Uncle Hikigaya is Forever Young [36]

Adopting a child was not a simple matter.

If all it meant was giving them food, without providing education or discipline, that would be quite easy.

But that wouldn't be much different from raising a dog or a cat.

Given Ryōhei’s character, if he raised a child, education was essential—and that was the exhausting part. Of course, it went without saying that it was expensive too.

Everyone knew the real reason behind the declining birthrate.

Simply put, if your own child was disobedient, you could scold or discipline them freely. With an adopted child, however, things weren't so straightforward.

...

Setting aside the adoption issue of Misaki Akeno, this week’s priority was the job hunt.

On the very evening he received the government notice, Hikigaya Ryōhei had already made up his mind. Honestly, there was no room for hesitation given his current circumstances.

Truthfully, if Tōma Kazusa were to show up right now and say she would raise Hikigaya Hachiman from here on out, Ryōhei would immediately raise both hands in support—even letting Hachiman change his surname to hers wouldn't be a problem.

He'd even gladly present her with a silk banner reading "Wise Wife and Loving Mother," paid out of his own pocket.

But Komachi? No way!

She was too young; he worried she'd be led astray by that irresponsible mother and end up like her.

After today’s long-distance travels and the endless barrage of stressful incidents, he felt deeply exhausted.

After dinner, Uncle Hikigaya spent some time tutoring Komachi and Hachiman with their homework. By the time it hit just after 9 p.m., he pulled out his bedding and collapsed onto the tatami.

Once under the blankets, Hikigaya Ryōhei immediately felt his whole body soften. Soon, his mind drifted into a hazy daze.

Yet in this muddled state, he vaguely felt as if he'd forgotten something important. But with his brain’s operating speed rapidly plummeting by the second, he had already shut down before he could remember what it was.

Although their father had told them they could stay up a little longer, the Hikigaya siblings were thoughtful enough to quietly discuss matters in a corner, deciding instead to tidy up the house a bit and sleep early alongside their father. After all, the apartment was so small that any noise they made might easily disturb him.

Because the room was cramped, everyday items were usually scattered over the tatami mats during the day. Usually, Dad would tidy everything up neatly before bedtime.

But tonight, their father was clearly exhausted and had immediately collapsed into sleep.

...

Early the next morning, just as dawn broke and birds started chirping, Hikigaya Ryōhei got up before his alarm even rang.

He’d slept dreamlessly through the night.

He felt incredibly refreshed, cheerful, and at ease. For a moment, he even felt he was experiencing true happiness—the beauty of life—as though he was God’s favored child.

Haha, as if a god would actually favor a mortal like me, even if such a thing existed.

His eyes wandered from the familiar low ceiling to Hachiman’s sleeping back, then over to Komachi, who was curled up on the small bed facing the wall.

Suddenly, a thought struck Hikigaya Ryōhei. Perhaps the reason he'd adjusted so smoothly to his new identity and life in this world was simply because—both as a struggling teacher in his previous life and as the failed man named Hikigaya Ryōhei now—he'd always lived a humble, ordinary existence.

...

"Yet another peaceful day! Hopefully today's visit to Sōbu High will land me a new job. Even a temporary position would do. It should at least pay better than the convenience store."

As usual, Hikigaya Ryōhei dressed quietly, went outside, and exercised along the quiet streets nearby.

Speaking of which, he'd kept up this daily routine for almost two months now. He was the type of person who could consistently stick with small habits once started—a humble yet commendable ability.

The hardest part about exercising was always persistence.

Now, glancing down at his stomach, he noticed the previously protruding beer belly had mostly vanished.

It wasn't that the previous Hikigaya Ryōhei had been particularly overweight; the beer belly was probably the result of prolonged deskwork without exercise.

Now, his figure was noticeably leaner and fitter.

Aside from daily exercise, the long hours spent working at the convenience store probably also played a big role.

When he returned home, he found the siblings already awake.

Even Komachi, who usually needed some coaxing out of bed, had gotten up on her own and seemed to be washing up already.

It was an ordinary day as usual.

The siblings were unusually quiet this morning, and Komachi even spent extra time washing her face, only stopping when urged.

After the family finished washing up and ate breakfast together, everyone prepared to set off on their own paths.

Hachiman, of course, stayed home to rest.

But Ryōhei was preoccupied with thoughts of his upcoming visit to Sōbu High, paying little attention to the two children.

He'd already requested leave from his convenience store job the night before.

Just like yesterday, he dressed himself up meticulously—tie knotted perfectly, suit worn neatly, shoes polished until shining.

Based on his appearance alone, he might’ve been mistaken for a well-to-do, confident middle-aged gentleman.

Too bad this was the only decent set of clothes he had.

"Papa…"

Still dressed in formal attire, Ryōhei pedaled his bicycle toward Komachi's middle school under curious stares from passersby, carrying Komachi on the back.

The usually cheerful Komachi, who’d remained quiet on the ride, suddenly wrapped her thin arms around her father’s waist, pressing her small face against his back.

"Hmm? What’s wrong?"

"N-nothing…" Komachi murmured, her head against her father's sturdy back, her trademark tuft of ahoge swaying gently in the wind. She softly added, "Papa, do your best today. Komachi feels like you'll definitely have good luck!"

"Haha, Komachi’s really such a sweet child! If it works out, Papa will treat you both to a nice feast this weekend!"

When they reached Komachi’s school gates, the little girl hopped off, took a few energetic steps forward, then turned around, waving goodbye cheerfully. Her cute little fang gleamed as she gave him her brightest smile.

Waving goodbye, Ryōhei continued cycling toward Sōbu High.

Ten minutes later, he parked his bicycle near the school.

After all, showing up to a job interview in a suit while riding a bike was a bit odd.

Before entering Sōbu High's gates, he touched his bag to confirm he still had the recommendation letter.

"Eh?! Wait… these are those damned photos from Mōri Kogorō… Crap! I forgot to toss them out!"

Hikigaya Ryōhei suddenly recalled the siblings' unusually gloomy faces this morning.

Considering they'd tidied the house last night after he fell asleep—had they accidentally seen these?!

Ryōhei covered his face with one hand, utterly speechless.

He'd intended to toss these photos yesterday, but after Hachiman's phone call, he'd rushed back home, then gotten distracted thinking about adopting the orphan.

That Tōma Kazusa was truly haunting him!

Walking quickly to a garbage can about ten meters away from the school entrance, Ryōhei irritably pulled out the packet of photos, noticing Mōri Kogorō’s investigation report stapled to it—which he hadn't bothered to read carefully before.

It had definitely been opened.

Raise hand!

Throw away!

He worried that holding onto these cursed photos would bring him bad luck—even costing him the chance at Sōbu High.

With a loud clang, Ryōhei brushed off his hands, inhaled deeply, adjusted his emotions, and spun around quickly.

"Ahhh!" A young woman in professional attire had appeared less than a meter away, startled by his sudden movement.

Her striking pink hair was especially eye-catching.

...

A/N: I saw someone mention concerns that introducing too many female characters would be difficult to manage.

Don't worry—this isn't the type of novel where new heroines constantly appear to push the plot forward. Most major characters will show up within the initial volume of roughly 100,000 words, and afterward, there won't be many more additions.

Besides, not every female character is meant to be a candidate for becoming Hachiman’s stepmother. Some weren't even considered from the start!

T/N: tsk heh im a master women manager (i cant handle even myself)

This is a fan translation of 比企谷大叔永远年轻 by Stargazer All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!