Shiraishi Asa's expression froze.
Before he could react, Yukinoshita Haruno swept him up in her arms and carried him straight into the bathroom.
Unlike her younger sister Yukinoshita Yukino's slender build, Haruno's figure bore a closer resemblance to their elegant and imposing mother. Draped in soft, casual loungewear, her curves were even more pronounced.
Being held like that, Asa only had to tilt his head slightly to see—
"Sister Haruno, I can wash myself!"
He wriggled gently in her arms as they reached the bathroom door.
"No way. You're just a little guy. Let me take care of you."
Haruno smiled, brushing him off playfully. "Don't worry, I've got experience. I used to bathe Yukino when she was little, too."
Asa let out a defeated sigh.
This was the classic problem for a boy stuck in a child's body—adults decided everything for you. And Haruno, in particular, seemed to view him more like a shiny new toy than a real sibling.
Like a kid who'd just unboxed a new Gundam and couldn't wait to take it apart.
If this had been before, he might not have thought much of it. After all, even Hoshino Ai had dragged him into the bath more than once.
But now...
Asa glanced down at his hands.
Then looked at the gleaming tile beneath his feet.
Definitely slippery.
He glanced at Haruno again as she rolled up her sleeves and began to draw a bath, her movements graceful and confident.
He sighed once more.
Well, it's not like he'd come out of this on the losing end.
Haruno's personality mirrored her mother's—tough on the surface but easily swayed by gentle persistence.
Maybe a little physical proximity could shift the odds in his favor.
"Am I on track for the teasing older sister route?" he mused as he stepped toward the tub.
Despite moving carefully, the moment his feet touched the slick tile—
Thud!
He slipped forward, crashing into her back.
They both toppled into the steaming bath.
Haruno half-fell against the edge, her loungewear soaking through in an instant, clinging to every contour.
Asa found himself clinging to her like a baby koala.
The feeling that coursed through him wasn't entirely physical.
"Ah… the floor's a little slippery," Asa muttered, wearing a face of complete innocence as he quickly moved his hand away.
"Careful, okay?"
Haruno's cheeks flushed a faint pink. She didn't question the odd sensation that passed through her.
She tried to stand, helping Asa up at the same time.
But her footing failed again. The tub splashed with a loud crash.
And once more, they slipped and fell together.
When people panic, they instinctively grab hold of the nearest thing.
Girls, even more so.
This time, Asa ended up pressed tightly in Haruno's arms.
"Ha-Haruno-san..."
He squirmed awkwardly.
Haruno's lips parted slightly, her breath soft.
"The tub's really… slippery."
Her voice had a strange edge to it, light and shaky. Her eyes shimmered with something unreadable.
Did she just…?
Asa went still.
Soaked in the bath, he stared blankly at the ceiling.
There was no mistaking it.
This bathroom was doomed to become a danger zone tonight.
...
The next morning.
A handsome young man sat cross-legged on the bed, eyes slowly opening.
"As expected. Absorbing Yin energy all night really boosted my strength."
Asa clenched his fist with satisfaction.
To absorb the moon's Yin energy, he had to revert to his true incubus form—an opportunity he hadn't had in the orphanage.
But now, surrounded by a family of women, that form restriction didn't apply when absorbing feminine Yin energy.
Big or small, didn't matter.
"No wonder incubus of the past couldn't resist hunting down women. Just soaking in moonlight gives you gains like this. If I actually fuck a girl, the power growth would be insane."
"But… if I expose what I am, I'll be the one hunted."
"Still... maybe I can start with those closest to me."
Images of Haruno and Yukino floated through his mind.
"First step: build trust."
"But before anything else, I need more power. Self-preservation comes first."
"System, sign in."
Ding!
You've unlocked a new location.
Sign-in complete at Yukinoshita Residence.
New abilities acquired: [LV1. Invisibility], [LV1. Time Stop]
"Two abilities from one sign-in?"
He brightened.
LV1. Invisibility – Grants full-body invisibility for 30 seconds. Cooldown: 60 seconds.
Two same LV1 abilities detected. Time Stop eligible for upgrade to LV2. Proceed with synthesis?
"Yes. Combine them."
LV2. Time Stop – Halts time for the entire universe, excluding user, for 10 seconds. Cooldown: 30 seconds. [Note: Stronger beings may retain some perception even while time is stopped.]
Invisibility and time stop?
He grinned.
Now he could move like a ghost.
The possibilities were endless.
Knock knock.
"Asa-kun, are you awake?"
Haruno's voice rang from the other side of the door.
Immediately, the adult incubus vanished, his body shrinking back into that of a child.
"Coming!"
...
After breakfast.
Haruno had already left. She was attending a national university and had early student council meetings.
That left Yukinoshita Yukino and Shiraishi Asa to travel to Shuchiin Academy together.
Even now, Yukino still couldn't comprehend why their absent mother had suddenly adopted a younger brother.
And apparently, she was expected to escort him to and from school?
Was this supposed to be punishment?
More baffling, however, was what had happened between Haruno and Asa that morning.
One night, and they already looked... intimate.
Closer than she ever felt to either of them.
Like she was the outsider.
That thought boiled in Yukino's mind.
She shot Asa a sharp glare before stepping into the car.
Her expression returned to its usual icy calm.
As the car pulled away, she finally spoke.
"Aunt Mieko arranged your enrollment. You're in Class 1-B."
"You'll have to find it yourself."
"I have club activities after school. If you want to go home, ask Mieko to pick you up."
Her voice was cold and distant.
Asa didn't need to guess—she was projecting her anger toward her mother onto him.
He wasn't about to argue.
"Understood…"
His tone softened.
"I'll find my class on my own…"
"I'll buy my own lunch…"
"I won't bother Aunt Mieko."
***
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