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Chapter 295: Slowly, You Grow Older
🕑 Added 2025-04-18 12:40:19 +0000 UTCTL Music Recommendation: Soushi Sakiyama / Akari
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[Your nine daughters obeyed your every word without question, while your wives, on the other hand, were often ignored.]
[All of your wives—except for Ryo were deeply bothered by this.]
[Some of them even declared that you wouldn't be allowed to raise the children anymore and that they would personally take over their education.]
[However, their efforts ultimately ended in failure.]
[Even after being disciplined by their mothers, the daughters remained just as attached to you. This continued even as they entered middle school.]
[The most extreme cases were your eldest daughters, Mirai and Yuna Shouji.
[Rather than growing out of their "father complex" as they aged, it only intensified over time.]
[In their own words: "Liking someone as outstanding as Dad is completely normal for a girl."
[You wholeheartedly agreed. But your wives were beginning to worry.
[You argued that rather than letting your daughters end up with some mediocre man who wasn't even a fraction of your caliber, it would be better for them to remain single for life.
[After all, you were more than capable of providing for them forever.]
"Tch, tch… I really am a bit of a daughter-con in the simulation, huh?"
Skimming through the text, Minami couldn't help but shake his head.
This version of him had outright declared that he would take care of his daughters forever.
In every sense of the word, it was ridiculous.
"Guess the simulated me is a lot less open-minded than the real me."
Then again—
"…Finding a young man who's more exceptional than me? Impossible. There is no one. It's an unrealistic expectation."
Minami stroked his chin, deep in thought.
Meanwhile, the simulation continued to unfold—
[Your growing closeness with your daughters was only one part of your life.]
[Your true devotion remained with your wives.]
[In your free time, you often accompanied Ryo to live rock performances.
[Even though you had long since lost interest in playing instruments, even though your passion for rock music had faded—you still enjoyed watching your wife excitedly share her favorite songs with you.]
[You also went shopping with Nijika and Ikuyo, watching as they hesitantly tried on new outfits, their faces flushing red as they nervously asked if they still looked good in such youthful clothing.
[Every time they voiced their worries about looking too childish for their age, you would lean in and whisper into their ears—telling them that they still suited youthful styles, that their beauty had not faded.]
[Hearing this, your wives would always smile—soft and shy, yet still as radiant as ever.]
[Gotoh Hitori's social anxiety had long since improved, but she still found it difficult to handle media interviews for the band.
[You spent your free time coaching her on how to navigate public conversations, watching as your timid wife stumbled over her words, utterly flustered. Unable to resist, you would always step forward and pull her into your arms.]
[Chisato and Takina had long since left LycoReco behind.
[Now, most of their free time was spent with you, simply enjoying the sight of flowers blooming and withering in the garden.
[Sometimes, they would lean against you and fall asleep—soft, warm, and at peace.
[Only the drifting clouds above bore witness to those quiet afternoons.]
[Rio always came home late, consumed by her research.
[To support her, you carefully prepared nutritious meals to help restore her energy.
[Her complexion remained healthy, her body never weakened—all thanks to your silent efforts behind the scenes.
[And she knew it, too. She always carried a hint of guilt for how much you did for her.
[Perhaps that was why, whenever the two of you were alone in bed, she was always so willing to fulfill your every request.]
[Akane, on the other hand, spent most of her time pushing you to write scripts for her tokusatsu films.]
[Her company was thriving, producing hit after hit.]
[Children across Japan even began referring to her as the "Tokusatsu Grandma" of a new generation.]
[She was furious. "I'm only 38! I'm still in my prime! Why the hell did my title suddenly age up?!"]
[Meanwhile, Matsuzaka Satou was still the same as ever.]
[From time to time, she would drag you along on spontaneous trips, wandering the world together.]
[Under the golden hues of the setting sun, love lingered in the air.]
[In the distance, there was poetry, and there was love.]
[Your love for each other never faded—not because of time, not because of work, not because of distance.]
[It remained as strong as ever.]
[Your daughters, now high schoolers, couldn't quite understand it.]
[After all, most of your wives spent their time working, chasing their dreams.]
[Meanwhile, you stayed behind, waiting.]
[Didn't you ever feel lonely? Didn't you ever feel abandoned?]
[In response, you told them that marriage was about compromise.]
[Just like how Hitori never put spicy food in your meals, because she knew you didn't like it.]
[Just like how Nijika always placed a blanket over you whenever she saw you resting.]
[Marriage was about adapting to each other's needs.]
[In the end, it was not just about fleeting romance—it was about something far more lasting.
[You told your daughters: Dreams are more important than love. But love is rarer than dreams.]
[The right person will always stand within your dreams, moving forward alongside you.
[Hearing this, your daughters finally began to understand the unbreakable bond between you and your wives.]
[Time continued to flow.]
[Under your watchful eyes, your daughters each embarked on their own paths.]
[Shouji Miyuki(Hitori), Shouji Muna(Ikuyo), Shouji Misora(Nijika), and Shouji Yuna(Ryo) formed the new generation of Kessoku Band.]
[Though their skills were still rough, though their lyrics lacked the depth of the first generation, they poured their hearts into every performance.]
[They simply wanted to bring joy to their audience.]
[Meanwhile, Shouji Shio(Satou) and Shouji Haruto(Chisato) dedicated themselves to becoming writers, striving to reach the heights you and Matsuzaka Satou had achieved.]
[After years of studying and hard work, Shouji Shio and Shouji Haruto successfully gained admission into Keio University and Waseda University, respectively, both majoring in literature.]
[Meanwhile, Shouji Nayuki(Takina) had the easiest path among them all. With the rise of the digital age and her incredible reflexes and gaming talent, she became a highly popular online game streamer.]
[Her fame even reached the point where she collaborated with celebrities from the entertainment industry in gaming livestreams.]
[Shouji Mirai(Akane) and Shouji Mei(Rio), with the support of their mothers and your connections, pursued their dreams of becoming the world's greatest actress and an elite physicist, respectively.]
[Naturally, their journeys were filled with obstacles and challenges.]
[But hard work always brings rewards.]
[Barely a year into her acting program, Shouji Mirai successfully landed a role in a film, while Shouji Mei caught the attention of Rio's former research lab, earning a special recruitment as an assistant researcher.]
[Of course, Mirai's role was nothing more than a minor background character with only four or five lines, and Mei was merely a probationary research assistant.]
[But the fact that they had taken their first step into their respective industries meant that their talents had been recognized.]
[As long as they continued to push forward, greater opportunities would come their way.]
[You watched over your daughters' growth closely.]
[Especially the second-generation Kessoku Band, along with Shouji Nayuki and Shouji Mirai.]
[To ensure they weren't taken advantage of, you even took on the role of their manager in your free time, running around to help them navigate their careers.]
[For this reason, you often found yourself complaining to these troublemaking daughters, begging them not to get themselves into situations where you had to clean up their messes.]
[Hearing your words, your daughters felt a little guilty.]
[After all, while time had been kind to your appearance, your age was still catching up to you. It didn't sit right with them that they were still relying on you so much.]
[But what could they do? They were your daughters. There was no way you would just sit back and watch them struggle.]
[So, in the end, you continued helping them out whenever they found themselves in over their heads.]
[Thankfully, your long career in writing had earned you a strong reputation. You had not only produced hit anime adaptations but had also written numerous successful films and scripts.]
[With this prestige, resolving issues for your daughters became significantly easier.]
[At this point, your wives also began gradually stepping away from their careers.]
[After so many years of relentless work, they too wanted to rest.]
[But it wasn't time just yet.]
[Your daughters' careers were still in their early stages. You and your wives had to dedicate a bit more time and energy to guiding them through the complexities of the world.]
[And so, time continued to move forward.]
[With each passing year, the daughters you once needed to protect grew into independent women, capable of standing strong on their own.]
[The second-generation Kessoku Band, after multiple applications, finally secured a performance at the Tokyo Dome.]
[A feat that even the original Kessoku Band had taken years to achieve.]
[Shouji Haruto and Shouji Shio had been active authors for three years now, producing numerous romantic and poetic works. Their novels had been completely embraced by the new generation, and every book launch became a highly anticipated event.]
[As for Shouji Nayuki, her influence had extended far beyond livestreaming. She had successfully transitioned into producing content, short videos, and large-scale collaborations, making her career more vibrant than ever.]
[Shouji Mirai followed in the footsteps of Shouji Akane's friend, Rikka Takarada, securing numerous film roles and gradually rising as the most promising new actress in the industry.]
[Shouji Mei took over the research group that Shouji Rio had left behind, becoming the next-generation director of the lab.]
[They no longer needed constant guidance. The trees you had carefully nurtured had now grown tall and strong, their branches reaching far and wide.]
[Beneath their shade, you and your wives could finally breathe a sigh of relief, sit back, and enjoy the fruits of your labor.]
[Two years after your daughters' careers had stabilized—]
[You and your wives no longer hesitated. You no longer suppressed your desire to retire.]
[You began making official announcements—]
[The original Kessoku Band, once hailed as the nation's greatest rock band, declared an indefinite hiatus.]
[Shinjo Akane's tokusatsu production company, after releasing its final hero series, bid farewell to its audience.]
[Shouji Rio, a leading figure in her scientific field, formally retired from academia.]
[The authors 'Sugar' and 'Nami' announced a long-term hiatus from writing.]
[The news sent shockwaves through Japan's rock music scene, literary world, and tokusatsu industry.]
[Countless fans expressed their devastation, struggling to accept the reality.
[But in the end, they still sent you their heartfelt blessings.]
[Because those who had once witnessed your rise had also grown up.
[Many of them had now become adults with their own children—just like you.]
[With your retirement settled, you embarked on a peaceful and leisurely life.]
[Although Kessoku Band had stepped away from public performances, they still enjoyed getting together in the private studio you had built for them, playing music just for fun.]
[Similarly, though Shouji Akane had left the tokusatsu industry, she still occasionally crafted highly detailed kaiju models for everyone to admire.]
[Matsuzaka Satou, despite her writing hiatus, often scribbled overly romantic love poems and letters just for you.]
[And every time, you would read them out loud to your other wives, just to tease her.]
[Without fail, her face would flush red with embarrassment, utterly flustered.]
[Yet, no matter how many times she protested, she could never stop you.]
[You played video games with Shouji Chisato from time to time, went out for movies with Inoue Takina…]
[This simple, peaceful life held a happiness that only the ten of you could truly understand.]
[And so, time flowed by like a fleeting dream.]
[By the time you looked back—your bodies had already begun to grow old.]
[At Satou's suggestion, you all decided to embark on one final journey while your bodies were still capable of moving.]
[Rather than lying in bed, slowly decaying with time, you chose to embrace nature instead.]
