**Tokyo, Shibuya**
**Morning**
Satou Ayaka stood at 165 cm tall, her figure perfectly balanced with delicate curves, exuding a mix of innocence and allure.
She wore soft, loose-fitting loungewear, decorated with simple, elegant floral patterns, which complemented her cute round face with a sense of tranquility and warmth.
Her neatly braided pigtail rested on her shoulder, each strand appearing meticulously woven, with a ribbon tied at the end, swaying gently with the breeze.
The collar of her loungewear was a loose, round neckline, revealing just enough of her collarbone.
If one approached her, they could catch a faint whiff of her gentle fragrance.
At that moment.
Satou Ayaka, upon seeing the high school uniforms on Hakuka and Erina, burst into tears.
"Boo-hoo~ You two have grown up so much, and today you're finally starting high school. If your parents could see you, they'd be so proud!"
Shindai Erina gently patted Satou Ayaka's head, her eyes slightly red as she softly comforted her.
"Don't cry, don't cry. Mom and Dad would definitely know."
Shindai Hakuka watched them without doing anything.
One way to deal with emotions is to release them.
Sometimes, crying is good.
When it came to this family, things were indeed complicated.
Shindai Erina wasn't actually his biological sister.
His parents had remarried, and Erina had taken on the Shindai surname when her mother married Hakuka's father.
Satou Ayaka, on the other hand, was Erina's mother's younger sister.
After their parents passed away in a car accident, no one was left to care for Hakuka and Erina.
Satou Ayaka stepped in right away, willing to become their guardian.
Satou Ayaka was only around 25 or 26 years old, working as a voice actress.
Having only recently graduated from university, she was still at the bottom of the voice acting industry, with an unstable salary.
Some months, she barely made a few tens of thousands of yen, while in better months, her earnings might reach two or three hundred thousand yen.
It was either extremely busy or completely free, depending on whether she could land jobs.
During her busy periods, she was often not home, but in her downtime, the house would be filled with the sound of her practicing her voice acting and singing.
As for money, they weren't really struggling, thanks to the insurance payout from their parents.
That money was enough to cover both Hakuka and Erina's high school and university tuition.
After Satou Ayaka finished her tearful moment, she slowly reached into her pocket and handed two envelopes to the pair, advising them:
"You're in high school now, you're growing up, and this is the age where you'll start needing money."
"Auntie's been through it; I know how tough it is to be a high schooler without money."
"So, take this money and spend it as you need. Consider it your entrance gift from me."
"Also, your living expenses for this month are inside too. If you spend it all, I won't be able to give you any more for the rest of the month."
"And don't expect this much allowance next month either, so be prepared!"
Hearing that there was money inside, Shindai Erina's eyes lit up. She quickly took her envelope, opened it, and was delighted to find 50,000 yen inside.
She immediately hugged her aunt, laughing, "Hehe, I knew Auntie loves me the most!"
"Hmph, of course!" Satou Ayaka proudly puffed out her chest.
"Thank you, Auntie." Shindai Hakuka accepted his envelope as well.
He was in need of money right now.
Shindai Hakuka had a feeling that his life-based game system still held many secrets waiting to be uncovered.
Unfortunately, unlocking the next career slot required microtransactions.
Now that he had 50,000 yen, he was only 50,000 yen short of what he needed.
If he were to ask Auntie for the remaining 50,000 yen, she would probably give it to him.
But Hakuka didn't want to do that. For one, her income wasn't very high, and more importantly, relying on others had its limits.
Self-reliance was the only true way!
Previously, as a middle schooler, it had been difficult to find a job.
But now that high school was starting, he could finally get a part-time job.
Shujin Academy allowed high school students to work part-time.
So, after the opening ceremony today, he planned to start looking for a job.
Satou Ayaka smiled and squinted her eyes, remembering something. "Oh, I still have time before work. How about I drive you two to school? We can take a photo together at the school gate, and I even know a teacher there. I can introduce her to you, and maybe she can look after you!"
"No, no, no, just thinking about that makes me want to die of embarrassment! If my old classmates saw that, I'd want to dig a hole and hide in it!" Shindai Erina immediately waved her hands in refusal. "We're in high school now! No more of that stuff! So, we'll just go by ourselves, okay?"
"Oh, come on!" Satou Ayaka looked at Shindai Hakuka with pleading eyes, hoping he'd say something.
Hakuka shrugged. "I don't really mind either way."
"Ha-Hakuka, you!" Erina stomped her feet in frustration, glaring at him.
"Hehe, I knew you were my favorite, Hakuka!" Satou Ayaka reached up to ruffle the hair of the 175 cm tall Hakuka, grinning. "Alright then, let's head out!"
With that, she hurriedly put on her shoes and changed her clothes, preparing to leave.
But just as everything was ready, Satou Ayaka suddenly froze, as if struck by lightning, and collapsed to the floor, crying.
"Boo-hoo~ I'm such a useless woman! I've failed you and your parents... I just remembered that my car is still at the office. I forgot to drive it back!"
"How about... I go with you two on the subway?"
Upon hearing this, Shindai Erina's mood instantly brightened. She gleefully pushed open the door and turned back, laughing.
"Oh no, Auntie, if you take the subway, you'll be late for work. So, let's just leave it at that!"
"Honestly, I was a bit hopeful, but since you forgot the car, it's really too bad~"
"Well, I'm off, Auntie!"
"Bye-bye~"
Shindai Hakuka glanced at Satou Ayaka, feeling a mix of pity and exasperation. He sighed softly.
"I'm heading out too, Auntie."
Satou Ayaka weakly raised her hand, saying sadly, "Yeah, bye-bye."
"Take care..."
Shindai Hakuka closed the door behind him and followed his younger sister.
Erina bounced happily in front of him, clearly in high spirits.
Her neat short hair gave her a youthful, energetic look.
Her JK uniform fit snugly, emphasizing her slim figure and making her pale skin seem even fairer.
The skirt of her uniform was the perfect length, complying with school rules while still showing off her slender legs.
Her black leather shoes, paired with white socks, added a clean, sharp contrast, her light steps brimming with joy.
Her smile was as bright as sunshine, her eyes sparkled with liveliness and youth, and the slight blush on her cheeks exuded a healthy and radiant vibe.
No matter which school she attended, Shindai Erina's looks would easily place her in the top tier, the level of a school beauty.
("JK" is an abbreviation for "joshi kōsei" (女子高生), which is a Japanese term that refers to a female high school student. It is commonly used in Japan to describe girls in high school and often refers to their distinctive school uniforms and culture.)