In this crossover anime, I've been bound to two systems.

In short, Mrs. Isshiki hopes that you will be able to live with her family from now on.

Happiness came too quickly and too suddenly. What's your response to this?

[1. Okay (a quick answer without thinking).]

2. I don't want to cause you any trouble. I insist on my original decision to stay in this home (my attitude is extremely sincere).

3. I'm sorry, I'm very confused right now, I don't know what to do (looking helpless and hesitant).

Suzumiya Chisato narrowed her eyes as she looked at the three options before her. Her intuition told her that the option that had appeared now might be quite important.

He first eliminated the option that was too direct, feeling that such an answer was too blunt and inconsistent with his previous image as a "filial son." Being too purposeful was not a good thing at this crucial moment; if others noticed that he had ulterior motives, things might go very wrong.

The two options fit his previous persona, but is it really a good idea to refuse outright? Won't his refusal make Isshiki's wife, who has made up her mind, give up on this idea?

It's like when a relative gives you a red envelope during Chinese New Year. You really want it, but you firmly say no, and then they really don't give it to you.

Generally speaking, such situations rarely occur, but this lousy simulator can't predict what kind of unexpected developments might happen. If such a situation were to actually occur, what would be the point of all his previous performances?

After careful consideration, Suzumiya Senri finally chose three.

The last consideration leaves a lot of room for maneuver and is also most in line with the reaction of a nine-year-old child whose mind is not yet mature.

Can’t be wrong!

…………

Chapter 124 Fighting Game

[Facing the expectant gazes of Madam Isshiki and the director of the orphanage, you lowered your head with a bewildered expression and shook your head slightly. You told them that your stepfather and stepmother had just had an accident, and that all you wanted to do now was stay by their side to fulfill your filial duties, and that you couldn't think about so many other things.]

Mrs. Isshiki and the headmaster exchanged a glance. They realized that what was happening was an unbearable pain for a child who was only nine years old.

They comforted you gently, telling you that there's plenty of time, you don't need to worry, you can think it over slowly, and you can continue living in this house without leaving your stepmother's side.

The situation is developing in a smooth and orderly manner, just as you had envisioned.

Because Mrs. Isshiki, who lives next door, discussed the matter with the director of the orphanage and took on the responsibility of being your guardian, you no longer need to return to the orphanage.

Your life changed so that you would eat and wash up at Isshiki's house every morning after waking up and after school in the afternoon. The rest of the time, you lived alone in the house left by the Ramen Couple. Every Saturday and Sunday, you would also go to the hospital to visit your stepmother who was in a vegetative state.

This kind of life lasted for a year.

[10 years old: Your life is basically on track. On your tenth birthday, surrounded by the Isshiki family of three, you have just blown out the candles. Just after midnight, you suddenly feel a mysterious feeling flowing through your whole body.]

The feeling was like a strong wind blowing through a sky full of dark clouds, and in an instant, the sun shone on the earth, and the stuffy air disappeared, leaving one feeling refreshed.

Ichiro Yu scratched the raffle ticket that came with the cake purchase and won the second prize: a premium hot spring trip voucher.

The Isshiki couple were very happy, and you were happy too. You chose your vacation, and the four of you went to a resort hot spring together.

The hot spring resort offered excellent service, and the food and accommodations were quite upscale. Your group of four was accommodated in a large Japanese-style room.

After soaking in the hot spring at night, Isshiki Hachiman and you ran around the room, had a pillow fight, and played around for over an hour before falling into a deep sleep.

[You wake up again midway through the night and find someone picking you up. You smell that familiar scent and know it's Aunt Isshiki. You only open your eyes a crack before letting your guard down and quickly falling asleep against her chest.]

[Late at night, you feel a pain in your ear. You groggily open your eyes and look to your side, only to find Iroha Isshiki's mouth slightly open, right in front of you. She had just bitten you with her teeth.]

You rubbed your eyes, about to speak in confusion, when a nervous Iroha covered your mouth. You felt a tightness in your chest, and only then did you realize that your childhood friend had somehow crawled into your blanket.

Not only that, she lay completely on top of you, you could feel her chubby knees pressing against your stomach, but you, who had feelings for her, didn't want her to leave, so you looked at her excessively cute shushing posture and slowly nodded.

[Iroha slowly released her grip and began to whisper worriedly in your ear. When she woke up, she found herself no longer in her usual spot. Just as she was wondering what to do and was about to get up to find her mother, she discovered her father hitting her mother. She didn't know what to do.]

During her account, you have become fully aware of what happened. Combining her words with what you have observed and heard, you roughly understand what has occurred.

In the center of the room, separated by a paper door, you and Iroha Isshiki sleep on the inner side. By the moonlight streaming in from the courtyard, you can see your intertwined shadows reflected on the paper door. You can hear Isshiki's deliberately soft voice, as if she's about to cry, saying things like, "Please forgive me, Sir Knight," "This purification will break if you continue," and "My children are right here, please show me some dignity." You can also hear Isshiki's slightly domineering, clearly arrogant voice, saying things like, "How could I possibly let you go, you succubus?" "I will make you submit," and "I'll show you my power."

Although you are only ten years old and in the third grade, you are much more mature than your peers. You are no longer the little child who didn't understand why the former principal had honey on his chest. You quickly understood what was going on.

But meeting Iroha's deeply worried gaze, you felt a strange unease stirring within you. You were at a loss, unsure how to explain the situation to her. After some thought, you decided...

[1. Don't worry about that, brother will hold you and we'll sleep together.]

2. Let's sneakily play a game of catching mice in my brother's bed.

3. Auntie and Uncle are just playing a fighting game. They'll go to sleep when they're done, so don't worry.

How strange.

What's with this mouse-catching game? It can't be what I'm thinking, can it?

And this couple is really something else. Not only do they do embarrassing things around their two children, but they even engage in role-playing.

Chisato Suzumiya said she had learned something and would be able to put it to good use in the future.

He looked at the three options.

I felt that if I just let Isshiki go to sleep, she probably wouldn't be able to sleep either. The game of catching mice felt very strange and didn't seem like a serious option.

So he chose three.

In short, it's best to just let it slide for now; she'll understand these things when she's older.

You gently whisper in Iroha's ear and tell her that her parents are just playing a fighting game, not actually fighting, and that she shouldn't worry.

[But Iroha, listening to her mother's increasingly pitiful and urgent voice, couldn't hear a word you said. Several times she wanted to rush out and protect her mother from her father, but you stopped her each time. Just as you were struggling with how to continue your lie, the situation changed.]

[Mr. Isshiki's condition took a sharp turn for the worse. After a trembling, ambiguous sound, he began to plead in a clearly weakened voice, saying things like, "It's too late today, let's stop," "The children are still sleeping," and "Please don't do this, wife." Meanwhile, Mrs. Isshiki seemed to be getting into the swing of things, her voice becoming more aggressive as she said things like, "Is that all?" "Keep being arrogant," and "It's my turn to counterattack, Knight."]

In short, Isshiki, nestled in your arms, overheard these conversations and heard her father's seemingly painful gasps, gradually came to believe you. Her previous worries disappeared, and she quickly fell asleep.

[After returning home from the hot spring inn, one afternoon, Isshiki Hatake finished her homework under your guidance. You flopped onto the bed, and she climbed over to you, sitting on top of you, excitedly suggesting a fighting game.]

【You decide……】

…………

Chapter 125 You Refused to Change Your Surname to "Isse".

I think you have absolutely no idea; you've just delivered yourself to my doorstep.

Fighting games... are those something you can just play casually?

That being said, Chisato Suzumiya couldn't change the plot of The Sims, so she could only reluctantly continue watching with interest.

Faced with Iroha Isshiki's suggestion of a "fighting game," you decide...

【1. Okay, okay! (Quick answer)】

2. Fighting games aren't fun. Why don't you come to Onii-chan's bed and play a game of finding mice?

Suzumiya Chisato rubbed her eyes. Yes, there really were only two choices.

The problem is that he feels neither of these two options is quite suitable. Even if there are no immediate problems, there will definitely be issues later.

After weighing the pros and cons, he eliminated the ambiguous option two and chose the relatively better option one.

Faced with the expectant look on Isshiki's face, you couldn't refuse him, and you nodded in agreement.

Afterwards, Iroha Isshiki, who had played the fighting game with you, had a few red palms, but she had really enjoyed it. She made a promise to play again the next day, and you agreed. That night, as you went to sleep, your mind was filled with Iroha Isshiki's expression of pain and the sounds she made imitating Mrs. Iroha Isshiki from that night at the hot spring. Your heart was pounding with excitement, and you had a long-lost insomnia.

[11 years old: You won the lottery three times in a row. First, you won golden melon seeds while eating melon seeds. Second, you won 880,000 yen while scanning a QR code while drinking cola. Third, a brand new smart refrigerator appeared on your shopping receipt at the mall.]

Iroha Isshiki will still occasionally play fighting games with you, but now that she's a year older, her intelligence has also grown. She's started to notice the unfairness: why is it that every time we play fighting games, you're the one in control, while she's always the one on the defensive?

Having no other option, you take out the plush toy you originally planned to give her on her birthday to distract her. As she happily hugs the toy and rubs her face against your bed, you raise your hand and gently pat her bottom with a touch of pity but also a little force.

After a crisp sound, Iroha pouted and turned to look at you, complaining that you hadn't told her beforehand about the fighting game. You sincerely apologized and, after letting her prepare, raised your hand a second time.

[Age 12: A gacha game called Starry Sky becomes popular at school. You realize you have great luck and start offering paid gacha services, often getting double or triple gacha pulls in ten draws, making a lot of money.]

Isshiki Hajime gradually began to dislike playing fighting games with you because she realized the difference in strength between you. She didn't think she could win this game, so you invented a new game, the "Statues" game. It wasn't the traditional "Statues" game, but rather a game where, every afternoon after you finished teaching Isshiki Hajime, the two of you would lie together, either on the tatami mat or the bed, and whoever moved first would lose.

At first, Iroha Isshiki would struggle to concentrate, but she gradually figured out a trick: when she snuggled close to you in a very intimate position, you'd give up in less than two or three minutes. She felt joy and began to enjoy the game.

[Age 13: You've become a first-year junior high student, while Iroha Isshiki, a sixth-grade elementary school student, has a new physiology class this year. You can clearly sense that, without realizing it, the cute girl who used to follow you around every day has become distant. She avoids your gaze, and occasionally asks you for help with her homework, but immediately leaves after you answer her questions. The time you spend alone together has noticeably decreased.]

As expected, I guessed correctly.

When children are young and don't understand things, they can be fooled, but now that they're older and have a clearer understanding of many things, they're not so easily deceived.

Iroha Isshiki now must be imitating her past self, feeling slightly resentful and ashamed of her past actions.

[Age 14: Mr. Isshiki's stocks plummeted, causing him heavy losses, to the point where he could barely afford his mortgage. You've been taken care of by the Isshiki family all these years, and you start to consider what you can do for yourself. You decide...]

1. Start working and use the money you earn to help them.

2. My luck seems to have been pretty good these past few years. Why don't I buy a hundred lottery tickets and try my luck? Maybe I'll win the jackpot.

3. Um, I seem to own quite a few houses.

Working was immediately ruled out by Suzumiya Chisato. Working was out of the question; she was only a middle school student, what kind of work could she possibly do? Besides, the little money she could earn from working would be a drop in the ocean and wouldn't be enough to solve her current predicament.

As for the lottery, it's not a safe choice either. The odds of winning a big prize are one in several million, or even higher. It's not that simple.

He remembered the talent of "bipolar reversal" very clearly. After the age of ten, his luck only improved to the level of "twice that of a normal person". He did not think that he could win the lottery jackpot just because of this level.

The last option seems a bit extravagant, but considering the care the Isshiki couple have given me in recent years, and the fact that the heroine I want to win over this time is Isshiki Iroha, it seems that I don't need to think too much about it.

Choose three.

Regarding the difficulties faced by the Isshiki family, you offered to sell the property left to you by the Ramen couple to make up for the loss. The Isshiki couple were very grateful to you, and under your strong persuasion, they accepted your help. However, they repeatedly stated that the money was just a loan from you, and wrote an IOU with interest calculated, saying that they would definitely repay you in the future.

You don't care about this. Even if you lose the ramen couple's property, you still have their storefront apartment, as well as three properties left by your parents and grandparents. It's not a big deal.

Having lost your current residence, you naturally moved into the Isshiki family home. Mrs. Isshiki prepared a room for you on the second floor, next to Iroha Isshiki's room. The physical distance between you two has thus shortened, but the distance between your hearts has not.

[15 years old: You have been completely regarded as their own child by the Isshiki couple. At the dinner table, Mr. Isshiki, who was promoted, drank too much because he was happy. In front of his wife and Isshiki Iroha, he asked you if you wanted to change your surname to "Isshiki". He was sincere and wanted to truly become a family with you.]

But after you remained silent for a while, you refused him. Mr. Isshiki was puzzled and about to ask when Mrs. Isshiki kicked him and gestured for him to shut up. Iroha Isshiki put down her chopsticks and ran back to her room.

…………

Chapter 126 Opportunity

[You rejected Mr. Isshiki's proposal not because you didn't want to get closer to the Isshiki family, but because you wanted to achieve that goal in a different way.]

Mr. Isshiki, having drunk too much, was oblivious to this fact and felt disappointed. Mrs. Isshiki, however, looked at you with increasingly gentle eyes, placing two large chicken drumsticks on your plate. As for Iroha Isshiki, who left the table midway, her expressionless demeanor as she departed left you unable to decipher her thoughts.

Suzumiya Senri picked up the water from the table and took a small sip.