When he reached the girl, Shichen quietly studied her.
Her entire body was shrouded in radiance; only her face above the neck was visible, and her beautiful silver-white hair drifted in the breeze.
She was flawless—perfectly beautiful, delicate and fragile in a way that naturally stirred protectiveness. The kind of existence that makes your heart skip at first glance.
And that made sense. She wasn't an ordinary person—she was a Spirit born from the world's condensed mana, the very "god" of this world. How could anyone not be drawn to her?
Looking at her face, Shichen couldn't help thinking of the way Murasa Reine had looked when she pleaded with him.
The First Spirit's appearance resembled Reine's—yet younger, more immaculate, and without those heavy dark circles.
Shichen, of course, knew why they looked the sa. Because Murasa Reine was the First Spirit.
Everything that needed doing had been done. Now, he had to personally live through what had already happened in the past.
"…Mm…"
The girl let out a soft sound and slowly opened her eyes—silver-white, glasslike irises that were stunningly beautiful.
As soon as she woke, she saw Shichen. She didn't move—she simply stared at him blankly, confusion rising in her gaze.
She didn't understand herself. She didn't understand the person in front of her. She didn't understand her surroundings. She understood nothing.
And yet… the person before her felt strangely familiar—an instinctive familiarity, sothing deep in her very being.
"Awake?" Shichen asked gently.
For the girl in front of him, he felt an intense fondness—not only because of Reine, not only because of her beauty, but because he had known of her for so long.
"…Awake?" she echoed, puzzled, her voice soft and lovely, halting as if she were testing words for the first ti.
She had only just co into being; she hadn't learned anything yet. Language included. But her ability to learn was terrifyingly strong—hear it once and she'd rember, see it once and she'd never forget.
That was what it ant for her to be "god."
As the god of this world, anything of this world—if she wanted to learn it, she could.
"Yes," Shichen nodded. "You're awake."
"…Mm…" She tilted her head, still confused.
"It's fine. I'll teach you, slowly—everything about this world. My na is Shichen. And your na…" He thought for a mont. "We'll call you Mio Takamiya."
He'd briefly considered naming her "Shi-Mio," but it sounded awkward. Better to keep "Mio Takamiya." That was the na she would have in the future anyway.
Shichen also preferred familiar nas for the people he knew. Otherwise, back then, "Tohka Yatogami" might've ended up being "Shi-Tohka."
"Na… Shichen… Mio Takamiya…" the girl—Mio—repeated softly, still practicing the sounds.
"That's right. Shichen is my na. Mio Takamiya is yours. And from now on, I'll be by your side."
…
Three days later, in the morning, inside a small residential house, Shichen got out of bed, yawning. He wandered into the kitchen and started making breakfast.
His sleep schedule had been oddly regular these past few days—so regular it almost felt unfamiliar.
But he didn't have much choice. There wasn't much entertainnt, and no one to "sing" with him at night. If he wanted to set an example, he could only keep a disciplined routine.
After he'd been busy in the kitchen for a while, the door to another bedroom in the house opened, and a beautiful figure stepped out carefully.
She wore her long, silver-white hair loose, and a white nightgown that made her look dreamlike—so beautiful and refined it almost didn't feel real.
Mio crept forward, using blind spots to peek at the kitchen. When she saw the man inside with his back to the doorway, a smile blossod on her lovely face. Then she slipped toward him without making a sound.
Shichen kept working as if he noticed nothing—until a fragrant presence hugged him from behind.
He was wearing a thin ho T-shirt; the softness against his back was impossible to miss.
"Morning, Shichen~" Mio pressed her cheek to his back, her smile obvious in her voice.
"Morning," Shichen replied with a grin.
"What are we having today?" Mio released him and tilted her head to look.
"Soup dumplings."
"Soup dumplings?" Mio blinked, confused.
"They're dumplings—little buns."
"Buns?"
"Small buns. They're stead in a basket, so they're called 'soup dumplings.'"
"I see…" Mio nodded—she understood.
"They're really good," Shichen teased, turning to look at her. "Try not to eat yourself sick."
"As if!" Mio puffed her cheeks and argued back.
"Oh? Really?"
"You don't believe ?!" Mio bumped her forehead lightly into him.
"Heh—fine, I believe you. Go brush your teeth. It'll be ready soon," Shichen said, indulgent.
"Okay~" Mio lifted her chin, closed her eyes, and a rosy blush spread across her pale cheeks—like she was asking for sothing.
Shichen thought for a mont, then leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"Is that good?"
"Yes!" Mio opened her eyes, touching her forehead happily, and trotted off to the bathroom.
Who would think this was the god of the world?
"I'm here to mooch breakfast!"
Not long after, an energetic voice rang out at the door—and a petite figure in red popped in.
She had bright red hair in twin tails, an adorable face, and an overflowing, sunny vibe.
"Haruko, why are you here again?" Shichen sighed at her.
"Because your food is just that good, Shichen!" Haruko—Homura Haruko—grinned shalessly.
"Flattery won't work. And you're way too familiar with ."
"We're neighbors. Why be polite?"
"…Fine." Shichen could only shake his head.
He'd t Homura Haruko two days ago, and she already acted like they'd been friends forever.
But there was a reason he'd chosen a place next door to her.
Homura Haruko would one day be known as Kotori Itsuka's mother—Haruko Itsuka.
"Where's Mio?" Haruko looked around. She'd seen Mio glued to Shichen lately.
"You're early. She's brushing her teeth."
"Oh? Then can I taste the breakfast first?" Haruko asked hopefully.
"Dream on. Even Mio hasn't eaten yet," Shichen rejected her on the spot.
"Aw, co on—don't be so biased! We're loving neighbors, aren't we?"
"Get out of here. If you want food, cook it yourself."
"Can't." Haruko said it plainly, without a shred of sha.
"With you like this… how are you ever going to win Tatsuo over?" Shichen suddenly said.
"W-why are you bringing up Tatsuo all of a sudden…?" Haruko imdiately turned red.
"Who knows." Shichen didn't press it.
"Hmph. Since you're so smart, how's it going with Mio?" Haruko's eyes sparkled with gossip. "How far have you two gotten?"
"My business with Mio needs you to comnt?" Shichen said proudly.
"Oh yeah? Then how far?"
"A kid shouldn't ask that much. Worry about yourself."
"Tch…"
Haruko's complaint was cut off when Mio ca out, freshly washed.
"Haruko, you're here?" Mio greeted.
"Mio, morning~" Haruko waved brightly.
"Morning."
"Mio, listen—Shichen's being biased again! He won't let eat first!" Haruko clung to Mio's arm and tattled.
They'd only known each other two days, but they already looked like best friends.
That was girl friendship for you.
"Is that so?" Mio just smiled and didn't mind.
She wasn't ignorant of Haruko's personality—and she was even more aware of Shichen's obvious favoritism toward her.
To be honest, Mio still didn't fully understand why Shichen favored her so much. She could feel his indulgence, his tenderness, but she hadn't asked about his personal story yet.
Still, the instinctive familiarity inside her made her trust him completely.
More importantly—she liked his bias. She liked being spoiled. It made her genuinely happy.
With Shichen, everything felt good.
So maybe she didn't need to force herself to understand everything about him right away.
After all, when she opened her eyes, the first person she saw was Shichen—the first person she knew, and the person who felt most familiar in this world. She was sure of it.
Haruko didn't just freeload, either—she at least helped set the food, even if it was a tiny contribution.
Soon the three of them sat down to eat.
"Whoa—your cooking really is insane, Shichen! These buns are so good!" Haruko praised between bites.
"They are good," Mio agreed after a small bite, her eyes curving with delight. Happiness written all over her face.
"Shichen, how do you do it? Can you teach ?" Haruko asked.
"Probably not. You don't have the talent," Shichen shook his head.
He didn't an "kitchen talent," either—he ant the special "cheats" he had. Kotori might have a shot one day, since she inherited his sacred fla.
"Tch! I don't believe that!"
"Then work hard. I can teach you a little."
"I'll make you look at differently! Can you teach today?"
"Not today." Shichen refused.
"Why not?"
"Because today, I'm taking Mio on a date."
~~~
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