Chapter 22: A Warm Home

Driving steadily, Jin found R's judgment echoing in his mind.

R believed there was something wrong with the government... Frankly speaking, Jin had already noticed it too. The overreach of government power was becoming increasingly obvious, and the social climate here felt akin to a military dictatorship. Glancing up at the screens floating and drifting across the sky, Jin pondered in silence.

Yet, he was an Ultraman. No matter how much the government overreached its authority, it was ultimately just an internal dispute among humans. That alone was not reason enough for him to stand in opposition to the government.

Therefore, Jin had not accepted R's renewed invitation.

The car gradually drove into the residential complex. Kyoka leaned against the car window and asked in a crisp voice, "Big Brother, is this our home?"

Jin reached out to stroke the little girl's head, smiling as he nodded. "That's right. From now on, this is Kyoka's home."

In truth, housing prices in Japan... were not expensive!

As for the reason... it was actually quite simple...

Every appearance of a monster caused massive destruction. One could say that anyone living in Japan possessed an extraordinary capacity to withstand devastating blows. You never knew if one day, upon returning home from work, you would be heartbroken to find your house trampled flat by a monster...

Harassed relentlessly by the constant emergence of monsters, Japan's real estate market had plunged into an overall slump. Thus, Jin had simply extorted some money from K and bought a house without hesitation.

Home...

Looking back, it seemed he had not had any connection to this word for a very long time.

For some reason, a touch of loneliness welled up in his heart.

Back at home, Jin willingly took on the role of a househusband, taking the vegetables he bought along the way to the kitchen to prepare them. There was no annoyance in his heart; on the contrary, it was filled with warmth. Ever since his initial awakening, Jin had been unable to find the slightest trace of his past memories—no parents, no family... It was as if he were a person who had simply materialized out of thin air in this world. All he knew was his own codename.

Viewed from this perspective, Jin's tragedy and loneliness were no less than anyone else's.

Listening to the sounds of Kyoka's laughter and cartoons drifting from the living room, Jin smiled silently. He found that he surprisingly loved this mundane life of everyday essentials like firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.

"Umm... Big Brother..." Yoshikawa Hiro stood awkwardly at the kitchen doorway, looking sheepish.

"I... I can help you..."

A home...

This was also something he desired with all his heart. People like them—stray dogs of society—were outcasts abandoned by the world, lacking families and parents.

Watching the busy Jin, Yoshikawa Hiro felt a sudden ache in his heart... and a strong urge to cry.

"Alright..." Jin nodded, casually handing him a potato. "Go cut this up."

"Okay!" Yoshikawa Hiro sniffled and nodded heavily.

That evening, a warm and cozy dinner began.

Kyoka stared at the table laden with food, her mouth practically watering. She peeked toward the kitchen and, seeing that her big brother had not come out yet, cautiously picked up her chopsticks, gave one of the fragrant dishes a tiny poke, and popped it into her mouth.

The smile on her little face was radiant with happiness.

"The last dish is served~" Yoshikawa Hiro called out dramatically, carrying a pot of fish soup to the table.

Jin followed close behind, a yellow apron draped over his tall frame, looking both eccentric and heartwarming.

Untying the apron, he casually hung it on the wall hook nearby, walked over with a smile, and took the seat at the head of the table.

In this tiny household, playing the role of a father, a fierce and intense thought burned within his heart.

He wanted to raise the little girl sitting before him into adulthood; he wanted to bask in the warmth of a family.

Therefore... those detestable aliens and monsters, along with anyone else who dared to disrupt the status quo—

All of you bastards, get lost!

This world is mine to protect!

"It's time to eat~" The little girl raised her chopsticks, crying out dramatically before picking up a piece of fish and putting it into her mouth. Her lovely eyes narrowed into crescents, and her face blossomed into a flower-like smile.

At that moment, Jin felt as though a certain empty space in his heart had been filled to the brim.

Jin poured juice into the cups in front of Kyoka and Yoshikawa Hiro, then poured a glass for himself.

"To celebrate our move~ To celebrate little Kyoka safely beating her illness, and to celebrate the start of a new life~"

"To the start of a new life~"

"Hahaha~"

That night was filled with endless laughter.

After coaxing the little girl to sleep, Jin gently stepped out of the room, pulled the door shut, and spotted Yoshikawa Hiro sitting in the living room.

"Um..." Yoshikawa Hiro looked a bit embarrassed. Now that the earlier excitement and joy had faded, a sense of awkwardness began to creep into his heart.

Jin waved a hand. "Sit down first. I have some things to tell you."

"You can call me Big Brother. I don't have any other relatives either, so the three of us will live together from now on."

Yoshikawa Hiro stood up excitedly, quickly bowing. "Thank you... Thank you, Big Brother..."

Jin waved his hand without speaking, keeping his own considerations to himself.

Given that his own situation remained uncertain, having Yoshikawa Hiro move in with them for the time being was the best arrangement. If any trouble befell him, Yoshikawa Hiro could directly take care of little Kyoka. Moreover, Yoshikawa Hiro was only in his early twenties, a stage in life filled with extreme bewilderment, so Jin had completely come to regard him as a younger brother.

Furthermore, from what he had observed, Yoshikawa Hiro possessed a fairly decent character—a loyal and affectionate person—which left Jin quite satisfied.

"Tomorrow, take Kyoka to the building materials market first. Ask for her opinion, as the house might need some redecoration. And all those miscellaneous items a little girl needs—I'll leave those tedious tasks to you."

Jin took a credit card from his pocket, placed it on the table, and said, "As for little Kyoka's schooling, you'll need to handle that as well."

Yoshikawa Hiro said excitedly, "I... I will definitely take care of everything properly!"

Smiling, Jin stood up and said, "It's getting late. Clean up and get to bed."

Looking at the lights shining outside the window, Jin smiled faintly. Only now did he feel a slight sense of belonging to this world.

"Big Brother... Kyoka wants Big Brother to tuck me in..."

Turning back, he saw little Kyoka had woken up at some point and was standing timidly behind him.

"Alright..."

Jin smiled, scooped the little girl up into his arms, and carried her back to the bedroom.

"Big Brother... you're not allowed to leave, okay..." Tucked inside the quilt, Kyoka poked only her small head out, looking at Jin with adorable eyes.

"Of course..." Jin smiled, patted her head, and casually pulled a children's book from the bedside table.

"Then, I'll tell you the story of Ultraman Seven..."

Because Ultraman and monsters were a tangible reality, children's books of this genre were extremely popular in the market. People used their imaginations to speculate on the superhero's origins and construct alien conspiracies, and because these stories felt grounded in reality, they enjoyed massive popularity.

Take the children's book in front of him, for instance: the author had based it on the existence of Seven X, toning down its rugged and fierce nature to create a much kinder character named SEVEN. Because it was modeled after Seven X, Seven and Seven X did not differ all that much in appearance.

In the park where he had once met Tamaru, Jin had even seen two young boys mimicking Seven's poses.

"Mm-hmm..."

"......"

"And finally, SEVEN defeated the great monster, protecting the peace of the Earth once more..."

Jin smiled as he closed the children's book. Noticing that Kyoka had already fallen soundly asleep, he smiled softly, put the book down, and prepared to leave.

To his surprise, even though Kyoka was asleep, her little hand was still clutching Jin's sleeve, and this slight movement instantly startled her awake.

The little girl burst into tears, sitting straight up in bed.

"Big Brother... don't leave me again..."

Jin's heart softened. He reached out with his large hand to pat her little head.

"Don't worry, Big Brother won't leave you."

"Besides... Big Brother will protect little Kyoka and protect this world, just like Seven."