Chapter 7: Come to Think of It, Daddy and I Don’t Look Alike
Come to Think of It, Daddy and I Don’t Look Alike
A day off. Satsuki was playing a stay-at-home date again, clinging to me like a koala all day long.
Time flowed gently and peacefully for this father and daughter as they lounged together in the living room.
I was zoning out, staring at the TV, while Satsuki stared intently at my face—each of us lost in our own kind of quiet.
The living room sofa was Daddy’s throne.
Unless I was heading to bed, I rarely went into my own room. For some reason, I just felt more at ease here.
And Satsuki’s designated spot was, of course, right on my lap.
She’s at that age where a girl ought to have her own space, so of course she has her own room. Since it’s just the two of us, we managed to find a cheap apartment with just enough rooms.
Our rundown 2LDK apartment wasn’t half-bad when it came to comfort.
Still, I really did want to give Satsuki a nicer home.
But if I’m being honest, that’s just me failing as a father.
Someday, I hope she’ll marry a reliable man with a solid career and live in a proper house.
That’s the kind of thing I find myself daydreaming about.
But if Satsuki had any complaints about our living situation, she never voiced them.
“…Satsuki? Don’t you think you could scoot over a little bit?”
“Nope! Being apart from Daddy is totally impossible. Hey, hey, Daddy… what if we moved? I think this place is kinda too big.”
Okay, so apparently, she does have a complaint.
According to her, she’d rather live in a much smaller place.
“Something like a six-tatami room would be perfect. That way, I can stay close to Daddy all the time!”
Uh-oh. The light is starting to fade from Satsuki’s eyes.
Looks like she’s entering her usual “I-love-you-so-much” mode.
When she gets like this, her love turns heavy—like lead.
She looks light and delicate, but if you try to lift her love, it’s enough to throw your back out.
“U-Uh… you know, it’d be totally okay if you wanted a little more space from your old Daddy. I-I mean, you’re so thoughtful, Satsuki.”
That’s what I wanted to pretend, at least.
“What do you mean, ‘thoughtful’? I’ve never held back around you, Daddy.”
She said it with a straight face, and I have to admit—it was a little scary.
Don’t get me wrong—it feels good to be loved.
I’ll say it myself: I’m a classic doting parent.
But Satsuki’s level of devotion makes me look downright reasonable by comparison. It’s honestly kind of mystifying.
“Ahh… Daddy’s just the most wonderful person in the world.”
She looked up at me dreamily from my lap, eyes full of adoration.
But those eyes—dim and distant—sent a chill down my spine.
Sometimes, I worry about where Satsuki’s future might be heading.
Whoever ends up loved by this girl is bound to be happy. She’ll love them with everything she’s got.
Assuming, of course, they don’t get crushed under the weight of it.
“…Hey, Daddy? You and I… don’t really look alike, do we?”
She must’ve been studying my face again—
—because that’s when she murmured those words, almost absently.
“I’ve kinda wondered for a while now. Daddy, you look like a totally normal Japanese guy, but… do I even have Japanese blood in me?”
I think she meant it as a casual observation.
But inside, I was panicking like mad.
(D-Don’t tell me she’s figured it out!? That we’re not actually related!? What do I do—what do I do—what do I DO!?)
There’s no denying it—Satsuki and I look nothing alike.
I’m your average middle-aged guy, with a bit of a bulging belly and a totally forgettable face. If anything stands out, it’s how little I stand out.
Satsuki, on the other hand, is the kind of beauty who turns heads the second she walks into a room.
Long silver hair, sky-blue eyes clear as glass—she’s like a fairy tale come to life.
Calling us father and daughter would take more than a stretch—it’d take suspension of disbelief.
So it’s no wonder Satsuki started getting suspicious.
“Could it be… that you and I… aren’t really related by blood?”
“…!?”
That one line hit me like a thunderclap—my heart nearly burst out of my chest.
I had to deny it right away. But the words wouldn’t come, so all I could do was smile weakly, vaguely.
If the truth was out, then maybe I needed to tell her everything.
About her mother, about how we’re not biologically related—maybe it was finally time to explain it all.
That’s what I was agonizing over, right then.
“Haaah… but nah, something that convenient would never happen, huh~”
Satsuki let out a sigh and nestled against my chest.
On reflex, I wrapped my arms around her, and she curled up small, clinging tightly to me.
“I know, okay? I know we’re real father and daughter, and that we could never get married. But… just for a moment, I let myself dream. I thought, maybe, if we weren’t related, it’d make marrying Daddy a whole lot easier.”
There’s a lot going on in that head of hers.
She’s been thinking about this seriously—about marrying me. And she understands how impossible that is.
That’s why she’s regretting her little fantasy—because even she knows it’s not right.
(But the thing is… that kind of “convenient” situation? It actually does exist!)
The truth is, Satsuki and I aren’t related by blood.
And to make things even more complicated—we’re not even legally registered as family.
On paper, I’m just a stranger to her.
Of course, in my heart, I believe we’re more of a family than anyone else in the world.
“If Daddy and I weren’t related by blood… I don’t think I’d be able to hold back anymore.”
After hearing that, there was no way I could tell her we were just “a foster family.”
In fact, maybe calling us “family” at all… might be the real lie.
But even so, I made a vow—to become this child’s father. Even if it meant sacrificing myself, I swore to make her happy. I promised her mother I would.
That’s why I can’t tell her.
Not yet. The truth has to stay hidden a little longer.
“Daddy… we’re definitely related by blood, right? Because if we weren’t, I might just end up making you my husband.”
“Ha ha ha! (falsetto) What a crazy idea!”
I forced a cheerful laugh, but cold sweat was running down my back the whole time.
If she ever finds out we’re not related, she’s going to lose control.
At the very least, now is definitely not the time to tell her.
Because when the light leaves her eyes like that… I honestly have no idea what she might do next——