Sora's Grandfather

On a bright early summer afternoon, a sleek black luxury car glided through the streets of an upscale Tokyo neighborhood. Sora, Yuta, Takashi, Ren, and Ume sat inside, gazing out at the passing scenery.

"Wow... I can't believe people actually live in places like this," Takashi said, his eyes wide as he took in the row of mansions. Well-maintained hedges and artistically pruned garden trees spoke to the high status of the residents in this area.

"Hey everyone, excited? Grandpa's house is really big!" Sora beamed with her characteristic innocence, looking around at her friends. Her expression was as bright as if they were simply heading out for a picnic.

"Was your mansion in England big too?" Ume inquired.

"Yeah, but Grandpa's house is bigger. You can't get this much land in London," Sora giggled. Though she had started living alone after returning from England, she didn't seem lonely at all.

"Are you sure this is okay...?" Yuta asked nervously. Everyone seemed unsettled at the prospect of visiting the mansion of the Hojo Group's chairman.

"Well, if Sora says so..." Even Ren had set aside his usual haughty attitude, showing rare humility.

"Oh my, is Ren actually nervous?" Ume teased, though her own legs were fidgeting restlessly.

The car came to a stop in front of massive gates, where a golden nameplate bearing the characters for "Hojo" gleamed in the sunlight. Once they entered the grounds, a different world opened up before them.

Pure white marble sculptures, fountains producing refreshing sounds, and emerald lawns — it was a sight that took everyone's breath away.

"Sora's here!!!" Seiichiro Hojo came running out from his study, causing Sora's friends to stare in shock. There was no trace of the stern business magnate they had expected to see.

"I've been waiting for you! Sora!" Grandpa embraced Sora tightly and began nuzzling her cheek.

"G-Grandpa... everyone's watching," Sora laughed awkwardly. Finally noticing the others, Grandpa's eyes remained full of affection.

"Hmm, so these are Sora's friends." He maintained a chairman-like expression for just a moment before his attention immediately returned to Sora.

"Oh right! Sora! I've prepared new presents!" Grandpa clapped his hands and called for his butler.

"I've ordered a new Rolls-Royce! Or perhaps you'd prefer a helicopter?" As butlers rushed about frantically, her friends stood dumbfounded at the scene before them.

"Ren, so this is what real wealth looks like...?" Ume whispered, but even Ren was at a loss for words.

"I'll prepare anything for Sora!" Grandpa began showing Sora catalogue after catalogue. "Here's a Swiss watch, and here's the latest smart home system, and this is a brochure for a private island."

"Eh... I-I don't need things like that..." Sora looked down uncomfortably. Grandpa paused for a moment at her modest reaction but quickly continued reaching for more catalogues. "What are you being shy for! You deserve all this!"

Her friends watched this exchange in amazement while Yuta observed with a complex expression.

---

"Oh! Is there anything Sora's friends would like? Don't be shy!" Everyone frantically waved their hands at his sudden question.

"N-No, we're fine...!" But Grandpa's doting couldn't be stopped.

At that moment, Sora gently took Grandpa's hand.

"Grandpa, thank you. But just being able to be with everyone makes me happy enough."

Those words made Grandpa pause, his heart swelling with emotion. "Sora...!" His exuberance settled, replaced by a touched expression.

Later, the group was given a tour of the mansion, met with one surprise after another. An indoor pool, movie theater, bowling alley — her friends kept exclaiming at each new discovery.

"Amazing... to think someone lives in a place like this." When Yuta muttered this, Sora tilted her head. "Really? But I have more fun at school with everyone."

Her friends couldn't help but smile at her response. It was just like Sora to value everyday moments with friends over such luxury.

As evening approached, the group prepared to head home after enjoying an extravagant dinner. At parting, Grandpa gazed at Sora with lingering attachment. "Come visit again. Don't you get lonely living by yourself?" "Nope, because I have everyone! And I have you too, Grandpa!" When Sora flashed her radiant smile, Grandpa's expression softened gently.

"I have some business to take care of..." Yuta suddenly spoke up. "Everyone else should head back first."

Sora tilted her head curiously but quickly smiled. "Okay. See you tomorrow then, Yuta!" "Bye, Grandpa!" Sora waved one last time before leaving with the others through the gates. Her black twin-tails swayed in the twilight as her figure gradually grew smaller.

Their voices could still be heard from beyond the gate. "Sora, what an incredible house!" "Hehe, but being together with everyone is the most fun!"

It seemed like just an extension of their everyday life. But the moment their voices completely faded away, the atmosphere changed completely.

Grandpa turned to face Yuta, his expression hardening. All traces of the doting grandfather vanished, replaced by the cold dignity of the Hojo Group chairman. "Time for the monthly report."

---

The warmth in Grandpa's voice vanished entirely. In its place was the cold, commanding tone of a stern businessman. In the reception room, Yuta pulled an envelope from his pocket. His hand trembled slightly.

"Here... last month's records." Yuta answered in a small voice. Grandpa remained seated as he took the envelope and began examining the photos one by one. Sora on her first day of transfer, Sora surrounded by friends laughing at the sports festival, Sora chatting after school — in each one, she wore the same innocent smile.

"Any specific changes?" Grandpa set the envelope aside and asked briefly. Yuta took a deep breath, carefully choosing his words. "Her physical measurements remain unchanged. Height, weight... all measurements are exactly the same as last year, and the year before that, and the year before that..." A shadow fell across Grandpa's face. "I see. And?"

"Yes..." Yuta continued, lowering his gaze slightly. "Regarding the mysterious phenomena around Sora, during the recent sports festival when someone was injured, there was an incident where the student's injury rapidly healed after Sora touched them." Grandpa narrowed his eyes slightly, listening intently. "What else?"

"And... whenever Sora comes to our house, Asuka seems to calm down somehow." Grandpa narrowed his eyes, quietly listening as he seemed to understand the tremor in Yuta's voice. "On days when Asuka feels even slightly better, Sora is always there. Whether that's coincidence or..." Yuta's voice was slightly lower, pained.

Grandpa nodded deeply, gazing out the window for a while. His eyes seemed to reflect nostalgic memories. "I see..." Grandpa's voice was gentle, carrying a distant resonance. "That child, indeed..." His words trailed off as Grandpa lowered his eyes to the photographs on the desk. He gazed intently at Sora's figure bathed in sunset light. Her smile was beautiful, yet seemed to carry a hint of transience.

"Yuta-kun," Grandpa looked up from the photos. "Don't worry about Asuka's medical expenses. I'll take full responsibility for everything, including the latest treatments."

Yuta bowed deeply. His back seemed to carry the heavy weight of both gratitude and guilt as a surveillance agent. "Thank you..." Grandpa paused slightly before quietly continuing.

"However, I want you to continue observing Sora," Grandpa continued softly. "Everything that happens around that child, no matter how trivial... I want you to watch over it all." He glanced down at the photos again, gently stroking them with his fingertip. His touch seemed to convey deep affection that couldn't be put into words.

Heavy silence filled the reception room. Outside the window, stars had begun to twinkle. It was the color of night sky that Sora had said she loved most.

"A form frozen in time..." Grandpa narrowed his eyes, speaking quietly as if offering a prayer. "That child may not have realized it yet."

Yuta stared at the photos on the desk. Sora's smile, so pure and unchanging, stirred something deep in his chest. "I..." Yuta began to speak but swallowed his words.

Grandpa observed his silence and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. The weight of that hand seemed to convey not a cold order, but rather a quiet understanding of Yuta's inner conflict.

"I understand the pain you feel," his voice was low, as if tracing nostalgic memories. "From the moment I met that child, I was given the mission to protect Sora."

Yuta didn't answer, just continued staring at Sora's smiling face in the photos. Grandpa's words carried a firm resolve to keep protecting this miracle child bestowed from heaven.

On his way home, Yuta looked up at the night sky. Under the starry sky that Sora loved, he continued walking, still carrying the secret in his heart that he could never tell anyone.