Chapter 122: Yuna Comes Home
~~ • ~~
"Papa, I’m home..."
Still only half-awake, I opened my eyes a fraction.
"Yuna?"
I lifted my head.
"How did you get here?"
"Who dropped you off?"
"Hehe..."
Yuna let out a small giggle.
She looked immensely satisfied to have caught me by surprise.
"I surprised you, didn’t I, Papa?"
"Uncle dropped me off."
"Oh..."
I gave a slow nod.
"Where is he now?"
"Uncle?"
"Yeah."
"He left right away."
"He said he had some errands to run and needed to be somewhere."
"Hm..."
I nodded again.
"Well then... welcome back."
I reached out a hand.
And gently tousled her hair.
Her hair, which had grown a bit longer, instantly became a little messy.
Yuna didn’t protest.
Instead, a soft smile appeared on her lips.
"Did you miss me, Papa?"
"Hard to say."
"Ehh..."
Yuna immediately pouted.
I simply walked past her.
And headed back deeper into the apartment.
Yuna followed right behind me.
As soon as the front door closed, she looked around.
"Woah..."
"It’s so dusty in here."
"And we were only gone for a little while."
I glanced down at the floor.
She was right.
A thin layer of dust coated parts of the floor.
Yuna’s little footprints were clearly visible on the boards.
I was too tired to care.
My body still felt utterly shattered.
I made my way back to the futon.
And let myself collapse onto it.
*Thump.
Comfortable.
So comfortable.
Meanwhile, Yuna slipped off her little backpack.
Then, she walked over to the window.
*Clack.
The window slid open.
The late afternoon breeze drifted right in.
The air inside the apartment instantly felt a little fresher.
"Papa."
"Hm?"
"Have you eaten yet?"
I stayed quiet for a few seconds.
Then—
*Growl...
My stomach answered for me.
Yuna immediately turned to look at me.
I just closed my eyes.
"Not yet."
"Oh."
"Then I’ll make you something to eat."
"Do we even have anything left to cook?"
Yuna marched over to the fridge.
Pulled the door open.
And then...
She froze.
"Huh?"
"What’s wrong?"
"There’s nothing in here."
I let out a soft chuckle.
"Told you."
Yuna shut the fridge.
Then, she opened the pantry cupboard.
A few seconds later—
"Ah!"
"Found something!"
"I found something, Papa!"
I cracked one eye open.
"What is it?"
"Instant noodles."
"Do you want some?"
"Sure."
"That works."
I let my eyes slide shut again.
A moment later, I heard the sound of a pot being placed on the stove.
*Clank.
Then, the faucet turning on.
Running water.
Little footsteps pattered back and forth between the kitchen and the living room.
"It feels so much nicer being at home, doesn’t it, Papa...?"
Yuna’s voice drifted in from the kitchen.
It sounded a bit distant.
She was probably waiting for the water to boil.
"Hm," I hummed a vague reply.
Shortly after.
The sound of footsteps drew closer.
Then faded away again.
*Swish...
*Swish...
I opened my eyes just a crack.
It turned out Yuna was sweeping the floor.
Gentle, careful strokes.
Trying to keep the dust from kicking up into the air.
"..."
I wanted to help her.
But my body absolutely refused to move.
My eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
My consciousness began to slip away.
And finally...
I fell asleep.
_
Yuna stopped sweeping.
She glanced over at the futon.
And saw that I had already fallen back asleep.
My breathing was steady.
My body perfectly still.
A soft smile touched her lips.
"I guess Papa really is tired..."
She resumed her sweeping.
Once the floor was clean, she headed back to the kitchen.
The water was at a rolling boil.
She dropped the noodles in.
A few minutes later, they were done.
Yuna had to stand on a small step stool just to reach the stove.
Carefully, she scooped the noodles from the pot.
Drained the water.
And transferred them into a bowl.
Her little hands moved slowly.
With the utmost care.
Terrified of spilling a single drop.
Once she was finished, she climbed down from the stool.
She carried the bowl over to the low table in front of the television.
A table located right next to my futon.
She set the bowl down gently.
Then, she walked over to me.
"Pa..."
No answer.
"Papa..."
Her hands gave my arm a gentle shake.
"Mmm..."
My eyes fluttered open just a fraction.
"What is it, Yuna...?"
"The noodles are ready."
"Yeah..."
I gave the bowl a fleeting glance.
And let my eyes slide shut again.
Yuna stared at me for a long moment.
Then, she let out a soft sigh.
"You really are exhausted, aren’t you, Papa...?"
She stood up.
And stepped closer to me.
One small foot climbed onto my back.
Followed by the other.
I felt a slight weight settle onto my back.
So incredibly light.
I could barely feel it.
Tiny steps.
Slow and rhythmic.
Starting from my lower back.
Moving up to the center.
Then up to my shoulders.
The gentle pressure felt like a massage.
The heavy ache that had built up over the past few days slowly began to melt away.
Yuna stepped carefully.
Walking back down.
Then up again.
Her tiny footprints moved from my shoulders down to my back.
To my waist.
Down my legs.
And then back up again.
It wasn’t heavy at all.
In fact, it was wonderful.
My body felt lighter and lighter.
Sinking into deep relaxation.
The soft rhythm of her little steps seemed to fade into the distance.
My consciousness drifted away with it.
And without even managing to say another word—
I fell fast asleep.
__
[ Sleepyhead ]
A few days later.
It was a warm morning.
A gentle summer breeze drifted through the slightly open window. Sunlight slanted into the room, illuminating the apartment floor and part of the futon I was sleeping on.
"Papa..."
The voice was accompanied by a soft touch on my cheek.
My eyes fluttered open.
Yuna’s face was right in front of me, incredibly close.
Her little hand still rested against my cheek.
"What is it...?"
"Don’t sleep all day, Papa."
"Keep me company..."
"Alright..."
I forced myself to sit up.
And leaned my back against the wall.
My eyelids still felt incredibly heavy.
Yuna stood back up.
And walked over to the low table in front of the television.
Scattered across it were books, a pencil, an eraser, and a few pages of summer homework.
She sat down.
Picked up her pencil.
And went back to writing.
The room fell quiet.
The only sound was her pencil scratching against the paper.
I watched her for a few moments.
Then closed my eyes.
*Just for a minute,* I thought.
But before I knew it...
I drifted back to sleep.
_
A few minutes later.
Yuna glanced over her shoulder.
And sure enough.
I had already fallen asleep.
She immediately raised a hand.
And lightly smacked her own forehead.
"Papa really is a sleepyhead..."
She let out a long sigh.
"Haaah..."
Her index finger began to tap against the table.
*Tap.
*Tap.
*Tap.
Her eyes were still fixed on me.
Then, slowly...
A small smile appeared on her face.
The corners of her lips lifted.
As if an idea had just struck her.
"Hehe..."
Yuna grabbed a ballpoint pen from the table.
She stood up.
And walked slowly over to me.
"What should I draw..."
She crouched beside the futon.
And leaned her face in.
Very close.
So close she could watch the steady rhythm of my breathing.
One hand gripped the pen.
Her other hand gently held my cheek to keep me from moving.
The tip of the pen carefully met my skin.
The first line appeared on my forehead.
Then on my cheek.
Then below my lips.
And finally across my temple.
Yuna drew with absolute focus.
Pulling back every now and then to inspect her work.
Before leaning in to add another line.
"Fufu..."
"This looks better."
She stifled a giggle.
Immensely proud of her masterpiece.
Just then—
*Meow.
*Meow.
*Meeeow.
A cat’s meow rang out close by.
"Hm?"
Yuna’s head snapped up.
She stood up.
Set the pen back on the table.
And walked over to the side of the television.
A phone sat there, plugged into a charger.
Yuna unplugged the cable.
The screen lit up.
And the cat’s meow rang out once more.
_
[ Bardy Louis ]
Yuna tilted her head.
"Mm?"
She narrowed her eyes, trying to read the name flashing on the screen.
"Who is... Barudi Luois?"
She tried to sound the name out slowly.
Then, she pressed the answer button.
*Click.
"Hello?"
Yuna’s voice sounded much quieter than usual.
A man’s voice immediately came through from the other end.
"Itsuki, I’ve got a job for you. It’s close to your place."
"Papa is sleeping."
"Huh?"
Bardy’s voice sounded confused.
"Wake him up."
Yuna immediately turned to look at me.
I was still slumped on the futon.
"Papa is tired. He can’t work."
She explained this with absolute certainty.
"Who am I speaking to?"
"This is Yuna."
"Papa can’t work. He’s just been sleeping since yesterday."
A soft chuckle came through the speaker.
"Oh, so you’re Yuna."
"Yes, I’m Yuna."
"Hey, Yuna."
"What is it?"
"If your papa doesn’t work, you won’t be able to see the festival, you know."
Yuna froze.
Her eyes went wide.
"Festival?"
"Yeah."
"When?"
"Tonight."
"Eh?"
"Tonight. It’s right by your house."
Bardy paused for a moment on purpose.
"Don’t you want to see it?"
"I do!"
The answer burst out of her instantly.
"I want to! I want to! I want to!"
"In that case, wake your papa up. And hand him the phone."
"Okay!"
Yuna immediately spun around.
Her little footsteps pattered over to me.
"Papa!"
Her hands grabbed my arm.
"Papa! Wake up!"
She shook my arm back and forth.
"Papa!"
"Papa!"
I furrowed my brow.
My consciousness slowly drifted back.
I opened my eyes a fraction.
"Mm..."
"Papa!"
Yuna’s face appeared right in front of mine.
Her black hair cascaded down.
Her eyes were sparkling with excitement.
"What is it...?"
"Here!"
Without any explanation, the phone was shoved right into my hand.
I glanced at the screen.
[ Bardy Louis ]
"Hm..."
I brought the phone up to my ear.
"Hey, Itsuki."
"Yeah... I’m awake."
"Good."
"What is it?"
"I’ve got a job for you."
I rubbed my face slowly.
"Where?"
"Near your house."
"When?"
"Tonight."
"What kind of event?"
"A festival."
I fell silent for a moment.
My eyes flicked over to Yuna.
She was sitting right beside the futon.
Staring at me without blinking.
She was listening intently.
"How big is the event?"
"Pretty big."
"How many days?"
"Just one night."
"Hm..."
I let out a sigh.
"Alright."
"So you can do it?"
"Yeah. I can."
"Great."
Bardy sounded relieved.
"I’ll send you the address and the details in a bit."
"Yeah."
"See you tonight."
"See you."
*Click.
The call ended.
I lowered the phone.
Before I could even set it down, Yuna scooted closer.
"Papa!"
"Hm?"
"A summer festival?!"
"Yeah."
"Can I go?"
"You can."
Yuna’s face instantly lit up.
It was practically glowing.
As if she had just won a prize.
"But you should go with your friends, okay?"
"Eh?"
"You don’t want to?"
Yuna thought about it for a second.
Then, she shook her head.
"No."
"Why not?"
"I want to go with you."
I stared at her.
She stared right back.
She didn’t look like she was joking at all.
"Why do you want to tag along with me?"
"I want to watch you work, Papa."
"Hm."
I pushed myself up from the futon.
My back still ached.
My body hadn’t fully recovered yet.
I picked up the coffee mug resting on the low table.
It was still warm.
*Sip.
A blend of bitter and sweet immediately spread across my tongue.
Not bad.
"Why not just invite Mika and Hana?"
"I could do that."
"See?"
"But I still want to watch you work, Papa."
I gave a small nod.
"Alright, then. Suit yourself."
"Yay!"
Yuna sprang to her feet.
"I’m going with you, Papa!"
"Go get ready first."
She stood perfectly straight.
Heels together.
Chest puffed out.
Then, she raised a hand to her temple.
Offering a crisp salute with a deadly serious expression.
"Ready, Boss!"
I stared at her for a few seconds.
Then, I raised a hand.
Not to return the salute.
But to ruffle her hair.
"Eh!"
Her black hair instantly became a mess.
"Papa!"
I felt its texture against my fingers.
Soft.
But a little dry.
Hm.
That reminded me.
We’d run out of shampoo at home a few days ago.
I should probably buy some later while we’re out.
"Papa..."
"What?"
"When a subordinate salutes, the superior is supposed to salute back."
"Is that right?"
"Yes."
"Whose rule is that?"
"My rule."
I nodded slowly.
"In that case..."
I raised my hand.
And offered a lazy, half-hearted salute.
"Ready."
Yuna immediately giggled.
"You’re not being serious, Papa."
"I’m really not."
~~ • ~~
