The morning sun cast dappled light on Kael's face through the gaps in the curtains.
His eyelids fluttered, and he slowly woke up, his consciousness not yet fully clear, but he first felt a sense of... being closely monitored and restrained?
He lowered his head slightly and found that he was tightly wrapped in several layers of soft, thin blankets, like a meticulously packaged cocoon, with only his head exposed.
And the culprit, Sirin, was already dressed and sitting by the bed, her golden eyes staring intently at him. Seeing him wake up, she immediately flashed a sweet, somewhat fawning smile.
"Brother, good morning! You're awake!"
Kael tried to move and found the quilt wrapped extremely tightly. Although he could easily break free with his strength, seeing Sirin's "Praise me" expression, he sighed helplessly: "Sirin... what is this for?"
"I was afraid Brother would kick off the covers at night and catch a cold!"
Sirin said righteously, reaching out to tidy the stray hairs on his forehead, her movements gentle, but her eyes held an undeniable persistence, "And wrapped like this, Brother won't run around."
Kael: "..."
When did he ever kick off his covers at night?
Also, what the heck is "running around"?
Just as he was about to say something, Sirin had already stood up and walked briskly towards the door: "Brother, hurry up and get ready, I've already prepared breakfast!"
With that, she hummed an off-key tune and left the bedroom, as if the person who tried to sneak into his bed last night wasn't her.
Kael struggled to break free from the "quilt cocoon" and rubbed his somewhat throbbing temples.
This child... her behavior patterns are becoming increasingly difficult to understand.
He changed his clothes and walked out of the bedroom, finding a simple breakfast already laid out on the dining table—toast, fried eggs, and milk. From the appearance, it seemed... quite normal? At least there was no burnt smell.
Kiana also came out of her room, rubbing her eyes. She looked at Kael with a complicated expression, opened her mouth to say something, but seeing Sirin emerge from the kitchen with juice, she swallowed her words, simply muttering "Morning" and sitting down at the dining table, taking a big bite of toast as if competing with someone.
Sirin completely ignored Kiana, placed the juice in front of Kael, and sat down next to him, beginning to eat her fried egg in small bites, occasionally looking up at Kael, her eyes full of satisfaction.
This breakfast ended in a subtle three-way silence. Kael could feel that Kiana seemed to have something to say, but due to Sirin's presence, she kept it in.
Sirin, on the other hand, was completely immersed in the atmosphere of "breakfast with Kael," oblivious to the low pressure Kiana was emitting.
After the meal, Kael prepared to go to the Academy. He picked up his toolbox and said to the two of them: "I'm going to the Academy, you two..."
"Brother, be careful on your way!"
Sirin immediately interjected, walked to his side, and naturally straightened his collar, which wasn't actually messy, then stood on tiptoe and quickly kissed him on the cheek, making a crisp "chu" sound.
Kael's body stiffened, and he froze.
Kiana's eyes instantly widened, and the milk cup in her hand clattered onto the table, splashing a few drops of milk.
Sirin, however, acted as if nothing had happened, smiling sweetly at Kael: "That's a cheering kiss for Brother! Come back early!"
Kael looked at Sirin's innocent expression, then at Kiana, whose face was puffed out with anger next to him, and felt his head start to ache again.
He opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing, just nodded vaguely, almost fleeing the apartment in a hurry.
Walking to the Academy, Kael could still feel the lingering, cool, soft touch on his cheek. He shook his head vigorously, trying to shake off that strange feeling.
This child, Sirin... is her way of showing affection a bit... beyond the scope of a "sister"? Or is he overthinking it? After all, she was very clingy when she was little... He arrived at Senba Academy, preoccupied, and began his day's work.
The morning was mainly spent inspecting the electrical circuits and ventilation system of the teaching building. The work was tedious but required concentration, which allowed him to temporarily set aside the troubles from the apartment.
During lunch break, Kael was organizing items in the tool room when there was a gentle knock on the door.
"Come in."
The door opened, revealing Raiden Mei's somewhat pale face.
She looked a bit better today than yesterday, but a lingering gloom still hid deep in her eyes.
"Mr. Kael... I apologize for disturbing you." Mei's voice was soft, polite, and carried a hint of imperceptible nervousness.
"Classmate Raiden? Is something wrong?" Kael put down the multimeter in his hand and asked.
Mei walked into the tool room and gently closed the door behind her, an action that made the small space feel a bit cramped.
She took a deep breath, as if steeling herself, then looked up at Kael, her purple eyes filled with pleading: "Mr. Kael... yesterday... thank you very much. If it weren't for you, I might have..."
"It was nothing, don't worry about it." Kael interrupted her, his tone calm, "The important thing is that you're alright."
Mei nodded, her hands nervously clasped together: "I... I know this request might be presumptuous... but... Mr. Kael, could... could you take me in temporarily?"
Kael was stunned: "Take you in?"
"Yes..."
Mei's voice was choked, "After Father's accident... home... home is no longer a place I can stay. The media, creditors... and some unidentified people... I... I don't know where else to go..."
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she held them back, refusing to let them fall, "I won't bother you for too long! As soon as I find a new place to live, I'll move out immediately! I can pay rent! I... I can also cook and clean..."
Looking at the helpless girl who had lost everything overnight, Kael's heart softened.
He knew that Raiden Mei's situation would be very difficult after the collapse of ME Corp, but he hadn't expected her to be homeless.
Officially, she was an important observation target, and ensuring her safety aligned with mission requirements; personally, he couldn't ignore someone in such a desperate situation.
But... there was already a Sirin and a Kiana in the apartment, plus a Raiden Mei?
Kael could almost foresee the chaotic scene that would unfold.
Especially Sirin... he pondered for a moment.
Bishop Otto asked him to "observe" K423, and having Raiden Mei under his nose... seemed to increase the risk.
"My place... the conditions are average, and there are already two people living there, so it might be a bit crowded."
Kael said carefully.
"It's okay! As long as I have a safe place to stay, I don't mind anything!"
Mei said eagerly, a glimmer of hope rekindled in her eyes.
"...Alright." Kael finally nodded, "You can come back with me for now, but there are two other... rather special girls living there, and you'll need to get along with them."
"Thank you! Mr. Kael! Thank you so much!"
Mei bowed deeply to Kael in excitement, tears finally streaming down her face, but this time they were tears of hope.
So, in the evening, when Kael returned to the apartment with a slightly uneasy Raiden Mei, they were greeted by two pairs of eyes with entirely different meanings.
Kiana, who was sitting on the living room carpet eating potato chips and reading Haxxor Bunny comics, saw Mei behind Kael and sat up in surprise, forgetting to chew her chips: "Eh? Classmate Raiden? How come you..."
And Sirin, who had just walked out of her room, her face still bearing the exclusive smile for welcoming Kael home, saw Mei and her smile quickly receded like an ebb tide, replaced by a cold vigilance, as if her territory had been invaded.
Her gaze swept over Mei, finally resting on Kael's face. Although she didn't speak, a silent question and a low pressure instantly permeated the air.
Kael felt a chill down his spine and, steeling himself, introduced: "This is Classmate Raiden Mei. She... temporarily has no place to live, so she'll be staying with us for a while."
He then said to Mei, "This is Kiana, my roommate. And this is Sirin, my... sister."
Mei nervously bowed to Kiana and Sirin: "H-hello, I apologize for the intrusion..."
Although Kiana was still a bit annoyed about the morning's events, seeing Mei's fragile and pitiful appearance, her generous heart immediately cast aside that displeasure. She jumped up and said enthusiastically: "Oh! It's you! It's fine, it's fine! The more people, the merrier! Come and sit!"
Sirin, however, showed no reaction. She just coldly looked at Mei, then at Kael, a subtle, mocking, and chilling curve forming at the corner of her mouth. In a volume only Kael could hear, she softly snorted:
"Another... 'object of protection'?"
With that, she no longer looked at anyone, turned and walked straight back into her room, closing the door with a "bang," isolating the suffocating low pressure within.
Kael: "..."
Kiana shrank her neck and whispered to Kael: "Hey... Kael, she seems... even angrier?"
Mei, on the other hand, was so frightened by Sirin's attitude that her face grew even paler, and she stood there at a loss, her fingers tightly clutching the hem of her clothes.
Kael looked at the chaotic situation before him, feeling a deep sense of powerlessness wash over him.