As a veteran otaku, arriving in a multi-anime fusion world brought Cao Shuang only one emotion: pure joy.
To a "Sage of the 2D World" like Cao Shuang, he didn't necessarily need some god-tier characters like Aki Tsuki or the cast of Bible Black to show up. But at the very least, he hoped for a few "Cuteness Queens" or "Doujinshi Queens."
And so, as if in answer to his prayers, he encountered a legendary "Little Sister" character—the Goddess of Sisters herself!
She was a small, fragile girl with sickly pale skin. Her long, silvery-white hair was tied into twin tails, making her look incredibly cute and Moe. In her arms, she clutched a black rabbit plushie.
The only flaw in the picture was that the little girl looked a bit destitute. Her face was covered in dust, her pure white dress was stained with grime, and her expression was timid and anxious, instantly triggering a protective instinct in anyone who saw her.
How old is this girl anyway? Out wandering the streets so young?
It was natural for Cao Shuang to think this; she had no luggage, her clothes were filthy, and she looked like she had been away from home for a long time.
But since this was a "dream encounter," he was definitely going to step up and save this little cutie.
Squatting down, Cao Shuang spoke with a gentle expression: "Hey there, little sister. Are you lost? Do you have a phone number for your family? Or maybe an address?"
The girl across from him was clearly very wary. She pulled her black rabbit plushie up a bit higher to block his line of sight. Her vibe was basically: You can ask all you want, but I'm just not going to talk.
"This is getting a bit tricky..."
The girl's level of alertness was decent; she wouldn't just talk to a stranger or easily accept a stranger's kindness.
However, Cao Shuang simply didn't want a kid like this staying out here all by herself. It was about to get dark, and leaving a young child alone made him feel uneasy. He didn't consider himself a saint, but he felt one should at least have basic decency and empathy.
Seeing that the girl wasn't opening her mouth, Cao Shuang didn't feel right pushing her with more questions. Instead, he just sat down for a while and ordered two portions of takeout.
What a weird guy...
From behind the black rabbit doll, her eyes peeked out to watch the slightly strange guy sitting next to her.
Sora wasn't a stranger to adults who had "creepy" thoughts about her, but without exception, they had all been scared off by her personal alarm. After all, if they didn't run and got caught by the police, they'd be completely finished in Japan—social death is as good as real death.
"..."
Sora wasn't a child lacking common sense; it was just that... she had run out of the money she brought with her. With nowhere to go, she could only crouch by the roadside, wondering if she should go to the police station...
But Sora didn't want to go home... she didn't want to go back to that cold, heartless house.
Suddenly, a savory aroma drifted over, making Sora's stomach—which had been empty all day—react. Following the scent, she saw the strange guy enjoying his meal with great gusto.
So hungry...
Sora swallowed hard. Having not eaten for a day, the hunger in her stomach was genuinely painful.
"Here, eat."
Just as Sora felt like she might faint from hunger, a warm meal was handed to her.
Sora looked at Cao Shuang with a doubtful gaze. Seeing the little girl like this, Cao Shuang found it a bit funny.
"Don't worry, I ordered it through a delivery app. It's not like I'd poison my own food too."
As he spoke, Cao Shuang lifted his own meal container to show her, trying to put the girl at ease.
Sora was silent for a moment. The hunger pangs from her stomach were more than a child her age could endure. Setting down the rabbit doll, she took the container and started eating.
That's more like it.
People are simple; life is mostly about two things: filling your stomach and getting good sleep. Going hungry just isn't right.
A long while later...
Sora felt stuffed and finally put down the food container. She whispered a very small "Thank you."
Then, she curled back up, hugged her rabbit doll, and continued crouching by the road, acting as if she wasn't the same girl who had just been devouring a meal.
This is tough... This girl seemed to have completely shut herself off. How could this go on? Should he call the police?
That might not work. What if she ran away while he was calling? He knew all too well that girls who have the guts to run away from home are incredibly stubborn; you can't just talk them into going back in a few sentences, and even if they do, they'll just run away again.
So... he'd just stay here and tough it out with her for a while.
After all, who told Cao Shuang he was so handsome and kind-hearted?
The weather today was a bit chilly, making one instinctively pull their collar tight.
Sora was dressed a bit thin. Unable to control the chill in her body, she hugged herself, hoping it would make her feel warmer.
Her gaze shifted to the guy next to her. He had a bag of snacks and drinks, and he was happily staring at his phone as if watching something interesting, looking like he had absolutely no intention of leaving.
At this point, Sora's evaluation of Cao Shuang went from "weird guy" to "slightly weird but kind-hearted guy" to... "this guy is so stubborn."
Why bother with her? Why not just leave? Or, like the parents who adopted her, just ignore her entirely?
Sora's life had never been perfect or comfortable. When she was little, her parents died in a car accident. A group of relatives viewed her as a burden and didn't want to take her in, so naturally, she was sent to an orphanage.
But because she was beautiful, she was adopted from the orphanage by a childless couple. She thought her future would be better, but in reality, once the couple realized Sora had albinism, their attitude toward her turned visibly cold.
Later on, the couple had a child of their own.
From that moment, the precocious Sora knew she had to leave. There was no point in staying; she had become the "extra" one in that house.
Sora didn't want to complain about their coldness—the fact that they adopted her at all was enough—but children can't help but fantasize about beautiful, unrealistic things.
But fantasies are just fantasies; they can never beat the cruelty of reality. And so, Sora took her only rabbit doll, took a little bit of money, and left that home.
Living as a runaway wasn't easy...
Sora was technically an adult, so she had forced herself to stay in internet cafes for a while. Internet cafe management in Japan isn't like back home; they don't have strict rules barring minors.
Sora's life thereafter was incredibly difficult. She spent most of her time living in internet cafes. The food there wasn't exactly delicious, but at least she could get full and have a place to stay.
Eventually, Sora ran out of money. She didn't know where to go. She found a place to crouch by the side of the road, planning to just let her life pass by like this. Or perhaps find a deserted place and quietly die.
Regardless, she was just a homeless burden...
Then Cao Shuang appeared. This strange, somewhat kind guy asked her why she was there, if she wanted to go home, or if he should call the police.
Sora was resistant to going back to that "home," and there was no point in calling the police... she didn't want to see the disdainful and disgusted looks from those parents.
Sora pretended to be cold and refused to answer any of Cao Shuang's questions, but this guy was stubborn—so stubborn that when she didn't answer, he just sat right next to her with no intention of leaving. He even ordered two meals and ate one with great relish.
How annoying... what an annoying guy!
Feeling her stomach, which had been empty for ages, Sora realized the "wicked intentions" of adults—he was using this tactic! He definitely wanted to use food to force her to give in!
But to Sora's surprise, not only did the guy not demand anything from her, he just handed the food over directly.
Looking at the fragrant meal handed to her, Sora fell silent.
Aren't you going to ask something? Why Sora is here? Why she's a runaway? Why she won't go back?
But the only response she got was the guy's warm smile, which made her nose sting. This sudden warmth caused a few ripples in Sora's long-frozen heart.
But the longer the silence lasted now, the more restless Sora felt. It felt weird not to say something.
"Aren't you going to ask me anything?"
Finally, Sora spoke for the first time. She had compromised with this guy.
"Ask what?"
With a grin, Cao Shuang looked away from his phone and toward Sora's profile.
Ugh...
What a mean adult!
Sora puffed out her cheeks and turned her head away with a "hmpf." If you won't ask, then don't!
The night grew darker, and the streets weren't as lively as during the day; the desolation was a bit frightening. At the end of the day, she was still a child and had a fearful side, prone to imagining strange monsters and scaring herself. However...
Glancing at Cao Shuang beside her, Sora felt a sense of peace for no particular reason. It seemed that as long as he was there, she didn't feel afraid.
Finally, Cao Shuang stopped looking at his phone.
"Well... it's dead."
He picked up the trash around them and threw it in the bin. He stretched his neck, which was sore from looking down for so long, and said to the girl:
"Let's go. We're going home."
"Okay."
Sora followed behind Cao Shuang without a word. Their figures—one large, one small—stretched out and overlapped under the glow of the streetlights.
"The bathroom is over here. If you want a bath, just go in. I'll head to the supermarket in a bit to buy some a change of clothes. Are you hungry? If you are, there's bread and milk in the fridge."
Clutching her rabbit doll, Sora silently listened to Cao Shuang's incessant babbling.
In the end, she didn't know why she had followed this guy home. Maybe... maybe because he seemed trustworthy, or maybe because Sora felt warmth from him—that feeling of being cared for and protected.
This was the first time she had felt warmth from a stranger since her parents passed away...
Sitting on the sofa, Cao Shuang placed a set of pajamas he bought from the convenience store by the bathroom door.
He had also learned the name of the little girl he brought home.
Sora Kasugano!
What?! Sora-chan?
No wonder she was so cute. Silver hair and twin tails were a strong hint, but that was the Goddess of Sisters herself; he couldn't believe he had actually run into her.
Thank God!
No wonder Cao Shuang felt a strange sense of déjà vu looking at her. As the saying goes: If you have a sister, you hate that she isn't Sora; if you don't have a sister, you hate that Sora isn't your sister.
He never expected that his act of kindness would result in bringing Sora home.
He didn't care where Haruka Kasugano went; from the fact that Sora had run away, Cao Shuang could roughly understand her situation.
"I'll take her to the police station tomorrow."
Cao Shuang thought about it. Taking her in for one night was the maximum amount of help he could provide for now. The rest of the plot would have to be taken slow... Whether it was an orphanage or foster parents, that wasn't something Cao Shuang could interfere with yet.
In the bathroom, the freshly bathed Sora was wrapped in a towel. She timidly opened the door just a crack and saw Cao Shuang sitting on the sofa, lost in thought. She quickly grabbed the folded clothes from the doorstep.
Finally, after changing, Sora took a deep breath and walked out.
Late at night, everything was silent. The moonlight covered the earth like a thin veil, filtering through the clouds.
Sora lay quietly on the soft, comfortable bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Compared to the cramped, tiny space of an internet cafe, the bed wasn't huge, but it made her feel safe, as if it could absorb all her exhaustion and insecurity.
However, a strange emotion was surging deep within her, preventing her from truly entering dreamland. Her soul still seemed to be searching for some kind of peace and solace.
Her gaze instinctively drifted to Cao Shuang, who was sound asleep on a floor mattress.
In this small home, the only bed in the room had been given to her.