It's been over a week since I started looking after Eto.
Since adding Eto to my solo apartment life, a lot has changed.
First, the books I read went from novels to baby care guides.
Ghoul babies are just like human babies in every way except they eat human flesh.
Good music for babies, play activities, checking health from excrement, the baby's body development stages and how care methods should change accordingly… there was so much to learn, and books alone didn't feel enough, so I also used TV programs and internet forums.
I don't know Eto's birth date, but judging by her development, she seems over three months old.
"Let's see… 'Babies over three months old generally start to have a more sensitive sense of smell and stronger leg strength, so their kicks are more powerful.' Right? Are they really stronger? Hey, Eto, try kicking me once."
I leaned forward to Eto, checking tips I found on someone else's online baby care diary.
I don't know whether she understood my words or just happened to, but Eto giggled and moved her legs.
Wham!!!
…There was one fact I overlooked.
Ghouls possess multiples of human physical strength.
I guess that applies to ghoul babies too.
Thud!!
Eto's kick sent my jaw spinning, and I had to crawl on the floor for a while. It was a seriously fierce blow.
The next thing that changed besides my daily routine was the look of my room.
A baby crib, rattles and toys, a baby carrier for outings, diapers, baby powder, and so on…
They swallowed up every corner of my gaming- and novel-filled high schooler apartment, expanding the territory of this baby's home.
Hmm, with odds this slim, there's no way I could bring a girlfriend home now.
Although my baby-care supplies have increased, that's not necessarily a good thing.
"…I need to start keeping a household ledger."
How much money could a high schooler living alone really have?
My living expenses came from my dad every month, but it wasn't that much.
Until now I'd been breaking into the savings I'd set aside for buying new games to buy baby products, but even that wasn't enough, and my money for basic living costs was under threat.
'Should I ask my dad to send more money? No. Even if I got more money, he'd sense something's off and come check on me. That absolutely can't happen.'
Still, I couldn't leave Eto alone, and with nowhere to entrust her, getting a part-time job was out of the question.
Is there some great part-time gig where I could bring Eto along and still work?
"My head hurts~!"
After racking my brain for a while without finding an answer, I threw myself onto my back and surrendered.
Eto must have found my odd crashing onto the floor amusing, because she crawled over and started patting my forehead with her palm again and again.
"Baa~!"
"…Y-yeah, yeah. Thanks for the enthusiastic encouragement, Princess."
Those tiny fernlike hands tapping my forehead were strangely healing.
Revived with fresh energy, I got up to look for a new breakthrough.
Wondering if I could find any good info, I turned on the TV news.
The anchor I see every time was reciting today's news in her mechanical voice as usual.
"At around 8:00 this morning, what appears to be a ghoul-related corpse was discovered on District 7, ☆★ Street. The victim was identified as Nakajima Shioto, 55, who ran a bakery nearby. It's confirmed that he was attacked while returning home after work last night. In response, the CCG's Ghoul Investigator department has dispatched a squad to investigate the incident…"
"Gah. That's close by."
Not only was it a problem that a ghoul was openly cannibalizing someone nearby, but the news that Ghoul Investigators were being dispatched to investigate was adding yet another worry.
The screen showed a middle-aged man being interviewed, wearing a white suit coat and holding a metal briefcase—the typical image of a Ghoul Investigator.
Ghoul Investigators.
These are the experts who find ghouls lurking among humans and destroy them. They're known for facing off against ghouls—who have several times human strength—without losing.
Their standard protocol is to capture alive, but if they judge any risk, their directive is to eliminate on the spot.
I don't know how ghoul babies would be treated, but I definitely don't want them to spot us.
I let out a small laugh at my own situation—being more wary of human-aligned Ghoul Investigators nearby than the dangerous ghoul who appeared in the neighborhood.
I sat Eto on my lap, showed her the TV, and said,
"Eto, you absolutely cannot go near people who look like that, okay? They're really scary."
"Boo?"
Eto just sucked her finger while staring vacantly at the investigator on the screen.
This kid still has no concept of danger.
She wouldn't know that the seemingly harmless neighborhood uncle on screen was carrying a weapon that could split a ghoul's belly open in one slash and pull out all the entrails.
So I have to sense the danger for her and keep her far away.
There's no way those investigators could tell just by looking that Eto's a ghoul, but for now I decided it's best to avoid going out.
Ding-dong~
"Hm? Who could that be?"
I didn't even remember ordering a delivery, let alone expecting any guests.
Even if I had, it was rare for anyone to come knocking at this early hour.
Feeling curious, I peered through the peephole to see who was outside.
".........!?!?!?!!!!"
I once heard that when you're that shocked, you can't make a sound. I never expected to experience that firsthand.
My mouth worked, as if to say something, but my brain was doing everything it could to stop any sound from escaping.
And the next moment, I summoned all my muscles to dash around the room at full power.
I grabbed every baby item filling the room and shoved them into the closet. When I ran out of space, I hid the rest in the depths of the trash can.
I wedged my parenting books between the adult magazines I'd used to hide them before, following the lesson "to hide a tree, hide it in a forest."
Then I threw all the clothes I'd bought for Eto out into the garden I could see through the window with tears of agony in my eyes.
Thinking about retrieving them all later and washing them nearly made me collapse, but I forced my jaw shut and kept moving.
Finally I grabbed Eto and looked around.
Where was it? Now I just need to hide Eto!
Then I realized there was a seriously awkward but only choice: that spot. I hid her there.
Before hiding her, I whispered a plea to Eto in a small voice.
"Alright, Eto? You mustn't make a sound and stay perfectly still! Because Daddy… Daddy is about to go into the fight of his life!"
"Baa?"
Eto tilted her head in confusion.
Well, there was no way she'd understand me no matter how earnestly I spoke.
I thought about when Eto was quietest during our daily routine, pulled out a blood bag and a baby bottle.
"Paaa~!"
Eto's eyes sparkled, and she latched onto the bottle, happily drinking my blood.
Okay, she'll be quiet for a while with this.
I hurriedly hid Eto and opened the front door.
Covered in cold sweat and breathing hard from the momentary battle, I faced the man waiting at my door, who gave me a suspicious look.
"…What on earth were you doing?"
"Just a little self-charging session common among male renters."
"…Alright, whatever."
Like a man understanding another man's needs, he gave a slight nod.
His forehead had fine lines showing he was over forty like tree rings.
A spotless white suit coat draped below his neck, and in one hand, a metal briefcase.
The visitor to my apartment was the same Ghoul Investigator who'd just been on TV.
And…
"So what's the matter? …Father."
And… it was my father.