[Kuroki Family House, 9:00 AM]
It's early in the morning, and the Kuroki family house is in complete chaos. The atmosphere is filled with excitement as Mr. and Mrs. Kuroki enthusiastically prepare for their getaway to a hot spring designed exclusively for couples. This trip is a special prize that Mrs. Kuroki won, thanks to the encouragement of a very cute young girl with white hair who urged her to enter a raffle. To Mrs. Kuroki's surprise, she actually won the prize!
[Start of the Flashback]
"Congratulations! We have our winner!" exclaimed Nannyra, the raffle organizer.
"That's fantastic, but…" Mrs. Kuroki had a dilemma. Her youngest son, Tomoki, had won a drawing and gone off to an exclusive soccer camp. "My family really has luck with these raffles lately," she thought, but the problem was that if they left, they would be leaving their daughter, Tomoko, alone.
"I appreciate the prize, but I can't attend. I have a daughter I can't leave alone," Mrs. Kuroki said, handing the prize back to the organizer. However, the organizer quickly reassured her, already with a solution prepared.
"Don't worry! If that's the case, take this!" she exclaimed, handing her a card that read "Babysitting Service." The organizer continued enthusiastically, "The best babysitting service, completely free! All provided by us!"
Mrs. Kuroki looked at the card, surprised, and took it with a smile. 'And luck keeps smiling on this family!' she thought, feeling relieved.
On her way home, she left some coins at a temple as a show of gratitude for all the luck.
[End of the Flashback]
As they finished getting ready, their daughter Tomoko tried to speak with them. Tomoko is a teenager with messy black hair that often falls across her face, with large, tired eyes that reflect her social anxiety. Her build is thin, and her hunched posture reveals her lack of confidence. No matter how you look at it, this girl is eerie.
With her gaze lowered, Tomoko said, "I really don't need a babysitter. I'm old enough, and you're only going away for one day," her voice flat, complaining for the twelfth time since they told her someone would come to take care of her.
Her mother, sharp and merciless, countered Tomoko's reasonable protests: "The last time we left you alone, you almost burned the house down because you were too busy studying your 'books,'" she said, shooting her a pointed look. She obviously knew what kind of books they were. Hearing this, Tomoko could only lower her gaze, forcing a sad smile as her mother reminded her of her little mistake.
"It's not my fault," Tomoko thinks, frowning. "I have to keep studying dating if I really want to be the most popular when I go back to high school."
Her high school goals are clear: to be the most popular girl of all and lose her virginity. She has spent years as a high school student in otome games, racking up over a hundred dates with guys in those simulations. She's convinced she's completely ready for whatever comes in high school, confident that all her virtual knowledge will make her shine.
[Spoiler: She won't do it...]
"Ding! Ding! Ding!" Tomoko's humiliation pauses when the doorbell rings, echoing throughout the house.
"Well, he's here. He's really punctual," her mom says, glancing at the clock and noting that it's exactly 9. "Tomoko, open the door!"
Tomoko, already feeling down, heads to the door expecting to see her babysitter, maybe an old lady with a tired look. But when she opens the door, she freezes. Instead of the elderly woman she imagined, there stands a young man, possibly only a few years older than her. His hair is white as snow, his body is toned, and his sharp, piercing eyes seem to shine with confidence. And that smile makes her legs tremble.
[Image]
He says something, but she can't hear; she's too busy looking down and feeling the heat of embarrassment. She realizes how disastrous she looks, with her clothes messy and hair disheveled. Her mind goes into a frenzy. "AHHHH!" she screams, and in a panic, she runs toward her room to change.
The guy, confused, just stands at the door, surprised expression on his face. He waits patiently, wondering if someone will tell him he can come in.
Tomoko's parents, seeing their daughter run away in a panic, approach the door to find out who the stranger is. They are surprised to see the charming young man and, somewhat incredulous, ask, "Are you the babysitter?"
"That's right, though I prefer the term caregiver," Aiden replies with a smile that could light up the room.
"My name is Aiden Cross. You paid for the best caregiver, so they sent me," he adds, shaking both parents' hands firmly.
Interestingly, since he arrived in this world, no one has questioned the color of his hair, but he's not surprised. In the time Aiden has been here, he has seen much stranger hair colors.
The parents, still incredulous about the caregiver's appearance, quickly voice their doubts. "You'll have to excuse our skepticism, but I don't think you're qualified to be the best caregiver." The idea of leaving their daughter in the hands of someone so young doesn't sit well with them. Their thoughts are filled with unease.
Noticing the concerns on both of their faces, Aiden decides to act. With a smooth motion, he pulls out a rather bulky wallet he had tucked in his jacket. "Well, if you're nervous about my ability to care for your daughter, you don't have to worry," he says as he opens the wallet and lets a series of cards spill out that he had carefully kept tucked away.
"I'm certified in the following areas: babysitting license, first aid certification, child care, home safety, professional chef, child nutrition, dog training, carpentry, sign language, emotional intelligence training, horticulture, pilot's license," he lists proudly, each word resonating with authenticity.
None of those certificates are fake; the goddess bestowed all those skills and many more upon him so he could perform his job as the best caregiver in the best possible way.
Mrs. Kuroki interrupts him before he can continue showing more certificates. "Alright, you really are qualified for this job, but…" Both parents exchange glances, and in that silent exchange, they understand they share the same concern. They can't leave their daughter in the care of a guy barely older than she is. 'What if they do something inappropriate?' That question echoes in their minds as the worst-case scenario runs through their thoughts.
Before they could decline him and be forced to cancel their trip, a sound caught their attention: it was their daughter Tomoko, standing behind them. She was wearing a new outfit: a skirt and a shirt, both quite disheveled. But the worst was her hairstyle, with pigtails filled with dolls and a bunch of poorly applied makeup. Her disturbingly wide smile completed the picture. When they saw her, they said nothing, only feeling a chill run down their spines.
"Ho-Hello, I'm Tomoko-chan, p-please take care of me," she stammered, making her best attempt to sound friendly.
[Image]
[If that doesn't give you enough cringe, then you should check out the next image.]
[Image 2]
After watching how Tomoko naturally repelled boys, both parents felt a little more at ease. They also noticed that Aiden didn't change his expression in response to the strange spectacle; that emotional intelligence training certificate was no lie. They felt relieved to see he was a well-mannered guy who wouldn't hurt their daughter's feelings, even with her quirks.
Tomoko's mother approached her, gave her a light tap on the back of the head, and removed the bows from her hair, wiping her face with a tissue. "Don't cause him any trouble! We'll be back tomorrow. Please don't scare him off and go change your clothes!" With that said, she kissed her on the forehead and, with a mix of worry and relief, both parents departed for their destination at the hot springs.