"Senya, from now on we'll be living together with your Aunt Junko, your older sister Toka, and your younger sister Rikka!"
"???"
Minamoto Senya's head was filled with question marks.
He had only gone over to Sawamura Eriri's place earlier to help her with homework—and while he was at it, shamelessly leech off her Gundam LV5 drawing skills.
So how was it that everything was fine when he left in the morning, but by evening, he suddenly had three new family members?
Sure, he had mentally prepared himself for this day to come eventually… but this was way too sudden.
"Sorry if this feels a little abrupt. Did we startle you?"
As a woman, Takanashi Junko was naturally more sensitive. She immediately picked up on Senya's inner reaction.
Senya shook his head, his eyes drifting toward the living room, where two girls were peeking timidly at him.
The older one quickly pulled her head back in, pressing down on the younger one's head to drag her back as well.
Then came a muffled thud, followed by a tiny whimper.
…These sisters were kind of funny.
"No, Aunt Junko. I was a little surprised, but I'm honestly happy for you and Dad."
Senya had always been an appealing kid—good-looking, polite, with a knack for saying the right things.
Junko smiled warmly at his words, her eyes curling like crescent moons.
Following them into the living room, Senya saw luggage piled up everywhere. Large and small cardboard boxes filled the space, even blocking the TV. Only the area around the sofa and coffee table had been cleared.
With Junko's formal introduction, Senya officially met Takanashi Toka and Takanashi Rikka that day.
"Hello, I'm Minamoto Senya."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Takanashi Toka. Please take care of me from now on."
"I'm Takanashi Rikka… pleased to meet you…"
In terms of looks, the sisters had clearly inherited their mother's beauty. Both were cute and pretty, unmistakably growing into real beauties in the future.
In terms of personality, the elder sister Toka didn't seem overly enthusiastic, but her behavior was graceful and well-mannered, leaving nothing to criticize.
The younger sister Rikka, perhaps because she was still small—or maybe because she was in a new environment and uneasy about what lay ahead—kept her head down the entire time. Aside from the greeting Junko urged her to give, she stayed quiet, listening more than speaking.
From the kitchen came the faint smell of something burning.
Senya quickly reminded his father, who slapped his forehead, realizing he had forgotten the pot on the stove. He rushed into the kitchen to check.
A moment later, Minamoto Sanada returned sheepishly."The red bean rice got scorched… Senya, keep your Aunt Junko company. I'll run out and buy more beans."
"I should go instead," Senya stopped him. At times like this, it made more sense for him to run errands.
But Junko placed a hand on his shoulder."Let Toka go. Since we'll be living here now, it's good for her to start getting familiar with the neighborhood."
Toka nodded without protest and headed out.
Rikka, still feeling out of place in the new home, quickly followed her sister.
Not long after they left, the honk of a car horn sounded outside.
The moving company had arrived with the rest of their belongings, and Sanada went out to sign for them.
Junko went into the kitchen to wash the burned pot.
Senya thought for a moment, then stepped outside to join his father.
Before he could speak, Sanada preemptively started explaining, as though he already knew what Senya was thinking.
"Sorry, Senya. I should've talked to you about this first…"
Senya stood silently, watching the movers carry box after box inside, waiting for his father to continue.
"Today, I officially proposed to your Aunt Junko. She said yes. We were so happy—so overwhelmed—that we acted a little impulsively…
No, maybe not impulsive. We also had some practical reasons.
For one, Junko's apartment lease had just expired. The landlord was already pressing her for rent. If she delayed any longer, she'd have to pay an extra three months upfront. Since we'd already decided to live together, it seemed wasteful to keep paying. So she moved in directly.
And then, the new school term is about to start. Toka and Rikka's old school is pretty far away. Staying enrolled there would've been inconvenient. Moving here makes it easier, and I can get their transfer paperwork done in advance."
Senya nodded, understanding."But this apartment is small. Living with five people will be cramped. Didn't Aunt Junko mention that?"
Sanada chuckled proudly."I offered to put in my savings and take out a loan to buy a bigger place. But Junko said it wasn't necessary. She said as long as we had a place to settle down in the city, that was enough. No need to put ourselves under a heavy financial burden.
She also said your grades are excellent—you'll definitely get into a top university. We'll need money for that and for your future. So she wants us to save rather than spend now."
Not prioritizing immediate comfort, but planning ahead…
And planning ahead not just for her own daughters, but for him.
"What about the wedding, Dad? When do you plan on holding the ceremony with Aunt Junko?"
"I brought it up, but she turned it down. She said a wedding was a waste of money. Instead, we'll just gather our families and close friends, have a simple meal, and make the announcement."
"Even if you skip the wedding, shouldn't you at least have a honeymoon?"
"She said the trip we took to Hokkaido before already counted as one. She'd rather save that money, and instead, before school starts, take you shopping for anything you want."
Senya fell quiet for a while."Dad, you really have good taste—Aunt Junko is amazing. But don't keep putting everything on me. Now that we're one family, Toka and Rikka matter too. Treat us all the same. Don't play favorites."
"Don't worry. You know your old man."
That night, Junko cooked a full table of dishes.
The Takanashi sisters, still not used to their new surroundings, seemed a little reserved. But with Senya smoothing things over, the atmosphere never turned awkward.
The Minamoto home had three rooms.
The master bedroom naturally went to the adults.
Senya gave up his own bedroom to the Takanashi sisters, after a quick tidy-up.
The smallest room, usually a storage space, could be cleaned up to make a livable space. But it was too late tonight—tomorrow would do.
As for Senya, he laid the sofa flat and decided to sleep in the living room.
Late that night, the Takanashi sisters lay in Senya's bed.
Rikka tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
It wasn't that the bed was uncomfortable, or that there was an unfamiliar smell.
Quite the opposite—it was soft, and carried a faint lavender-like fragrance. Probably laundry detergent or fabric softener. Pleasant and calming.
"Big sis… are you asleep?"
"Not yet. What is it?"
"No… nothing. I just wanted to talk."
"…"
Toka rolled over, the dim glow of the streetlamp outside faintly illuminating her sister's timid, watery eyes.
Her heart softened. She reached out, gently pinched her little sister's cheek, and smiled.
"Don't worry. Mom and I will always be by your side. Nothing's changed—except now we have two more people who care about us. You've met Uncle Minamoto and Senya, right? They're good to us. They're good people."
"…Yeah." Rikka nodded silently.
Toka stroked her hair."Go to sleep. Tomorrow we have to organize the new place. You'd better not slack off—you're helping too."
"Big sis…"
"What is it?"
"Can I… hold your arm tonight?"
"Geez—you're not a little kid anymore. But fine. Just for tonight."
"Thanks. Good night, sis."
"Mm. Good night, Rikka."