Because of his mixed-race appearance, Furuya Rei had always been ostracized. Very few children were ever willing to play with him, and he had spent most of his young life without a single friend.
Once Eri Kisaki had finished selecting her books, Hayashi Shuichi noticed it was still early. He decided to take Rei back to Beika with them so the boy could learn the route, ensuring he wouldn't get lost when he tried to visit on his own in the future.
"...Master, you're a chef?"
Standing outside the Mouri residence and discovering that Shuichi ran an Izakaya, Rei's face fell with undisguised disappointment.
"I thought you were one of those legendary hidden masters from the movies, like—Ow!"
Shuichi reached out and gave Rei's head a light flick. "Stop dreaming about unrealistic nonsense. Get inside."
"Yes, sir..." Rei muttered, rubbing the sore spot as he sheepishly stepped into the Izakaya.
Not long after they sat down, a rhythmic, light pitter-patter of footsteps echoed from the stairs.
It was Reiko. Having heard the commotion, she descended and tilted her head, curiously eyeing the unfamiliar blonde boy. "Onii-chan, who is he?"
"My new disciple. He's learning Sanda and close-quarters combat from me," Shuichi explained simply as he wiped his hands with a towel. "And this is my younger cousin."
"H-hello," Rei stammered, scrambling to his feet. He stole a glance at the girl, his heart tensing in anticipation of the familiar look of disgust he usually received.
Instead, Reiko just stared at his blonde hair with wide, inquisitive eyes. "Are you a foreigner?"
The question made Rei go rigid. He clenched his fists, his nails biting into his palms. His voice was laced with a mix of insecurity and unease as he whispered, "No, I... I'm mixed-race."
"Mixed-race?" Instead of looking away in distaste, Reiko leaned in closer, her expression turning quite excited. "Does that mean your dad is the foreigner, or is it your mom?"
Rei took a deep breath, slowly lifting his head. "My mom was English. My dad is Japanese."
"Have you ever been to England?" Reiko pressed on.
"No," Rei shook his head. "I was born and raised right here in Japan."
Seeing that this girl—who was only slightly older than him—didn't show even a hint of prejudice or contempt, the heavy weight that had been resting on Rei's chest finally began to lift.
After eating lunch at the Izakaya, Eri went home to focus on her studies.
Shuichi then began teaching Rei the basic fundamentals of Sanda. Since Reiko had learned a bit from her brother in the past, she took it upon herself to stand by and demonstrate the forms for the newcomer.
Rei watched her with rapt attention, his eyes never leaving her movements as he tried his best to mimic her.
Just as Reiko was standing on her tiptoes to show Rei the proper form for a side kick, the old wooden door of the Izakaya let out a soft creak. Chikage Tomizawa stepped inside with a spring in her step.
She was wearing a white crop top that offered a glimpse of her slender waist, paired with light blue denim hot pants. Her long, shapely legs glowed with a healthy radiance under the afternoon sun.
Hiding shyly behind Chikage was Seiran.
The child was wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt with a cute panda print and a pair of light grey shorts. With his delicate features, he looked exceptionally well-behaved and adorable.
"What are you doing here?" Shuichi asked, pausing his instruction.
"What? Am I not welcome?" Chikage waved two tickets in her hand, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips. "Are you free? Come with me to the Art Museum."
"The Art Museum?" Shuichi narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What are you going there for?"
"There's a special exhibition being held at the Beika Art Museum recently..."
Chikage hadn't even finished her sentence when Shuichi cut her off.
"You aren't planning to..."
Shuichi squinted at her, his gaze full of hidden meaning.
"What are you thinking?" Chikage shot him a playful, charming glare. "Seiran, go play with the other kids for a bit."
Watching Seiran shyly approach Reiko and Rei, Chikage lowered her voice to explain. "I just want to improve my artistic sensibility."
Shuichi raised an eyebrow, his face practically screaming "I don't believe you."
Chikage pouted in frustration, her tone turning a bit helpless. "I'm serious! I really want to upgrade my ability to appreciate art. In our line of work, if you don't have an eye for it, it's far too easy to overlook a truly valuable masterpiece."
"What do you mean, 'our' line of work?" Shuichi huffed. "Don't loop me into that. I'm just a chef."
"A chef?" Chikage let out a soft laugh. She stood on her tiptoes, leaning in close to Shuichi's ear. Her warm breath brushed against his neck. "I'm afraid the police wouldn't believe that, Mr. Phantom Thief!"
"I really did get dragged onto a sinking ship with you, didn't I?" Shuichi sighed, taking the tickets from her to inspect them. "Two tickets, and just the two of us? Is this a date?"
"In your dreams!" Chikage immediately stepped back, her cheeks flushing slightly. "These are adult tickets. Children don't need them."
"I'm a minor too," Shuichi pointed out with a laugh. "You bought these for nothing."
Chikage slapped her forehead in annoyance. Shuichi's mannerisms were so mature that she constantly forgot he was still just a high school student.
"Seiran has been feeling a bit better these past couple of days, so I brought him out for some fresh air."
Chikage looked over at the little boy talking to Reiko, her voice filled with a motherly, sympathetic sigh. "Since he was born, he's spent most of his life inside hospital walls. Poor thing."
"Hello," Seiran whispered shyly, greeting Reiko and Rei.
Looking at the "girl" before him—with features as delicate and refined as a porcelain doll—Rei felt his heart skip a beat.
His face turned bright red in an instant. He stammered, flustered and awkward, "H-hello! I'm..."
Reiko watched Rei's bumbling behavior and couldn't help but roll her eyes.
However, looking at this exceptionally cute "little sister," Reiko felt a sudden surge of defensive rivalry.
Onii-chan only needs one younger sister, and that's me!
With that thought, Reiko immediately began interrogating Seiran to gauge the "threat."
"Hey, little sister, what's your name?"
"姐姐 (Big sister)..." Seiran, who wasn't used to talking to strangers, looked a bit embarrassed. "I'm..."
He was just about to clarify his gender when Shuichi called out to Reiko and Rei, asking if they wanted to go to the Art Museum. Seiran obediently closed his mouth, following along.
"To the Art Museum?"
Reiko's gaze darted back and forth between Chikage and Seiran.
She bit her lip, thinking that if she didn't go, her Onii-chan would surely be dazed and confused by this pair of "sisters."
She nodded vigorously. "I'm going!"
"What about you?" Shuichi looked at Rei.
Rei stole another glance at Seiran's cute face. Terrified of missing a chance to spend more time with "her," he nodded urgently without a second thought.
"Master, I want to go too!"
Then, as if afraid Shuichi might say no, he added quickly, "My dad is always busy and my mom... well, I rarely get the chance to go out and play!"
(End of Chapter)
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