LRAB Page 73
Page 73
……
Back in my apartment.
Unlike the lively and warm atmosphere at Sawamura's house, he was all alone here.
Yuto Itsuka threw his luggage on the ground and began cleaning the room. No one had lived there for a week, and a thin layer of dust had settled inside.
It took more than an hour of work to restore the apartment to its original cleanliness.
He took a shower, changed into clean clothes, and felt much better.
He sat down at the computer, opened the document, which contained the manuscript of Volume 3 of "The King of Farming".
I've been on hiatus for a week because I'm helping Eriri finish her manuscript, but I have plenty of time—two or three months left—so there's no need to rush.
He just habitually wanted to record his inspirations and materials.
However, he still had some things to do before he could start writing.
He picked up his phone and sent a LINE message to Eriri first.
"Who's more handsome than me? I'm going back now. Get some rest, and remember to eat when you wake up."
The message was sent, but there was no response for a long time; they're probably still asleep.
He thought for a moment, then opened the chat window with Shoko again.
"Who's more handsome than me: Shoko, are you there?"
This time, the reply was almost instantaneous.
"Nishimiya Shoko: Yuto-kun! Good morning! (Cat peeking out.jpg)"
"Nishimiya Shoko: Have you and Sawamura finished your work?"
"Who's more handsome than me? Hmm, I finished it last night, and I'm back home now."
"Nishimiya Shoko: That's great! You two have worked so hard! (Sprinkling flowers.jpg)"
"Who's more handsome than me? Thanks. What are your plans for the weekend, Shoko?"
"Nishimiya Shoko: Maybe I'll go out for a walk with Yuzuru."
"Who's more handsome than me? That's great. I'm going to visit Aunt Kotori tomorrow."
Nishimiya Shoko: Yes, Aunt Kotori is a very nice person. She must be really looking forward to your visit.
After exchanging a few more words, Yuto Itsuka ended the conversation.
Then he clicked on Kasumigaoka Utaha's profile picture.
"Who's more handsome than me: Senior, Eriri's illustrations are all finished, and Machida editor has also confirmed them. 9 Suzuru @si Liuqi + Ba (two q) Ba Chu."
Kasumi: Oh? Not bad, it seems your 'cohabitation' is quite successful.
"Who's more handsome than me? ...It's just for work. How's your novel coming along, senior?"
"Kasumi Shiko: Thanks to you, I'm bursting with inspiration, and I can't wait to have an in-depth conversation with you in Izu."
"Who's more handsome than me?:..."
……
That evening, while Itsuka Yuto was cooking, his phone suddenly rang.
He picked it up and saw it was a call from Aunt Qinli.
"Moshi moshi~ Is that Yuto? Remember to come over for dinner tomorrow afternoon!"
"I've prepared lots of dishes you might like! Does Yuto have any dietary restrictions?"
Hearing Kotori Itsuka's enthusiastic voice on the phone, Yuto couldn't help but laugh: "It's okay, I'm not picky about food, I like to eat whatever you make."
"That's great! By the way, your dad will be home tomorrow too, and he'd love to see you."
Dad? I still have a dad?
Oh.
Yuto Itsuki paused for a moment, then he remembered that Aunt Kotori had a husband.
It existed in the simulated world, but his memory of that "father" was already very vague.
"Okay, I'm also looking forward to meeting Uncle."
He hesitated for a moment, but still used the title "uncle". Calling his mother already made him feel awkward, and he really couldn't bring himself to call a strange man "dad".
"Oh dear! Why call him Uncle? Just call him Dad! His name is Itsuka Shido. You both have the surname Itsuka, what a coincidence!"
"I understand, Kotori's mother."
He ultimately did not change his mind.
Putting down his phone, Yuto Itsuka looked at the curry bubbling in the pot, his feelings a mix of emotions.
The influence of the simulated world is gradually permeating real life, and he always feels a sense of unreality when faced with Kotori Itsuka's adoption request.
Tomorrow, how will he deal with that completely unfamiliar "father"? If the other party, like Aunt Kotori, treats him as a substitute for his deceased son, should he accept it?
Yuto Itsuka sighed and turned off the stove.
Even in the simulated world, with his own memories, he felt somewhat awkward interacting with his nominal parents, let alone in reality.
Forget it, the soldiers will block it, and the water will cover it with soil.
In any case, he is just Yuto Itsuka, not a substitute for anyone.
But he was willing to offer some comfort to the parents who had lost their child.
……
……
[P.S.: Honestly, I don't know why people keep calling me names like "wife-obsessed" or "cuckold." Other people's wives are carefully chosen, so it's normal for me to fall in love with someone, right?]
Volume 1: Chapter 95: The Itsuka Family's Meal
The next afternoon.
Yuto Itsuka stood in front of the mirror, straightened his collar, and changed into a clean, dry shirt and casual pants—the most formal outfit in his wardrobe.
On my first visit to my "godmother's" house, I also had to meet my "godfather," so I couldn't be too casual.
He took out the premium fruit gift box he had bought on his way home yesterday from the refrigerator, and then walked out of the apartment.
The Itsuka family lives next door to the Nishimiya family, so we won't get lost following the route from last time.
More than half an hour later, Yuto Itsuka stood at the door of the Itsuka family's house and rang the doorbell.
The door was opened shortly afterward.
"Yuto! You're here!" Kotori Itsuka said, wearing an apron and beaming with a bright smile.
Compared to the last time we met, she looked much better, and the lingering sadness in her eyes was gone; instead, she was full of energy.
"Good afternoon, Aunt Kotori." Itsuka Yuto handed over the fruit gift box. "It's just a small token of my appreciation."
"Ok?"
"...Kotori's mother."
"Oh, you're here already, why bring a gift? Really!" Kotori said, but she still happily accepted the gift. "Come in, come in!"
The layout of the Wuhe family's house is similar to that of the Nishinomiya family's house, but the decoration style is more cozy.
There are many photos on the TV cabinet in the living room, most of them are family photos of the three of them.
In the photo, Kotori is smiling happily, with a man with short blue hair standing next to her and a boy of about ten years old between them.
That boy did indeed bear a resemblance to Itsuka Yuto (VI) Siqi Baer V III.
"Honey! Yuto's here!" Kotori called into the house.
A man came out of the kitchen. He was about forty years old, not very tall, and wore black-rimmed glasses. His short blue hair was neatly styled, giving him a refined and scholarly air.
This is Itsuka Shido, Kotori's husband and also her nominal "godfather".
Upon seeing Yuto's face, he paused for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.
"You must be Yuto-kun? Welcome to my home." He smiled and extended his hand.
"Hello, Uncle, I'm Yuto Itsuki." Yuto Itsuki shook his hand.
Kotori grumbled from the side, "What uncle? Call him Dad!"
Itsuka Shido glanced at his wife, his eyes filled with doting affection and helplessness. "Kotori, don't force the child. Yuto-kun, do as you please, don't be shy."
“Okay, Uncle.” Itsuka Yuto breathed a sigh of relief.
Compared to Kotori Itsuka's fiery passion, Shido Itsuka appears more composed and reserved. His demeanor is gentle, yet he maintains just the right amount of distance, which makes Yuto Itsuka feel much more comfortable.
"The food will be ready soon, Yuto, please have a seat for a while." Kotori said as she went into the kitchen.
Only Yuto and Itsuka Shido remained in the living room.
"Yuto-kun, please sit down." Itsuka Shido gestured for him to sit down and poured him a cup of tea.
"Thank you uncle."
"I heard from Kotori that you're living alone now?" Itsuka Shido asked as he sat down opposite him.
"Yes, my parents died when I was very young."
"What a strong child." Itsuka Shido nodded. "Kotori even told me that your grades are excellent, you're first in your grade?"
"It was just a fluke."
"Don't be modest. Being able to get first place shows that you've put in a lot of effort." Itsuka Shido smiled. "Our Shinsuke... if he were still alive, he would probably be the same age as you."
His eyes dimmed for a moment when his son was mentioned.
Yuto Itsuka didn't know how to respond.
"I'm sorry to bring this up." Itsuka Shido quickly composed himself. "Kotori... has been in a lot of pain ever since Shinsuke left. It may not be the right thing to say, but thank you for being there."
He looked at Yuto Itsuka and said sincerely, "So, I hope that if Yuto-kun has time, he can come to my house often. If you'd like, you can treat this place as your own home."
Yuto Itsuki could sense his sincerity. Unlike Aunt Kotori, who was eager to treat him as a substitute for her son, the other party wanted him to stay with Kotori out of love for his wife.
“I will, Uncle.” Itsuka Yuto nodded.
"Dinner's ready!" Kotori came out carrying the last dish. "What are you all talking about?"
"It's nothing, just chatting." Itsuka Shido stood up and took the plate from her.
Dinner was very lavish, filling the entire table with dishes such as braised pork, steamed fish, and tempura—all home-style dishes, but prepared with great care.
"Yuto, come and try Mom's cooking!" Kotori kept piling food onto his plate, and soon his bowl was overflowing with food.
"Thank you, Kotori-mama, I can do it myself."
"Eat more, you're too thin," Kotori said with concern. "Boys need to grow, they need to eat more meat."
Shido Itsuka watched them with a smile, occasionally interjecting with a few words to inquire about Yuto Itsuka's school life.
The meal was very warm and cozy. Itsuka Yuto hadn't experienced this kind of family atmosphere in a long time. Although the Sawamura family was also very nice, Aunt Koyomi was, after all, Eriri's mother. Here, it seemed that Kotori and Shido Itsuka had all their attention focused on him.
This feeling made him feel both warm and somewhat uneasy.
After dinner, Kotori pulled Itsuka Yuto along to look at photo albums and told him about Shinsuke's childhood, while Itsuka Shido washed the dishes in the kitchen.
“Look, this is Shinsuke’s first place in the elementary school sports meet.” Kotori pointed to a photo, beaming from ear to ear. “He was exceptionally athletic even as a child.”
Looking at the smiling boy in the photo, Yuto Itsuka felt a mix of emotions.
He took away the boy's love.
“Xiaoyou, from now on, just think of us as your parents.” Kotori suddenly grasped his hand, her eyes slightly red. “I know this is sudden, but… I really want to be a mother again.”
Looking into her expectant eyes, Itsuka Yuto couldn't bring himself to refuse.
“Okay, Kotori’s mother,” he said softly.
Kotori stopped crying and smiled, then hugged him tightly.