**Chapter Three: The Izumi Mother and Daughter**
Sakura slipped off her little leather shoes at the genkan.
She bent down, retrieving a pair of house slippers from the nearby shoe cabinet. Her ordinary, loose-fitting long skirt did nothing to hide the curves of her figure—curves that far surpassed those of an average high school girl.
Her feet, sheathed in pure white knee socks, slid into the slippers. She picked up a bag and walked over to them.
"Hisashi-nii, Sora, I'm home!"
Sakura looked at the ordinary, warm scene, her expression bright.
"I bought seafood today!"
She lifted the bag slightly, her voice gentle.
"Thanks for your hard work, Sakura."
Yu Hisashi watched Sakura's back as she headed towards the kitchen, her ink-black hair cascading down to her waist.
Tohsaka Sakura!
Ten years ago, just as Tohsaka Sakura was about to be adopted into the Matou Family, Yu Hisashi happened to encounter her.
That chance contact directly triggered the golden [𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲] Ability Entry.
Because of that, relying on the power of the [𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲], Yu Hisashi had narrowly, perilously, intercepted Tohsaka Sakura from the Matou Family.
Now, Tohsaka Sakura had already changed her name to Kuze Sakura.
But he still preferred to call her by her name.
Yu Hisashi patted Kasugano Sora's head.
"Go help Sakura wash the vegetables…"
"Oh…"
Kasugano Sora reluctantly let go of Yu Hisashi's hand and shuffled her small steps into the kitchen.
Yu Hisashi watched the two girls' retreating backs, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
Under his guidance, Kasugano Sora, though she still threw little tantrums from time to time, wasn't as unreasonably demanding as she was in the original story.
Well, except in certain areas.
An hour later, dinner was ready.
Currently, only the three of them lived full-time at the Orphanage.
The others, having failed to get into the nearby high school, were attending schools too far away. Tomorrow was the start of the new term, so they'd been forced to choose dormitory life.
But Yu Hisashi could easily imagine—once the weekends and holidays rolled around, the Orphanage's liveliness would absolutely return to its previous, kindergarten-level intensity!
"Hisashi-nii, I'll take some over to Mrs. Izumi!"
Sakura suddenly remembered something, picking up a small bowl and filling it with some of the dishes.
"Sakura, you've worked so hard. You should just eat and rest."
"I'll take it over."
Yu Hisashi deployed his ultimate head-pat technique.
"What about me, what about me? I worked hard too!"
Sora, standing to the side, grew anxious.
Yu Hisashi had no choice but to repeat the trick.
Watching Sora, who narrowed her eyes like a contented kitten, Yu Hisashi and Sakura exchanged a glance. They both wore the same expression—a mix of helplessness and deep affection.
Carrying the dishes, Yu Hisashi knocked on the door of the detached house next door.
He waited nearly half a minute before the door opened a crack.
The pink-haired young woman in loungewear saw Yu Hisashi's face. Her cute features, untouched by age, relaxed visibly.
"It's you, Yu-chan!"
Mrs. Izumi patted her chest, letting out a sigh of relief.
"I thought that overbearing woman from earlier had come back."
Overbearing woman?
Yu Hisashi paused for a moment, then the cold, arrogant face of Awashima Rise immediately surfaced in his mind.
"Mrs. Izumi, are you talking about someone from the Yukinoshita Financial Group?"
Mrs. Izumi nodded, her slender finger lightly tapping her fair, smooth chin.
"Demolition is demolition, but their attitude was so infuriating! As if we were getting some huge bargain!"
"What does Mrs. Izumi think about it?"
Hearing this, Mrs. Izumi's expression turned troubled.
"Ah… the money they're offering is a lot, but where can a lonely mother and daughter like me and Sagiri go…"
As she spoke, her eyes lit up as she looked at Yu Hisashi.
"Yu-chan, where will you move to? We can keep being neighbors!"
Yu Hisashi smiled softly.
"It's not decided yet. We might not have to move at all."
Mrs. Izumi blinked, surprised.
Then she reached out, straightening the collar of Yu Hisashi's shirt. She looked up at this young man who stood so much taller than her, a touch of emotion surfacing in her eyes.
Back when she first moved here with her daughter, she was always being looked after by this boy.
Scattered memories of past kindnesses swirled in her heart.
"Yu-chan has really grown up…"
Mrs. Izumi murmured with feeling.
Then a hint of a mischievous smile curled at her lips. She boldly traced a light line down Yu Hisashi's chest with her fingertip, teasing him.
"If Yu-chan ever feels confused about… grown-up matters, this auntie can teach you anything, you know…"
"I'll remember that, Mrs. Izumi. You can't go back on your word later."
What Mrs. Izumi didn't expect was that the young man actually accepted with a light chuckle.
She watched his retreating figure, a faint blush coloring her pretty cheeks.
"He really is getting bolder…"
Mrs. Izumi turned and went back inside, calling up the stairs.
"Sagiri! Your Yu-nii brought over some food…"
The girl who usually needed several loud shouts before responding immediately yelled back.
"He's not *my* Yu-nii! Mom, don't say such embarrassing…"
The sound of bare feet thumping on the wooden floorboards came rushing down. The pink-haired girl flew down the stairs, but didn't see the figure she'd been longing for.
"Where's Yu-nii…"
Izumi Sagiri froze for a second. Her gaze landed on her smirking mother standing to the side. She immediately stamped her foot in displeasure.
"You tricked me again!"