"Wow… it's so big!"
Standing at the entrance of Shin's mansion, Nijika Ijichi couldn't help but exclaim as she stared at the enormous courtyard.
She had seen similar scenes in manga before—where the protagonist visits the home of a wealthy character, gazes at the luxurious garden and mansion, and exclaims, "It's so big!"
But she never imagined she'd experience this herself. The surreal sense of displacement gave her a strangely novel feeling.
Behind her, the rest of Kessoku Band had gathered, including their "support staff," Megumi, who had tagged along.
Although Shin had already sent them his address, they had decided to meet up first and then let Megumi—who had been here once before—lead them over.
"As expected of a rich guy."
Ryo Yamada was much calmer. Her family was well-off, and she had visited a few wealthy friends' houses with her parents before, so she wasn't unfamiliar with grand estates like this.
The only reason she usually seemed poor was because she spent her allowance recklessly, blowing through what would be a fortune for most students in no time.
Seeing how big Shin's house was, she simply nodded in confirmation of her earlier judgment.
"Ooooh, this is the first time I've ever seen a house this huge!"
Meanwhile, Ikuyo Kita had already pulled out her phone to take pictures. Though she had passed by mansions like this many times, this was her first time actually stepping inside as a guest.
Beside her, Hitori Gotou was the calmest of them all.
The reason was simple—she was one of the few who knew about Shin's connections to the Kiryu Group. In her mind, of course a yakuza boss's home would be extravagant.
If this had been the old Hitori, her heart would've been trembling with fear at yet another "piece of evidence proving Shin is a yakuza boss."
But the current Hitori only felt her heart skip a beat before settling down. After all, she and Shin were on good terms now, and she felt she could accept his true nature.
While the rest of *Kessoku Band* marveled at the sheer size of Shin's home, Megumi stepped forward and pressed the intercom button next to the gate.
Soon, Tohru appeared with Kanna in tow to greet them.
"Ah… welcome, everyone."
Tohru wore a smile that looked like it had been forcibly plastered on as she eyed the group of uniquely styled beauties before her.
After last week's visit from Megumi, Gabriel, and Vignette, Tohru had tried hard to accept the fact that girls would keep visiting Shin's home.
But it seemed she still wasn't quite used to it—the fact that she hadn't bared her fangs at Kessoku Band and threatened them to stay away from Shin was already a testament to her restraint.
After all, she knew full well that if she acted out, Shin would definitely scold her.
She didn't want to risk being kicked out over a moment of impulsiveness, so she could only endure Shin's ambiguous relationships with these girls.
"Welcome, everyone."
Beside her, Kanna mimicked Tohru's mannerisms, giving a small bow in her distinctly un-maid-like maid outfit.
Though she and Illya had already enrolled in elementary school, today was Saturday—no classes meant Kanna could stay home and play the part of a tiny maid alongside Tohru.
"Such an adorable little maid!"
As expected, the petite Kanna instantly became the center of attention, with the band members crowding around her like she was a mascot.
Just as Shin had predicted, since Kanna had come out with Tohru, the group didn't actually think she was a real maid—just a relative's kid playing dress-up.
---
Illya, like any ordinary child, slept in late on the weekend.
By the time she woke up, it was already 11 a.m.—nearly lunchtime.
Neither Irisviel nor Shin had woken her early, understanding that she was still adjusting to her new environment and needed the extra rest.
After washing up, Illya pushed open the living room door and instinctively called out toward the sofa:
"I'm awake, Mom, Da—"
Mid-word, she realized something was off—the living room wasn't just filled with the familiar faces from yesterday. There were also a few unfamiliar girls.
Thankfully, she hadn't actually called Shin "Dad" yet, so she quickly corrected herself, though her voice faltered slightly:
"…Big Brother!"
Both "Dad" and "Big Brother" were terms Illya had never used before.
In her original world, she had lived alone with Irisviel (and a maid at most), so she'd never had anyone to address that way.
But since the Holy Grail system had implanted "common sense" into her, "Dad" still felt more natural to her.
"Is this Miss Irisviel's daughter?"
As expected, none of Kessoku Band noticed Illya's slight stumble over the word "brother." Nijika smiled at Illya, who stood at the living room entrance.
Earlier, under Shin's introduction, they had been briefed on the household's dynamics.
Sayu Ogiwara was described as someone staying with Shin due to personal circumstances, while Irisviel was introduced as a distant relative from abroad—making Illya, logically, his little sister.
Fortunately, both Sayu and Irisviel were naturally gentle and sociable, so the band members quickly warmed up to them.
Even Hitori, who usually struggled to speak around strangers, had managed to greet them after Sayu and Irisviel took the initiative.
They had just been talking about Illya when she appeared.
Megumi, of course, had long since guessed that these backstories were fabrications, but she didn't expose Shin—she just shot him a slightly resentful look.
The way he was tiptoeing around the truth in front of Kessoku Band made his intentions obvious to her.
But since she was one of the few who had already accepted this reality, she could only sigh and think about how to "punish" him for it later.
"Mm… yes."
Illya nodded obediently and walked over.
To be continued…
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