The next morning.

Upon hearing about the incident from my mother, Papa exclaimed,

"Yume, if that's the case, leave it to Papa!"

With an aura that seemed to convey the words "top of the class in a prestigious university's humanities department," Papa confidently asserted to me!

"Hehehe, tonight should be interesting," he said as he headed to the municipal office.

At kindergarten, I was immersed in reading picture books.

Books were just so fascinating to me.

Sometimes I played outside, but books were still more interesting!

Furthermore, I had more time to daydream? (that's what I think).

I rode the school bus home.

As usual, Mama greeted me when I arrived.

"What did you play today?" or

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"What do you want to eat today?" - just casual conversation.

Straight to the TV when I got home!

There was an anime I wanted to watch!

It's about magical girls fighting evil, but the transformation scenes are just so cute!

I would mimic the transformation pose, "Exquisite Flash!" raising my right hand, and even made items out of paper (which Papa later bought for me) to play with.

In the evening, Papa came home.

"Papa, welcome home!" I hugged him, and Papa, his work fatigue seemingly vanished, hugged me back with a beaming smile.

Tonight's dinner was curry rice. With naan.

Mama's pride curry, made from spices, was also one of my favorites! I'd start with naan, then add rice on top - a two-tiered approach. It filled me up nicely.

After finishing dinner and drinking milk,

"Yume, take a look at this!"

A stack of copy paper was placed with a thud.

"Papa, what's this?"

"Hehehe, it's a novel I wrote for you, Yume."

So, with Papa puffing up his chest,

"Did you do your work, Papa?" Mama was worried.

That night.

"From tonight, Papa will read to you."

Papa was enthusiastic. But,

His unfamiliar storytelling was more like noise.

When I asked him to let Mama do it instead,

"Why am I no good at this~" he said,

tears streaming, as he switched with Mama.

Papa, truly a top of the class in humanities!

It didn't start with "Once upon a time"!

No grandpas and grandmas!

Just that was enough to excite me!

I had trouble sleeping that night...