The house had gone still, the kind of silence that only settled deep into the night. Rito rolled over in bed, staring at the ceiling, when a faint tap-tap reached his ears. He frowned. At this hour?
Sliding out from under his blanket, he crept to the door and peeked out. A thin line of light spilled into the hallway from the living room.
Curiosity nudged him forward. When he peeked inside, the sight made him pause.
Mashiro sat at the low table, a sketchbook spread out before her. The lamp above cast a soft glow across her golden hair as her pencil moved, precise and steady. Sheets of paper already lay scattered around her—characters half-finished, expressions frozen mid-thought, and panel frames faintly outlined.
"…You're still up?" Rito asked quietly.
Mashiro looked up slowly, her amber eyes blank but not unfocused. "…Working."
"On manga?" he asked, stepping closer.
She gave the slightest nod. "No table… so here." Her voice carried no complaint, only a statement.
Rito exhaled softly and crouched beside her, scanning the pages. Her line work was beautiful, crisp and clean, but when he flipped to the dialogue bubbles, he winced. "...Yeah, your art's amazing, but… Mashiro, your story kind of…"
"…Sucks," she finished for him, completely unfazed.
He blinked. "You… know?"
"Yes." She pressed her pencil down, adding another line. "I… draw. But the story… empty."
Rito scratched his cheek, suddenly self-conscious. "Well… writing's my thing, sort of. I mean, I'm still learning too, but… what if we work together?"
Mashiro tilted her head. "...Together?"
"Yeah. You handle the art. I handle the story." He hesitated, then pulled a fresh sheet from his desk drawer and sat down across from her. "I'm not going to copy anything from memory this time. Just… see how far I've gotten with writing on my own."
He started with a Name—rough sketches of panel flow, quick notes for dialogue, and a skeleton of a plot. Mashiro watched in silence, her pencil pausing mid-line, as if absorbing the rhythm of his movements.
Soon, she began translating his rough scrawls into clean lines—his clumsy stick figures turning into vivid expressions under her touch.
Rito leaned back after a while, staring at their shared page. A small smile tugged at his lips. "...Not bad. I guess this is how manga is supposed to come alive."
[Writing +6 EXP]
Writing [Lv. 3] (44 → 50/300)
[Manga Art +5 EXP]
Manga Art [Lv. 3] (0 → 5/300)
The two of them sat like that for a long time, pencils scratching in the quiet living room. No words were needed. The collaboration itself spoke loud enough.
By the time Rito blinked awake, the morning light was already creeping through the curtains. His neck ached, and his back was stiff. He groaned, realizing he'd fallen asleep right there on the living room floor.
The soft sound of footsteps reached him before he could move.
"...Onii-chan."
He froze. Mikan stood in the doorway, hands on her hips, lips twitching as if she couldn't decide whether to scold him or laugh. Her gaze flicked from him… to the golden-haired girl curled up beside him under a shared blanket.
"W-wait, it's not what it looks like—!" Rito stammered, scrambling upright.
Mikan's eyes narrowed, her hand reaching forward like a claw. "Wake-up pinch."
"GYAAAHHHH—!" Rito flailed as she mercilessly twisted his cheek, tears springing to his eyes. "I-it's innocent, I swear!"
Mashiro stirred at the commotion, sitting up slowly. The blanket slipped off her shoulders, falling around her waist. In the soft morning light, pale skin gleamed, the strap of her bra was loose, and her panties hung slightly crooked from the night's restless sleep.
"—"
Time seemed to freeze for Rito. His brain screamed at him to look away, but his eyes betrayed him for a single, fatal second.
Mikan's sharp gasp shattered the silence.
"ONII-CHAN!"
"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING, I SWEAR!" Rito dropped instantly into a dogeza, forehead smacking the tatami with a dull thud. His voice cracked with desperation. "It's just bad luck! BAD LUCK, I TELL YOU!"
Mashiro blinked at him, completely unbothered, tugging lazily at the strap slipping down her shoulder. "…Warm," she murmured softly, as if nothing unusual had happened.
Mikan's face burned crimson as she snatched the blanket and wrapped it tightly around Mashiro. "J-just go get dressed, Mashiro-chan!"
With a steaming bowl of rice in front of him, Rito sat stiffly at the table. A bright red handprint still decorated his cheek like some cursed mark of shame.
He rubbed the spot gently, muttering to himself. 'Why me…? No, it wasn't my fault. It was misfortune. Pure misfortune. Yeah, that's the only explanation.'
Across the table, Mikan glared at him, arms crossed. Her lips twitched in annoyance, but her cheeks still held a faint flush from earlier. "Onii-chan, just what exactly were you thinking—"
"I wasn't thinking anything!" Rito interrupted quickly, waving his hands. "I just stood up and—"
The memory replayed mercilessly in his head: his numb legs wobbling after too long in dogeza, the blanket slipping as he tried to steady himself, and then—bam!—Mikan toppling backward with him right on top of her.
And of course, her hand snapped across his face before he even got the chance to explain.
"…Misfortune," Rito muttered again under his breath, sinking into his seat. "Completely misfortune…"
Mikan slammed her chopsticks down, making him jump. "Quit muttering excuses and eat already!"
Mashiro, sitting beside them, quietly spooned rice into her mouth, her golden eyes drifting from Rito's swollen cheek to Mikan's puffed expression. After a moment, she tilted her head slightly. "…Warm relationship."
"WARM!?" Rito and Mikan shouted in unison. Mashiro blinked at their reaction, then calmly returned to her food as if she hadn't said anything unusual. Rito groaned, covering his face with one hand.
The late morning sun was gentle and warm without being harsh. After some wrangling, Mikan had finally managed to get Mashiro properly dressed, hair brushed and ribbon tied neatly. Rito suspected his sister enjoyed it a little too much—like she'd been given a life-sized doll to fuss over.
Now, the three of them strolled down the street toward the shopping district. Mikan walked a few paces ahead, already thinking about stationery lists and uniform sizes. Mashiro, however, clung lightly to Rito's sleeve, her expression as unreadable as ever.
Her golden hair caught the sunlight, her steps unhurried, matching his pace without effort. To passersby, it looked far too much like a young couple walking together.
Mikan glanced back once, caught the sight, and her lips curved into a mischievous grin.
"Onii-chan," she sing-songed, "you work fast, huh? Mashiro-chan's already sticking to you like a newlywed wife~" Looking at her smile, Rito only felt chill in it.
Rito nearly tripped over his own feet. "Wha—!? N-no, it's not like that!" He flailed his free arm, face burning red. "She's just… she's just…!"
Mashiro blinked up at him, still holding onto his sleeve. "...Warm." Hearing it like that, even Rito felt defeated.
Mikan giggled, hands behind her back.
Rito groaned, burying his face in his free hand. This is going to haunt me forever, isn't it…
Before he could protest further, the group turned a corner near the small neighborhood shrine. There, a familiar figure stood under a tree, her brows knitted in determination.
Kotegawa Yui, arms crossed, was glaring up into the branches.
A cat's pitiful meowing floated down from above. Its little body trembled on a precarious branch, claws barely holding on.
"This… is so dangerous," Kotegawa muttered, biting her lip. She reached up on her tiptoes, as if sheer willpower could bring the animal down. "Honestly, what kind of irresponsible owner lets their pet—"
Rito's eyes widened. Cliché. So cliché. But…
[Ding!]
Quest Triggered: "Knight in Shining Armor (Part I)"
Objective: Help Kotegawa rescue the stranded cat.
Reward: [Charm +5 EXP], [Favorability with Kotegawa +1].
Rito's shoulders slumped. "…Of course."
Mikan tilted her head at his muttering. "Onii-chan?"
"Nothing," Rito sighed, stepping forward. "Just… looks like I've got no choice."
"Take care of Mashiro for a sec, Mikan," Rito said, rolling his shoulders.
Mikan blinked. "Eh? Wait, Onii-chan—"
But before she could stop him, Rito dashed forward, his feet digging into the ground as he kicked up against the trunk. His hand shot out, catching the rough bark of a side branch. With a quick swing, he pulled himself up in one smooth motion.
Kotegawa's eyes widened. "Yuuki-kun! That's dangerous—!"
But Rito barely heard her. His body moved instinctively, muscles remembering motions his current life hadn't practiced. The tree swayed lightly under his weight as he climbed higher, branch by branch, until the trembling meows grew closer.
"Easy there, little guy…" he murmured softly.
The cat, instead of hissing or scrambling away, blinked at him with wide eyes. When Rito reached out, it let out a small "meow" and curled into his arm, pressing its tiny head against his chest.
Rito chuckled. "Heh… you're not so scary after all."
Landing lightly back on the ground, he crouched to let the cat step down safely. Its fluffy tail flicked once before it trotted off, perfectly content.
Kotegawa exhaled deeply, pressing a hand against her chest. "You… honestly. What were you thinking, climbing like that without hesitation?"
Rito scratched his cheek, grinning sheepishly. "Well, someone had to help, right?"
[Ding!]
Quest Completed: "Knight in Shining Armor (Part I)"
Reward: [Charm +5 EXP], [Favorability with Kotegawa +1]
Charm [Lv. 0] → (5/10)
Kotegawa frowned, her cheeks faintly pink. "…Still reckless." But her voice had softened, the irritation already fading.
Behind him, Mikan smiled knowingly. Mashiro remained by her side, golden eyes lingering on Rito as if etching the moment into her memory.
Rito stretched his arms with a grin. 'Guess being an athletic reincarnator has its perks.'
"They are..." Looking at the duo, Kotegawa asked, after all, Mashiro was quite an attraction magnate herself; no way Kotegawa would not notice her presence."
"She is my sister Mikan. And that dazed-looking girl is Mashiro, daughter of my mother friend. She is from a foreign country and just transferred the previous day."