"...Sagiri?"
Sora soon discovered the girl peeking from outside the door.
A panicked scuffling sound immediately echoed in the corridor as the girl outside fled in a hurry.
Sora withdrew his gaze and continued to grind his skills. He had originally thought Sagiri had gone back to her room, but after a short while, a knock suddenly sounded at the door.
"Nii-san... can I come in?"
The girl's delicate, weak voice drifted in from outside.
Sora naturally wouldn't refuse. "You can just come in."
"Then I'm coming in..."
The door was gently pushed open, and Sagiri walked in cautiously, carrying a fruit platter with both hands.
Looking at the silver-haired loli entering the room, a question mark couldn't help but pop up over Sora's head.
What was going on?
Just yesterday she wouldn't even say a single word and only knew how to stomp on the floor when she wanted something. The change today was simply too big!
And what was with that fruit platter?
Could she have brought it in for him to eat?
Impossible!
My sister couldn't be this well-behaved and sensible!
Sensing Sora's odd gaze, Sagiri's face flushed slightly. She walked up to the desk, set down the fruit platter, and turned her head toward the window, explaining shyly.
"I wanted to eat grapes just now, but I bought too many and couldn't finish them... It's not like I prepared them specifically for you, Nii-san!"
Sora thought, ...Tsundere characters have long been out of style. You say they weren't specifically prepared, so don't act so shy and blush!
"Thanks, Sagiri." Sora picked up a grape and popped it into his mouth. "I feel like my life is now without regrets."
Sagiri's eyes shifted as she looked over.
"Nii-san, you're being way too dramatic..."
Sora argued with conviction.
"This is the first time Sagiri has washed fruit for me. Of course I'd be super happy and satisfied."
"Eh..."
Sagiri blinked her bright eyes, her long, cute eyelashes fluttering gently. Her voice was thin and weak.
"Is it because you got Sagiri's first time that you're so happy, Nii-san?"
The hell! The point is clearly washing fruit, not your "first time," little sister! If someone else heard your words, I'd be sent straight to prison!
"Why did you come to see me instead of going back to your room?"
Sora helplessly rubbed his temples and changed the subject.
"Nii-san, don't work so hard. From now on, I'll take care of you..."
Sagiri opened her pink lips, but unfortunately, the words ultimately failed to come out.
I'm just a middle school student, and I've been staying at home all the time. If I suddenly produced a large sum of money, Nii-san would definitely be worried, right?Even though Nii-san already knew the secret of Eromanga-sensei in the first playthrough, he doesn't know yet in this one. I'm really too embarrassed to say it…
"It's nothing. I just haven't been in your room before, so I was a bit curious." Sagiri's gaze wandered, scanning the room. "Nii-san, your room is so messy."
"It looks messy, but it's actually organized chaos." Sora's expression was as usual, not feeling the slightest bit of shame. "Cleaning the room once every 15 days is enough."
Sora hadn't been a neat freak in either of his two lives. Usually, he would wait until the room was messy to a certain extent before performing a deep clean.
Sniff, sniff~ Sagiri's nose twitched slightly as she sniffed around the room.
"There are no weird smells in the room."
You're just a theorist like Zhao Kuo. Even if there were weird smells, you wouldn't be able to distinguish them, right!
"Back when I was still going to school, I secretly heard a girl in my class complaining. She said her brother would hide in his room as soon as school was over and never come out, and every time she passed his door, there would be a weird smell..."
She could smell it just passing the door? Was it the legendary amount found in manga!
"One day, when that girl passed her brother's door, she smelled that weird scent again. She finally couldn't take it anymore and pushed the door open to see what her brother was doing. She found her brother doing something harmful to his health..."
Moderate entertainment isn't harmful to health; instead, it can relieve stress, okay!
And he didn't know how to lock the door? He deserved that social death!
Sagiri raised her right hand, tucking a strand of silver hair that had fallen over her chest behind her ear, revealing a small, cute, and delicate ear.
"My classmate's brother was so awful. He even tried to lure her into doing that kind of thing together, saying it would be uncomfortable at first, but she'd be happy once she got used to it..."
Are you kidding me! What kind of grotesque brother is that? Drag him out and execute him a hundred times! A stepsister would be one thing, but to lay hands on a biological sister? He's already on the path to death!
Sora took a deep breath, his fingers interlaced and his expression serious.
"Sagiri, did your classmate call the police?"
"Eh?" Sagiri blinked her bright eyes in confusion. "Why would she call the police?"
Sora said expressionlessly.
"That kind of behavior has already broken the law. Something that has lost its right to be human should be sent to prison."
"Um, hiding in a room and smoking is indeed very awful behavior..." Sagiri couldn't help but grow nervous. "But it shouldn't have broken the law, right?"
"..."
Sora was silent for several seconds before finally speaking faintly.
"Was what Sagiri just said about the classmate's brother hiding in his room to smoke?"
"What else would it be?" Sagiri tilted her head and looked over. Her long silver hair slid down her shoulder, sparkling in the sunlight. Her small movements were exceptionally cute, and her clear, flawless eyes reflected the azure sky outside the window. "Nii-san, what did you think I was talking about?"
Sora was speechless.
I'm sorry.
I actually had such filthy thoughts. I should go commit seppuku right now!
After finishing the fruit, Sagiri picked up the platter to take her leave.
"Nii-san, get back to work. I'm leaving..."
She couldn't rush.
Conquering Nii-san had to be done slowly, bit by bit.
The change today was already quite large. She had to let Nii-san adapt first, otherwise she would definitely scare him, right?
Not only was she on her second playthrough, but she also lived with Nii-san. In short, the advantage was hers!
At 7:30 PM.
Sora put on his sneakers and headed out to the supermarket at the corner, preparing to snatch some half-price bentos.
As everyone knows, the high school years are the age when many people have their largest appetite. Firstly, the body is growing, and secondly, the brain consumes a huge amount of energy when studying hard.
Grinding required a lot of energy. Sora usually didn't go to bed until 11 PM. If he didn't eat something, his stomach would be starving. Cooking for himself was a hassle, so he went out every night to buy half-price bentos.
Night fell.
The neon lights began to glow.
Sora walked to the supermarket and then waited quietly.
Around 8 PM, a clerk came over to put half-price stickers on the bentos. Many people who had been waiting for a long time took action. Sora managed to grab a half-price portion of fried noodles and a half-price tonkatsu. He paid the bill with satisfaction and headed out.
"Is it raining?"
Walking out of the supermarket, Sora noticed that a light drizzle had begun to fall at some point.
The rain was quite light, so Sora didn't stop. He walked directly into the drizzle.
However, after walking only a short distance, Sora suddenly heard a tooth-aching screech. Looking toward the sound, he saw an outdoor advertising light box crash down from the third floor not far away.
Right beneath the advertising sign, a woman holding her daughter's hand happened to be passing by.
"Watch out..."
Sora subconsciously shouted out.
The next second.
The entire world seemed to have been hit with a pause button, suddenly freezing in place.