The next day.
Shiraha drew back the curtains and pushed open the large window. Fresh morning air rushed in. He took a deep breath, eyes narrowing against the light.
"So bright."
Elysia rubbed her sleepy eyes as she climbed out of bed, her long hair a charming mess. She stood beside him in a daze. "Isn't it kind of gray out?"
What's so bright about it?
She stretched, her mind slowly coming online. "Or is it that today's Elysia is simply sparkling too brilliantly?"
Shiraha answered without missing a beat. "No."
He glanced around. The Raiden residence wasn't overly extravagant, just Ryoma, Mei, and a modest handful of household staff.
Come to think of it, when did Mei get kidnapped again? Sometime around '07 or '08?
The thought flickered by in an instant. Shiraha reached out and took Elysia's hand. She looked at him, faintly puzzled. He pointed at himself. "Senpai. You can't see it?"
See what?
Is there some other ghost-girl acting as your guardian spirit besides me?
Elysia's eyes narrowed.
Shiraha could barely contain his grin. "It's my future! So brilliantly bright!"
Adopted son of the Raiden family. Elysia's personal proxy. Whether in the mundane world or the realm of Honkai, his path ahead seemed utterly devoid of shadows.
Elysia opened her mouth, then closed it.
"Shiraha… don't you think it's a bit strange, saying stuff like that with such a young voice?"
Could you at least pretend to be a little innocent?
Just enough so I can fool myself into treating you like a real child.
Shiraha's expression turned odd. "I'm not actually an innocent-type kid."
Elysia: ....
Fine.
Thud thud thud.
A knock at the door.
"Shiraha~!"
Mei's youthful voice rang out from the hallway.
"Coming!"
Shiraha's entire demeanor shifted in an instant. His eyes curved into soft crescents, radiating pure, childlike sincerity.
Elysia watched the transformation with a deadpan expression.
'I'm sorry, little Mei. This is all my fault. You ended up meeting a fake little brother like Shiraha because of me.'
He opened the door. Mei wasn't wearing a dress today. Chiba Academy's elementary uniform wasn't the iconic pleated skirt-and-blazer combo, that would come later, in high school, complete with knee-high socks and all.
"Shiraha, if anyone bullies you in middle school, you have to tell me."
Mei spoke with grave seriousness. "I'll tell Father, and he can transfer you to my class instead. Sure, you'd have been held back three grades, but at least no one would dare mess with you."
She glanced away slightly. It wasn't a very nice thing to think, but Mei honestly… kind of hoped Shiraha wouldn't fit in with the middle school crowd.
She'd only just transferred to Chiba herself. She didn't have any really close friends in class yet. If Shiraha were there too…
"Sounds good." Shiraha agreed easily. "I'd like being in the same class as Mei anyway."
A lie, but he said it so earnestly that Mei never thought to question it.
After all, they were good friends. And they lived under the same roof.
Downstairs, Ryoma Raiden sat at the head of the table, making a show of reading the newspaper. His eyes flicked over the top of the page, tracking the two small figures descending the stairs.
"Good morning, Uncle Ryoma! You're looking especially handsome today, sir!"
Elysia, sensing her patented territory being infringed upon: ....
Come to think of it, what exactly was Shiraha's position in the Previous Era? He seems awfully familiar with my… mannerisms.
The corner of Ryoma's mouth tugged upward involuntarily. Well, of course. I, Ryoma Raiden, was quite the dashing young man in my day. Shouldered heavy responsibilities young. Carried everyone's hopes. A prodigy who single-handedly pulled Anti-Entropy's finances well above the green line.
His voice came out unusually gentle. "Eat up, both of you. First day of school. Best to make a good impression on your teachers."
Mei lifted her head, glanced at her father, then lowered her gaze again without a word.
Breakfast finished.
They climbed into the family car. Mei leaned against the window. Shiraha paused at the door, waiting for Elysia to settle in before sliding in after her.
Elysia sat in the middle. She poked at Mei's arm with her finger, but there was no sensation. When she pressed harder, her hand simply phased right through.
Sigh.
Shiraha is still more fun.
She withdrew her hand and propped her chin on Shiraha's shoulder, her voice carrying a vague, unplaceable wistfulness. "Your Elysia-nee has a quiz for you. Why is little Mei upset?"
Shiraha acted as if he hadn't heard. He leaned past Elysia, past Mei, and gazed out the window, watching Uncle Ryoma's figure recede into the distance.
"What are you doing?"
Mei had been jostled slightly backward. Her pale violet eyes held a hint of discontent. Shiraha hadn't complimented her today, but he'd praised her father. And… Father had never spoken to her that gently before.
She couldn't quite name the feeling. Ever since Shiraha arrived, the house had definitely felt livelier. But as the initial excitement settled, Mei suddenly realized that Shiraha's presence had chipped away a small piece of her own uniqueness in this home.
Shiraha sneaked a glance at the driver up front, then kept his expression carefully composed. "I read in a fairy tale book once. A hero should always wait until the king isn't around before praising the princess."
Mei blinked.
"Mei-nee! You're even cuter today than you were yesterday!"
Shiraha whispered it right by her ear, his voice tinged with nervousness, mindful that there were other people in the car.
"Silver-tongued flatterer!"
Mei's little face stayed stern.
He was sweeter with words than her, better at studying, bolder, and younger. A subtle unease began creeping back into Mei's heart, despite her tangled feelings.
"I'm not a flatterer! Uncle Ryoma praises you all the time too. I'm just learning from your example! I'll catch up to you someday, Mei!"
Shiraha's voice dropped even lower, which meant he leaned in even closer.
Elysia couldn't take it anymore. She wrapped her arms tightly around Shiraha's waist and tried to physically haul him backward.
Mei, meanwhile, had briefly wondered if he was mocking her. What do you mean, "learn from my example"?
"What exactly are you learning from me?"
"From what Uncle Ryoma says when he praises you, you're more attentive than me, more hardworking, more charismatic, more decisive, more mature, more obedient, and you're not restless."
"Uncle Ryoma is always telling me to settle down a bit."
Shiraha counted off on his fingers, earnestly listing Mei's traits or inventing plausible ones on the spot.
His body was forcibly dragged back into his own seat. Elysia wrapped her arms even tighter around him, holding him in place. She genuinely feared he might actually bully a real child.
Mei, meanwhile, found herself thinking it over. Operating under the assumption that Shiraha was six and that six-year-olds probably didn't lie, she scooted a little closer to him.
"Father really said all that?"
Shiraha nodded vigorously. "Mm-hmm! Though Uncle Ryoma did complain once that you're getting so mature he doesn't even know how to praise you anymore."
Why would being mature make you harder to praise?
Mei didn't dwell on that particular question. She just looked thoughtful.
Her memories of a gentle, warm father only existed in a distant, blurry past.
"We're here." The driver's voice came from the front.
Chiba Academy was sprawling, divided internally into three sections: elementary, middle, and high school. The areas weren't far apart, separated by meticulously trimmed hedges and green belts.
Mei got out first. She turned back and repeated her earlier admonition. "Shiraha, if anyone bullies you at school, you have to tell me. I'll make Father transfer you to my class."
Shiraha looked up at her, his smile bright. "Yeah. I'll be counting on you then, Mei!"
"Of course. He's my dad." Mei lifted her chin slightly, a tiny, unconscious pride coloring her voice.
She paused the moment the words left her mouth.
Then she pressed her lips together, said nothing more, and turned toward the elementary school building. Her steps were a little longer than usual.