Chapter 4

Around 10 months old.

When he could hold his head up and move around a bit, he extended his trembling hands toward the wall and began his training for standing and walking, grabbing onto the wall.

One might think, "He should start with crawling first!" But the easy way of thinking was not allowed by the pride of a man who had been humiliated daily.

(To protect myself from the adults' evil hands, I need to keep my hands free to resist.)

Aiming for the ability to use the toilet alone. Crawling wouldn't get him to the outhouse outside the house. Thus, he poured his fiery passion into the training, which was far too harsh for an infant with only a six-month-old skeleton. The adults were half surprised and half taken aback as they watched the baby, who was less than a year old, try to stand and walk while trembling.

"Hey... Is he okay?"

"I don't know! But Sou-kun is working so hard... I think as a parent, we should just watch and support him."

"No, that's not what I meant..."

What the old man wanted to say was that it was impossible for a baby to stand on his own, and they shouldn't just watch. Indeed, his opinion was entirely correct. Just because the baby could hold his head up didn't mean his limbs were fully developed. After three days of intense struggle, he realized his body wasn't ready yet. Frustrated, he started moving around by crawling and occasionally headbutting or cat-punching nearby adults, but it only seemed like he was playing, which made them even happier.

Since he could only crawl, he changed his approach.

He decided to thoroughly train his moving limbs. There was no place in the house where he didn't appear. The hearth in the living room became an excellent short track, and the infant hooligan headbutted anyone in his way. He knocked down the shoji leading to the veranda, slalom-skied through the kitchen while it was being used, and even disrupted the intimate moments of the third son of the Hayashi family with his aggressive running.

After two months of intense training, an unusually strong-legged super infant was born! He easily cleared the first major hurdle when he tried to stand and walk while holding onto the wall.

(I did it!)

At that moment, Kousuke was one year old. Thanks to his efforts, he achieved bipedal walking much earlier than the average child. The adults probably didn't realize that the baby, who was standing and shaking while holding onto the wall, was crying from the emotion of the moment.

He then let go of the wall and tried to stand on his own. His well-trained leg muscles supported his incomplete infant skeleton, making his upright posture stable. Feeling encouraged, he ran forward and, in front of everyone, performed a face slide. Everyone makes mistakes at first.

Perhaps a remnant of his crawling days, the baby's walk was similar to a sumo wrestler's shuffle. When he tried to run, he would end up in a crouched position, charging forward with a "DodoDodo!" sound.

"Hehe, Sou-kun is really energetic, isn't he?"

"He looks thin like his mother, but he seems to have quite a bit of strength."

Praised, he tried to make a muscle on his arm, but no muscle appeared. It was more like a soft, squishy bump. With his new bipedal walking ability, he set his next goal as the open door leading to the land of freedom. Beyond that sliding door lay a wealth of information to satisfy his curiosity.

To reach there, he needed to overcome the height difference of the threshold. For a one-year-old, 1 foot (about 30 cm) was a significant challenge. With an infant body that couldn't squat or twist, it was difficult to attempt the height difference.

"Outside"

Kousuke begged his mother. All he needed was for an adult to help him stand up.

"But, Sou-kun just spoke!"

His mother, Haru, pointed at him with a surprised voice. Initially, she was excited to share her surprise, but then she was struck by the shock that her beloved child's first word was "outside," and she retreated to the back of the house.

(That was careless...)

He should have been more careful with his first word, given that his mother was his greatest supporter and caregiver. As he turned to check on her, he was picked up by the old man. The old man's arms, hardened from working in the rice fields, were rough and a bit painful to hold, but they provided the best mobility after being carried.

"I'll take him out."

In the village, Ibei from the persimmon orchard was the old man. Kousuke was defined as "Ibei's grandson from the persimmon orchard" by the villagers. His family, not being samurai, had no last name. The follow-up for his mother would have to wait. The old man was probably delighted that his grandson had taken his first steps and spoken his first words. He nodded and rubbed his nose.

Outside, after being set down by the old man, Kousuke briefly confirmed the ground under his feet and started walking around the house. The old man followed worriedly from behind, but Kousuke ignored him and continued walking with his bow-legged gait.

(Is this my house...)

It took him a year just to confirm its appearance. It was a shabby shack on the outskirts of town, where a band of thieves might hide in a period drama, but it was filled with the smell of daily life. There were persimmon and pomegranate trees on the sunny west side, and a large chestnut tree on the east side, from which the house got its name. Cedar trees lined the property boundary, and there was a shed and a barely hidden outhouse in the corner.

"Hey, Kousuke, don't run, it's dangerous!"

The old man was getting anxious as Kousuke didn't stop. Sensing he might be caught, Kousuke decided to dash to the outhouse!

DodoDodoDodo...!

The sudden change in direction and the bow-legged charge shocked the old man. Knowing what the outhouse was like, he probably thought Kousuke would dive into the cesspool. He tried to grab him, but Kousuke avoided him with his well-trained slalom skills. His head was heavy and wobbled, but he managed to steady himself.

(This is the outhouse!)

He had a vague idea, but his imagination was too mild. The primitive toilet was terrifying! It was a round hole lined with stones and two planks to sit on. The only privacy was a screen of reeds and weeds. The cesspool below was likely layered with waste, and the smell was unmistakable.

(...This is still... impossible, yeah)

His heart rejected it, but the curious part of him wanted to peek into the dark depths of the cesspool. However, the old man, who had caught up, stopped him.

"What a terrifying baby!"

The old man, who had picked him up, was gasping for breath as if he were dying. It seemed he had unexpectedly doused the old man with cold water. Kousuke felt a bit of regret.