Sen Getsusa wore jeans and knee-high boots, a light-beige knit sweater tucked halfway into her waistband.
She had barely helped Yuno Gasai out of the car when the children, who had been waiting forever, pounced.
"Hey-ya!! Come out! Sister Yuesha's back!"
"And there's another pretty sister! Two of them! Hurry, hurry!"
The little girl's shout brought a swarm of tiny carrot-tops running.
Yuno Gasai stood calmly to the side, watching Sen Getsusa surrounded by the kids, eyes full of smiling light.
"Alright, alright, stop tugging—let me get through the gate. Miko, I stocked the new place with tons of makeup, didn't you want to practice?"
"I know, I know—and we can keep pets. You'll bring all the guests over, right? But will they be willing to follow you?"
This was a Child who couldn't stop thinking about the cats.
"Also, brats, I've already bought the newest console and every single cartridge! You could open a game shop if you wanted!"
Sen Getsusa clapped her hands, gathering the children's attention; the moment she finished speaking, excitement exploded around her.
"Yeah!! Sister Yuesha is the best!! My warrior is heading back to Trosna Island!"
"Oishi is so selfish! Let little sister play first!"
While the little ones squabbled, Sen Getsusa glanced at Yuno Gasai, who stood with hands folded elegantly over her stomach, and said, "This sister is Yuno Gasai; she'll visit you often. She's my friend, so be gentle with her."
The racket slowly faded. Boys and girls turned to stare at Yuno Gasai, whispering among themselves.
"She's sister's friend?"
"No! She's here to steal our sister—Sister won't come to the new house anymore."
"She doesn't want us!"
"Shut up! You haven't finished your homework—keep babbling and I won't let you copy!"
The girl cut the Boy's muttering short; after that he made no further sound.
"She… wouldn't be a 'girlfriend', right?"
The girl called Miko broke into an odd grin; she was among the older kids, so she knew pretty much everything there was—and wasn't—to know.
Snickering, she said, "If she's the girlfriend, dressing up formally to meet us is totally normal."
"Girlfriend?"
"Shouldn't sister find a boyfriend?"
"Oh, you're still small—what do you know besides consoles and candy?" Not much older herself, Miko planted her hands on her hips like a seasoned expert and lectured the smaller carrot-tops.
"Men can date men, and they can date women; women can date women, and they can date men."
"Th-then who do we date?"
Miko raised a finger. "First, the person has to be beautiful or handsome! Outside to inside—looks are the first thing to check!"
"Second," the little girl raised a second finger, "they have to be fun! Boring people are like—"
"Like Miko!"
"Right, like me." Miko nodded. "So being fun is super important."
"Third…"
Sen Getsusa: The topic's taken a weird turn.
"Still, even if she's the girlfriend, we should check, right? What if she's a bad guy?"
They pushed Miko up to Yuno Gasai. The woman lifted her skirt hem, dipped one leg, and knelt lightly in front of the children, pale eyes studying them.
"Hello! My name is Yuno Gasai. I'm Sen Getsusa's 'friend'."
Seeing how approachable the speaking sister was, Miko—dragged here like a duck to water—lost her nervousness. She cleared her throat and asked in a pretend-grown-up voice, "Sister Yuesha looks after us. You're not allowed to steal her away. Even if you date, you have to let her visit the new house regularly."
"No problem."
Yuno Gasai agreed readily. "Not only that, I'll come along. Speaking of which, I'm the one who picked your makeup."
Miko froze.
She looked back at her little buddies; every pair of eyes shouted the same thing—
'Hold the line, Sister Miko!'
'Keep going, keep going!'
'Take her down—show her the power of Aria Orphanage kids!'
Cornered, Miko continued. "And you have to take good care of Sister Yuesha. She cooks for us, makes yummy snacks, mixes icy drinks—"
"No problem."
Yuno Gasai smiled. "Ever since I moved in with Getsusa, I've handled all her meals."
"No matter what dish she wants, whatever drink she craves, I can make it—even if I don't know how, I'll learn quickly and satisfy her."
"As a girl with a deviation score above seventy, I'm confident I can learn anything Getsusa wants."
Yuno Gasai said it as naturally as breathing.
Miko, usually a chatterbox, fell uncharacteristically silent.
Puffing her cheeks, she asked the final question. "Th-then you must look after Sister Yuesha. She works so hard—running the orphanage, caring for Grandma Ailiya, and her foster parents…"
"My foster parents are gone too,"
Yuno Gasai replied with a smile.
Miko lowered her head, gave a tiny nod, and said in a small voice, "Then I'll leave her to you, Yuno Gasai. You must treat Sister extra, extra well!"
The rest of the kids behind her grumbled in disappointment, as if Miko had sold her own daughter, unhappy that her usual 'combat strength' had vanished in front of a stranger.
'What the heck—she usually never shuts up.'
'Last time I broke a bowl she scolded me all afternoon; what's wrong with her today?'
'I give, I give!'
Miko rolled her eyes; this bunch of brats had zero fight in them, yet they still blamed her for sticking her neck out.
Even their foster parents had 'miraculously' reached the'same decision'—wasn't that the destiny they always talk about in dramas?
Quit asking for a stupid piece of candy—what's there to ask!
She glared fiercely at the Child still eager to raise his hand and 'ask a question.' Just then Aria came through the door, cheeks puffed trying not to laugh.
Yuno Gasai also caught sight of Aria.
After all, the name she heard most often in daily life was Aria.
The Grandma Ailiya described by Sen Getsusa now stood vividly in front of her.
She wore a dark-blue high-necked top, silver hair coiled at the nape of her neck.
Soft, practical wool trousers covered her legs, and in her arms she carried a black-bodied, white-faced mask-like cat.
Come to think of it, that cat's expression... was rather subtle.
No matter how you looked, it seemed thoroughly displeased.
'Oh my, my, so you're Tsukisa's little friend? Do come in!'
The way Aria stressed the word 'friend' mirrored exactly what Yuno had done moments ago.
Seeing Aria step out, Sen Getsusa lifted the corners of her mouth, flashing tiny teeth in a happy grin.
Only after hearing Aria did she open her eyes wide and explain, 'What? No, no—kids messing around. Aria, you're taking their nonsense seriously? Look, this is Yuno Gasai, a friend staying over at my place for now.'
'Already living together?!'
Aria stared at Sen Getsusa in shock, while Yuno hung her head, cheeks flushed.
Sen Getsusa: Σ(;?д?)
Yuno Gasai: (≧?≦)
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