~~ • ~~

That morning, a quiet stillness lingered over our small apartment.

I had just finished brewing my coffee when the doorbell rang.

*Ding-dong.

Yuna, who was sitting in front of the television, immediately rushed to the door.

"Papa, there's a package!"

"A package?"

I frowned. I didn't recall ordering anything.

I walked out to find a delivery worker standing in front of the apartment. Beside him was a hand truck, and sitting on it was a massive cardboard box.

"Is this the residence of Nishida Itsuki-san?" he asked, double-checking the address in his hand.

"Yes, that's me."

"Great. I have a delivery for you. Please sign here."

I took the digital device he held out and scribbled my signature.

"Thank you."

The courier gave a quick bow before pushing his hand truck away.

Yuna stood beside me, staring at the box with wide eyes.

"Papa, did you order a box this big?"

I shook my head.

"I didn't order anything."

The box came up almost to my waist. The thick cardboard was strapped with plastic bands and plastered with several warning stickers.

I leaned down and read the shipping label.

From: Nishida

To: Nishida Itsuki

I paused for a moment.

"It's from your grandpa."

"Oh..."

Yuna stepped closer and peeked at the label too.

"What's inside?"

"Beats me."

I tried to lift it.

The moment I gripped the sides of the box and hoisted it up, the weight immediately pulled my shoulders down.

Heavy.

Incredibly heavy.

Maybe fifty kilograms. Maybe sixty. Or even more.

I suddenly understood why the courier had been sweating despite the early hour, and why he'd needed a hand truck.

"Yuna, step aside for a second."

"Hm? What is it, Papa?"

"It's heavy."

Yuna immediately took a step back.

I took a deep breath, tightened my grip, then slowly hoisted the box and carried it inside the apartment.

Once I reached the living room, I set it down carefully.

*Thud.

Yuna squatted beside the box.

"Papa."

"Hm?"

"Do you need a knife?"

I gave a faint smile.

"Yeah."

"On it, Papa!"

She darted to the kitchen and returned a few seconds later carrying a small knife.

I sliced through the tape and slowly opened the box.

As soon as the flaps were pulled back, the two of us fell silent.

Neatly arranged inside were various mechanic's tools.

Wrenches.

Ring spanners.

Screwdrivers of all sizes.

Pliers.

A hammer.

A torque wrench.

A hand drill.

And several other tools that looked old, yet meticulously maintained.

I stared at the contents of the box for a while.

Yuna looked on in confusion as well.

"Papa... are these Grandpa's tools?"

"Yeah."

Tucked between the tools, I noticed a brown envelope.

I pulled it out and opened the letter inside.

Firm, slightly stiff handwriting immediately greeted my eyes.

I'm giving these tools to you.

Even though they're old and used, I hope they'll still be of some use.

Don't forget to get your license before you start offering your services.

Good luck.

Regards from your old man in the countryside.

"What does it say, Papa?"

"Here, read it yourself."

I handed the letter to Yuna.

She read it slowly, murmuring the words to herself.

Meanwhile, I turned my attention back to the pile of tools in front of me.

So, the old man was actually serious.

He had immediately packed up and shipped all of the tools he owned. Just because I mentioned that I was interested in starting a repair service.

I let out a long sigh.

"Haa..."

Unconsciously, the corners of my lips curved up slightly.

Now that it had come to this, I had no choice but to work even harder.

"Papa, do you already have a license?"

I turned to her.

"Huh? Obviously I do."

"How come?"

"I graduated from a vocational school. Right after graduation, I got my license."

"Oh..."

I paused for a second.

Wait.

Don't licenses have expiration dates?

I quickly grabbed my wallet and pulled out my license cards.

I checked them one by one.

Level two mechanic's license.

Still active.

Level three license.

Still active.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good."

Yuna peeked at the cards from my side.

"Whoa... you really do."

I slipped the licenses back into my wallet.

"Did you think I was lying?"

"Hehe, of course not, Papa."

Before I could say another word, the doorbell rang again.

*Ding-dong.

Yuna immediately stood up and rushed back to the door.

"Papa! Another package is here!"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Huh? Another one?"

_

I scribbled my signature once again.

The courier handed me a large cardboard box. It was about the same size as the previous package, but much lighter.

"Thank you."

Once the courier left, I picked up the box and carried it inside. I set it down next to the box of mechanic's tools my father had sent.

Yuna quickly hurried over.

"Papa, who is this one from?"

"Hold on, let me check."

I read the shipping label stuck to the corner of the box.

From: Kanzaki Sayaka

To: Nishida Itsuki

I paused for a second.

"It's from your mom."

Yuna's eyes went wide.

"From Mom?"

"Yeah."

"Papa, open it, quick!"

"Yeah, yeah. Hold your horses."

I sliced through the packing tape and pulled the flaps open.

Sitting right on top was a white envelope.

The handwriting on the front gave me pause.

For Yuna, from Mom.

I picked up the envelope and handed it to Yuna.

"Here, it's for you."

Yuna took it with both hands, immediately sat down on the floor, and began reading its contents intently.

Meanwhile, I inspected the rest of the box.

Inside were several smaller boxes of varying sizes, stacked neatly.

I pulled one out.

And opened it.

Clothes.

I closed it and opened another box.

More clothes.

The next box.

A pair of shoes.

I fell silent.

"Why...?"

The following box contained a small backpack. There were also some hair accessories, socks, and school supplies.

I glanced over at Yuna.

She was still completely engrossed in her mother's letter.

Meanwhile, my mind was racing with possibilities.

Don't tell me...

Is she looking down on me?

Does she think I really can't afford to buy decent clothes for Yuna?

I unconsciously clenched my fists.

*Ding-dong.

The doorbell rang again.

I let out a long sigh.

What now?

Yuna started to stand up.

"I'll get it."

I headed for the door, while Yuna sat back down and began opening the boxes beside her one by one.

When I opened the door, a different courier was standing out front, holding a small package.

"Are you Nishida Itsuki-san?"

"Yes, that's me."

"Please sign here."

I signed for the delivery and took the package.

Once the courier had left, I stepped back inside.

The shipping label instantly caught my eye.

From: Kuroda Seiji 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

To: Nishida Itsuki

I tore open the packaging.

Inside was a thick envelope.

As soon as I opened it, my eyes widened.

A stack of ten-thousand-yen bills.

And it wasn't a small amount, either.

I stood in stunned silence for a few seconds.

"What is the meaning of this...?"

My thoughts began to race.

Is he insulting me?

Does he think I can't take care of Yuna?

Without a second thought, I grabbed my phone and dialed Kuroda Seiji's number.

The call connected.

"Have you received the package?" His voice sounded perfectly calm on the other end.

"What is the meaning of sending all this?" I demanded sharply. "Do you think I can't take care of Yuna?"

Yuna looked over. Her hands paused over the boxes.

On the other end of the line, Seiji fell silent for a moment.

"I apologize if it offends you. But please, hear me out."

"What else is there to hear?"

"At the end of the day, Yuna is my daughter. And she is your daughter too. I acknowledge that."

"And?"

"I still have a responsibility to look after her, even if this is the only way I can do it."

"I don't need your help."

"Calm down. Forget about the responsibility part. Just consider it a gift."

I let out a soft scoff.

"A gift? That's just an excuse."

My voice grew louder.

"I told you, I don't need you. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of Yuna on my own."

I glared at the stack of bills in my hand.

"I am the one bearing all of this responsibility. So stay out of it."

On the other end, Seiji took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, but—"

I abruptly hung up.

The room fell completely silent.

The only sound was the low hum of the television in the corner.

And Yuna's gaze, which was now fixed on me.

_