After the Takanashi mother and daughters officially moved in, Minamoto Senya's life changed dramatically.
The most obvious difference was that he no longer had to worry about cooking meals at home.
Up until now, his father—"Old Man Minamoto"—had been in charge of the kitchen. But his cooking skills were… limited. The food was edible, yes, but far from tasty.
Because of that, most of the time, father and son either ate out or relied on takeout. Convenient, sure—but expensive and not particularly healthy.
That daily routine had already shifted once back when Senya copied Yukinoshita Yukino's Level 1 Cooking Skill with his system. Starting from around first grade, he'd been the one handling meals at home.
The first time Old Man Minamoto saw his son prepare an entire table of dishes, he could hardly believe his eyes. Senya had brushed it off with an excuse: their school had cooking classes, and he just happened to have an incredible knack for it—like a chef reincarnated. Somehow, that explanation stuck.
And so, for years, Senya had been the family cook. Until now, in his sixth-grade year, when things finally changed.
"Good morning, Senya. It's still early—you could've slept a bit longer, you know. I heard from your father that you've been in charge of cooking all this time. That's really impressive."
Standing in the kitchen was Takanashi Junko, her gentle smile radiant in the morning light.
"But since you've got an aunt around now, you don't need to work so hard anymore. If there's something you want to eat, just tell me—don't be shy. From now on, I'll take responsibility for taking care of you both."
Senya, awakened as usual by his body's internal clock, had instinctively gone to the kitchen. But instead of cold pans and silence, he was met with Junko's warm, composed presence.
It was different. Not unpleasant, just… new. And honestly? It felt kind of nice.
With a woman taking charge of the household, the home had grown noticeably more warm and lively.
Not only was Senya free from cooking duties, he no longer had to stress over cleaning.
He'd always been a little picky about hygiene—borderline obsessive, really. But Junko's tidying left nothing to criticize. Every corner of the house gleamed.
She embodied the traditional yamato nadeshiko ideal—kind by nature, polite, able to manage a household gracefully.
Senya got along with her well. He couldn't quite bring himself to switch to calling her "Mom" just yet, but he was slowly starting to accept her as real family.
The only issue was with her daughters, Takanashi Toka and Takanashi Rikka.
Unlike with Junko, Senya hadn't gotten comfortable with them. A week into the new school term, he'd barely exchanged a handful of words with them outside of necessary situations.
Toka wasn't too concerning—Senya figured she was just quiet, like him. She never avoided talking to him outright; sometimes she even came by to knock on his door and remind him it was time to eat or bathe. With more time, he was sure they'd naturally grow closer.
But Rikka… she was different.
Senya could feel it—his new little sister, only a few months younger than him, was deliberately keeping her distance. Whether at home or at school, she seemed to avoid him whenever possible.
Private Ikusei Elementary – Lunchtime
Senya carried his bento box up to the rooftop.
Waiting there, as always, were Yukinoshita Yukino and Sawamura Eriri.
The moment they saw him, the two girls naturally shifted apart, leaving the middle of the bench open for him.
But Senya didn't sit down. Instead, he gazed out over the distant scenery while quietly opening his bento.
Yukino and Eriri exchanged a glance.
It was Eriri who finally asked, "Things still aren't going well with your little sister, huh?"
They'd both learned about Senya's new family on the very first day of school.
At first, they had worried. After all, the word "stepmom" didn't exactly have the best reputation in most novels or TV dramas.
But as the days passed, they noticed that Senya himself seemed content—even cheerful—about the new arrangement. Seeing that, they had relaxed too, no longer tiptoeing around the subject.
"Yeah," Senya admitted, popping a sausage into his mouth.
Rikka had been placed into Class 3 after transferring. Senya genuinely liked Junko, and naturally extended that goodwill to Rikka.
Not wanting her to feel lonely in a new environment, he'd thought it best to look after her during the first days of school—introducing her to Yukino and Eriri, helping her make friends.
In theory, it was a good plan. In practice, it wasn't working out.
Just like at home, where she ate quickly and retreated to her room, at school Rikka brushed him off. Even when he went out of his way to greet her, she responded awkwardly, then slipped away with some excuse.
For the first time in years, Minamoto Senya found himself doubting his own charm.
"Don't worry," Yukino finally said. "You've only just started living together. She doesn't know how she's supposed to face you yet—that's normal. Give her time. She'll adjust on her own."
"I'm not in a rush anymore," Senya replied. "Just earlier, I saw her with a group of girls from her class. She was laughing with them. As long as she can make friends, that's enough."
Behind him, Yukino and Eriri exchanged a knowing smile.
"Speaking of which," Eriri suddenly chimed in, "what about after elementary school? Senya, Yukino—where do you two plan to go for middle school?"
It wasn't a strange question. They were in sixth grade now—naturally, the choice of middle school was on everyone's mind.
Eriri wanted to know her friends' plans, so she could talk it over with her parents.
But the moment she asked, Yukino froze. The smile she'd been wearing faded, replaced with a more complicated expression.
Senya glanced back at her. "Want me to say it for you?"
"Huh? Say what?" Eriri blinked.
"..."
Yukino shook her head, then forced a small smile. "Eriri… after I graduate elementary school, I'll be going overseas for middle school."
The words hit Eriri like a lightning strike. Her chopsticks slipped from her hands. "O… overseas? Th-then… that means we…"
"I'm sorry," Yukino said softly, her expression pained. "But yes—we probably won't be able to attend the same school anymore."
"No way…! But—but we promised…" Eriri's voice trembled, desperate.
"Yes, we did," Yukino admitted. "And we always will be friends. Besides, it's only temporary. Once I finish middle school abroad, if everything goes well, I'll come back for high school. We'll see each other again then."
"..."
Eriri's lips trembled as she tried not to cry. Her eyes grew red and misty.
She wasn't ready for Yukino's gentle reasoning. All she could think of was one fact: for three whole years, she wouldn't see her closest friend.
Senya sighed. "Here, let me hold this." He casually picked up Yukino's bento.
Yukino shot him an irritated look, but when she turned back to Eriri—seeing her so pitiful—her annoyance faded into helplessness.
She could only reach out and squeeze Eriri's hand, fumbling through clumsy words of comfort.