«I'll just make a quick stop in my bedroom to get dressed, then I'll join you. You can wait for me in the kitchen—you should find my big sis Rika there.»
With those hasty words, Yuzu abandons them in the overly luxurious living room.
Hakuto gets the impression that his father is quite familiar with the house, as he walks confidently down the long corridor—lined with doors on both sides—that leads from the living room to the rest of the house, opening the right one on his first try: the second door on the right.
A girl stands with her back turned at the sink, busy washing a large cup—the kind used for drinking tea. She must have just finished breakfast.
She has short, bobbed hair of a bright blonde shade, and wears a long white robe so transparent that her black underwear clearly shows underneath, as if she were wearing nothing else.
It must be Rika, Yuzu's older sister.
She's slightly taller, and under the robe, her noticeably fuller butt stands out compared to her younger sister's, accentuated by the black thong—though her body remains just as slim and slender.
«Like mother, like daughters,» Shin comments dryly, placing the suitcases on the floor.
Hakuto does the same, but not before giving his father a sharp elbow to the arm, as if to say "Keep that mouth shut!"
The girl turns around abruptly—and now it's possible to clearly see through the robe even her breasts, smaller than her younger sister's and covered by a bra matching the panties. Her face, though almost identical to Yuzu's—except for her sky-blue eyes—doesn't show the same cheerful expression upon seeing them.
«Didn't anyone ever teach you it's polite to knock?!» she snaps, her tone anything but friendly.
«E-Excuse me,» the boy says, bowing forward in apology and motioning for his father to do the same. «I-I'm Hakuto Tendo, and this is my father—Shin Tendo. You must be Rika Narkhalis, right? Nice to meet you,» he introduces himself, wearing the most polite tone and friendly smile he can manage, trying to ease the girl's obvious bad mood—but it doesn't really help.
She scans them from head to toe with visible disgust. «Why do you ask if you already know?»
Hakuto starts blushing so intensely he could be mistaken for a tomato, while Shin lets out a faint, mocking smile.
«Your mother told me you've got quite the temper, but I didn't expect you to be this grumpy. According to her, it's because you never have sex… Who knows, maybe my boy here will manage to wipe that sulky look off your face,» says Shin, giving his son a loud slap on the shoulder.
The bright red coloring Hakuto's face now looks pale and lifeless compared to Rika's.
«H-HOW DARE YOU?!» Rika bursts out, stammering.
Through it all, Hakuto's eyes remain fixed on the floor—still bowed forward—too embarrassed to lift his gaze.
«Rather… I don't see my darling new wife. Where is she?»
«My mom is working… unlike you!»
~My father might not be a world champion of manners, but this girl is seriously unbearable…~ Hakuto mutters to himself.
«I wonder what absurd reason made my mom bring home two beggars… we were doing just fine on our own!»
~I'm wondering that too…~
«Don't be so harsh, big sis. They're really nice people—I could tell at a glance. And you know my sixth sense never fails!»
Yuzu's cheerful voice rings out from the kitchen doorway.
She had said she was going to her room to get dressed, but in reality, she just put on a pair of shorts so tiny they still leave the lower part of her butt cheeks exposed.
«We're a big family now, whether you like it or not. So let's try to get along, okay?» she adds, flashing a radiant smile.
«I know, but…» Rika's expression darkens slightly. «Why did Mom spring this on us without even asking what we thought? We're her daughters, not some strangers! How could she marry in secret without telling us anything?!»
From those words, Hakuto understands that Rika's resentment—the rather rude way she treated them—isn't directed at them personally, but at the fact that her mother didn't involve her in the decision.
~I can't really blame her. Even I was pretty annoyed that my dad kept me in the dark until the very last moment. Well… they must've had their reasons for not telling us anything…~
«You know how mommy is. She's always super busy with work and that other thing, and she probably forgot—or maybe she was just convinced she'd already told us. It wouldn't be the first time she forgot something important, right?»
«Y-Yeah, I guess you're right…» Rika then turns to Hakuto and Shin. «At this point, introducing myself is kind of pointless, but… I'm Rika Narkhalis, and I'm sixteen years old. Nice to meet you…»
Sixteen—the same age as Hakuto.
«Oh, much better!» cheers Yuzu, as happy as if she'd just won the lottery.