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School Interview
It was the day of Miho’s elementary school interview and Haruka didn’t think he’d been this nervous since perhaps the day she was born. The school was a private one and according to his research (and the talk of the moms at his daughter’s kindergarten), was the ladder school to one of the better junior and then high schools in the area. Being that it was both an institution that was excellent and not absurdly expensive, it was almost impossible to get an interview but he’d managed by calling in a big favour with a some time client of his. It was all up to Miho now. He knew his daughter was a sharp one but she could be… moody. She was a princess that way.
“Kudo Miho and parent? You may enter the interview room now.”
“Oh were both her parents too busy to come with her?” This was not new. Looking young even for his 25 - almost 26 - years of age, it wasn’t the first time Haruka had to inform people that no, he was not Miho’s older brother or uncle and so on. For a moment he wondered if letting the woman think so would better Miho’s chances of getting into the school. Glancing down at his daughter beside him though, just like before, he knew he could never not own up to his greatest achievement.
“I’m her father,” He smiled and petted Miho’s head proudly. “And I”ll always make time for her even if I’m busy.”
To his relief, the interviewer smiled back and did not seem phased by the information at all. It had happened many times when Miho was a baby that, one moment people were cooing over your adorable child and the next they were giving disapproving looks and moral judgement. He had been embarrassed by a few that thought it was their duty to lecture him but had now learnt not to let it get to him.
Luffy and Nami
Miho rushed through the school gates and practically jumped into her papa’s arms when she spotted him. In her hand she was that week’s mini vocabulary quiz which she waved excitedly in her papa’s face.
“Papa, I did it!” She gloated victoriously.
Haruka was almost crossed-eyed from trying to spot what was written on the paper but grinned when he saw her full marks.
“So you did, kiddo!”
He ruffled her hair playfully while shifting her weight onto his hip so they could head to his car. As they walked she poked his shoulder.
“You promised, remember? You said I could if I got full marks and I got it. Papaaa, you didn’t forget it right?”
“Of course, we’ll stop by the store after lunch, okay?”
The large tank reflected Miho’s wide eyes as she stared at all the fish swimming around the tropical set up. She puffed up her cheeks and gobbled in time with the bubbles supplying the tank with oxygen.
“Which one do you want Miho?”
“I can have just one?” Her eyes didn’t leave the tank where some fish were darting about and others just lazily stroked their way through the water.
“That depends, some fish like to be alone and other fish prefer to have friends.”
“That’s like people.”
“Yeah, it is, isn’t it?”
“I’d be lonely without papa, so I want to have two. Can I?”
In the end, they took home a pair of fancy guppies.
That night during their bath together they imitated their new pets and when Miho went to bed, she could see the fish in their new home on her bedside table.
“Good night, Luffy. Good night, Nami.” She wished the fish, now named after two characters from her papa’s favourite stories. They were actually both male but since Miho was quite pleased with the names, Haruka didn’t feel the need to correct her.
Visitor
When Miho got home, her father had met her at the door with a scary face. It was the face he had when he had to take pictures for a whole day and night and couldn’t sleep or read Miho her bedtime story like usual. At those times, the babysitter stayed over but Miho didn’t like that because she didn’t do the animal voices good like papa did. She liked it when they did their crazy dance before bed to the fox song.
In the living room was a lady in black grown-up clothes, a “suit” like papa said he hates wearing but without the bowtie thing. Miho was sent up to her room with a snack and the new pack of crayons her papa had promised to get her because her old ones had gotten all stubby and because Ichiro in her class ate her favourite green one that smelt like green apple. She had snuck back out and sat at the top of the stairs to try listen in on the hushed voices below.
“...not for up for discussion. You didn’t want to be a parent, remember?”
“It was so unexpected, Haruka and everything happened so fast. I was unmarried and pregnant from an office affair with a boy interning at my office. ”
“I was 21 so--”
“You were 20. Your birthday was a few months before Miho was born. And I was afraid, okay? I wasn’t at a point in my career where I could afford taking care of a baby.”
“I told you I would take care of her and you could work.”
“That wouldn’t have been fair to you.”
“Then why are you here? What’s changed all of a sudden?”