Breakfast was rice balls.
Renz wasn't fond of them; Japanese rice balls tended to be hard, and their flavors were often strange—definitely not to his palate's liking. Especially when they had seafood fillings—pure agony. Moreover, Japanese breakfasts typically avoided strong-smelling foods to prevent offending others. As a result, Japanese breakfasts weren't particularly enjoyable to him.
He still remembered his first morning in Japan ten years ago, trying one of those rice balls. The taste had scarred him. But today's problem was...
There was still a poor child who hadn't woken up.
"Rina, go wake up Haruki," said the blonde little girl, blinking her dewy eyes as she scampered off toward the bedroom on her tiny feet.
"Don't fall—run slower," Renz said, a bit worried watching Rina's reckless dash.
"That's what I should be saying," Erina Nakiri replied, looking displeased.
"You won't let me care about my daughter?" Renz glared at her. What kind of person is this? Just because she's your daughter, she's not mine too? Only you're allowed to dote on her, but I can't care? You're so domineering!
"Hmph," Erina snorted, saying nothing.
Before long, a little boy came out, rubbing his sleepy eyes.
"Good morning, Dad. Good morning, Mom," he mumbled.
Then he went to wash his hands. Rina followed him and washed hers too. After that, they both sat at the dining table, holding their rice balls while dozing off.
Little guy... how much sleep do you need? A god of sleep?
Meanwhile, Rina was full of energy. She picked up a rice ball and started munching enthusiastically.
"Mommy's rice balls are super delicious!"
In no time, she finished one. Renz reached out and gently brushed a grain of rice off her cheek. Rina smiled brightly. Renz turned his head, hand on his forehead, unable to take it.
My HP is about to hit zero… she's just too cute.
Meeting his daughter for the first time, the blood connection made him feel an unexpected closeness—deeper than the bond he felt with the woman beside him, who also came from ten years ago.
"Delicious," Rina commented, already eyeing her brother's rice ball.
"I want more," she said eagerly.
Renz was about to break off half of his rice ball to offer it to her.
Erina couldn't help herself. Without saying a word, she pushed her own rice ball, plate and all, toward Rina.
This woman is the definition of a tsundere. If you like your daughter, why not just say it? Why act like this? If you don't express it, how will she ever know you care? Kids don't have adult-level emotional radar, you know.
"Mommy, aren't you eating?" Rina asked, tilting her head.
"I'm not hungry," Erina replied, lifting her proud head and trying to sound calm. In truth, she wasn't calm at all. It was her first time facing her daughter, and she didn't know how to adjust. She was a little flustered.
Renz hesitated, then broke his rice ball in half, handing one piece to Erina. He shared because he was hungry too and needed to fill up, even if he didn't like the taste. Japanese rice balls just weren't his thing—eating one was purely for sustenance.
"School starts today. Rina doesn't want to go. Can Rina not go?" she asked while chewing, her voice soft and slightly pitiful.
"No," both Renz and Erina said in unison.
Erina went quiet when she realized they had spoken together.
"Learning is very important," Renz stepped in to be the bad guy. After all, while studying hard didn't always guarantee success, not studying hard almost guaranteed failure.
"Ahh, so annoying! Didn't Mommy say she could support us even if we didn't study well?" Rina pouted.
Renz shot Erina a sharp glance.
Future you—what kind of ideas did you plant in our daughter's head?
Erina met his gaze with an expression that said: You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? How should I know what my future self was thinking?
Renz got it. That look made sense.
Fine. Time to fix this mess.
At a glance, Erina Nakiri was obviously a rich girl. If they were to survive in this world, they might have to depend on her to get by. So he had to tread carefully.
"It's because Mommy also has to support Daddy. And if she has to support you two too, that's two more expenses. If you can support yourselves, Mommy won't have to work so hard," Renz said, proud of his answer. It was elegant, practical, and efficient.
Shameless! Erina thought. Can he really say something like that in front of the kids?
Come on! I said that to help you out of a tight spot!
Suddenly, the sleepy little boy perked up, as if a switch had been flipped. He took a big bite of his rice ball and said, "Dad, don't be late when you pick us up from school this afternoon."
So I'm the house-husband now? I drop them off and pick them up? Wow, my family status is crystal clear...
Renz glanced at his phone. It was already 8 o'clock. Between waking up, talking with Erina in the kitchen, and eating breakfast, time had flown.
"I'll take them to school. You stay home and gather some useful information," Renz whispered as he leaned in close to Erina. "Be sure to tell me what you find when I get back. Most importantly, try to figure out what our professions are ten years from now. Earning money is the top priority."
They lived in a villa, but what if Erina's parents had cut her off financially after she got married? What if they had to rely entirely on their own capabilities? His ten-years-younger self might not be as competent as his future self—and could even get fired due to inefficiency. That would be bad. Very bad. After all...
The children's milk money still needed to be earned.
As he spoke, Renz shoved the other half of his rice ball into his mouth. Surprisingly, it was sweet, soft, fragrant—with a refined texture. The entire rice ball tasted like a dessert, melting in his mouth. It was leagues apart from any store-bought rice balls he'd tried before.
So my future "wife's" cooking skills are this good?
Suddenly, he understood. For every downside, there was an upside. He'd been too focused on her flaws and hadn't appreciated her strengths. Being able to cook this well? That was a major advantage. At least they wouldn't need to order takeout, which meant saving money and eating healthy.
Now it makes sense why I married such a temperamental woman.
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What do you think Renz's and Erina's professions will turn out to be? And how will they adapt to their "new" lives as parents and a married couple?
---Support with power stones