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"Haaah..."
Binchou-tan opened her eyes and rubbed them slowly with both hands, feeling more rested than she could remember being in a long time.
"Ah!!! Is it already evening?!"
She saw the setting sun through the window and scrambled upright in a panic. She hadn't gathered any vegetables today. The rice at home was nearly gone. She had to get to town and find work before it got dark.
"My adorable little sister, you're awake!"
The voice reached her before she could move, and every bit of her panic dissolved on the spot.
"Onii-chan?"
Kaito was sitting nearby holding a cup of tea, watching her with a relaxed smile. "What's wrong? You slept so long you don't recognize me anymore?"
"No, it's... I... I..." She waved her hands quickly.
"Heh heh. I know." He waved her off before she could finish, and she let out a small breath.
She'd been asleep, and he'd stayed. The thought of it settled over her warm and solid. She wasn't alone anymore.
"But... onii-chan, I'm afraid I won't be able to keep you here forever."
"Ah?! Why not?! If it's about food, I can earn money..."
"Onii-chan, please don't..."
Before she could finish, Kaito reached out and patted her head gently, stopping her. "It's mainly because I think there's someone even more suited to take care of you."
Binchou-tan looked up at him through tear-blurred eyes, confused.
Then a voice came from behind her.
"Binchou..."
Binchou-tan's whole body went still. She turned.
Her grandmother stood there, looking at her with the same kind smile she remembered.
"Grandma... Grandma!!!"
She ran. She threw herself into her grandmother's arms and burst into tears, loud and completely unrestrained.
"Waaahhh... Grandma... this is wonderful... waaahhh..."
Her grandmother held her and patted her back in slow, steady strokes. "Binchou. Grandma is back. You won't be alone anymore."
"Waaahhh, Grandma!"
Kaito watched the two of them for a moment, then immediately pulled out his camera and pressed the shutter.
Click.
He looked at the picture, nodded with satisfaction, then turned back to Binchou-tan with an expression of theatrical devastation. "Oh dear. My little sister has her grandmother back and has completely forgotten her big brother. Your onii-chan is crying endlessly on the inside right now."
Binchou-tan tore herself out of her grandmother's arms at once and came running to him, looking up with wide, wet eyes. "Um... I... I really like onii-chan too!"
"Hahaha, I was just joking, Little Charcoal! As if you could not like me!"
"Kaito-sama, thank you sincerely for looking after Little Charcoal during this time."
Granny Ume bowed to him earnestly.
"Heh heh. This little girl is hard not to be fond of." He glanced at Binchou-tan. "A child under ten, living alone up in the mountains and still that cheerful every single day. That's genuinely remarkable."
Granny Ume's expression shifted, something pained moving through it as she walked to Binchou-tan's side and stroked her head. "Binchou... it must have been so hard, living alone all this time."
"No..." Binchou-tan shook her head. She began counting on her fingers. "I'm happy every day. I have Mama Duck, Big Bird, so many friends..." She looked up, face full of light. "And now I have onii-chan and Grandma. I feel very happy!"
Kaito smiled. "You won't have to work so hard anymore. Granny Ume, shall we go?"
She nodded. She had already learned about Kaito and the Jura Tempest Federation shortly after being revived; he had made sure of that.
A white Dimensional Gate opened silently in front of the three of them.
"Binchou, let's go. Big brother will take you to your new home."
"Um... onii-chan, can I still come back here?"
"Anytime you want."
Binchou-tan gave a small, satisfied nod. Then she went to her grandmother's side, took her hand, and walked through the gate.
Kaito watched them go, let the satisfaction sit for a moment, then took one last look at this quiet world before following them through.
'System, what a great resource world, don't you think?'
[Host, you're becoming more and more like a big villain!]
'I was never a good person to begin with! (￣^￣)'
[Uh... Host, your frankness is a little unsettling...]
'Tch!'
On the other side of the gate, the grandmother and granddaughter stood with matching expressions of stunned disbelief. Kaito stepped out behind them.
"Welcome to the Jura Tempest Federation. Follow me, I'll take you to your new home."
When Binchou-tan saw him, the unease in her face settled. She nodded and fell into step beside her grandmother as Kaito led them through the Federation until a sign reading Commercial Street came into view. They went deeper in, past the familiar stalls and storefronts, until he stopped in front of a two-story building facing the street.
"This is your new home. Full utilities, smart assistant built in. Ask it anything you don't understand."
"Wow!!! Onii-chan, can I really live here from now on?!"
"Of course. This is your onii-chan's property."
Kaito planted his hands on his hips with the air of a man who owned a great deal of real estate, which he did. He had quite a few vacant two-story buildings along Commercial Street, each set up with a shop on the ground floor and living quarters above.
The Federation's widespread use of spatial capsules meant nobody needed that kind of physical space for storage, so unless someone wanted a proper storefront there was no demand. Plenty of people had tried to buy them for business early on, but Kaito, flush with money at the time, had decided to hold out for land prices to go up.
By the time he'd have been happy to sell, everyone in the Federation knew exactly who he was, and nobody dared make an offer. Commercial Street had thrived regardless, but it had always had a handful of beautifully decorated, stubbornly empty two-story buildings standing in it.
"Onii-chan's property, sugoi!"
"Alright, stop exclaiming and come inside. And in a couple of days, you'll be starting school at Academy City."
The interior made both of them go wide-eyed. After the tour they brought their things up to the second floor, then came back down to see Kaito off. At the door, Binchou-tan caught his sleeve.
"What's wrong?"
She looked up at him steadily. "When I grow up, I will repay onii-chan. It's onii-chan's house, but I won't live here for free."
A smile moved through Kaito's eyes. He reached down and patted her head once. "Then grow up quickly."
"Mhm."