Chapter 7: Unemployed

(Ruby's POV)

So, like, it's been five whole days since we moved to our new place and met my... um, real father?

Well, that sounds a bit too old, doesn't it? Should I call him Papa, or maybe just Dad? Oh, wait, Daddy could... Nah.

Hmm ~ for now, let's go with Yanagin.

I'm not using "Dad" since it might give off the impression that we're super close, but the truth is, I'm not fully convinced to trust him yet.

So, Yanagin it is, even though it seems to make him a little sad... or at least, that's what it looks like to me.

Now, my initial impression of him? He's got this gentle vibe and seems eager to spoil both me and Aqua.

Though, if you ask me, he's leaning a bit more towards spoiling me. And to be honest, I wasn't a fan of that. I just didn't want to fall for any of his tricks, you know? Because in my mind, it felt like he wanted Mama more than us.

Of course, I know that's, like, totally my weird thought to keep my family and me safe. It's way too soon to, you know, trust him, even if he's, like, super good-looking, smart, and, oh crap...

I used to joke about squeezing money out of him, like seriously, how would I even manage that with these innocent-looking hands? Until, well, reality hit and it turned out he's genuinely some rich ikemen!

I guess it's not all bad, waking up to the view of the city from this luxurious place, Hohoho ~!

I mean, he is my biological father after all.

So, what can I do, right?

Isn't it, funny that he's my real dad? And here I am, just trying to figure it all out.

Life's so different now compared to before.

Oh, yeah, remember that time when I wasn't even Ruby? My family didn't visit me much in the hospital. I'd wake up all alone, dealing with the smell of hospitals and pain.

But now, as Hoshino Ruby, I've got Mama, who's my idol – and let's not forget my brother, who's in the same fate situation as me, and we've got this Dad figure.

Is this what's called uno reverse?

And also, here's my conversation with Aqua from last night about him.

"Hey, onii-chan, whatcha doin'?"

I asked, peeking over at Aqua typing away on his laptop.

"Um, wait, where'd you get this?" I wondered.

"Oh, just borrowed it," he said all casual.

"You mean, like, you 'stole' it?"

"Whatever you wanna call it. Just read it, and you'll see."

Aqua's, like, sometimes a bit tight with things, you know? I wonder what he was like in his past life.

"Oh, it's a pic of Yanagin, but hold on—"

The guy in the photo kind of resembles him, but the name's not exactly Japanese-sounding.

"Can't wrap my head around why he's got the same face as Yanagin... Aqua! Analyze."

He gave me that look, you know, the one that's all 'seriously?' before he went back to the screen, what a siscon.

"I'm digging up info on our old man's official ID, trying to piece together his deal..."

Aqua said, totally engrossed in this whole thing.

But then again, that's Aqua – always diving deep into stuff like this.

"Based on what the internet spilled, seems like our father's more than meets the eye—"

"Wait, you mean, like... he's amazing?"

I jumped in, and he nodded like, bruh.

"Yeah, but, like, let me finish..."

I guess I kinda cut him off, and he seemed annoyed.

"Turns out, he's got a backstory... orphaned at two, adopted into a good family from the UK. Yanagi Minoru was given a new name, James Moriarty, for his English name."

"Okay, that's, like... interesting. But why even keep that name?"

You know, now that I'm thinking about it, the name does kinda suit him.

Maybe because he's handsome?

"Seems like he's managed to get dual citizenship."

"How? Is that, like, even allowed?"

"It's not impossible. You gotta go through a whole process to have two passports. And, he had a Ph.D. in Math when he was only 19— Same age as Ai, Isn't that, too good?"

Aqua's reading through it all with wide eyes... it looks like a newspaper or something.

And yeah, he's got this English thing, making me feel insecure.

Ugh.

"Gotcha, though I'm not entirely sure what a Ph.D. is..."

"It's like this fancy degree you earn after college, it can open the doors to being a professor and stuff. In short, he's smart."

"Uh-huh. But, hold on... did he just skip high school?"

Aqua sighed like he thought I was being kind of slow.

"Well, if he's getting a university degree at 19, does he even need high school?"

"Hmm, good point."

"Sigh... how did he even meet Ai? If he's from high society, why would he care about some Japanese idol?"

Wait, did Aqua just not get how awesome Mama is?

Yanagin must've, totally seen something special in Mama.

"Wait a second... I think I remember something."

"What is it?"

"It's about his job. I think I overheard Mama talking to Miyaemon in the car once. She said Yanagin's a freelancer..."

Aqua looked surprised.

"You mean he's jobless?"

---

"Hmm..."

He exhaled, warm steam billowing around him.

He ruffled his silver hair as the water poured down from above like rain.

He seemed akin to a perfect wine that everyone admired – sought after for its impeccable nature.

Just like those grapes, his body and mind had undergone a similar process.

His body had been sliced, pressed, and trampled upon, like grapes in a wine-making process, to extract the essence.

His mind had been forged through countless brushes with death and survival over the years.

Yet, despite his appearance, he was not merely wine or grapes.

He was human, concealing his vulnerabilities behind a facade of flawlessness while doing his utmost to excel.

But beneath the mask of perfection lay the undeniable truth of his humanity – scars and wounds etched across his muscular body like tattoos.

Amid the myriad marks, there was one significant tattoo on his back – a Roman numeral one, signifying his code name.

He turned off the water and headed to the washbasin, grabbing a towel.

Gazing into the mirror, remnants of the warm bath still clung to his skin, steam rising like dissipating fire.

Undoubtedly, he is hot.

"However, I can't have sex shirtless... damn."

Despite possessing an impeccably chiseled physique, he was averse to revealing this aspect of himself to others.

---

With Ai and the twins now residing in the penthouse, life had taken a more comfortable turn for them.

Ai moved with measured steps through the sleek black and gray modern interior.

She wore a tank top, shorts, and bunny slippers, having just finished her bath.

She smiled upon reaching Minoru's room and knocked on the door.

"Minoru-kun... It's Ai," she announced, awaiting his response.

However, silence greeted her efforts.

She repeated her actions, her pout growing more pronounced.

"Hmmmmm~ My first taste of being ignored, even as a top idol," she murmured, crossing her arms and directing a steadfast gaze at the door.

The temptation to flaunt her fame inside his room momentarily flickered but was extinguished by the memory of his sternly delivered rules.

'I've set some rules that only I can enter my bedroom. Don't worry, you can enjoy the other rooms. Just don't come into my room.'

Recalling his stern expression when he conveyed those rules, she decided to obey.

She closed her eyes, considering his reasoning – rules that signaled the limits of their closeness.

It was only his room that was off-limits; the rest of the space was hers to explore.

The gym became her haven, where she honed her choreography and kept her body in shape.

Yet, somehow she doesn't like the fact that Minoru is hiding a secret, a lingering sense of unease remains, a bittersweet she couldn't quite comprehend.

As his door creaked open, Minoru emerged, clad in a slim-fit white shirt and tailored trousers.

He appeared rather formal.

"Oh~ did you just arrive? My bad, I'm still in the shower," he informed her, offering a broad grin.

Despite this, Ai's pout persisted as her gaze briefly wandered to his room before he shut the door behind him.

Meeting his eyes, she inquired, "Where are you off to?"

"I have an important appointment."

"Hmm..."

Her gaze remained fixed, scanning him.

"You're working?"

"Job interview," he grumbled, clearly irked by the idea.

"Oh, I see! Well then, let's whip up some breakfast," Ai said, her hand tugging at his with infectious cheer.

Inwardly, Minoru smirked helplessly.

His culinary skills had etched itself into her memory, making him responsible by default.

Breakfast came and went, and as Minoru readied himself to depart, he made a suggestion.

"Ai, if you need to take the kids to kindergarten, feel free to use my car."

He had already purchased a small car for Ai's daily use, as she needed one.

"Sure thing! I'll talk to Miyako-san about it."

'Ah, the manager.'

Minoru thought about how to repay his debt to her since she had babysat his kids before.

"Let her know I'll make it up to her."

With a wink and a thumbs-up, Ai acknowledged his words.

Minoru responded in kind, and as the elevator doors closed, Ai couldn't help but consider a playful idea.

"Is this the moment where I'd straighten his tie? Uwa~"

A slight blush warmed her cheeks, yet Minoru was already out of sight.

---

As 001, he had faced numerous missions, but the one he despised the most was the mission that required him to infiltrate.

The reason was simple, it was a pain in the ass.

Retrieve the Shinomiya Gan'an Wills from none other than Shinomiya Kaguya, the youngest daughter.

'Man, here we go again.'

His poker face fixed as he stared at Shuchi'in High School, the private institution his target attended.

This mission was more than just a hit-and-run.

He needed to use his wits to navigate an approach that avoided breaking his ironclad rules—never harming innocents.

'Whatever, let's focus on acing this interview first and then assess the scenario.'

He thought, recognizing that the success of this interview was his ticket to retirement and a chance at a peaceful life with his family.

With determination in his stride, he marched forward.

This was the endgame, the final mission to clear, and he was determined to make it work, no matter what.

But how the hell is he supposed to pull this shit off?

All he wants is a shot at being a good daddy.

Poor bastard.

Well, enough of that.

Time to get down to business.

Objective! Job Interview for High School Teaching Position.

---

Ahem!

So, Minoru is about to begin his fake career.

Any ideas? Comments?