"Shiraha, Shiraha~"
Mei had finally found her opening. She tugged at Shiraha's sleeve, her small face brimming with barely contained excitement.
This was the first time she'd ever had this much fun talking to someone her own age. It felt like no matter what she said, he just got it, understood and responded in exactly the right way.
Every word got an answer. Every answer landed right in her heart. Like looking into a mirror.
No better than a mirror. A mirror didn't understand you.
"Shiraha, your director is so scary."
Mei said it with genuine awe. She was pretty sure this director was the second scariest person she'd ever met in her whole life. The first scariest was her father.
Honestly, aside from her dad, she'd never even encountered a truly scary person before.
"The director might be scary, but he's really amazing."
Mei's curiosity piqued. "How amazing?"
How amazing? The man single-handedly kept this entire orphanage running smoothly and had never once complained about it. But explaining that to a kid was pointless.
Shiraha looked up and caught Elysia's eye where she stood off to the side, visibly bored. He considered for a moment.
"The director… he traveled all around the world when he was really young."
Elysia: ?
Are you sure we're talking about the same director?
"Also, he can eat three whole bowls of rice in one sitting! Just like this older sister I met recently. She's amazing too."
Elysia: ??
Mei looked visibly disappointed. "That's it? Just eating three bowls of rice?"
"That's already really impressive." Shiraha's face was dead serious. "Can you eat three bowls of rice, Mei?"
Mei wrestled with the question for a second, then shook her head. No. She really couldn't.
But she wasn't about to lose. She added defiantly, "My dad definitely can! He can eat a whole bucket of rice! He's a total rice bucket!"
"The director is amazing too!"
"My dad's more amazing!"
Elysia stood there in a daze. The goal's already accomplished. Shiraha, why are you still acting?
And if this conversation kept going… she had a sinking feeling it was heading straight toward "my dad would eat poop" territory.
This was not the beautiful scene Elysia had envisioned.
Ryoma Raiden had finished discussing the donations and medical assistance. He stood in the doorway, listening to the two children in the courtyard earnestly debating whose guardian could eat more. His eyes narrowed with a certain wry amusement.
"Ahem. Looks like you two are getting along quite well."
Shiraha immediately shifted his gaze, scanning the area behind Ryoma for any sign of the director.
Mei, on the other hand, glanced at her father and let out another small sigh.
"Don't worry, Shiraha-kun. The director's just… collecting himself. He's very happy."
Ryoma reached out and naturally ruffled Shiraha's hair. Having discovered such a promising seedling, there was no reason to leave him growing wild out here. At the very least… this could help Anti-Entropy shore up its greatest weakness, individual combat strength. That leg had been limping for far too long.
Shiraha tilted his head up, curiosity written all over his face.
Ryoma paused, then continued his explanation. "I'm fairly well-off, as I mentioned. And I happen to have a research institute under my name. We can address the medical issues these children are facing."
It was a half-truth. The institute had originally been built to address Mei's Stigmata problem. Anti-Entropy's research on Stigmata was painfully underdeveloped.
But now… with Shiraha demonstrating such astonishing control over Honkai energy, Mei's condition suddenly felt less urgent.
Shiraha's eyes shone with pure sincerity. "Big brother, you're such a good person!"
"Ossan…" Elysia corrected weakly.
But Shiraha was fully committed to the bit. In truth, from the moment he'd heard the name Raiden Mei, a dozen little schemes had already started spinning in his head.
First, solve the orphanage's problems. Then, find a way to get himself adopted or better yet, married into the Raiden family. With his knowledge of future events, it was time to start overtaking everyone on the inside track!
"Big brother?" Ryoma couldn't help but laugh, his hand pressing down a little more firmly on the boy's head. "I'm a bit too old for 'big brother,' don't you think?"
The flattery was nice, sure. But his daughter was already nine.
He shook his head and steered things back on track. "You and Mei seem to have enjoyed talking with each other."
Shiraha nodded vigorously.
Ryoma glanced sideways at Mei again. Her usually pristine little shoes were now scuffed and dirty from all the restless toe-tapping against the ground.
Yeah, You two definitely had a good time.
He looked back at Shiraha, his tone gentle. "Would you like to keep talking with Mei in the future?"
Shiraha's eyes widened with surprise and delight. "Big brother, are you going to come visit often?!"
Beside them, Elysia let out a quiet, strangled whimper. She couldn't stand this level of theatrical insincerity. If there weren't other people around, she'd have grabbed Shiraha by the shoulders and shaken him senseless by now.
Ryoma looked momentarily taken aback, but the satisfaction in his eyes only deepened. "Not exactly. The director and I have been discussing it. We're planning to transfer all the children here to proper medical care. And those who are of age… they'll be enrolled in school."
"I'll make sure each and every one of you has a good place to go. But space will be a bit limited, so Shiraha… you'll be staying at my house."
Lord Ryoma was in high spirits today. With a sweep of his hand, he had just sponsored the futures of every child in this orphanage.
Off to the side, Mei, who had been absently kicking at a pebble, looked up. Her pale violet eyes brimmed with delight.
Ryoma crouched down. "So, for the sake of making sure all the other children get proper medical care… Shiraha, would you be willing to come live with us?"
Elysia's stifled whimper grew louder. Shiraha's putting on an act. Ryoma Raiden, looking every bit the successful big shot, is putting on an act. Could this world just have a little more sincerity and a little less theater?
Shiraha stood there for a moment, looking a bit stunned. Then he glanced back at Mei.
Mei caught his gaze. Her expression flushed ever so slightly, and she immediately ducked her head.
"I do."
The phrasing was… perhaps a touch odd for the occasion. But Ryoma simply patted Shiraha on the shoulder with deep satisfaction.
"Make sure you study hard now."
The world is flourishing, and Anti-Entropy is on the rise!
2006
With the completion of ME Corp's newest research institute, the Raiden family relocated to Academy City on the outskirts of Nagazora.
Shiraha also acquired a new title: Adopted Son of the Raiden Family.
"Uuuu… Shiraha. Did you plan all of this from the very beginning?"
Elysia stood in the luxurious room, her voice thick with theatrical accusation.
A pristine private bathroom. A balcony stretching several square meters, its railing carved with intricate, elegant patterns. A bright chandelier overhead. Soft carpet underfoot. And a bed so large you could roll across it three times and still not fall off!
She flung herself dramatically onto the mattress. The plush surface gave way instantly beneath her, the thick, feather-soft layers sinking deep as her full breasts pressed heavily into the cool, silky sheets.
She buried her face deeper, nuzzling into the pillow with a contented little sigh, but it was hard to truly feel the texture or the warmth the way a living person would. The playful impulse faded as quickly as it had come.
Sigh. She flipped over, sprawling out like a starfish across the enormous bed, arms stretched wide above her head and legs splayed invitingly, her dress hiking higher to reveal the full, toned curve of her thighs and the delicate leg ring still snug around one smooth limb.
She stared up at the ceiling.
"Not really."
Shiraha sat at the edge of the bed, idly flipping through a bedtime storybook left on the nightstand.
"But the Raiden household is clearly a much better stage for old relics like us."
He turned his head, meeting Elysia's gaze where she lay on the bed. "We are remnants of the Previous Era, after all. We have to use every means available to grow."
Elysia turned her face to the side, looking at him. The young boy sat beneath the lamplight, the picture book open halfway in his hands.
"Alright." Her eyes curved into soft crescents, her voice light once more. "Then I'll take charge of accelerating that growth for the both of us."
"Your Elysia-nee is an amazing teacher!"