At the entrance, the girl named Sakura took off her little leather shoes.
She bent down and grabbed a pair of house slippers from the shoe cabinet nearby.
Though she was only wearing a simple, loose long dress, this action fully highlighted her curves that far surpassed those of ordinary high school girls.
Her feet, wrapped in white socks, slipped into the slippers. Lifting the shopping bag at her side, she walked up to the two.
"Kuze-nii, Sora, I'm back!"
Sakura looked at this ordinary yet heartwarming scene, her expression radiant.
"I bought seafood today!"
She lifted the bag slightly and said warmly.
"Thanks for your hard work, Sakura."
Kuzeha Yuu watched as Sakura walked toward the kitchen, her ink-black hair flowing down to her waist.
Tohsaka Sakura!
Ten years ago, when she was about to be adopted into the Matou family, Kuzeha Yuu happened to run into her.
A single accidental touch had triggered the golden entry [Imaginary Space].
Because of this, Kuzeha Yuu had used the power of [Imaginary Space] to narrowly intercept and rescue Sakura from the Matou household.
Now, Tohsaka Sakura had changed her name to Kuzeha Sakura.
But he still preferred to call her by her original name.
Kuzeha Yuu patted Kasugano Sora's head.
"Go help Sakura wash the vegetables..."
"Mmh…"
Sora reluctantly let go of Kuzeha Yuu's hand and took small steps into the kitchen.
Watching the backs of the two girls, a faint smile appeared on Kuzeha Yuu's lips.
Under his care, though Sora still threw the occasional tantrum, she wasn't as unreasonable as her original version.
Well… aside from a few particular areas.
An hour later, dinner was ready.
At the moment, there were only three residents in the orphanage.
The others hadn't passed the entrance exams for nearby high schools. Their schools were too far away, and with the new term starting tomorrow, they had no choice but to stay in dorms.
Still, Kuzeha Yuu could already imagine how lively the orphanage would become again once the weekend rolled around—like a kindergarten in full swing!
"Kuze-nii, I want to bring some food over to Mrs. Izumi!"
Sakura suddenly remembered something and began scooping some food into a small bowl.
"Sakura, you've worked hard. Sit down and eat."
"I'll go deliver it."
Kuzeha Yuu used his signature head-patting technique.
"What about me? What about me? I worked hard too!"
Sora on the side grew anxious.
Kuzeha Yuu had no choice but to repeat the move.
Watching her squint her eyes like a content kitten, Kuzeha Yuu and Sakura exchanged a glance, both breaking into a helpless yet doting smile.
Carrying the food, Kuzeha Yuu knocked on the neighboring house.
He waited for nearly half a minute before the door finally opened a crack.
The pink-haired housewife in loungewear relaxed upon seeing his face, her youthful features lighting up.
"Oh, it's Yuu!"
Mrs. Izumi patted her chest and let out a breath of relief.
(TL: Eromanga Sensei)
"I thought that arrogant woman from earlier had come back again."
Arrogant woman?
Kuzeha Yuu blinked, then instantly recalled Awashima Seri's cold and haughty expression.
"You mean someone from the Yukinoshita Conglomerate?"
Mrs. Izumi nodded, her slender fingers tapping her pale chin.
"Demolition is one thing, but did they have to be so rude? As if they were giving us some massive gift!"
"What do you think about it, Mrs. Izumi?"
Upon hearing that, Mrs. Izumi looked a bit troubled.
"Sigh, they are offering a lot of money, but where would Sagiri and I go, just the two of us?"
Then she turned to Kuzeha Yuu, her eyes glowing.
"Wherever you move, Yuu, let's be neighbors again, okay?"
Kuzeha Yuu chuckled softly.
"Haven't decided yet. Maybe we won't have to move at all."
Mrs. Izumi was momentarily stunned.
Then she reached out and straightened the front of Kuzeha Yuu's shirt, looking up at the boy who had grown so much taller than her. A look of fondness and nostalgia appeared in her eyes.
Back when she had just moved here with her daughter, this young man had looked after her countless times.
Those scattered acts of kindness over the years lingered warmly in her heart.
"You've really grown into a fine young man, Yuu…"
Mrs. Izumi sighed softly.
Then her lips curled into a mischievous grin, and she teasingly traced a finger down his chest.
"If you're ever confused about grown-up stuff, Auntie can teach you everything… okay?"
"You better not go back on that promise, Mrs. Izumi."
To her surprise, the boy actually chuckled and agreed without hesitation.
As she watched him walk away, a slight blush crept onto her face.
"He's gotten bolder, hasn't he…"
Mrs. Izumi turned and went back inside, calling toward the upper floor.
"Sagiri! Your Yuu-nii brought food over!"
Normally, it would take a few calls to get a response, but this time, the girl immediately shouted back.
"What do you mean 'my Yuu-nii'? Mom, don't say such embarrassing things—!"
The sound of bare feet pounding on the wooden floor echoed as the pink-haired girl dashed downstairs, but when she reached the door, the figure she longed to see was nowhere in sight.
"Where's Yuu-nii…"
Izumi Sagiri blinked, her gaze falling on her mother, who was still smirking. She immediately stomped her foot in frustration.
"You tricked me again!"