The Quintuplets Next Door

To be honest, Shuya didn't want things to be this way either. But he was poor.

Even though supplies could be easily traded between regions of the Earth Federation, cake in the Japan Administrative District was still really expensive!

Shuya didn't have much pocket money, either. His parents, who were a pair of money-wasting idiots, kept it for him.

And the result of them keeping it... well, you all know.

Buying a cake was actually a bit of a strain for Shuya. Now, all he had to do was act cute to get an upgraded cake. Why wouldn't he?

After thanking Saori, Shuya picked up the cake and got back into the car. Saori continued driving, and they arrived home not long after.

His home wasn't some luxurious mansion, just an ordinary apartment. It wasn't too big or too small, and was just right for three people.

Inoue Hikoo and Hanazawa Sakura had both inherited failing companies, so Shuya didn't expect to become a rich second-generation heir.

They were doing all they could just to avoid bankruptcy. That was reason enough for Shuya to sell his cuteness.

After saying goodbye to Saori, Shuya entered the building using the door code. He greeted the security guard, rode the elevator to the fifth floor, and opened his front door.

He had to tidy himself up before going to see them.

At the very least, he had to pee first. A little kid's body couldn't hold it for long.

After using the bathroom, he went to his room and changed into something more comfortable. Inoue Hikoo had made him wear formal clothes when he took him to the company earlier, so now he changed back into casual clothes.

There wasn't much in Shuya's room, because he had no money.

What he had the most of were certificates and medals.

Looking at them, he couldn't help sighing at how hard he'd worked.

Unlike other transmigrators, Shuya didn't have a pathological obsession with keeping a low profile.

He'd read plenty of web novels, watched anime, and read manga, and he knew one thing.

If the protagonist was meant to show off, keeping a low profile wouldn't save him.

The more novels he read, the more disgusted he became with their protagonists' hypocritical behavior.

No matter how much they claimed they didn't want to show off and wanted to keep a low profile, they were always faster than anyone else when it came time to show off. Then, afterward, they'd put on a false show of having been forced into it.

Shuya knew a phrase that suited them perfectly.

Foxy bitches.

Section 7: The Quintuplets Next Door

Since Shuya looked down on that kind of protagonist, of course he wasn't going to be one.

He'd become famous very early.

He'd made his debut as the star at just six months old. It hadn't been his choice, but he'd had a hard time too. If he hadn't done it, his family would have gone bankrupt.

But after that, stepping into the spotlight had been his own choice.

It was all for money. There wasn't much else to say.

Actually, if you traced the origins of his debut at six months old, Shuya had been the one who caused it.

From the moment he came out of the womb, he'd never hidden how unusual he was.

Most other protagonists would be cautious and put on an act, but Shuya didn't think there was any need.

He'd never underestimate how much people could accept.

Child prodigies had existed since ancient times. They weren't anything new.

As long as he was careful not to go too far, no one would seriously suspect that a clever child was a reincarnator.

As it turned out, Shuya had been right.

No one suspected he'd transmigrated. People simply praised his genius and used him as "someone else's child" to lecture their own kids.

A month after he was born, Shuya gradually began showing extraordinary intelligence. By the time he was two months old, his foolish parents had already accepted the idea that their son was a super-genius.

Then, when Shuya was six months old, Inoue Hikoo learned that his son could understand what people said and shamelessly burst into tears as he threatened to wean him.

Shuya didn't mind. He figured it was best to become famous early, so he began his career as a child star... Hmm? He thought he heard someone complain, "That's way too early!"

...Never mind the little things.

At the time, Inoue Hikoo was desperately flailing around on the brink of bankruptcy. He'd talked up Shuya's genius just to drum up publicity and sell one more VHS.

He'd succeeded.

From the moment he debuted, Inoue Shuya had been a darling of the media.

Who wouldn't like a well-behaved, sensible kid who was cute, knew how to act adorable, and was sweet-tongued?

Besides a ton of advertising gigs, he'd appeared in all sorts of dramas and TV programs.

To prove his genius, he'd shamelessly bullied other kids and swept up all kinds of awards.

He'd even taken an IQ test, which confirmed that he was more intelligent than the average person. After a few more years, the public had come to accept that he spoke and acted like an adult.

No one took the matter seriously. On the contrary, those unscrupulous media outlets were more than happy to cooperate with Inoue Hikoo's publicity stunts for the sake of ratings.

Shuya had worked hard for a few years, then decided he'd earned enough pocket money and took a few months off to laze around. Who would've thought that one careless mistake would let those two spendthrifts dump all the money he'd earned into the company's bottomless pit, putting them on the brink of bankruptcy again?

He felt he'd gone to a lot of trouble for his parents.

After finishing his trip down memory lane, Shuya sat at home for a while and got himself in the right frame of mind. Then he went next door to see the quintuplets in his best possible state.

Shuya's gaze was firm. He didn't feel the least bit tired.

Because everything... was for love!

Shu-chan the senior still held nothing back today!

Even though he knew his family was close to bankruptcy, he'd refused to return the cake. He'd bought a big one and brought it over.

He had to win over those quintuplets... No, he had to make them happy!

Shuya gave himself one last look in the mirror. Once he confirmed he was still as adorable as ever, he put on his professional smile, picked up the cake box, went out, and rang the doorbell next door.

"Who is it?"

Five voices answered at once.

Shuya smiled. "It's me. I brought cake."

"Cake!"

Shuya heard five cries of surprise from inside. After a flurry of footsteps, the front door was flung open.

A little girl with pink hair wiped her drool and shouted, "Shu-chan, come in!"

"Haha, calm down, Itsuki."

Shuya followed her inside, took off his shoes in the entryway, and put on his slippers.

When he walked into the small living room, the five little girls had already gathered, waiting with plates and forks in hand.

Ichika, Nino, Miku, Yotsuba, Itsuki.

The quintuplets who lived next door to Shuya.

They were unbelievably cute.

They all had the same pink hair, the same dresses, and the same faces. They looked just like clones.

"Good afternoon. Have you all been good today?"

"Yes!"

Ichika raised her hand energetically, and the other four shouted and raised theirs too. Yotsuba even started bouncing around.

Shuya smiled warmly and flawlessly. "All right, quiet down. Don't disturb the neighbors. Anyone who misbehaves won't get any cake."

He transformed into a sweet, gentle little gentleman.

"Oh!"

Yotsuba shouted, then hurriedly covered her mouth. Her bright eyes darted anxiously toward Shuya, afraid she wouldn't get any cake.

"Hehe."

Shuya patted her head. "You'll get some too."

"Hehehe..."

Yotsuba gave a soft little laugh.

"Hmm, that's not fair."

Miku puffed out her cheeks, bowed her head toward Shuya, and said, "I want one too!"

"Okay, okay."

Shuya maintained his perfect big-brother manner and patted her hair too.

As soon as he let go, he saw the other three had already lined up on their own, waiting for their head pats.

"Ahem."

Shuya gave a wry smile and completed his mission of patting everyone equally.

Only then could he finally serve the cake.

When Shuya opened the box, all five quintuplets cried out in unison and stared at the cake without looking away.

This cake was the upgraded version he'd gotten by sacrificing his dignity. It was also beautifully decorated, and their eyes lit up at the sight of it.

Itsuki's drool finally started to fall.

Shuya chuckled, and Itsuki embarrassedly wiped her mouth.

He knew they couldn't wait much longer, so he used the plastic knife that came with the cake to cut it. As they watched eagerly, he gave them each a piece, then served himself one too.

"You girls eat first. I'll put the rest of the cake in the fridge."

"I can do it, Shu-chan."

"Then let's do it together."

Nino helped carry the box. Shuya opened the refrigerator, and Nino put the box inside.

"Hehe."

Nino smiled happily, as if she'd just accomplished something momentous.

"Good job."

Shuya didn't skimp on the praise, making Nino's little face turn bright red.

Fortunately, her sisters hadn't noticed. Otherwise, Shuya would have had to praise them one by one.

The quintuplets were very particular about keeping things equal among the five of them.

Hehe. He wondered if they'd all fall for the same person someday and then "split him into five equal parts."

As Shuya thought about it, he suddenly shivered for no apparent reason.

He shook his head and went over to eat cake with them, sharing the day's interesting events.

Especially with those Japanese girls who only knew how to say "cute."

He advised them earnestly, "Don't grow up to be uncultured girls, okay? I'd be really sad."

"Don't worry, I definitely won't!"

Yotsuba shouted.

"That's good."

Shuya smiled.

As they chatted, he began glancing at the clock without realizing it. It was already almost six-thirty in the evening.

Ichika said, "Oh, it's about time Mom got home."

"That's right."

Shuya kept smiling as he coaxed them. "Then how about we tidy up? We don't want Sister Rena to see this mess."