My Sister Is Bronya

The two bickered back and forth as they entered the locker room, changed, and then started their shifts.

Working as a cashier was incredibly boring. For the entire morning, they could only stand behind the counter, taking orders and handling payments.

Ishiu felt a sense of relief. Thankfully, Kiana was there to keep him company. They could chat, and it wasn't too dull. If he had to stay alone like this, he felt he wouldn't be able to handle it.

They worked at McDonald's until noon. When it was time to switch shifts, Ishiu and Kiana finally felt some relief.

After getting paid for their work, they ate at McDonald's. Once they finished eating, Kiana said she needed to find her irresponsible father, while Ishiu planned to wander around Changkong City. They hit it off and decided to stick together.

Honestly, Ishiu found spending time with Kiana to be quite pleasant. Although the girl seemed a bit oblivious, she didn't have any of that princess syndrome other girls did. Instead, she was more straightforward than most guys, which was great.

This meant Ishiu could treat her like a bro without any issues.

Changkong City wasn't excessively large, but as a city, it was still too big for Ishiu and Kiana to explore in just one afternoon.

Relying on their own two feet, they walked for half the day and only managed to see one district. Compared to searching the entire city, it was just a drop in the bucket.

During this time, Ishiu and Kiana talked a lot, and they both gained a deeper understanding of each other's backgrounds. However, what still annoyed Ishiu was that Kiana always used her older age to lord it over him, fully indulging her role as a senior.

Time always flew by. In the blink of an eye, it was already evening.

"Kiana, I have to go to my part-time job at the convenience store next. What do you think?" Ishiu checked the time and said to Kiana.

"Hmm... I don't know where to go either," Kiana scratched her head. "How about I come with you to work? I don't have much money on me right now, and I'll probably be here for a while until I save enough to continue my journey."

"You can work, but they probably won't be hiring anyone there. You should find another place to work yourself."

"Is that so? Alright then," Kiana nodded. "Let's meet up after work tonight then."

"?" Hearing this, Ishiu immediately looked at Kiana with a confused expression.

"What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"No, is there really a need for us to meet up tonight?" Ishiu spread his hands, expressing his confusion. "After work, shouldn't we just find a place to sleep? Why meet up? Do you want to stay with me?"

"Is that not allowed?" To Ishiu's surprise, Kiana looked even more confused than he did. "We don't know anyone here. It's better to have someone to look out for each other. Besides, you're only fourteen. What if something happens to you?"

Ishiu's mouth twitched. "Kiana, can we please stop bringing up my age? And I'm not that weak!"

His age was always a sore spot for Ishiu. If he could, he'd prefer these cute girls to call him "older brother" or "big brother," not "little Ishiu!"

He wasn't little, darn it!

"Fine, I'll say it differently," Kiana tilted her head, then clapped her hands together. Her next words were astonishing. "Let's find a hotel to stay in tonight. It'll be much more convenient if we're together."

"...Huh?" Ishiu was completely bewildered.

"Hey, do you want to sleep in the park again? I don't want to sleep in the park anymore. Sleeping there for one night is fine, but it's too cold now. If I wasn't in good health, I would have caught a cold last night," Kiana rambled on.

"No, you, a girl, staying with me?" Ishiu pointed at himself, finding it hard to believe.

"Yeah, what's wrong? Are you shy?" Kiana's eyes curved into crescents as she chuckled and lightly tapped Ishiu's head. "You're just a kid, but you think so much. It seems my charm is still too strong~"

Ishiu's mouth twitched. He got it. Kiana didn't see him as a man at all. Damn it!

To be fair, even though his face looked young, he wasn't short!

He was at least a few centimeters taller than Kiana.

Chapter 44: The Housewife's Bento

In truth, Kiana was also a little apprehensive. After all, she was a girl, and it would be a lie to say she wasn't shy about staying with a boy.

But she really couldn't stand living alone anymore.

Ever since that darn dad of hers mysteriously disappeared, she had been searching for him everywhere. Along the way, she had fought Honkai Beasts, dealt with bad guys, and interacted with countless people.

But they were all fleeting encounters, with no further contact.

In simple terms, she was lonely.

She was tired of living in a world all by herself.

Then, last night, she met Ishiu, this somewhat special boy.

In her eyes, this boy was handsome, but he looked quite young. However, his words and actions showed no sign of his youth; instead, he seemed much more mature than her.

Later, through their conversation, she learned that he was an orphan, in a situation very similar to her own, and she couldn't help but waver.

Perhaps it was the emotions brought on by shared misfortune that made her want to take care of Ishiu more. But as they spent the day together, she realized that not only was she not taking care of Ishiu, but she was actually being taken care of by him.

Thus, Miss Pufferfish, who had been lonely for a long time, began to grow fond of this feeling.

Moreover, despite only knowing each other for a short day, she already considered Ishiu a friend, so she didn't have many reservations.

"Alright, it's settled. We'll meet at the park tonight, and then we'll find a place to stay," Kiana's personality was decisive. Once she made up her mind, she wouldn't hesitate. She didn't give Ishiu a chance to speak before turning and running off, her twin braids swinging in the air, creating beautiful ripples.

"Oh, right. When I said stay together, I didn't mean just one room, you little pervert. Don't get any dirty ideas."

"..."

You're the one who's been talking about it!

Ishiu's mouth twitched violently. Looking at Kiana, who had already run far away in just a few seconds, he could only sigh and then head towards the convenience store.

What else could he say? He wasn't going to lose out anyway, and having someone to talk to didn't seem like a bad thing?

With that thought, he arrived at the convenience store.

After greeting the beautiful and alluring married store manager, Ishiu changed into the cashier uniform and continued his part-time job.

When night fell, Raiden Mei arrived as she had said yesterday. Unlike yesterday, she had a smile on her face today, and it wasn't a forced smile, but one from the heart.

Raiden Mei's charm was undeniable. When she appeared at the convenience store, almost all the male customers' eyes turned towards her.

But she only looked at Ishiu, her lips unconsciously curling into a smile. She raised her hand and gently greeted him, "Good evening, Ishiu."

"Good evening, Mei," Ishiu nodded in response.

The male cashier next to him looked at Ishiu as if he were a god.

What's going on? You only came here yesterday, how can you be greeting Queen Raiden already! And she even initiated it!

The cashier felt like he had swallowed a pound of lemons; it was sour, truly sour.

He was the one who told this kid about Raiden Mei yesterday, and now he's already getting involved with the main character? Damn it! Does being handsome really allow you to do whatever you want?

If Ishiu could hear his thoughts right now, he would smile and reply, "Yes, being handsome really does allow you to do whatever you want."

"Ishiu, are you still working? It seems I came a bit early," Raiden Mei said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She didn't realize how cute that small gesture was in the eyes of the men.

"It's fine, I'll be off in a few minutes."

"Alright, I'll wait for you outside." With that, Raiden Mei smiled at Ishiu and turned to leave the convenience store.

"Hey! What's going on with you? Why is Raiden Mei here for you? Do you two know each other?" the cashier asked eagerly.

"Um... if I said she's my fiancée, would you believe me?" Ishiu said seriously after thinking for a moment.

"...Get lost!"

After changing back into his clothes and carefully putting his wages into his bag, Ishiu happily walked out of the convenience store.

Raiden Mei was standing right next to the store. Ishiu quickened his pace and soon reached her.

"Sorry for making you wait."

"It's okay, I came early," Miss Mei shook her head with a smile, her voice soft and gentle. She shyly rubbed her fingers together, "Actually, I wanted to see you sooner, so I came ahead of time."

"..."

It had to be said that when a beautiful girl with a great figure tells you she wanted to see you early, any normal man would be unable to resist being moved.

Ishiu was no exception.

However, he had seen his fair share of beauty. With his mother's mature allure and then the cute purity of Seele and Bronya, his resistance to beautiful girls was quite high.

The two sat down again on the park bench from yesterday. Then, Miss Mei took out a box from her bag.

"Um, Ishiu, you haven't had dinner yet, have you? Thank you for the bread yesterday. I made some bento today too. If you don't mind, please try it."

Raiden Mei looked at him expectantly. Ishiu naturally wouldn't refuse her kindness. He took the bento box and opened it.

The bento box was filled with food: takoyaki, tamagoyaki, and tempura. The aroma of the mixed dishes made Ishiu's eyes light up.

Raiden Mei's cooking skills were unexpectedly good. Ishiu had initially thought that a lady like her wouldn't be a great cook, but the opposite was true.

Not only did the food smell delicious, but it also looked appealing. It was evident that Raiden Mei had put effort into plating, making it appetizing at first glance.

"It looks great. I won't be polite then," Ishiu licked his lips, picked up his chopsticks, and put a piece of takoyaki into his mouth.

"How is it?" Raiden Mei asked immediately.

"Super delicious!" Ishiu swallowed the takoyaki after a couple of chews and unhesitatingly gave Raiden Mei a thumbs-up. "Mei, I think you could open your own restaurant. I guarantee it would be a huge success."

"I'm not that good, Ishiu, you're exaggerating," Miss Mei shook her head modestly, but a smile involuntarily bloomed on her face.

Monday's Wife.jpg

Chapter 45: Mama Mei (lol)

"Not at all, I'm telling you the truth," Ishiu grinned.

To be honest, the bento made by the housewife... no, Raiden Mei, was indeed delicious. Not only was it tasty, but the portions were generous. Ishiu didn't hold back and ate all the piled-up food.

"Thank you, Mei, I'm full." Ishiu put down his chopsticks and patted his bulging stomach contentedly. He felt like the McDonald's he had for lunch was like plain bread and pickles compared to Raiden Mei's cooking.

"I'm glad you like it." For a housewife, there was nothing more satisfying than seeing her cooking eaten up completely. Raiden Mei's eyes curved into crescents. She took out a handkerchief with a faint scent from her pocket and gently wiped Ishiu's mouth.

"Uh..." Ishiu froze. He hadn't expected Raiden Mei to wipe his mouth for him. This treatment was too good!

"Ah... sorry, it was an unconscious gesture..." Raiden Mei also realized what she had done and quickly withdrew her hand, her fair cheeks blushing slightly.

She didn't know why she was being so kind to someone she had only known for less than two days. But seeing him happily eating the food she made, her heart felt warm, as if it had been filled with something.

She didn't know what this feeling was called yet. It wasn't until much later that she understood it was called maternal love.

After losing her father, relatives, and friends, Raiden Mei could still maintain her usual demeanor, but she had locked her heart, a lock that refused friendship.

Ishiu's appearance, however, awakened a feeling she had never experienced before. Looking at this boy, two years her junior, who came from a poor family and had to work part-time to survive, Raiden Mei's innate nurturing personality was instantly ignited to its peak.

And thus, the current situation arose.

After finishing their meal, they continued to chat. Raiden Mei still talked a lot, this time mainly about herself, such as interesting things at school and her kendo training.

Although Ishiu wasn't the best conversationalist, he was definitely a good listener. Raiden Mei felt that the more she spoke, the lighter her burdens seemed to become.

If it hadn't been for the fact that it was already completely dark, Raiden Mei probably would have wanted to keep talking.

"Phew... Ishiu, thank you for being willing to listen to me ramble on," the elder sister, Mei, gently patted her slightly flushed cheeks and said with pursed lips, "Um... tomorrow... can I come find you again tomorrow?"

"Sure, I don't have anything going on anyway," Ishiu nodded casually. He quite liked this gentle elder sister, and more importantly, Raiden Mei was really beautiful!

"Okay, I'll make you a bento tomorrow too," Raiden Mei smoothed her hair, smiled, and asked, "Do you have any dietary restrictions, Ishiu?"

"Hmm... restrictions? Not really, I can eat pretty much anything and I'm not picky," Ishiu scratched his head. He'd been an orphan since he was little, so he couldn't afford to be picky; he ate whatever he could get.

"Alright then, I'll be going now. We'll keep in touch on our phones," After saying goodbye, Raiden Mei waved to Ishiu and then walked away with light steps.

After Raiden Mei left, Ishiu went to the park where he had arranged to meet Kiana.

"Too slow!"

As soon as he entered the park, Ishiu had his cheeks pinched by the approaching white-haired furball.

Kiana seemed to have been waiting for quite some time. Her cheeks were puffed out high, like an inflated pufferfish, her mouth slightly pouted, clearly unhappy.

"You brat, didn't your part-time job end an hour ago? Why are you only showing up now?"

"I worked a little overtime, is that not allowed?" Ishiu couldn't be bothered to tell Kiana about Raiden Mei. It wasn't a big deal, and explaining it would be too troublesome anyway.

"Hmph, I'll let you off this time, but there better not be a next time. If you keep a girl waiting past the agreed time, you'll end up alone forever," Kiana said indignantly.

"Yes, yes, yes, Lord Kiana is right, this little one knows he's wrong~" Ishiu obediently admitted his mistake. It was indeed his fault, and there was no way he could tell her that he'd been having such a great time with Mei that he'd forgotten about Kiana.

"That's more like it." Seeing Ishiu's good attitude in admitting his mistake, Kiana's anger subsided as quickly as it had flared up. She patted Ishiu's head and then pulled him towards the park exit. "Alright, I can't wait to get out of this dump. By the way, did you eat dinner?"

"I ate."