

“Yes. I thought it would be a way to repay her for hiring me… But for things to end up like this… Was I wrong?”

There was a hint of regret in her voice, leaving me at a loss for words. After all, if Kyoko hadn’t found them, perhaps Kanna could have continued smiling as she always had.

Thinking such irresponsible thoughts made me disgusted with myself. Suddenly, I was embraced from behind.

Kyoko was similarly hugged, and when I turned around, there was Kanna with a pure smile.

“I washed my hands! Hehehe, hug!”

“Goodness, you’re such a little cuddler,” Kyoko said with a wry smile, gently stroking Kanna’s head.

Even though Kanna’s mind had regressed, she seemed happy now. Maybe it was okay to leave things as they were… That thought briefly crossed my mind.

“Dad?”

Kanna’s voice called out to me, and I noticed her looking worried.

“What’s wrong? Is something bothering you?” she asked.

“Oh, no, it’s nothing. Thank you for asking, Kanna.”

“Ugh!”

“Ow, ow, ow!?”

“My name is Kanna, not Kanna-san!”

She pulled my ear roughly as she said this. Right, I thought. In her current state, she sees me as her father. Using formalities must have upset her.

Kyoko, noticing this, gave me a sharp glare. Ugh… Did she really have to glare like that?

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. Forgive me.”

“Then call me Kanna! And you’re not cool at all right now, Dad!”

“Ugh!”

Her relentless verbal assault struck a critical blow to my heart. The damage was immense.

(Does she want me to treat her like Sayaka and Rimei?)

Maybe it was because of the way I spoke formally to her. I tried to be careful around her, but this sudden change was tough to adjust to.

“You have to do it,” Kyoko whispered softly in my ear.

When I glanced at her, she was looking at me with pleading eyes.

“Please… help me.”

Her voice sounded desperate. Honestly, I didn’t know what the right thing to do was. But I also couldn’t deny that part of me wished for Kanna to return to her old self.

“I’m sorry. I won’t do it again, so please forgive me… Kanna.”

“Okay. I forgive you.”

“Haha, thank you.”

When I stroked her head, Kanna pouted but seemed pleased, narrowing her eyes in contentment.

…I’ll play the role. Just for now, I’ll set myself aside for her sake.

Thus began our distorted family life.

—

Chapter 137: A Couple Who Loves Their Daughter

“…Well, I’m off to work. Take care of Kanna, okay, dear?”

“Sure. You should be careful too.”

“Mom, have a great day!”

Reacting to Kanna’s cheerful voice, Kyoko waved at her before closing the door and heading off to work.

By the way, Kyoko and I decided to call each other “Mom” and “Dad.” It was apparently to make our roles as a couple seem more convincing.

“…Dad, are you really staying home with me all day today?”

“Yeah. I took some time off. I’ll be with you for a while.”

Kanna’s face brightened up immediately. Seeing her happy made me feel both glad and a little guilty.

“Then, let’s play!”

Pulling on my hand, Kanna urged me toward the house. She’s always been a bit pushy, hasn’t she? Smiling at the thought, I followed her from the entrance into one of the rooms.

This apartment has two bedrooms and a living room-dining-kitchen combo. When we entered one of the rooms, I noticed it was decorated with stuffed animals and other cute items.

“What’s this?”

“Oh, this? Mom gave it to me when we came here! It’s super cute, and because it’s from her, I treasure it!”

As she spoke, Kanna hugged a slightly worn-out stuffed bear.

It was likely something her real parents had given her. Their love and care for her were evident.

“…Kanna, do you remember why you were in the hospital?”

I asked cautiously. Kanna shook her head.

“I don’t really know. When I realized it, I was already lying in bed, and Mom, Dad… and Sayaka-chan and Rimei-chan were there too.”

“…What do you think of Mom and Dad?”

“Huh? Why are you asking that?”

“I just wanted to know how you feel about us.”

“Well… Mom is super kind! She strokes my head and hugs me every day! But when she gets angry, it’s so scary!”

Her mother… She must be a very caring person. Hearing this much was enough to understand how much she cherished Kanna.

“And Dad is really kind and super cool! He’s like a prince who always helps me when I’m crying!”

Her father must be a strong person. Lending a hand whenever she’s in tears—it’s just as Kanna described, like a prince.

“When I grow up, I’m going to marry Dad!”

“…Is that so? Then you’ll need to grow up properly.”

I patted Kanna’s head as I spoke. Normally, such a declaration might fluster me, but seeing her pure expression filled me with a strange sense of protectiveness.

So this is how Kanna’s father must have felt while watching over her. But even as I considered this, I couldn’t shake a feeling of discomfort.

“Oh right, today’s a day for playing with Dad! Geez, you keep asking weird questions!”

“Haha, sorry, sorry. Let’s play together all day today.”

“Okay!”

And so, we decided to play all sorts of games.

We played with dolls, did make-believe cooking, and other activities typical of a five-year-old. Though I was somewhat perplexed, I managed to keep up and play along with her.

(…She doesn’t play video games, huh.)

Even then, I couldn’t help but sense a faint loneliness in Kanna. It wasn’t my imagination.

By the time we finished playing, evening had fallen. Kanna had fallen fast asleep, and I was completely exhausted.

“…Taking care of a child is tough.”

I felt like I’d gained a small understanding of what it meant to be a parent, and at the same time, I started to truly appreciate how amazing parents are.