Playdate. [I]

Time rushes by so blazingly fast when you fall into the groove. Days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months and before I knew it I nearing the second year of kindergarten.

"I just got a call from the gate. I think she's here." Mom put the intercom down.

"Already? Talk about punctual." I jumped off the bed and put my slippers on. It was a Saturday and the Winter break started tomorrow.

Naturally, it was cold... so I put a coat on as well.

"Go bring her in here first, okay?"

"Unnhn." I nodded.

With the confirmation complete, I headed out and into the hall downstairs. There were plenty of bureaucrats loitering around with files in their hands. And amidst that crowd, right next to the door an actual 5-year-old girl stood fidgeting.

She wasn't a 23-year-old in the body of a 5-year-old but an actual 5-year-old.

"'Sup, Luha." I called out to her.

The little girl bowed frantically in response, tugging at the hem of her skirt. She was obviously scared. If not scared at least nervous. I mean it wasn't every day you got to go to the imperial palace.

Ah! Context.

Last week, Luha said that she was curious about how the palace looked. She never openly said that she wanted to come, but she did look like she did. And being the understanding (self-proclaimed) older brother that I was, I took the cue and called her in.

I bet I looked so cool in her eyes back then.

Now, back to the present.

"Let's head in." I walked up next to her.

"Nnhn." She nodded but our eyes didn't meet.

"Come one now... You don't need to be that nervous." So inviting. So charming.

"I-I'm not nervous." Or so she proclaimed while grabbing the back of my shirt for dear life and shying away from all the staff.

She was always confident at school, but being around all these high rankers must've put a lot of weight on her back. Sorta cute in my opinion.

She looked like a mouse surrounded by a bunch of cats.

Nevertheless, we climbed up the staircase to my room where my parents eagerly awaited our arrival.

"Umm... Luha."

'I should probably warn her.'

"Yes?"

"I think that it would be helpful if you knew that my parents might be kind of over the to-"

"Hey there!" Before I could even warn her the two monsters bust outside! They grabbed our hands and pulled us in. The door shut behind us.

Oh, dear.

"Luha, right? What's your favourite colour? How old are you? Oh, never mind you must be 6. How did you meet Ma-kun? How's he at schoo-" Mom rapped some questions out.

Usually, she would be composed, but this was the first friend I ever bought in, besides Yuuno. If you can even consider her a friend. That brat.

'I should control this situation.'

"Can you two please give her a moment? I'm sure she'd be fine introducing herself on her own." I shielded her from their barrage. Mom was the one talking, Dad was there pumping his fist and giving her moral support.

Seeing my absolute barricade the two of them stepped back, dejectedly.

"Oh… okay." Mom pouted.

After calming down, we all sat down on the couch, while Luha remained standing. No one asked her to remain standing yet she did anyway.

She held her hand in the front of her abdomen and gently went down for a full 80 something degree bow and then got back up.

"I am Luha Enoni, from the Enoni house, age 5, born on 27th December." Wait? She was 5? Whoops.

Anyways, she seemed a lot more relaxed when the number of adults in her vicinity shot down to two.

"Fumu~" Mom nodded. Dad was silent probably because he was scared that his voice would frighten the poor girl. "How did you meet Mao-kun?" Mom asked. This soncon never stops. While her words sounded crass, her intonation was very polite, so I'll give her that.

Guess that's what you could expect from a working professional who delegated between countries.

'Is she concerned that Luha approached me cuz of ulterior motives? It seems likely but at the same time it doesn't seem like something Mom would do.'

Oh well.

"Ah yes, the other questions. I, uh, met Mao-kun on the first day of Kindergarten, and we became friends. He has been doing well at school. At first, he was quite confused but he has gotten a lot better at studying. And my favourite colour is dark blue." Woah, she answered all of them.

A 5-year-old with manners and memory like her? It was impressive, to say the least.

"Thanks for answering the questions. Also, feel free to sit down." Dad took charge and finally decided to speak. He probably confirmed Luha's motives before Mom did since he was more perceptive. It was fine since Luha approached me out of her own will.

Dad pointed to the middle of the couch but Luha sat and hid beside me.

'So she was fine until he spoke, huh?'

His face looked downcast.

"You don't have to be scared, Pops is a pretty gentle guy." I reassured hoping that it would help.

"I… ow." She muttered.

"Huh?"

"I know!" She peeked from behind me. The other two looked at her expectantly.

"Then why are you hiding." I pushed back against the couch.

"Uh be…se… n."

"Eh? Your voice isn't clear, check your network."

"Because I'm a big fan!" She shouted with a flushed face. "Your father is the coolest man in the country. He once froze the entire sea and he also turned our active volcano extinct. I mean your mother is cool too, but your father is in a whole another league."

"I'm sort of hurt now~" Mom complained.

"Well, I'm flattered." Dad started burning up from the unexpected compliments. You could see his nose elongate.

'Haughty, much?'

After mustering up enough courage before the other two cooled down Luha spoke again-

"If it's not too much to ask… can I get a handshake?"

"Uhh? Yeah, sure!" His nose got flattened back as Dad snapped back to reality as she walked up to him.

They shook hands.

Fifteen damn minutes worth of greetings, by the end of which Luha was on my father's shoulders while mom cuddled with both of them. It was as if she didn't come to meet but them.

"Ma-kun, can we keep her?" The green-haired woman giggled but her eyes were dead serious.

"She's already someone else's daughter you know?" I retorted.

"Booo… just say yes at times like this." Sometimes this lady forgets to act her age. "I always wanted a daughter like her. And we're plenty rich too~" She made a penny out her hand.

"Oi! Stop! Don't you have Yuu-chan for a daughter?"

"She grew up too quickly." Nope. She was old from the get-go. "Plus she'll probably be our daughter-in-law in the future. I want a daughter!" She threw a mini tantrum. ALSO WHAT'S WITH THE DAUGHTER IN LAW? I WOULDN'T MARRY THAT CRETIN!

The anger made the top of my ears burn. I needed to set this straight-

"There's no way I'll marry her! And there's no way she would marry me either!" I can't even dream about marrying someone like Yuu-chan. No, if I did it would surely be a nightmare.

"In that case, Luha-chan what do you think of our Ma-kun?" Didn't she just say that she wanted a daughter and not a daughter-in-law?

Plus, there's no way I would develop any feelings for someone 13 years younger than me. So marrying Luha is less likely than marrying Yuuno.

Nonetheless, Luha started blushing really hard.

"I-I think Mao-kun is…"

"Is?"

"Is…"

"Uhuh?"

"Is like an older brother!" She spat out.

GREAT RESPONSE! JUST WHAT I HOPED FOR!

Checkmate Mom!

"Older brother, huh? That still works out! Him being your older brother makes you his sister and our daughter! Call me Mommy from now." Talk about positive thinking!

'Also am I really not needed here?'

"And me Daddy." Dad slid his request in, as well.

'Wow, these people went from 0 to 50 real quick.'

Upturned eyes and a small mouth Luha muttered- "Mommy… Daddy…"

That's all it took...

"AWW!!!" A wave of bellowing filled the room. I've heard bulls make cuter sounds than that ungodly 'aww'.

'Wait am I getting jealous?'

I mean sure she quickly won over the two but that didn't mean that she took my place right? No! It didn't!

But just to be sure I climbed onto my Dad's lap as well.

Getting this family took a lot of stuff. No way I would give it up that easy!

They both patted our heads. The reflection on the TV showed a slightly bigger family. Along with a dog that was almost always under the couch.

And that was how I obtained a new sister.

This life, I have been collecting family members like pokemon. I got a mother and a father from the get-go. An uncle and aunt as the Sadou couple. An older sister in Hime-nee. A slightly younger brother in Rune-kun (although regrettably). An older brother in Alez-san. And now a younger sister. The only remaining spots were grandparents, a wife, and some kids of my own.

I can fill the latter two, the former seems a little unapproachable. I mean how do you even approach getting grandparents.

"Mao-kun…" Luha jumped down.

"Yeah…"

"Can you show me around the palace?"

I looked at my parents for confirmation and they gave me proud glances for some reason.

"If that's what you want." I descended as well. "Put on your coat."

"Nhnn." She nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Then let's go!"