Unfortunately, in the end, Eriri was persuaded to leave.
"Big Brother, Shiro wants to stay with Big Brother!"
Shiro clung to Haruto's arm.
"Big Brother, turns out you're a dangerous lolicon!?"
Nao covered her mouth in shock. Haruto flicked both of their foreheads.
"Shiro, you have to sleep in your own room. You can't always rely on me, you need to be independent."
"Nao, if you keep talking nonsense, I'll throw you out and won't feel soft-hearted enough to take you back!"
Hearing this, both of them immediately behaved.
In the end, Shiro was arranged to stay in a room on the second floor of the apartment. It used to be Haruto's computer room.
There was a computer and a PlayStation console.
At the time, Haruto had planned to add more gaming consoles after the entrance exams. But… since he picked up Annie, that entertainment plan had been scrapped.
So, the room had plenty of space.
A bed was moved in, and just like that, it was ready for use.
When Shiro saw the computer in the room, her eyes immediately lit up.
"Big Brother, can Shiro play games?"
Haruto nodded but glanced at Shiro's small frame.
"You can, but you can't play too late. No all-nighters, power will be cut off at midnight."
Shiro: !
"Big Brother!"
Shiro tried to act spoiled, hoping to earn the right to stay up late and game. Although Shiro rarely interacted with people before and had no experience in acting spoiled…
With her snow-white long hair, ruby-red eyes, and beautiful face…
Her charm was still devastatingly strong.
"....."
However, Haruto remained unwavering. With no choice, Shiro had to accept it, feeling a little dejected. But soon, her attention was completely captured by the games.
After settling Shiro in, Haruto went downstairs.
Nao and Annie were both waiting for him.
"Big Brother, she…"
Nao hesitated to speak.
They both knew that he had gone to Sekimori Town on a containment mission.
Yet, he suddenly brought back a little girl.
No matter how they thought about it, it was strange.
Haruto sighed.
"I found her in an orphanage in Sekimori Town, a miraculous survivor."
Hearing this, Nao and Annie fell silent.
They had both seen the satellite images of Sekimori Town.
It was nothing short of a nightmare. To think there was a survivor there…
Even without knowing the details, they could imagine how hard it must have been for a child as young as Shiro to survive the Sekimori Town incident.
"Shiro is a genius. She'll soon walk out of the shadows and grow stronger in the future, so there's no need to worry."
Haruto spoke seriously.
Shiro was not a child who needed pity or concern.
She was a true genius.
Hearing this, Nao and Annie nodded.
In that case, they just needed to treat Shiro normally.
Later, the lights in the apartment were turned off. Haruto returned to his bedroom for the first time in a long while and lay down on his soft bed.
Even though this body didn't need rest, even if it never slept…
Haruto still planned to get some sleep.
After more than a year in the world of titans, he really missed his own bed.
Closing his eyes, he soon fell into a deep sleep.
--------------------
The next morning, Haruto vaguely felt something in his arms.
However, because he sensed no malice or danger, he didn't wake up immediately. Instead, he found it so soft and comfortable that he subconsciously hugged it tighter.
The texture was unbelievably soft, like the highest-quality body pillow, perfectly to his liking.
Just holding it made him want to sleep longer.
Getting up suddenly felt like an impossible task.
This blissful sleeping experience lasted until a soft whimper came from within his embrace.
Haruto: !
Opening his eyes, Haruto realized that, at some point, a snow-white-haired girl had appeared in his arms.
The true identity of this top-tier body pillow… was his own sister, Shiro.
Haruto fell into deep thought.
Scenes from before he fell asleep resurfaced in his mind. He clearly remembered locking his bedroom door before going to bed.
So, how did Shiro get in?
Perhaps sensing his movements, the girl in his arms fluttered her long eyelashes twice before opening her eyes.
Her ruby-red irises were like the most beautiful gems in the world.
"Good morning, Big Brother."
Shiro greeted him.
"Shiro, before saying good morning, explain to me how you got in here and why you crawled into my bed."
Haruto sighed helplessly.
Shiro tilted her head slightly, unintentionally revealing her cuteness.
"Because I wanted to be with Big Brother. Big Brother's scent is comforting! I learned how to pick locks from tutorials online and used a hairpin to open the door."
Haruto held his forehead.
Don't use your talents on weird things!
Facing the excessively cute Shiro, he couldn't bring himself to scold her.
Might as well… just ignore it.
After getting up in the morning…
Haruto looked at Shiro's messy hair and felt a bit helpless. She might be a genius, but she had some trouble taking care of herself.
He picked her up and placed her in front of the mirror. Then, he carefully brushed her long hair.
Shiro's hair was snow-white, smooth as silk.
So, it didn't take much effort to tidy it up, only a few stubborn strands stuck out.
After some thought, Haruto tied her hair into a side ponytail.
Looking at the adorable girl in the mirror, Haruto nodded in satisfaction.
As expected, Shiro looked great with a side ponytail.
"I should find some gemstones or a crown as accessories for it."
Haruto muttered to himself.
There were no clothes in the apartment that fit Shiro. Nao and Annie's clothes didn't suit her either. In the end, Shiro simply wore one of his hoodies.
Once she put it on, it was so big that it looked like a nightgown, giving her the vibe of a lazy shut-in.
But since Shiro was cute, it wasn't a problem.
"Big Brother, are you going out?"
Shiro asked curiously.
He nodded.
"Shiro, stay home. I'll bring you something delicious when I come back. Don't get too immersed in the internet."
Before leaving, Haruto reminded her. Shiro, though reluctant, still nodded.
Today, Annie and Nao weren't home.
Nao had gone to the Foundation, she actually enjoyed managing affairs there. And Annie... I heard that she had an appointment with Christa, so she also went to the foundation.
Regarding this, Haruto was somewhat puzzled.
Since when were Annie and Christa so close?
"I'm heading out."
He pushed open the apartment door and stepped out of the entrance. Today, he had an appointment with Utaha, and now he was on his way.
After following the location sent on LINE, Haruto arrived at a dessert shop.
He looked up at the sign that read "Umbrella."
He fell into deep thought.
"What's wrong? Kouhai, you seem dissatisfied with this place?"
A clear and cold voice, as crisp as silver bells, came from behind.
Haruto turned around and saw Utaha dressed in professional attire.
A white-collar blouse paired with a blazer, a black pleated skirt on the bottom, and her long, slender legs wrapped in sheer black stockings. The stockings were not too thick, allowing a faint glimpse of her fair thighs, making them look rather alluring.
Haruto naturally held the door open, stepping aside like a gentleman to let Utaha enter.
"Senpai, why such a serious outfit today?"
After taking their seats, Haruto asked curiously.
Utaha blinked.
"Kouhai, questioning a girl's outfit instead of complimenting it first; that's something only a leech would do, you know?"
"Duly noted," Haruto chuckled. "Senpai, you look amazing today; both intellectual and sexy, truly a sight to behold."
Utaha had expected Haruto to argue back or be flustered by her teasing. Unexpectedly, he responded with a straightforward compliment.
(T/N: Not my boi who's made in China, Land of the Thick faced and where shamelessness started.)
Her fair face flushed slightly, and she averted her gaze.
"Thanks for the compliment," she muttered softly before changing the topic. "Kouhai, you seemed puzzled by this recently popular chain dessert shop?"
Hearing this, he shook his head.
"Not exactly..."
The main issue was that ever since he stepped into the shop, the staff had immediately tensed up.
They were subtly watching him. As if the moment he gave a command or made a gesture—
The shop would be cleared out instantly, entering an armed containment mode.
This was just...
"Kouhai, with that hesitant expression, you look like the kind of rich heir who secretly blends in with common folk, only to be unknowingly invited to his own family's business."
Drawing from her extensive experience writing light novels, Utaha casually described such a scenario.
In a way, she had actually guessed the truth.
"Senpai, you're joking."
Haruto waved his hand with an unchanged expression.
Utaha, however, narrowed her eyes.
That reaction...
Could she have actually guessed correctly?
So this talented Kouhai, who debuted explosively, actually came from a wealthy family?
Did he start his career purely for his dreams?
If his manga career didn't work out, would he just go home and inherit billions?