Chapter 04: Dignity at Stake
Sora grappled with how to convey to Hina that their parents were no longer part of their lives. She turned towards her younger sister and gently said, "Hina, we can't return to our old home anymore."
As the elder sister, Sora bore the weight of numerous responsibilities.
Hina was still quite young and couldn't quite comprehend the situation. She gazed at her sisters with a furrowed brow, puzzled by the unfolding circumstances.
"Why not?" Hina inquired with innocence.
Sora found it challenging to explain the situation in a manner that Hina could grasp. She replied, "Even if I tried to explain, Hina, I'm not certain you'd understand. But what's important is that from today onward, this is our new home."
Though she couldn't fully fathom the situation, Hina was a compliant child and nodded, saying, "Okay, I understand."
"Thank you, Hina. And remember to be kind in your words," Yuuta interjected, observing the obedient little girl. He was resolved to ensure that these three children could find happiness as soon as possible. "Now, let's begin tidying up the room!"
Yuuta set about organizing the room, making it appear somewhat more spacious. Though this space was smaller than most people's bathrooms, at less than twenty square meters, it would serve as the new home for the four of them.
After moving the bed outside, the room took on a more open feel, with enough space for everyone to sleep comfortably on the floor.
Once everyone was settled, Sora hesitantly raised her hand and said, "Um, can I use the bathroom?"
"Of course, feel free to use it without asking me," Yuuta replied. He then rose to move the table out to the balcony, ensuring that potentially hazardous objects were kept away from the children, especially considering Hina's lively nature.
As he stepped onto the balcony, Yuuta let out a sigh. Raising a child came with a host of worries and responsibilities.
Gazing up at the moon in the sky, Yuuta checked the rewards he had received.
[Ding!]
[Successfully completed the main quest, received the reward "Konosuba: God Blessings On This Wonderful World" light novel manuscript. This original manuscript can be used with confidence, provided by the system.]
[Ding!]
[Initiating a side quest. Side quests can be freely chosen whether to complete or not, with no penalties for failure.]
[The Embrace Of Takanashi: Hug any Takanashi sisters for more than ten seconds within twenty-four hours to complete this side quest.]
[The rewards vary depending on the person you hug.]
Hug Sora Takanashi for over ten seconds: Reward - 200,000 yen
Hug Miu Takanashi for over ten seconds: Reward - 100,000 yen
Hug Hina Takanashi for over ten seconds: Reward - 10,000 yen]
Upon seeing this task, Yuuta promptly contemplated the 50,000 yen reward, approximately the cost of a single meal.
While it might not be much, such opportunities came at no expense, akin to the rewards materializing before him in the form of documents.
Hugging Hina was the simplest since she was a three-year-old child, while Sora was already fourteen, and Miu appeared relatively mature. Embracing them for more than ten seconds would certainly be inappropriate.
As Yuuta was outside, Miu kept Hina company. When their sister emerged from the bathroom, Miu hurriedly approached her.
"Sis! It's not good! What should we do?" Miu said fretfully.
Sora didn't grasp what Miu was getting at and inquired, "What's wrong? Why are you so worried all of a sudden?"
"I can hear it!" Miu whispered urgently.
Sora remained puzzled. "Hear what?"
Anxiously, Miu clarified, "It's the sound of you using the bathroom. We can hear it from outside!"
"Really? Oh no!" Sora was taken aback, her hand instinctively covering her mouth, and her cheeks instantly flushing red.
Miu nodded solemnly, not joking in the slightest. She could genuinely hear it.
Sora shut the bathroom door and hung her head helplessly. "So that means... Ahh..."
She couldn't bring herself to articulate it. The idea that her bathroom sounds might be audible to Yuuta filled her with embarrassment, and she yearned to hide.
Yuuta had been occupied throughout the afternoon. Upon seeing Sora exiting, he approached the bathroom, saying, "Is it all clear now? I need to use the bathroom."
Yuuta reached for the door handle.
Clang!
His hand was abruptly halted as both Miu and Sora blocked his path. They exclaimed nervously, "No! No!"
"It's not allowed!" Sora was adamant about not allowing a boy to hear the bathroom noises. "Absolutely not! We can't permit it!"
Yuuta was puzzled by their response. He inquired, "What's going on?"
"We might not have flushed everything yet," Sora swiftly concocted an excuse.
Yuuta remained baffled, questioning, "Not flushed everything? What are you talking about?"
"Please, don't make me say it!" Sora expressed her frustration, clearly quite anxious about the situation.
Yuuta had now grasped what they were alluding to, but he didn't perceive it as a significant issue. "You've flushed it, right?"
If it hadn't been flushed, he could just enter and do it himself. Yuuta couldn't fathom the girls' reaction.
Upon hearing Yuuta's suspicion that it hadn't been flushed, Sora fervently exclaimed, "Of course, I did! How could I not!"
If it had indeed been flushed, then what was the problem? Yuuta inquired gently, "Is it all flushed now?"
Sora, her face still crimson, declared with closed eyes, "Obviously!"
Yuuta felt as though he couldn't quite process the situation. He gazed at the firmly shut bathroom door and asked, "So, what's the matter then?"
Miu, sensing that Yuuta still didn't comprehend, adopted a serious demeanor. "Uncle! It's about dignity!"
Having stated that, Miu inclined her head back and gestured for Yuuta to crouch down.
Yuuta was eager to grasp the situation, so he knelt beside Miu, who covered her mouth and whispered an explanation into his ear.
After comprehending the situation, Yuuta regarded the two sisters with a resigned expression. "I see. Well then, how long should I wait?"
Sora hung her head, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I'm not sure, maybe about an hour?"
At least an hour was required to address various considerations, such as whether the spot where the girl had been sitting was now safe or whether the water she had used had sufficiently drained away. These were concerns that didn't exist among boys or among girls but became significant when boys and girls were involved.
Contemplating the fact that he had just occupied the same spot that a girl would now use, Yuuta felt a tad awkward and unsure. He simply replied, "Um... okay."