Esper Harem in the Apocalypse
chapter-526

A few seconds later, Jessica returned with a glass full of water. She was taking steady steps as she had filled the entire glass, literally. The water would spill from the glass if she moved her hand even a little.

"..." Rudy enjoyed her slow walk and smiled after seeing Jessica trying her best. But when she entered the living room, her feet hit the mat, and she tripped.

However, Rudy used his powers to hold the glass and the water from falling to the ground while he grabbed Jessica and saved her from falling.

"Careful there." He carried Jessica with one hand and placed her on the couch after grabbing the glass from the air.

"..."

Rudy noticed Jessica was breathing heavily, so he crouched down in front of her and calmly asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Jessica shook her head.

"You are supposed to nod there," he chuckled softly.

"I was scared…" she muttered.

"Of course you were." He smiled gently at her and patted her head. Then, he sat beside her and said, "It's natural."

He handed the class to her and said, "Here, drink some water. It will help."

Jessica held the glass with both hands and slowly began taking small sips from the glass.

Rudy bit his lips and clenched his fists to calm his anger. For some reason, he was feeling furious at himself and the circumstances.

He waited for Jessica to finish drinking, although she only drank half a glass and placed it on the table.

"Can I drink it?" Rudy asked.

"Yes."

Rudy drank the rest of the water from the glass and let out a sigh as he relaxed on the couch.

Jessica glanced at Rudy from the corner of her eyes and asked, "What are you to, my sister?"

"Hmm? I already told you that I am her friend."

"But why would she have an old man as her friend?"

"Stop calling me old man. Either call me by my name or use pronouns." Rudy closed his eyes as he leaned on the couch and rested his head on the back.

"What is your name?"

"I already introduced myself a while ago, come on~" Rudy sighed with a groan. "It's Robert."

"You are lying!"

"..." Rudy opened his eyes in surprise and asked, "Why would you think that?"

"Your face doesn't look like Robert."

"Wow… so now their faces should match their names, too?"

Jessica squinted her eyes and asked, "Are you lying, mister?"

"Yes."

"I knew it!"

"Pipe down. The name doesn't matter, does it?"

"It totally does!"

Rudy looked into Jessica's eyes and said, "My name is Rudy."

"It doesn't suit your face."

"Well, thank you."

"How did you meet my sister?" Jessica asked curiously.

'I am being interviewed by a kid…'

"I met her in school."

"Are you dumb?"

Rudy pinched Jessica's cheeks and said, "What did you say?"

"You are so old, and you still go to school. You have to be dumb, right?"

"I am a teacher at her school."

"Oh! So you are smart?!"

"Damn right."

"But if you are her teacher, then why are you not on the school trip, and why you had no idea about it?"

"I… am a new teacher. I haven't officially started teaching yet."

"I see."

"Good, good."

"Wait! Does that mean you will also teach me one day?!"

"Yes."

Jessica's face turned pale after hearing that. She gulped down anxiously and asked, "Will you… give me bad grades?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Because I called you an old man…" she uttered in a low voice.

'Hmm~ I can use this to get more information,' Rudy uttered inwardly.

"I will forgive you if you answer me some questions," he said calmly. "Who is the man of this house?"

Jessica tilted her head to the side in confusion and asked, "What does that mean?"

'I guess I will have to be more direct.'

"Where is… uhhh… Albert? Is he your father?"

"How do you know about that?!"

'I will take that reaction as a yes.' Rudy hummed in amusement and thought, 'So my supposed-father— Albert, is actually mom and Jessica's father. Mom had told me that he died when I was three years old, so that would be in… err… 1993 or 1994.

In other words… he should be alive right now.' Rudy smiled at Jessica and asked, "So, where is he?"

Jessica's face turned gloomy as she muttered, "He stopped coming home a few months ago."

"Uhh…"

"He used to come home twice every week, but he completely stopped visiting us a few months ago," Jesicca repeated herself, this time loudly.

"Wait… so who else lives here?"

"It's only me and my sister…"

'Are you fucking kidding me?! A seven-year-old and a ten-year-old girl living alone without any adults? How are they surviving, and what the fuck is wrong with the old man?!'

"What about your mother? What happened to her?" Rudy asked calmly.

'Mom has never talked about her mother, so I know nothing about her. I have always been curious about mom and her family, even in my past life, but mom never answered me properly.'

Jessica shook her head and said, "I have never met my mother. I don't even know her name."

"So, how are you two surviving?" Rudy couldn't keep the question to himself. He wanted to know how they were managing.

"The old couple next door gives us food. Sis also gets money from the school by doing school's duty."

"School's duty?"

"After school ends, sis checks all the rooms and closes the open windows, cleans the blackboard, fixes the desks, and sweeps the room to take out the trash. But she only does that on every Friday. And in return, she gets money that we use for food."

'So mom has been taking responsibilities ever since she was a kid. Dammit, all she has done for her entire life is work and take responsibility. Curse you, Albert. Wherever you are, I hope you are suffering.

How could you leave kids to survive on their own? Wait… is that the reason why I was precisely sent back in this timeline? Or am I just overthinking again? '

A/N- Is he overthinking?