Chapter 95: Oda Raika's Rival
In the living room, Raika wanted to talk to Sora but didn't know how to start.
Sora was sulking as she watched TV. When she noticed Raika looking at her, she simply turned her head back to the screen, showing no intention of greeting her.
Raika found Sora's awkwardness quite endearing; she thought the child was incredibly cute, completely genuine without any pretense.
Feeling uncomfortable under Raika's gaze, Sora stood up and glared at her. However, when she saw Raika's gentle expression, her anger dissipated.
"I'm going back to read!" Sora shouted, then prepared to leave.
Seriously! What kind of people are Onii-chan's friends?!
Seeing this, Miu sat down beside Raika and smiled at her. "Raika-nee, what was Onii-chan like when he was at school?"
Sora, who was about to head upstairs, found herself unable to move forward after hearing that question. After a moment's hesitation, she decided to walk over and listen in.
"Sister, come over quickly! Don't you want to know what Onii-chan was like at school?" Miu urged Sora to sit next to her, then curiously looked at Raika. "Raika-nee, please tell us about Onii-chan at school!"
"Sure." Raika nodded, looking at the two adorable girls sitting across from her. These kids are just so cute.
Hina ran over as well, standing beside Raika and chiming in, "Big sister, I want to hear too!"
Raika nodded again and placed her handkerchief on her lap, extending her arms toward Hina, hoping to hold her.
Hina didn't mind this at all and happily climbed into Raika's lap, just like she would with her uncle.
"Big sister, you're much softer than Onii-chan~" Hina said cheekily while leaning against Raika, saying something only a child would think to say.
Sora watched Raika's petite frame, which made her clothes look small, and compared it to her own, immediately feeling self-conscious.
But that's okay; she would grow taller someday!
What Sora didn't realize was that people who usually think like that often miss out on certain possibilities.
The correct mentality would be: "My shoulders hurt; being bigger would be a hassle, so I shouldn't grow too much more."
After enveloping Hina in her embrace, Raika felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction. Being surrounded by such cute children was wonderful!
Once Hina was settled, Raika held her close and looked at Sora and Miu, saying, "When Yuta is in class at school, he's usually lost in thought. After school, he goes home, and occasionally he'll check out the pretty girls. Recently, he's been spending a lot of time with three beautiful girls at the academy."
Raika spoke from experience, sharing what she thought needed to be said.
"Pretty girls? Am I a pretty girl too?" Hina asked curiously, not fully understanding the term.
Raika didn't lie. She nodded and told Hina, "You are a pretty girl as well."
Now Hina understood what a pretty girl meant; it was like what Miu said about beautiful girls!
"My two sisters are also pretty girls! Hina is a little pretty girl in training~" Hina proudly declared, having learned such expressions from Miu.
Miu shyly looked at Raika. She had indeed said that before, but it was during a joke aimed at Yuta; she didn't expect Hina to remember it.
How embarrassing!
Raika confidently said, "Yes, that's right! Hina, Sora, and Miu are all pretty girls!"
"If Raika-nee says so, it makes us feel embarrassed," Miu said with a shy smile, then turned to Sora. "Raika-nee, you can chat with my sister and Hina here; I'm going upstairs."
Feeling flattered by all the compliments, Hina also considered leaving but wanted to stay a little longer for her uncle's promised reward, so she decided to linger for a while longer.
But after seeing her sister leave, Hina mimicked Miu and said, "Raika-nee, I'm going to find Mr. Rabbit to play! I'll come back to play with you later~"
"Okay!" Raika nodded.
How cute…
After receiving Raika's agreement, Hina happily went to find her rabbit plush toy to play house, placing each of her toys on the floor and giving them different accessories.
Once the two had left, Sora felt a bit conflicted but still wanted to hear more about Yuta's experiences at school.
Raika looked at Sora, her favorite being Sora among the three girls.
"Sora is such a cute pretty girl!"
Suddenly flattered by the compliment, Sora felt embarrassed and said, "What are you talking about, Raika-nee?"
"Sora is a very cute pretty girl!" Raika repeated sincerely, expressing her thoughts.
With another compliment, Sora didn't know how to respond to Raika, and at that moment, she found it hard to maintain her previously indifferent attitude toward her.
There really wasn't much to it; it was just a little girl's trivial temperament. Raika's few words left Sora feeling flustered and unsure of herself.
Meanwhile, Aoi, who had been casually flipping through a magazine, paid little attention to the interaction. She glanced over briefly at the commotion but soon returned to her boring task of flipping pages, her expression indifferent.
It wasn't that she couldn't speak or wasn't good at interacting with others; she just didn't see the need to.
The three girls in this household would eventually become rivals; there was no need to become acquainted.
The closer they got, the easier it would be for them to fail.
Aoi didn't possess the wisdom of Kaoruko; she wasn't very clever, but she was definitely the calmest person around, never acting out of personal emotions.
Raika quickly managed to diffuse the little girl's animosity. Unlike Sora, who was inherently reserved, Raika didn't mind Sora's little quirks. Instead, she found them to be endearing.
Before long, the last person returned home.
Sasha, with her long platinum hair, sighed deeply as she stepped inside, grateful to be out of the heat.
"I'm back!" Sasha announced as she closed the door and walked over to the living room. Upon entering, she greeted the people present with a smile. "Aoi, welcome! And this must be Miss Oda, right? I'm Sasha."
"Hello, I'm Oda Raika." Raika looked at Sasha, noting that although Sasha's appearance bore some resemblance to the adorable Miu, her demeanor was more neutral.
Similarly, Sasha observed Raika silently, making her own comparisons.
Unlike the others, Sasha was particularly concerned about Yuta's relationships with other girls.
Compared to Aoi and Kaoruko, Sasha was more wary of girls who were around Yuta's age.
"Nice to meet you; please take care of me," Raika and Sasha both said to each other simultaneously. Beneath their surface-level politeness, it was difficult to say what feelings they truly harbored.
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