It had been three days.
Three days since he opened his eyes in a body that wasn't his own. Even now, as he stood before the mirror, Rito still struggled to accept the truth: he had reincarnated into this body—one he recognised all too well from an anime he'd watched during his childhood.
To Love Ru.
A light-hearted slice-of-life, comedy-harem whirlwind known for its massive cast of female characters and chaotic charm. He had watched it, read countless fanfics about it, and even written some himself. Yet never—not even in the wildest, most self-indulgent fanfictions—had he imagined he would one day wake up inside its world.
And worse… unlike most reincarnators in the stories he used to enjoy, he had been granted no cheat, no system, no convenient buff. Nothing.
Still, he couldn't complain too much. In exchange, he had gained a healthy teenage body, an energetic personality, and a cute, dependable little sister. His new life was comfortable enough. And with the knowledge and memories from his past world, he had already begun creating something of value.
He had spent the past three nights finishing the second volume of the light novel he'd been writing ever since he arrived. A series he knew was popular in his previous world—Re:Zero—but which did not exist here. With his English mastery, honed from years of work as a linguistics professor in his past life, he felt confident in submitting it to his father to get it published.
If this world followed similar market trends, it would sell. And if it sold… he certainly wouldn't need a corporate job.
In this life, he had no intention of becoming anyone's wage slave. A small business or a steady creative career was more than enough. With that goal in mind, he was already working diligently—though not so diligently that he couldn't enjoy his slow-paced life with Mikan. Even after only three days, he felt strangely at home.
"Nice. My body finally relaxed after that cold bath," he muttered.
Turning off the shower, Rito stepped out, a towel slung over his shoulders as he wiped off the remaining water. The face reflected in the steamed-over mirror was youthful, clean, and sharp around the jawline. His messy hair, however, dulled the effect—at least until he had fixed it on the first day of his reincarnation. With a bit of styling and the right posture, he looked far better than the Rito from the anime. Taller too, which was a welcome bonus.
Once his hair was dried, he applied a bit of gel and styled it into a neat, sharp look. The only drawback was his thin frame—something that would take time and training to improve. Still, he wasn't in a rush. A strong body led to a strong mind, and a strong mind to a comfortable future.
And, more importantly… today could be the day.
Although not certain, he felt like it might be today.
And most of the time, his intuition like this tend to be correct. Even in his previous life, this intuition had helped him out a lot.
The day he met her.
Lala Satalin Deviluke—the main heroine, the catalyst of chaos, and, supposedly, his future wife. The runaway alien princess with a devilish charm but a genuinely innocent heart. He was curious—no, eager—to see how she looked and behaved in reality rather than on a screen. Her carefree, open personality had always been one of the things he liked most about her.
Especially the part where she practically encouraged Rito to build a harem.
A girl who had no jealousy about sharing a husband, who supported the idea of multiple wives with cheerful sincerity…
For most teenage boys, that was the stuff of dreams.
For him, it still was.
"Well… who wouldn't want a beautiful harem?" he mused with a small grin as he stepped out of the bathroom, towel over his shoulder, thoughts drifting to pink hair, bright eyes, and the chaos that was surely waiting for him.
"Rito! Are you out yet…?" Mikan's voice carried through the hallway, firm but faintly worried.
Rito stepped into the kitchen and found his cute little sister standing by the stove, fully focused on the simmering pan in front of her. Her brows were slightly furrowed, her lips pursed in concentration—an expression he had always found adorable in the anime, but seeing it in real life made it hit differently. Softer. Warmer.
Unable to resist, he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her in a sudden, gentle hug.
"Eh—!?" Mikan jolted, nearly dropping her ladle, but quickly recovered and pinched his side with practised precision.
"W-What are you doing, baka Rito?" She shot him an angry pout, cheeks puffed, eyes narrowed in a glare she had used many times over the past three days. And every single time, he met it with the same thick-skinned smile.
"Sorry, sorry. I just really like my baby sister," he said, flashing a cheesy grin that immediately made her shoulders slump in defeat.
"Haaah… honestly, what am I supposed to do with you?" she muttered under her breath, but the faint softening in her expression betrayed her true feelings. She wasn't actually angry. In fact, she seemed oddly pleased—though she would never admit that out loud.
"Just take a seat. And don't sneak up on me like that. I'll serve the food soon," she scolded, regaining her composure. "If we take too long, we'll be late for school."
"Yes, ma'am." Rito saluted jokingly before sitting down with an exaggeratedly obedient posture, earning a small chuckle from her.
Seeing her smile like that made his chest warm. He rested his chin in his palm and quietly watched her small frame move around the kitchen—mixing, stirring, plating.
So tiny, yet carrying so much responsibility: cleaning, cooking, shopping, managing the house… all while supporting her hopeless brother. It was honestly impressive. And heartbreaking.
That was why, more than anything, he wanted her to rely on him too. To lean on him, the way he leaned on her.
In the anime, she was portrayed as strong and mature, almost like a mother figure. And although the story never outright said it, there had been hints—subtle, unspoken feelings between Mikan and Rito.
A forbidden closeness.
A bond that skirted a line neither of them dared to cross. Even the original Rito tried to avoid it, out of both morality and fear of hurting her.
And now… he was here, aware of everything that had been left unsaid.
He wasn't sure how he felt about it yet. In reality, incest carried biological dangers and social consequences… it wasn't something to take lightly. But this world wasn't the same as the one he came from. It was softer, more romanticised, and almost designed around emotion instead of logic.
Still, his goal wasn't to push those boundaries.
His goal was simple:
To become a big brother she could depend on—someone who could shoulder her burdens and give her the childhood she deserved.
As the aroma of her cooking filled the room, Rito straightened slightly in his seat, determination flickering beneath the warmth in his eyes.
Someday, he'd make sure she didn't have to carry everything alone.