Chapter 9 - Suou Yuki vs Rin Tohsaka

Hearing the term "Onii-chan" (big brother), Kaito was completely baffled.

It wasn't unusual for Sakura Tohsaka to call him "Onii-chan"—after all, her sister was his woman, so calling him "brother-in-law" or "big brother" was perfectly normal.

But when did he suddenly gain another little sister?

Taking a closer look, Kaito realized he had seen the girl calling him "Onii-chan" before.

It was Suou Yuki, the girl he had saved from Cú Chulainn last night.

At the moment, she was wearing a black baseball cap, a black hoodie with a skull design on the chest, and light green shorts that revealed her slender, pale legs.

Her cute face wore a mischievous smile, making her look like a lively, adorable girl-next-door.

"So?"

"Were you surprised by Yuki?"

"Uh..."

Seeing how naturally familiar Yuki was acting, Kaito hesitated for a moment before asking, "You just called me 'Onii-chan'?"

"Yes! Yuki wants to be Onii-chan's little sister. Is that okay, Onii-chan?"

A very, very cute and beautiful girl had come to his door, calling him "Onii-chan" and eagerly wanting to become his little sister. Kaito couldn't find a reason to refuse.

"Why?"

"We've only met once, haven't we?"

"Because Onii-chan saved Yuki! Onii-chan was super, super cool back then, and Yuki admires Onii-chan so much! Yuki wants to be Onii-chan's little sister!"

As she spoke, Yuki stepped closer, looking up at him with her golden eyes shining with anticipation.

Her eyes sparkled like stars, as if she would burst into tears the moment he refused.

"It's fine, but..."

Before Kaito could finish, Yuki cheered and hugged his arm.

"Yay!"

"Yuki has an Onii-chan now!"

Kaito didn't know what to say, so he glanced outside and noticed a large truck parked on the street, with several people who looked like movers waiting nearby.

"Yuki, what's this...?"

"Because Yuki wants to live with Onii-chan, so Yuki is moving in!"

"Moving in?!"

Before Kaito could respond, Rin's surprised voice came from behind.

Turning around, Kaito saw Rin walking over, her expression slightly hostile as she looked at Yuki, who was clinging to Kaito's arm. It was as if her territory had been invaded by another woman.

However, since she wasn't very familiar with Yuki, Rin didn't show the same side she did with Kaito. Instead, she maintained the demeanor of a proper young lady, polite but questioning.

"Suou-san."

"If I recall correctly, this is my house, isn't it?"

"Isn't it a bit rude to move into someone else's house without asking the owner?"

Facing Rin, Yuki also changed her demeanor. She let go of Kaito's arm but didn't immediately respond to Rin's question. Instead, she turned to Kaito and smiled.

"Onii-chan, could you leave us for a moment?"

"There are some things I'd like to discuss with Tohsaka-san."

Kaito didn't answer but looked at Rin instead.

Rin, who had none of the vulnerability she showed last night, crossed her arms and exuded an imposing aura.

"I was just about to ask Suou-san to have a private chat with me."

Although Rin seemed to have the upper hand in terms of presence, while Yuki appeared gentle and harmless, Kaito couldn't help but feel that...

He mentally clicked his tongue. Since Rin had said so, Kaito decided not to interfere and turned to walk back into the living room, waving his hand as he went.

"Take your time. Call me if you need anything."

As Kaito's figure disappeared through the door, Rin's gaze grew sharper.

"Now, Suou-san, care to explain yourself?"

"Why would the young lady of the Suou family do something so rude?"

Although the Tohsaka family's current status in the mundane world wasn't as high as the Suou family's, they were still an aristocratic family with a history spanning hundreds of years.

At their peak, the Tohsaka family had been even more prestigious than the Suou family. It was only after her father, Tokiomi Tohsaka, died unexpectedly that the family's fortunes declined. But Rin wasn't afraid of some Suou family heiress.

Yuki, on the other hand, didn't match Rin's sharp demeanor. Instead, she clasped her hands behind her back, her lips curving into an elegant, confident smile, as if she had everything under control.

"Tohsaka-san."

"I've looked into your situation."

"You're... short on money, aren't you?"

Hearing that Yuki had investigated her, Rin felt a mix of wariness and displeasure. But when the topic of money came up, Rin froze, and the fierce, protective aura she had been exuding diminished slightly.

Yuki's smile widened just a bit.

She continued in a light, almost airy tone, "Your father's unexpected death."

"Many of the Tohsaka family's assets were lost as a result."

"Although you still hold patents for many magecraft techniques, earning tens of millions of yen annually from them..."

"What does my financial situation have to do with you?"

Seeing Yuki's confident, almost smug smile, Rin suddenly snapped out of her daze.

Realizing that she had inadvertently lost the upper hand, Rin knew she couldn't let Yuki continue like this. She immediately interrupted, "What exactly are you trying to say?"

Yuki's smile remained perfectly composed. Instead of answering Rin's question, she continued as if speaking to herself.

"The medical expenses for your mother, who's in a vegetative state."

"Tuition and living expenses for you and your sister."

"The maintenance costs for the Tohsaka family's ancestral estate."

"And let's not forget the magic gems you consume, each costing 500,000 yen."

"A few tens of millions of yen just isn't enough, is it?"

"Hmm, the great Tohsaka family heiress, reduced to working part-time jobs during her breaks. How pitiful."

Rin couldn't take it anymore. How had she never noticed how infuriating this girl could be?!

"You...?"

"Thirty million."

Yuki suddenly threw out a number.

Rin's body trembled, half in shock and half in confusion as she stared at Yuki.

She had an inkling of what Yuki was implying, but...

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, I, Suou Yuki, on behalf of the Suou family, will provide you with thirty million yen."

"And if you demonstrate further value, the Suou family will invest even more in you."

"Although the Suou family isn't some major conglomerate, and we don't have vast sums of money, a few tens of millions—or even a few hundred million yen—is something we can easily spare."

As she spoke, Yuki leaned forward slightly.

Her cute face was filled with the confident smile of someone who had already won.

"What do you think, Tohsaka-san?"

...