15: Father and Daughter with Aching Backs
In my half-asleep daze, I absentmindedly lifted the blanket, revealing a familiar head on the side of the bed against the wall.
Silver bobbed hair all mussed up, mouth agape, drooling in her sleep—Ayoung was lying right next to me.
Facing me, lying on her side.
"Kuhhh..."
I'd lifted the blanket and gasped in shock at seeing my daughter where she absolutely shouldn't be, while she snored away, oblivious to the world.
Staring at her peaceful face, mouth wide open, I thought.
Why is Ayoung here?
I'd definitely checked that she was asleep in her own room before coming to mine, so waking up to find her right beside me was bewildering.
Maybe she's cold.
In case she might be shivering from the chill, I pulled the blanket I'd half-pulled back over her and gazed at her face.
Her chin tilted toward me, drool streaming as she slept.
Watching her like this brought back memories of little Ayoung from the past.
Takes me back.
After we'd gotten close, sometime later.
"Dad, just for tonight, can I sleep with you?"
She'd sometimes show up out of the blue at night, clutching her pillow, begging to sleep together.
She'd barge in without knocking, which was always awkward...
I remembered half-asleep moments when she'd hug her pillow and plead from beyond the door, and I'd give in.
Yeah, I'd tuck her in sometimes.
I never suggested it myself, but if she asked, I'd let her.
...Though after high school, she'd occasionally just crash on the floor by my bed without a word, which startled me.
So after a stern talking-to a few times, she stopped coming.
So why'd she suddenly come in tonight?
I pondered for a moment, then recalled yesterday.
— I... I saw Dad struggling, so I helped you sleep.
The memory of waking to a peaceful morning thanks to my daughter's care.
And today's condition matched that exactly.
Did she worry because I kept jolting awake unexpectedly yesterday and come to check on me?
That line of thought led me to another.
I should get checked at the Research Institute.
I couldn't keep worrying Ayoung forever.
And with this big difference in how I feel, it'd be weird not to figure out the cause and fix it.
Our Research Institute handled various diseases, including sleep-related ones.
Maybe bring Ayoung along while I'm at it?
Thinking about my narcolepsy and her snoring sparked an idea.
Come to think of it, she didn't snore until middle school.
Skinny as a rail back in middle school, no snoring then.
But she'd been so scrawny, like a chopstick, that I'd pitied her and poured money into feeding her well—which led to now.
I remembered her sprouting up in height and filling out around high school entrance.
...Especially in other areas, dramatically and impressively so.
That's when the snoring started.
Big-breasted women often slouch, leading to forward head posture—maybe that was it for my daughter too.
Sleep quality matters, so maybe take her along for a check.
Lost in those thoughts, I turned my head to look at her snoring face, and curiosity struck.
What if I close her mouth?
Would she stop snoring?
Or breathe through her nose and make cute noises?
Sometimes those videos show people whistling through their noses while sleeping.
Imagining those clips, I cautiously moved my hand to her chin and gently closed her mouth.
"Kuhk... hack..."
She started choking, unable to breathe properly.
Oh no.
Not the cute reaction I'd hoped for— she looked genuinely distressed.
Panicking, I yanked my hand away, vowing never to pull that prank again.
She stubbornly opened her mouth again and resumed snoring.
"Kuhhh..."
Somehow adorable, I chuckled softly and reviewed the situation.
I definitely checked she was asleep in her room yesterday...
Then I remembered stripping naked and diving into bed.
Wait, so...?
Am I just in my underwear right now?
And sleeping in the same bed as Ayoung in that state?
That realization hit; I lifted the blanket reflexively to check myself and confronted my near-naked state.
Huh?
Naturally, I also took in how she was lying next to me.
I'd only glanced at her face earlier and covered her up quick, so I hadn't noticed— I wasn't the only one in underwear; Ayoung was too.
Why...? What...? Why?
The incomprehensible scene stunned my brain.
Her sleeping beside me? I could rationalize that somehow.
After yesterday, she checked on me again and dozed off.
But why is she in her underwear without even pajamas?
Me in just boxers, her in undies right next to me.
Lost in those thoughts, I snapped to and caught my right hand— the naughty one— heading for her chest, stopped just in time by my left.
Hah... at it again.
My body moved on its own if I let my guard down.
At least today, feeling good, I'd stopped before acting.
To block the morning lust boiling up from seeing her like that, I dropped the blanket to assess the situation.
Whew...
Even covered, my eyes kept drifting to the curves peeking through.
Overwhelming volume, even under the blanket.
Recognizing that, the fresh image of her in green lingerie spun in my mind— her nipple subtly exposed by her pose— sharpening instead of fading.
My dick started swelling slowly.
This is bad.
If I hold out like this, I might lose control and do something awful.
So, I decided to flee first.
Careful... careful...
To avoid her noticing and to halt my impending rampage, I slipped out of bed cautiously.
One bathroom session wasn't enough; I jerked off twice more before calming down enough for my morning run.
Before heading to work, we ate breakfast and chatted.
"Ayoung."
"Yeah?"
"Did Dad keep waking up while sleeping yesterday too?"
She paused her spoon mid-air at my question, hesitated, then answered.
"...Yeah."
Just as I thought.
I was touched by my considerate daughter.
"Thanks, Ayoung. I'm really grateful you worried about me. Thanks to you, my sore back's gotten way better lately."
"Uh... back?"
"Yeah. Seems like waking up in my sleep was straining my back. Even walking sent tingles through it— pretty rough."
Her eyes widened as I described the symptoms.
"D-Dad, you mean... like, your lower back aches deep inside, and it tingles every step?"
"Huh? Yeah, exactly. Probably a herniated disc or something. Why?"
"Oh... nothing. I've been feeling it lately too. But doesn't that tingling suck?"
Seeing her complain of the same symptoms, I thought.
Does Ayoung have a disc issue too?
"You too, Ayoung?"
"Y-Yeah..."
"Since when?"
She glanced away, pondering as she answered.
"Ab... about... a week ago?"
A week ago.
Recent, so probably not severe.
Disc issues respond well to early exercise, I figured.
"Then let's exercise together starting tomorrow. I was the same at first, but after a month, it improved."
She looked panicked.
"Ex-exercise? Dad, in that state, you can't even walk, let alone run, right? A few steps and my lower belly's screaming..."
"Ah, that?"
Yeah, the early days were brutal.
The constant stabbing pain anywhere, anytime, made my mind go blank.
I had no idea herniated discs were that rough.
But I endured: one day, two, a week. Around a month in.
Kept exercising, adapted. Not gone, but livable.
Most issues heal with movement— modern sedentary life breeds them.
Fix before it wrecks you.
"Yeah! That! It hurts so bad my legs twist up..."
"That's all from lack of exercise, Ayoung."
"L-Lack of... exercise?"
Her face said it didn't compute.
"I was the same. A month of running fixed it. Let's start tomorrow."
"R-Run...? Feeling that?"
She waved her hands in refusal.
Worried, maybe.
Severe discs hate running, sure. But early stage, light jogging helps.
If she's that concerned...
"Hmm... hospital first, then?"
Get a proper diagnosis and treatment.
But she shuddered at the idea.
"N-No! No way! I'll run with you, Dad!"
Hates hospitals, huh.
I chuckled at her freak-out.
"Good call, Ayoung."
Now I had an exercise buddy starting tomorrow.
Running alone was kinda lonely.
With her, mornings would feel livelier.
Anyway...
Back pain derailed things a bit.
Now for the real talk.
Swallowing my embarrassment, I scolded her sternly.
"Ayoung. So why'd you come to my room in just your underwear? Didn't I tell you to wear proper pajamas?"