Bonus (2/4)
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Chapter 56: The Gathering at Seito's; Yukino's Rising Fury.
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A few minutes later, on the sun-drenched street...
Seito walked along, carrying the soft, petite Shiro in his arms. He glanced sideways at Sora, who was currently clinging to his other arm, weeping theatrically.
"That high schooler... he said I didn't look like Shiro's brother!"
"He called me creepy! I'm not creepy! I just have dark circles under my eyes from being a dedicated gamer!"
Sora recounted the scene of his "arrest" for the tenth time. Ever since Seito had bailed him out of the precinct, the venting hadn't stopped. It was clear this was the greatest indignity he had suffered in his entire life.
"Alright, alright, give it a rest," Seito said, exasperated. "We'll be at my place in five minutes. I've got breakfast waiting. You can eat your feelings then."
The moment he heard the word "food," Sora stopped crying. He wiped his eyes and offered a sudden, hopeful grin. "Actually, I am getting pretty hungry."
"Mm-hmm!" Shiro nodded solemnly from Seito's arms, patting her stomach. The siblings had a deep, spiritual craving for Seito's cooking.
Home Sweet Home
The trio soon arrived at the apartment. As they stepped inside, the Blank siblings immediately began scanning the perimeter with the intensity of professional looters.
"Man, your place is so clean," Sora noted.
"Ours, on the other hand..." He trailed off, his voice filled with a mix of shame and laziness.
The Blank household was a disaster zone. Neither of them ever bothered to clean; as long as there was a flat surface to sleep on and a screen to look at, they were content.
"It's manageable," Seito replied. He looked toward the kitchen and saw Kanade finishing up the dishes. "Kanade, where are the leftovers?"
"In the fridge," Kanade answered without turning around, her focus entirely on a stubborn spot on a plate.
"Is that '奏' (Kanade)?" Sora asked, looking at her with a curious, analytical gaze. "She gives off a real 'Kuudere' vibe."
"She's a good girl," Seito said simply.
"Wu~" Shiro poked Seito's shoulder with a tiny fist.
"And Shiro is a very good girl, too," Seito added, giving the silver-haired girl a gentle head-pat. A small, satisfied smile tugged at the corners of Shiro's lips.
Seito stepped into the kitchen and pulled out the remaining steamed buns—there were about three or four left, plenty for the siblings. He also grabbed the half-eaten Jidanguanbing (egg-filled crepe) he had been working on earlier.
"Here. It might be a bit cold, but dig in." He set the plates on the dining table.
"Not a problem," Sora said, reaching immediately for the half-eaten crepe. "Cold food is the fuel of champions."
"Hold it!" Seito blocked Sora's hand.
"What now?" Sora looked up, confused.
Seito stared him down with intense gravity.
"The one in your hand... is my leftovers."
"I told you, I don't mind."
"I mind!"
The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned heavy. Seito and Sora locked eyes, their expressions shifting into masks of dramatic, over-the-top intensity.
"JOJO!!" Seito roared, his face twisting into a manic, theatrical grin.
"DIO!!!" Sora shouted back instinctively, his face assuming a look of absolute, invincible arrogance.
Then, the madness began.
"MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA...!!"
"ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA...!!"
They traded "punches" in the air with lightning speed, their voices booming with chuunibyou energy. They were so loud and so deeply immersed in their roleplay that neither of them heard the persistent knocking at the front door.
Shiro watched with stars in her eyes, feeling like she was back in their childhood. Meanwhile, Kanade, having finished the dishes, stood at the kitchen entrance and watched them with her usual expressionless curiosity.
A minute later, the "battle" ended. Seito reclaimed his crepe and took a satisfied bite.
"Ah~" He looked at Sora, who was now resigned to eating the buns. "I only made one of these this morning. There was no way I was letting you have it."
"Fair enough," Sora muttered through a mouthful of bun. They were just messing around—after all, you don't pass up a chance to quote JoJo with your best friend.
...
The Visitors Arrive
Knock, knock, knock.
The four of them shared a look. Seito stood up, finishing the last of his crepe as he walked to the door. When he swung it open, he found the Yukinoshita sisters and Amou kirukiru standing there.
"Oh, you're all here. Come on in."
As he spoke, his eyes drifted toward the younger Yukinoshita sister, taking in her appearance with a lingering gaze that made her pale cheeks flush a faint pink.
"Seito-chan," Haruno asked with a playful smile as she stepped inside, "was that you making those 'DIO' noises just now?"
"My childhood friend is moving in next door," Seito said, closing the door behind them.
"We were just messing around."
"Childhood friend? Moving in?" Amou asked, looking intrigued. "Who is it?"
"Blank," Seito said casually as he led them into the living room. "Two of the top three players in the gaming world."
The three women froze in their tracks. The top three legendary players are all childhood friends? That was a headline that would break the internet.
Seeing the newcomers, Sora and Shiro immediately stiffened, their social anxiety kicking in.
"Let me introduce everyone," Seito said, gesturing to the siblings. "Sora and Shiro. And guys, this is the eldest daughter of the Yukinoshita family, Haruno. This is the second daughter, Yukinoshita The Flatty."
"And this is my old friend from middle school, Amou kirukiru."
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING FLATTY?!"
Yukino exploded, her cool facade shattering instantly.
She glared at Seito, her face red with fury. How dare he?! Beside her, Haruno and Amou were doing their level best to suppress their laughter.
"Don't mind him," Seito waved her off, taking a seat between Sora and Shiro. Having him there acted as an emotional anchor for the two shut-ins.
"I brought some drinks," Amou said, slamming her bag of alcohol onto the table.
"Let's save those for lunch," Seito said, moving the bottles to the fridge. "I need to help these two buy the apartment next door first. I want to get the paperwork done this morning."
"Is the place next door vacant?" Haruno asked curiously.
"Yeah. The owner owns both units next to mine and wants to sell them as a set. I'm going to make sure these two don't get swindled."
Seito knew that while Blank could conquer literal fantasy worlds, dealing with a modern-day real estate agent would likely result in them accidentally buying a haunted shack or a cardboard box. He wasn't about to let that happen.
...
Thank you for reading.