Of the days together.

Enjoy~

"Sorry for the trouble, Saeko."

The said woman laughed nonchalantly. "Nah, don't sweat it! Ryuu is a handful too. I should be thanking you folks instead for looking after him all the time."

Koushi smiled meekly as he looked away.

The heat that afternoon was scorching for a summer in Miyagi. Sitting at the park bench just doing nothing but enjoying her ice cream was alright, but Saeko isn't good with keeping the silence in the air. Noticing the chance, she finally asked what had been bothering her. "Say, Koushi."

"Hmm?" His gaze stayed unmoving from the children chasing each other around the slide and swings.

"Haye you ever regretted adopting them?"

Koushi didn't answer immediately. But it didn't take him too long as well to brainstorm everything that had happened in the past years before saying, "No, I don't."

A day prior, Koushi had received a phone call from the school while he was at work. He had to take a half day off leave of absence instantly and rushed there upon hearing Yuu got into a fight with her classmates. On the way, his head was filled with nothing but worry. He texted Daichi, briefly explaining the situation and when he called him to ask for details, Koushi couldn't even recall what he had said.

The wheels turning on the railroad track produced a loud, acoustic clattering noise. The announcer lady's voice, distinct and clear, was heard when the train reached each station. Chattering and giggling of high school girls in group filled the vehicle. The attentive Sugawara Koushi is constantly taking notice of his surroundings, mostly out of habit, no matter how trivial it is. Yet that day, none, not one sound could disturb his thought.

But he wasn't really composedly thinking either. His mind was running wild. Yuu is free-spirited and courageous in personality, but as unruly as she could be, she hardly ever squabbled with others. The most hot-headed she had been was when she's trying to encourage her friends, aggressively. Picking or starting a fight was unthinkable to Koushi. What went wrong, he wondered? Was it his fault? Was he not able to educate her properly? Was him a failure as a parent? Was it not good unless there's a mother after all?

He was just… afraid.

He arrived at the school to find out Tanaka Saeko had also been called, because apparently when Yuu threw the first punch, Ryuunosuke's attempt in stopping her ended up fanning the fight instead. The talk with the principal and the other guardians lasted not very long after discovering the cause of the fight being the victims, the group of boys, insulted and provoked Yuu first. Still, turning to violence is never an example of good attitude so Yuu and Ryuunosuke had to receive punishment.

Afterwards, Koushi went to pick the little brothers up at the day care centre together with Yuu and went home. All along the road home, no one cracked any sort of conversation. Koushi's sight lied straight in front while holding Tobio's hand. Yuu looked unusually down as she trailed behind and the youngest never talks much to begin with. In that tense situation, Chikara could tell that something was clearly wrong, but even he couldn't bring himself to ask.

"Go take a bath while I make dinner. Chikara, please help Tobio bathe as well." Said Koushi, as they got home, finally speaking after a whole trip without a word.

"Okay." He hurriedly headed to the shared bedroom of them three, nudging his sister and brother to do so as well.

Dinner was slightly better, but it went by in similar tension, except for Tobio asking several odd questions that Chikara had to quickly answer. He didn't know what exactly happened, but he somehow knew that he had to give the other two some time to sort things out on their own. Though, he didn't know how long he could hold up anymore in between Koushi and Yuu. Thankfully, Daichi came home at the perfect timing when they'd just finished eating and things started becoming awkward again.

"Dad!" The children, but Yuu, dashed to the front door, greeting him like how they always do.

"Hey, how are you guys today?" said Daichi, patting Chikara on the head and picking Tobio up with one hand. "Where's Yuu?" He asked, noticing the missing of the loudest kid.

The smile on Chikara's face was replaced with a worried frown. "That…"

"Suga-san and Neechan ish weird today." The toddler blurted out, no delicacy of the sort.

Daichi didn't seem surprised. He only mumbled "I see," as he made his way to the dining room.

"Welcome home, Daichi." Koushi greeted without his usual cheerful tone.

"Yeah, I'm home."

"Do you want dinner? Go wash your hand and sit down."

"Okay." Daichi obediently did as told after putting Tobio down. Koushi then turned to the kids before preparing the food.

"Go to your room, won't you? I have something to talk with Dad." He made it as gently as he could manage at the moment. But when Chikara nodded and started leading his siblings away, Koushi spoke again. "Wait there, Yuu."

The children all froze in place, unsure of what to do. Even Tobio who's mostly oblivious of the atmosphere could feel something was up. Everyone in the Sawamura household is well aware of how sweet and caring Koushi can be, yet extremely scary when you get on his bad side. Right now, he definitely didn't seem to be in the former mood.

"Sit down with Dad for a while."

The eldest, without much hesitation, quietly went back to the dining table and took a seat right in front of her father. Chikara stared at his parents and sister nervously. Young he may be, but he'd always remember how scared he was then, because he truly didn't want to lose this family. Realizing neither he nor his baby brother should be there, he grabbed him and went to hide in the bedroom. Though, he couldn't help himself from eavesdropping a little.

After Koushi joined them on the table, Yuu didn't beat around the bush and started.

"Suga-san."

"Yes?"

"Are you mad?"

He paused before answering. "Why do you think I am mad? Have you done something I should be mad about?"

"…"

"Hmm?"

"…I did."

"What did you do, Yuu?"

"I was fighting."

Koushi's lips quivered, but he tried to hold up a bit longer. "And have I ever taught you to fight with others?"

"…No."

Ah, this is bad. His voice started to crack. "So why?"

Yuu didn't reply this time. She hid her teary eyes by staring down on her clenched little fists on her knees.

"I am not mad at Yuu."

She raised her head up at the mention of her name, almost hopeful of what she heard. But what came next wasn't as thrilling.

Koushi inhaled and covering his face with both hands. "I am mad at myself."

"Suga?"

He ignored Daichi and went on. "As expected, I am not good enough, am I? Although I didn't teach you to fight, I didn't teach you not to fight either. If I had, you probably wouldn't have to use violence. I am no good. I can't be a good parent after all. Because I am not… I am not your mother..."

"Suga!" Daichi scolded. He knew why. He was aware that he'd want too far. It was not his intention at all to say such things to the eleven years old Yuu. It was horrible of him, to make a kid shoulder his feelings, his anxiousness, it's not fair. He knew he shouldn't but his mind was clouded with all kind of emotion he couldn't control.

But at that time, Yuu stood up from the chair and ran to where Koushi was, cupping his face with both her tiny hands. "That's not true, Suga-san!" said her in a muffled, yet loud voice. She had started crying, which they didn't notice. Her face was a mess of tears and snot, but every word of hers was crystal clear. "You're the best! Bestest than everyone else! I don't want anyone but Suga-san!"

The said man looked up in total confusion. Light came back to his eyes, though, and all of a sudden his daughter seemed to have grown up so much without him knowing. While Koushi was left speechless, Daichi cleared his throat, gaining the other two's attention.

"Okay! First, calm down, the two of you! Second," He put his hand on his daughter's shoulder and spun her around to face him. "can you tell me the reason you got into a fight?"

Yuu pouted her mouth, rolling her eyes to the left, and then the right, practically anywhere but at Daichi.

"Yuu."

"Yes…"

"So, what is it?"

Still avoiding her father's gaze, she said. "Ken-chan was telling everyone I don't have a mum and that's weird. Because everyone has one."

Daichi could see his partner flinching at the word 'mum'. "And then?"

"And then I said it's not. He said it is and everyone agreed."

"Go on."

Yuu continued, started getting hot-headed as she recalled the situation. "I said I have Suga-san at home! He said that's why it's weird and Suga-san can't be my mum so I punched him." Adding various gestures in her explanation, she blabbered on. "Ryuu jumped in between us, but then Ken-chan punched him so he got mad and tried to punch back but it got Satoshi instead and when he came at us, I—"

"Alright, Yuu! We understand!" Daichi cut her off before the conversation strayed away from its original path.

She stopped, staring up at both parents with her big, round eyes as she wiped away some snot with the back of her hand. Daichi saw and immediately grabbed a napkin to help her clean her face. While doing that, Daichi glanced at his partner, giving him a look of: "Don't you have anything to say?"

Koushi gasped lightly. His head was suddenly blank. Everything happened so fast he wasn't given a chance to digest any of them slowly. In that state of confusion, he could only follow his instinct, his curiosity, and his biggest question. "Yuu…"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you mad at them? You… Don't you want a mum? Don't you think it'll be good to have a mum?"

"No?" Yuu only looked at him with pure confusion, as though Koushi's question was so unnatural and the answer should have been obvious.

"Eh, why?"

"Well, I already have Suga-san! Isn't that coolest than anybody? I don't need a mom or anything!"

Saeko stared with raised eyebrows. "So, what happened after that?"

"Somehow Chikara and Tobio burst out of the room, shouting the same thing." Koushi chuckled, making himself sounds troubled. He didn't do a good job to it, but maybe that's because he didn't really mean it. "I scolded them a bit. I told them that they shouldn't say that. We didn't take them in wanting them to completely forget their past, you know?"

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, that's why I and Daichi decided to keep their surname as it is. We want them to recognize who they are and know where they came from."

"Koushi, see, you said all that but you're actually happy, aren't you?"

"Eh~ well… Who would not want to hug those kids when they tell you you're all they need with those sparkling little eyes?"

She really didn't know what to make of his story, of the man grinning ear to ear like that when he was supposed to be complaining about child-raising. Saeko rolled her eyes to the other way and sighed. "One hell of a doting parent you are, huh?"

"I am proud of our kids after all." He smiled, as refreshing as ever even in his thirties.

"Geez, will I ever have that kind of feelings too I wonder."

"Haha, you'll have to find a good guy first then."

"Urgh, stop that. I'm not thinking about marriage yet."

Among them three siblings, Chikara is probably the one who has the most memory of his mother. Even so, he too didn't know well what a 'mother' is supposed to do, to be like. Therefore, it always piqued his curiosity, but it wasn't until the time that Yuu got in trouble of fighting with her classmates that Chikara realized. He gathered his courage and brought it up with his sister not long after.

"Why do we call Suga-san as Suga-san, but Dad as Dad?"

"Huh?"

"W-Well, I do know that everyone else have a mom and dad. So why can't Suga-san be 'Dad' too?"

Yuu tried to think hard about it, but she gave up soon. Using her head had never been her forte after all. "I dunno."

"Ehh?"

"But, Chikara, do you think Suga-san is a mom?"

The boy tilted his head, pondering it over before answering. "He cooks us food, makes us lunchbox, buys us stuff, helps with our homework… they are all what moms do right? All my friends said so."

Yuu nodded in agreement. "But is he a mom?"

"No…?"

"That's why! Suga-san is fine just being Suga-san!"

If he thought back about it, the whole discussion was pointless and Yuu gave him little to no answer. At some point, however, Chikara realized another thing too. None of that really matters, truthfully. He and his other two siblings too, were given a home by Sugawara Koushi, a man who called them their children when they nearly ended as orphans. That alone was enough. On the other hand, Tobio, the youngest never questioned or saw anything strange in the household or their parents as he grew up. It might be he was the oddball, but that was undeniably something that always put everyone in the house at ease.

i just want to make something to end the childhood phase
so yesss
up next is the time skip!
cant wait

Thanks for reading~
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