The Karuizawa home was much simpler than the Kōsaka's none of that girlish atmosphere.
Riku soon struck up a conversation with Tomoya Karuizawa and his wife; they hit it off quickly.
A few minutes later, a petite girl stepped out of her room, hugging her homework.
She had tea-brown hair in a shoulder-length side ponytail and blue eyes, features as delicate as Sagiri's. Unlike Sagiri and Shiro's porcelain fairness, though, her skin held a healthy wheat tone. She looked a bit older than Shiro and Sagiri.
The girl paused, staring at Riku. Her gaze was unfocused, her manner a little stiff, more like fear than ordinary shyness.
"Riku-kun, this is our daughter, Kei Karuizawa. You can call her Kei-chan," Tomoya introduced with a smile.
"Kei-chan, huh? As expected of Mr and Mrs Karuizawa's daughter, very cute," Riku said, eyes narrowing slightly as he studied the girl's uneasy look.
In the original timeline, Kei Karuizawa had been bullied all through grade school and middle school, carrying the scars into high school. It seemed the bullying had already started.
'Bullies really are the worst,' Riku thought, shaking his head.
"Kei, come say hello to Riku-kun," Mrs Karuizawa urged, pleased by the compliment.
"H-hello, Riku-onii…san," Kei murmured to the floor so softly only Riku heard.
"This child has no manners," Tomoya scolded.
Japan is big on etiquette; to adults, that sort of greeting for a visiting guest went beyond merely "a little rude."
"Maybe I startled Kei-chan by instantly speaking. Please don't be hard on her," Riku said gently.
Both parents blinked; they hadn't expected him to take the blame.
"Hey, Kei-chan. Sorry for scaring you," Riku went on, crouching so their eyes were level, a smile in his voice. "As an apology, how about I help you with your homework?"
"Ah… o-okay." One second of eye contact with those deep golden eyes, and Kei turned her face away, cheeks pink, nodding like a timid little sparrow.
Wordlessly, she set her workbook on the table and pointed at a problem.
"Right, this part here…" Riku sat beside her, calm as you please, and began to teach.
The easy, natural atmosphere left both parents a little stunned.
Then they traded smiles. With that character, bearing, and considerate way of handling people, it was hard to feel anything but goodwill toward Riku.
After half an hour, Kei's elementary school homework was all finished. Riku created a cute white hair ribbon and handed it to her.
He'd laid a light protection charm on it: if anyone bullied Kei, an invisible ward would trigger, and the bully would find themselves on the wrong end of a lingering hex. Nothing life-threatening, but enough to make them rethink their hobbies.
"Kei-chan, a little present from me," he said, ruffling her hair with a smile.
"Th-thank you…" Kei's face went even redder as she accepted it, mortified and happy all at once.
Just sitting beside Riku had made her feel oddly safe, and the way he explained the problems was so simple it surprised her.
"Mr Karuizawa, Mrs Karuizawa, thank you for having me this evening," Riku said, standing.
"Not at all! If you don't mind, please stay for dinner," said Tomoya, who was still very friendly.
"I was thinking the same," his wife added with a laugh.
"I'd love to, but I've already eaten," Riku replied.
"In that case, next time we'll treat you properly," Mrs Karuizawa said, a little regretfully.
"Um, Ri… will you come again?" Kei asked then, tugging at his sleeve. She'd meant to say his name, but couldn't quite get it out; her face burned as she looked up, hopeful.
"As long as Kei-chan doesn't mind, of course. We're neighbours, after all," Riku said, mussing her tea-brown ponytail. "And if you have questions, come by. I'll keep helping you study."
"Mmh!" Kei nodded hard, beaming.
Having maxed out the Karuizawa family's goodwill meter, Riku offered parting greetings and returned to his own place.
As for the rest of the neighbours, well, sorry. This is a world that runs on looks. Random background characters don't quite merit the Demon King personally spending time to grind favour.
--
A month passed.
In that time, Riku had completely hit it off with both the Kosakas and the Karuizawas, dropping by often.
At the Kōsaka home, he and Rie Kōsaka talked nonstop about their favourite anime, manga and games. Because of the regular visits, Sagiri no longer hid behind the door; she even joined in the conversation now and then.
At the Karuizawas', it was mostly Riku tutoring Kei Karuizawa.
As for Shiro, once she discovered consoles and the internet, she fell headlong into them, full-on tiny gamer gremlin. Most parents might have clamped down, but Riku didn't. He played alongside her.
"Riku-kun, could I trouble you with something?" one afternoon, Tomoya Karuizawa called, sounding awkward.
"What's up, Uncle Karuizawa? If I can help, I will," Riku said with an easy laugh.
Like Rie, Tomoya had heard a bit about Riku's "family situation," filled in the blanks on his own, and asked for Riku's number "just in case." Riku, being polite, had given it.
"You know how my wife usually picks Kei up? I've got overtime, and she's tied up, too. Things haven't been the safest lately, so I was wondering…"
"In that case, if you're comfortable with it, I'll pick Kei up today," Riku cut in at the perfect moment.
"Comfortable? Of course, thank you, Riku-kun!" Tomoya said, relieved.
"No problem. I needed to head out anyway," Riku replied.
After several heartfelt thank-yous, Tomoya hung up.
"Shiro, I'm heading out. Want me to bring you anything back?" Riku asked, kneading her cheeks while she stared at the screen.
"Chips. Cola. A burger," Shiro said without looking away, snack trifecta unlocked.
Riku rolled his eyes. Chips, cola, burger peak "comfort combo." Still… when your Shiro's that cute, you indulge.
In a leisurely mood, he stepped out with no powers, just a stroll. This was a vacation world, after all.
And it wasn't just about picking up Kei; he had another errand in mind.
Ashikaga Elementary was a known school in Ashikaga Ward 1-chōme, and Kei attended there, the place where many of her worst memories would take root.
At that moment, in a quiet corner of the campus, five students, three girls, two boys, had Kei surrounded.
"Hey, Karuizawa, getting a little full of yourself, aren't you?"
"You refused when I asked you to buy something the other day."
"Don't think being a girl means we won't hit you."
Kei pressed her lips together, silent and helpless.
The two boys had confessed to her; after she turned them down, the targeting began. The three girls needed no reason at all; they'd been after her from the start: hiding her indoor shoes, scribbling on her desk, stuffing bugs in her cubby.
Kei had no idea why they did it.
Her silence only made them angrier; being "ignored" stung. They hated that Kei was cuter; they hated how the boys were nicer to her. So they'd make her untouchable; no one would dare hang out with her again.
"Time to teach you a lesson. That dumb smile lately makes me sick." One girl reached for Kei's face…
..and tripped flat on her front before she even touched her.
Blinking, furious, she lunged again only to faceplant harder, knee cracking against a stone as she yowled.
The other four moved to pile on… and met the same fate, one after another, sprawling in a heap.
Kei snapped out of her fear, stared wide-eyed at her fallen classmates. She never noticed the white ribbon at her temple glowing faintly.
She didn't question it, she just ran, heart hammering, then patted her still-flat chest in shaky relief. She'd thought she was done for again. Thank goodness for… whatever that was.
"Riku-onii, what are you doing here?" At the gate, she spotted Riku at once and scampered over, joy washing away the leftover nerves. Being near him always felt safe.
"Your parents are busy today, so I came to get you," he said, ruffling her hair.
"I see…" Kei's eyelashes fluttered, and then, her face pink, she put her hand into his.
"Kei, you ran out in quite a hurry back there. Did something happen?" Riku asked as he walked beside Kei, gently holding her hand.
"N-no," she murmured, lips pressed together.
"If anyone bullies you, tell me, okay? I'll handle it," Riku said, shaking his head.
"I… got it." Kei looked up at his profile; at last, a small, relieved smile warmed her cheeks.
"Feel like a crêpe?" Reaching the snack street, Riku nodded toward a stall and ruffled Kei's hair.
She clearly wanted to say yes, but she hesitated.
"Two strawberry crêpes, please," Riku ordered with a chuckle, leading Kei up to the counter.
"You two have great sibling vibes," the shopkeeper lady said kindly as she worked.
"Huh, do we look that much like brother and sister?" Riku grinned.
"Not the features, just the atmosphere. A lot of real siblings don't have this," she mused. Years at the stand had made her an expert at reading people.
Kei, flustered, lowered her head, face pink. Big brother, huh… Riku really did feel like that.
"We're not siblings, actually just neighbours," Riku teased, passing over the cash.
"Ohh, so childhood friends. Youth is a wonderful thing~" The lady glanced at Kei's blushing face, then back at Riku, smiling with a touch of playfulness.
"Back in my day, my husband and I were childhood friends, too. Took some doing, but we made it," she said, nostalgic as she handed over the croquettes.
Riku accepted them, a bit surprised at the mini love story. 'Childhood friend loses' is such a light-novel meme, he thought, then noticed Kei's ears turning even redder. He rubbed his nose and shot the proprietress an invisible thumbs-up. Excellent assist.
The boss lady blinked back as if to say, 'Don't mention it.'
Riku gave Kei a crêpe and took a bite of his own. "Delicious. We'll be back, ma'am," he said.
"Hehe, I'll be waiting," she waved.
"Ah, youth," the lady sighed as their backs receded.
From her perspective, Riku's looks, air, and manners were deadly; he'd have admirers to spare. Kei was adorable, sure, but the world had no shortage of cute girls; better to make the most of that head start.
…
"Tasty?" Riku asked as they walked, watching Kei nibble her croquette with an almost rodent-like focus, cheeks still pink.
"Mhm. Very," she said, eyes darting away, unsure where to look.
"It is, but be careful, okay? You've got a bit here." He crouched to her level, produced a tissue, and gently dabbed a smear of cream from the corner of her mouth, then handed her the tissue. "There."
"...!" The sudden closeness froze her for a beat; then, fluster rising to full bloom, she ducked her head and said nothing.
They didn't talk much the rest of the way; Kei was too shy to meet his eyes. Riku didn't press; he simply walked her back safely.
With both parents out working late, no one could open the Karuizawas' door yet, so he brought Kei to his own place to wait (after messaging her parents).
--
"Oni-chan, welcome back." When Riku returned, Shiro jogged over, took the snacks from his hands, shot Karuizawa Kei a glance, then scampered back to the sofa to watch anime, plainly not intending to engage Kei.
At this, Karuizawa Kei felt a little down. She'd come to Riku's place several times now, and Shiro had never paid her any mind.
Seeing this, Riku could only shake his head.
To Shiro, aside from him, both children and adults were far too boring. Her world-weariness was severe, already showing the hallmarks of a shut-in.
"Kei, keep Shiro company and watch some anime." Riku then patted Karuizawa Kei on the head and whispered in her ear.
"Mm." Kei obediently nodded, mustered her courage, and walked over.
"Shiro, Kei, be nice to each other, okay? I need to go out." Riku then said to Shiro.
"Bro, could you bring me back a pack of chocolate sticks?" At that, Shiro suddenly turned, hope sparkling in her eyes.
"No. Too many snacks at night are bad for you." Ignoring Shiro's look, Riku replied sternly.
"Hmph…, stingy." Shiro pouted and muttered.
"Yup, your brother really is that stingy," Riku said evenly. "Riku-oniisan is not stingy," Karuizawa Kei couldn't help but interject.
"…" Hearing this, Shiro slid her gaze toward Kei and quietly scooted farther away. This one really is an enemy!
"In any case, you two get along." With that final line, Riku left the room.
Even so, Riku's words clearly had little effect: Shiro munched her snacks and watched anime on her own. And since Kei wasn't interested in anime at all, she couldn't find a topic; she could only sit on the sofa, knees hugged to her chest, and drift into a daze.
…
Chiba City is the seat of Chiba Prefecture in Japan, located southeast of Tokyo on Tokyo Bay, with three transit lines to Tokyo, less than an hour away.
It also borders Akihabara, so otaku culture is thriving.
From an anime perspective, Chiba City is a famed "sister-complex city" in manga and anime culture. Lots of works with "little sister" elements set their stories here, like My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute, and My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected.
Of course, those are secondary details.
Right now, in a certain famous hospital in Chiba City, a fierce argument was underway.
The parents of a pair of twins had died in a car accident, so the twins' relatives were "discussing" how to divide the burden.
But rather than a true discussion, it was shirking responsibility and even trying to seize the property the deceased parents had left for these orphans.
To them, an otherwise normal household suddenly picking up one or two tagalongs meant not only legal obligations during care, but also spending piles of "wasted" money, intolerable. Worse, the girl of the pair was sickly and frail, needing frequent treatment and hospitalisation.
Thus, no one wanted to adopt. The question of adoption didn't even merit real consideration.
As the quarrel grew more heated, it directly terrified the twins; their small bodies trembled, and they stared in fear and despair at the adults' twisted faces.
The warmth and coldness of human relations, the world's indifference, were on full display.
In the end, the twins' grandfather couldn't stand it and took the boy away.
As the boy left, he could only clench his teeth, face full of guilt as he looked at his sister, who, face full of despair, was reaching out to him…
At only nine years old, he had no right to decide where he would go, much less insist that his grandfather take his sister, too. The consequences of the two of them living together were more than he could bear.
Not to mention, the grandfather was old; being able to care for the boy at all was already the limit.
With her last support betraying her, the nine-year-old girl's eyes went dull; like a puppet, she stared blankly at the relatives whose squabbling only grew worse.
If even the boy wouldn't be adopted, there was no hope at all for this frail little girl.
Some relatives proposed dumping the girl at an orphanage, and then they argued further about who would be responsible and who would pay.
At that moment, the door swung open, and a silver-haired youth walked in, upright as you please.
The commotion brought the raging room to a sudden quiet; everyone just stared blankly at Riku as he walked in.
A few wanted to say something but found the words wouldn't come.
"From now on, you're in my family." Ignoring their looks, Riku simply came to the girl, crouched, and met her gaze calmly.
Hugging a Black Rabbit plush, the girl's brown eyes listless and helpless, she stared vacantly into Riku's golden eyes, then wordlessly nodded.
She didn't know who this youth was, but anything was better than staying in this terrifying place.
That was the girl's only thought. Seeing her response, Riku smiled slightly, lifted her into his arms, and, under everyone's gaze, walked out.
It wasn't until after Riku left with the girl that these people finally snapped back to their senses…