「Papa!」
Being woken up by Dori was something I was slowly getting used to. However, her relentless tugging always managed to send me rolling out of bed.
「Ouch… Can’t you be a little gentler—」
「Mama!」
Ah, she must be calling me for breakfast. Last night, I’d tried editing the video I recorded, but without knowing how to properly do it, I ended up accidentally posting it instead.
I didn’t even know how to delete it, so I left it as it was.
Besides, since neither Dori nor Grandpa appeared in the footage, it should be fine.
Who would even bother watching a simple video of someone working on a farm?
I made my way to the dining table as usual, where Grandpa and Grandma were already waiting.
「You’re late, Naoki.」
「Ah, sorry. I stayed up a little too late last night.」
「What were you doing up so late?」
Grandma’s sharp gaze flickered toward me. No, I’m not a teenager sneaking off to do something questionable.
When I pulled out my phone, the notification on the lock screen caught my eye.
*—You have one new comment.*
I never thought anyone would leave a comment on that video. Was it criticism?
With some hesitation, I reached to open it.
「Naoki, eat first.」
I quickly locked the screen and clasped my hands together.
「Itadakimasu.」
Grandpa could be pretty strict about manners. He often lectured about not being a nuisance to others and ensuring proper etiquette.
「What’s with the grin?」
Living alone, I’d gotten used to eating while scrolling through my phone, but being called out on it felt oddly nostalgic.
「It’s nothing. Just reminiscing.」
This sense of normalcy was something I hadn’t experienced in a long time. After the exhaustion of city life, this was exactly what I needed.
♢
As usual, I headed to the field with Dori and Grandpa. Dori cheerfully sang her little rock song as we walked.
The earthy scent of the field hit my nose as we got closer, but something about it felt off today.
「Hey, this *is* the right field, isn’t it?」
「My field hasn’t moved an inch. Same as always.」
I began to suspect Grandpa’s memory might be deteriorating. After all, I’d only planted seeds and seedlings here yesterday.
Yet before me, the tomatoes were already flowering, the lettuce had gathered in a dense cluster of leaves, and even the cucumber seeds had sprouted several centimeters.
「We’ll need to set up stakes, won’t we?」
The tomatoes, already on the verge of bearing fruit, would need stakes and twine to support their stems.
If left unattended, the weight of the ripening tomatoes would cause the plants to collapse, leaving the fruit vulnerable to insects, soil-borne diseases, and physical damage.
They’d never make it to market in that condition.
Grandpa brought out the stakes. Meanwhile, I prepared my smartphone for recording.
「Naoki, plant these stakes near the tomatoes and tie them up with twine.」
Following his instructions, I started setting the stakes into the ground. Dori, eager to help, hauled a heavy stake over with her small hands.
「Oh, Dori, that’s enough. You’re getting too close to the camera.」
I stopped her just before she entered the frame, but she wasn’t deterred. Determined, she carried another stake over.
When I reached out to take it from her, she resisted. Apparently, she wanted to drive the stake into the ground herself.
Grandpa chuckled.
「Hahaha, Dori’s just as stubborn as I am.」
I sighed. That wasn’t something I wanted her to inherit, but I couldn’t deny my own stubborn streak either.
Together, Dori and I continued setting up the stakes.
「Roll roll round round.」
Even while tying the twine, Dori couldn’t resist singing her little tune. Before I realized it, I was humming along with her.
「Roll roll round round.」
「Roll roll round round.」
The task wasn’t difficult, so we quickly finished securing the plants.
This brought back memories of when I was a kid, helping my grandparents in the fields. Back then, I genuinely thought it was fun.
Still, I couldn’t help but wonder—would viewers even enjoy something this mundane?
With some basic editing, I could probably turn the footage into something more presentable for posting.
As I reached for my phone, I noticed something odd.
「Wait… this is a *live stream*!?」
I thought I’d been recording a regular video, but somehow, it was broadcasting live.
「Papa?」
Dori approached me, looking concerned. Well, there was no turning back now. The only option was to go with the flow and greet the viewers.
「Can you say hello?」
Dori nodded confidently.
「Papa, like!」
Yeah… greetings might be a bit too advanced for her. Resigned, I turned off the stream and returned to work.
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**Solitary Samurai** ・ *1 minute ago*
「Whoa, who’s that little girl!?」
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**Nameless Ordinary Person** ・ *1 minute ago*
「Is this really a farm diary? Feels more like a *Little Girl Diary*.」
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**Lady of Decay** ・ *2 minutes ago*
「Papa is adorable. Please, let’s make him the ultimate uke.」
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**Iron-Walled Saintess** ・ *10 minutes ago*
「Oh, it’s a live stream today! Thank you for giving me peace and a reason to live. I could die happy now. Supporting my favorite content creator is the best!」
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