AGWSF 10

Chapter – 10

A Necessary Detour

I had a bit of trouble with Aira sitting on my lap only during the standing and bowing at the start and end of each class, but since she was light, I just lifted her up along with myself and bowed—no problem at all.

Aira kept her promise and just sat on my lap clinging to me, never getting in the way of the lesson.

There really were no issues at all. …If I had to nitpick, maybe my face being hot and my heart pounding so loudly I could almost hear it were slight problems, but that’s my own issue, not Aira’s fault.

—

“Hiroto, see you later.”

“Yeah, Honoka, see you.”

With that exchange, I left school.

Honoka talked to me normally, so I’m glad things didn’t get awkward.

“Let me ask you just in case—did you bring anything from the other world, Aira?”

Normally… well, it’s been eight years so I can’t say “normally,” but usually I’d go straight home. Today, though, I’m having dinner with Aira.

I wasn’t ready to go home yet.

That said, it was still too early for dinner, so after moving away from the school to a quiet spot with no people around, I asked Aira that.

I trusted—no, I was certain—that she was nearby.

“…Just the clothes I’m wearing right now.”

As expected, Aira appeared in front of me and said that.

“Then let’s go buy some clothes.”

I can’t have her wearing the same outfit forever.

Of course, that includes underwear too. Just like outerwear, I can’t have her wearing the same underwear forever either.

“Is that okay?”

“…Of course it is. …I’m still a kid here, so it’ll have to be a cheap place, though.”

“I’m happy.”

I’m glad she said that.

I raised her, so I knew she’d say that, but still. I don’t recall raising Aira to be a greedy girl.

Besides, clothes in this world are better quality than in the other world, so even if she were that type, I think she’d be satisfied.

“Well then, we’re heading to a clothing store. Aira, you don’t have to disappear anymore, okay?”

“Got it. …Can we hold hands?”

And as we started walking side by side, Aira asked that.

Well, that much is normal between a parent and child.

“Sure.”

“Yay. Hiroto, I love you.”

“…I love you too.”

As my daughter, of course.

“Hiroto.”

“Hm?”

“Will you help me pick out clothes?”

“I can give you advice, sure. But the final choice is up to you, Aira.”

“Okay. Make sure to tell me what you like, Hiroto.”

“…It’s not about what I like—it’s advice on what would suit you.”

We chatted like that as we walked hand in hand, and before I knew it, we’d arrived at the clothing store.

“Here?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s so… big.”

…The fact that I’m having inappropriate thoughts about this is probably because I’ve been turned back into a teenage boy in the middle of puberty.

At least, if I were still over twenty like I was in the other world, I definitely wouldn’t be thinking this way.

“We’re going in.”

“……Like at the convenience store, I was wondering—why does this open by itself? You said there were no magical tools.”

She pointed at the automatic door with her free hand and asked.

“It’s reacting to a sensor, or something.”

“?”

Honestly, I don’t fully understand it myself, so I gave a somewhat vague answer. Aira tilted her head cutely, clearly not grasping it.

“Just think of it as one of those things. I’m about the same, honestly.”

“Okay.”

—

“Today, we’ll get one pair of pajamas and one casual outfit. …Underwear… maybe two sets, if we can swing it.”

Keeping dinner in mind, with just the cash I currently had in my wallet, I couldn’t buy much if I was getting both tops and bottoms. My heart ached a little as I said that to Aira, whose eyes were sparkling at all the different clothes.

…Back in the other world, I had money and could’ve bought her whatever she wanted… no, never mind. “What if” talk is pointless.