318 Are You My Master? (1/2)
After picking up Reo from elementary school, Seiji bumped into Kaede in front of his apartment.
”Oh my... this must be your new little sister, Harano-kun.” The blonde health teacher's eyes lit up upon seeing the little girl.
She had already heard that there was now a new person living together with Seiji.
Kaede didn't know the specifics—she only knew that Seiji had been busy doing something for the past few days. When he appeared again, he brought back a little girl who would temporarily be living with him.
Seiji did the introductions for Kaede and Reo.
”H-hello, Juumonji-neesan,” the little girl greeted politely. ”Please take good care of me.”
”So cute!” Kaede crouched to meet Reo's eyes and smiled. ”Hello, Tachibana-chan. Let us get along well in the future.” Kaede's eyes flashed as she turned back to Seiji. ”Harano-kun, where did you find yourself such a cute little sister?”
”I'm sorry,” Seiji said, chuckling, ”but that's a trade secret.”
”I'll pay you, so can you sell me this trade secret? Or… you could even sell Tachibana-chan to me.”
”I'm sorry, but neither is okay—especially the second.”
”How stingy, Harano-kun.”
”Is stingy really the right word?”
”Tachibana-chan, don't live together with this stingy big brother anymore. How about coming to live together with me?” Kaede asked with a wide grin.
Reo didn't know how to respond to Kaede's question and tone. She turned around to look at Seiji.
Seiji assumed a severe expression. ”Please don't try to kidnap the cute child from my family, Juumonji-sensei!”
”I'm not kidnapping; I'm just inviting her! But… for my actions to be described like that…” Kaede rose to her feet, a helpless, disappointed expression on her face.
Seiji exchanged glances with Kaede, then they both laughed.
”Do you need any help taking care of this child?” she asked seriously.
”No... not for the time being.”
”If I can be of any assistance, feel free to call me any time,” Kaede said before looking back at Reo. ”When you have free time, can I come find you to play, Tachibana-chan?”
”S-sure,” Reo stammered, making the blonde teacher reveal a gentle smile.
Seiji brought Reo inside the apartment. He then left it to print out, sign, and mail his book contract.
It was now certain that Brother Monogatari would be published! But first, he would still need to edit his final draft according to Editor Yoshizawa's suggestions.
Later that night, Seiji carefully edited his draft and gave it a final inspection before emailing the finished version to Editor Yoshizawa. He also mentioned in the email that he had mailed out the signed contract.
Then, he stretched, intending to relax for a while, but his chatting application rang, notifying him of a new message.
”Hey, hero from another world.” The message was from Cat-loving Flying Fish… his younger sister, Hana Haruta.
”Hey there, Angel NEET,” Seiji responded.
”Don't call me an angel!”
”How about Witch NEET instead?”
”That feels somewhat strange as well, so don't call me that either!”
”Alright then, I'll just call you cutie cat.”
”Meow to hell!”
They had fun joking around for a little while.
”Hero, do you have any plans for the upcoming holy battle?”
”Of course. Rushing together with my companions to the battlefield, fighting heroically, collecting the reward loot of combat... You should come with us, little sis.”
”I'm currently being sealed and can't move.”
”You can break free from that seal any time you want.”
”No, I don't want to go outside!”
”Then you won't be able to participate in the holy battle or obtain the spoils of victory. How regrettable.”
”No, I can participate!”
”In your dream?”
”Of course not!” Hana sent a cool-looking emoticon. ”I have a perfect plan, and I've already prepared all the necessary equipment. Now, I just lack a familiar.”
”Are you going to perform a summoning?” Seiji sent an emoticon of a summoner uttering an incantation and performing a ritual.
”I've already summoned my familiar: it's you!”
”Eh... But I didn't hear any summoning incantations, nor did I sign any contract.”
Hana immediately sent him a video that automatically began playing.
In the video, a beautiful witch in pitch-black ceremonial clothing was reciting an incantation with her melodious voice. With some grand background music, the witch drew an extravagant spell formation, and then stuck her magic wand into the ground, opened her arms, and called, ”Come! My familiar!!” making her ample breasts jiggle.