Ring ring ring~
The alarm blared, and Belle slowly sat up in Mo Wang's bed. That's right, she had slept in his bed again. She didn't know when it started, but she had gotten used to sleeping in his bed. She probably spent at least five nights a week in his room.
What's the point of my room, anyway? he would often grumble.
"Strange, where's Brother?"
She looked around, but the familiar presence was gone.
"Oh, right. He said he had a job in a Hollow today. So I'm home alone."
She remembered now, but she was still a little disappointed that he had left so early.
"No! Brother is working hard to earn money, so I can't just lie here! I have to get up!"
As her brother's most considerate and wonderful little sister, she had to help him with the housework.
She slapped her cheeks, her eyes filled with a fighting spirit. "Today, I'm going to work hard and show him what I can do!"
But her fighting spirit was extinguished by a growling stomach.
"Ugh~ I'm so hungry. I wonder if he left me any breakfast."
The hungry salted fish sister crawled out of bed, but the dining table was empty. He must have been in a real hurry. She made herself some instant noodles and, ten minutes later, felt like she had been revived.
"Phew~ Energy replenished! Fairy! List out all the remaining jobs. I'm going to start working hard today!"
"Unfortunately," Fairy replied in a flat tone, "all the jobs on the Proxy Network have already been completed by the Master. There are currently no pending commissions."
"What?! All of them?!"
Her fighting spirit was extinguished once again.
"To be precise, the Master completed all the jobs on the Proxy Network a week ago. I'm sorry to say this, but the Master is a near-omnipotent individual. The jobs on the Proxy Network do not require Belle's assistance."
Her head drooped. It was true. Her brother was a super-strong, one-of-a-kind existence in New Eridu, proficient in engineering, architecture, machinery, business, medicine, combat command, and even music and movies.
No one in all of Eridu was more capable than him. That's why all the organizations, including the Special Operations Section and Section 6, were so eager to recruit him.
"But! If I don't complete any missions, how can I impress him? It'll just make me look like a lazy salted fish who does nothing all day!" Am I going to become one of those useless little sisters in novels who just mooches off their brother?
Fairy and the little Bangboos just looked at her, speechless. Isn't she already the salted fish of the house?
With no jobs to do, Belle decided to tend to the video store. Business was slow, as usual. Only when a celebrity like Astra came to visit did the store get crowded.
But she knew that the store would occasionally get some... "special" customers.
"Good morning~! Belle! We're here!" Grace and Koleda from Belobog Heavy Industries walked in.
"Good morning, Koleda, Grace. Are you here to rent a video? Or is it a new commission?" Belle greeted them with a smile.
"Ahem, no, no, we're not here for that today," Koleda said, a little too quickly.
"Oh? So you're here to hang out with me?" Belle's expression cooled instantly.
"Well, actually, is Mo Wang here today?" Koleda asked, her eyes darting around the store.
"Brother went out on a job. Is there something you need him for?" Belle asked, her smile not quite reaching her eyes.
"Oh, it's nothing, really. We were just here to see Eous and discuss some new machine development with him," Grace said.
"A-and I was just going to ask him about some company management and operational issues," Koleda stammered.
What a bunch of terrible liars, Belle thought. They're just here to freeload off my brother!
She knew they were both after him. Especially Grace. She was after both her brother and Eous.
"I'm sorry, but my brother isn't here today. And the store is very busy, so I can't entertain you. I'll let him know you stopped by when he gets back," she said, effectively shooing them out.
They looked at the empty store, but one look at Belle's creepy smile, and they knew it was time to leave.
Just then, two more familiar faces walked in.
"Officer Zhu Yuan, and Qingyi? What are you two doing here?"
"Long time no see, Belle. Is Mo Wang home today?"
Another one? Belle thought, annoyed. She wanted to kick them out too, but they were the police.
"N-no, he's out on a job," she said.
Zhu Yuan's shoulders slumped. "Qingyi, what do we do about the 'Phantom' case without Mo Wang's help...?"
"Um, you seem to be in a hurry. Is there something you need my brother for?" Belle asked.
"Well," Qingyi said, lowering her voice, "have you heard any... strange rumors online lately? About a car that's so fast it's like a phantom?"
Belle's heart skipped a beat. The Phantom? That's my brother!
"Wh-what phantom? I've never heard of it. Ahaha~"
"Oh, it's nothing. We just wanted to borrow your brother's criminal investigation and tracking skills. He's the best in Eridu, you know."
Of course I know! But the Phantom is my brother! The police were asking her brother to investigate himself? This was ridiculous.
"Well, it's a shame. But the Phantom case isn't that urgent. Just tell him to stop by when he has time."
After they left, a steady stream of girls came looking for Mo Wang.
"Aaargh! That's it! How many girls has he been flirting with?! And why is there so much work?!" she screamed, looking at the pile of appointment requests. "Hmph, that stupid brother. He's such a blockhead, so why are so many girls after him?"
"Belle! I'm home!"
"Brother! You..." She stood up, excited, but then her expression went dead. "Brother, what's that in your arms?"
"Oh, this? I just picked up a Bangboo!" he said, showing her the little creature.
"I know it's a Bangboo! I mean, why did you pick up another one?!"
This wasn't the first time. Her brother, the most capable and strongest person in the city, was also a huge Bangboo enthusiast.
"Because it's cute, and no one wanted it," he said simply.
"Sigh... Brother, how many Bangboos have you picked up this week?" she asked, her voice filled with despair. Their backyard was already overflowing with them.
"Throw it away, Brother. We can't afford to keep so many."
"What?! Are you a monster?! You want me to throw away such a cute Bangboo?!"
"But what about our deficit?"
"Hmm, we can just make Fairy use less electricity."
"Protest. Why should a suspicious Bangboo consume my electricity?"
"Shut up, you artificial idiot! If you played fewer games, I could afford to keep a few more Bangboos!"
"Negative. This is a necessary recreational activity for an AI!"
Belle sighed, watching her brother bicker with the AI. He was so perfect most of the time, but in moments like this, he was just like a child.
...
Later that night, Belle found Mo Wang asleep on the sofa, the little Bangboo still cradled in his arms.
"Good night, Brother," she whispered, and draped a blanket over him.
I guess I can't be a salted fish sister after all. I'll work hard tomorrow! I'll make up for this month's deficit! But for today, I'll just rest a little longer.
She yawned, and then snuggled up beside him on the sofa, and drifted off to sleep.
He glanced at his little sister, and then pulled her into his arms as well.
And that was a certain salted fish sister's ordinary day.