Becoming A Father Figure

Chapter 52: The Precocious Miu

Although Miu is only ten years old, her physique surpasses that of a fourteen-year-old, with her height just a few centimeters short.

Would it be better if she went into a women's lingerie store with a middle school student?

Yuta didn't think it would make much difference, as the distinction between elementary and middle school students isn't significant.

Miu didn't change clothes in front of Yuta. Instead, she chose a few outfits that suited her style once inside the store and still asked for Yuta's opinion.

"Looks good."

"Looks good."

"You look good in anything."

Yuta, enduring the clerk's gaze, just wanted to leave quickly. The store was filled with women's swimsuits of various styles, including some with playful designs.

Miu, delighted yet torn, chose between two swimsuits: one she liked and Yuta also approved of, and another she adored but Yuta didn't find as appealing.

In addition to her own swimsuit, Miu also picked one out for her sister.

As for Hina, it wasn't the right time for her yet.

Yuta tried to focus on the outside, avoiding looking at the store to prevent an awkward encounter with the other people there. The store was full of people in their late twenties, making Yuta seem like just a teenager in comparison.

Japan's small size might be the reason, but Yuta soon ran into someone he knew.

"Yuta, what are you doing here?"

The speaker was a stunning woman whose figure and appearance far surpassed anyone else in the store, making the other customers look like mere background compared to her.

Just her presence made the elementary school students and others instinctively cross their arms and realize the disparity in status.

Yuta glanced at the woman and offered a vague explanation. "I'm just accompanying someone who's buying some things."

"Big brother, who is this auntie?" Miu, sensing something from her sixth sense, smiled and hugged Yuta's arm, addressing the woman as "auntie."

Whether it's the three sisters or Touka, they're all very beautiful, but Miu doesn't feel any hostility towards them and is friendly. However, she felt that Kaoruko Fujiwara was someone to be cautious around.

Upon hearing Miu's question, Yuta quickly thought of a suitable excuse.

"This is Fujiwara-sensei from our school," he said simply, then turned to the reserved Kaoruko and added, "She's a relative's child."

Yuta hoped that the relative excuse would make it easier to explain why he was with an elementary school student buying swimsuits.

Kaoruko glanced at Miu and then said to Yuta, "Do you need any help? You're probably not the best person to give advice to a girl."

Yuta knew he wasn't the best person for this and was about to agree.

"No need! I can handle it myself!" Miu didn't want to interact with Kaoruko. She sensed that this woman was different from others and felt dangerous.

Kaoruko nodded expressionlessly and then walked out. "Yuta, I need to talk to you. Stand here is in the way."

Yuta was also keen to leave and said to Miu, "I'll wait outside. Feel free to pick whatever you like. Don't worry about the cost; it's fine to buy both. Consider it an advance reward for being a good girl in the future."

Miu had been uneasy about Kaoruko but noticed Yuta's constant attention and said, "Big brother is so bad, sneaking peeks…"

She then ran to the changing room, covering her face with her hands to calm down.

Yuta moved to a corner where Kaoruko was waiting.

"How are things with Aoi? Have you not made any progress?" Kaoruko asked, clearly wanting to assist in getting them to the final stage.

Although Kaoruko was beautiful, Yuta didn't want to interact with her too much.

"It's just normal interaction. Professor Fujiwara, I haven't agreed to anything with you, and neither has Aoi," Yuta replied, emphasizing that he hadn't agreed to help Kaoruko with her research or follow her intentions to pursue Aoi. He didn't want to be a puppet.

Kaoruko considered this for a moment before saying, "Aoi seems happy these days and hasn't contacted me. Do you think you're capable of maintaining a relationship with her? She values appearance, ability, and money—none of which you currently possess. I can help you be with Aoi."

"Hmph, I don't need your concern about this." Yuta was irritated and didn't want to explain that he actually met those criteria. He was frustrated with Kaoruko. "You want to help me get close to Aoi and then break us apart for your research? Making sure I can never get the person I want!"

Kaoruko looked at Yuta, surprised by his intelligence.

"Come to my place tonight, and I'll explain everything. Don't worry, I won't force anything." After saying this, Kaoruko left. "Take good care of that child; she really likes you."

Yuta frowned, unsure of what Kaoruko was up to.

"Forget it, don't let it affect your mood." Yuta had money and wasn't worried about his studies, so he didn't need to dwell on Kaoruko's matters.

He soon returned to the store and approached Miu, who was anxiously waiting.

"Sorry for the delay. It's all sorted out now; let's go pay." Yuta apologized to Miu. Without him there, Miu hadn't dared to check out, and with the store clerk standing by, her situation was uncomfortable.

When Miu saw Yuta return, she smiled and nodded. "It's okay. I also bought two outfits for my sister. Is that alright?"

"Total is 22,000 yen. Will you be paying with cash or card?" The clerk quickly wrapped up the four swimsuits and asked Yuta with a smile, clearly knowing who would be paying.

Yuta knew the prices were high, with four swimsuits costing over 12,000 yen, a clear rip-off targeting men buying for women. However, he didn't hesitate to spend where necessary.

"Card," Yuta said, handing over his card. Then he turned to Miu, "Do you want to buy clothes and shoes now, or wait until we return?"

Miu took her bag from the smiling clerk with no sign of shyness, only a proud sense of being cared for.

"Now!" Miu, feeling pampered, leaned on Yuta's shoulder and smiled as they walked out, much to the clerk's dismay.

As soon as they left, the clerk's smile turned cold.

"Ugh! Despicable couple!"

After leaving the store, Miu walked confidently. Although she was a child, she could sense the clerk's jealousy and disdain and wanted to show her gratitude to Yuta.

Noticing that Yuta had missed this entirely, Miu sighed, "Big brother, you really don't understand girls at all."

"Eh?" Yuta was puzzled by the comment.

Girls' feelings were truly hard to decipher!

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