As Ogiwara Sayu was about to disrobe, Renji Kamisaka swiftly pulled a set of bath towels from the closet and wrapped them around the girl. His movements were quick, flawless, as if he were well-practiced.
"Alright, hurry up and shower, then change into these," Renji said, handing her one of his oversized shirts and a pair of shorts. The clean white shirt contrasted sharply with Sayu's worn uniform. "These are my clothes, you can wear them for now. We'll go together later to buy you some everyday clothes."
Ogiwara Sayu stared blankly, then realized that Renji wasn't going to do anything bad to her, but quite the opposite. Her cheeks burned, radiating a deep crimson blush. "Yes… I understand." She wrapped herself in the bath towel and ran into the bathroom as if fleeing, the soft patter of her footsteps disappearing behind the door.
Renji Kamisaka blushed faintly, touching his nose. Actually, it wasn't that he didn't want to take advantage of her. It was just that if he brought Ogiwara Sayu home merely to satisfy his own desires, then how was he any different from a pervert? What Renji Kamisaka wanted was a warm and happy life. And that wasn't just his happiness. His future daughters—though he didn't have any yet—also had to be happy. So he had to untangle the knots in Sayu's heart, guiding her towards happiness.
[Ding, mission triggered: Untangle the knots in the heart of the runaway high school girl, mission completion reward: random skill and item entry.]
He had just thought of it, and the quest was directly triggered. Renji Kamisaka couldn't help but smile. Fortunately, his game-life system wouldn't cheat like those trashy systems, which not only had mandatory quests but also penalties for failure. This gave him freedom, but also a responsibility he had to bear.
Ogiwara Sayu lingered for quite a while before emerging from the bathroom. Perhaps she enjoyed the warmth of the water and soap, or perhaps she was gathering her courage. When she appeared, she was wearing Renji Kamisaka's shirt—it was far too large, making her chest seem to swell and protrude, paired with a beautiful pair of slender legs beneath oversized shorts that almost reached her knees. Her slightly flushed oval face made her look pure and alluring, an intoxicating combination. Renji Kamisaka couldn't help but glance at her several more times. His breathing quickened, his heart beating a little faster.
"Um… Renji-kun, how do I look in these clothes?" Sayu's voice was soft, a little shy, but there was a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
Renji Kamisaka coughed twice, trying to compose himself. "This is just a temporary measure, you can't wear these clothes and show them to other people later!" he said honestly, a little louder than he intended.
Ogiwara Sayu's lips curved into a smile. A gentle smile, yet full of meaning. "Alright, I'll only show them to you." There was an unspoken promise in those words, a desire to repay the kindness she had received. Facing the man who had taken her in, who was willing to show her gentleness and care—though she didn't know how long that tenderness would last—she still wanted to repay him in any way she could.
Renji Kamisaka gestured to her. "Come here and sit down, I'll help you dry your hair." He pointed to a small stool near the table.
Ogiwara Sayu obediently sat on the small stool in front of Renji Kamisaka like a soft doll, leaning slightly so Renji could reach her more easily. Renji Kamisaka skillfully dried her hair with a towel, his fingers moving deftly. Sayu couldn't help but pout her small mouth. Was Renji-kun too skilled? Could it be that he often helped girls dry their hair? Thinking about it in her heart, she said nothing. Since she had no position, no rights. With her identity, Renji Kamisaka's willingness to accept her was already a thousand thanks. What more could she ask for?
Perhaps she was actually a coward. She clearly lived so painfully, so confused, yet still couldn't face death. While thinking, painful past shadows flashed through her mind, dimming Ogiwara Sayu's eyes, as if the light within them had faded.
"Alright, your hair is dry, let's go out." Renji ended the silence, his voice gentle, as if he sensed the sadness that had just enveloped Sayu. "By the way, I'll also introduce you to the situation at my place on the way."
"Okay," Ogiwara Sayu replied obediently, her small voice almost a whisper. She rose, following Renji Kamisaka out the door, into a hallway that felt unfamiliar yet promising.
On the way, Renji Kamisaka gathered his words and slowly began to speak. "Currently, I'm a first-year student at Soubu High School, and there are still about five days until school starts. My parents are gone, and I'm alone at home. I inherited my parents' property, that house, which is called Sakurasou."
Renji continued, explaining his financial structure in a practical yet informative tone. "So, my main source of income is rent from the tenants of Sakurasou. There's a school near Sakurasou called Suimei University of the Arts High School, and all the residents of Sakurasou are students there." He spoke with conviction, as if this were the most normal thing in the world.
By the way, some people might find it familiar. That's right. The Sakurasou Renji Kamisaka inherited was the one from the anime The Pet Girl of Sakurasou. This was an advantage after activating his game system. Starting with Sakurasou, his future life would require him, the player, to manage it himself, trigger missions, and complete missions to obtain rewards and improve himself. A strange destiny, yet full of potential.
"Currently, there are five people living in Sakurasou besides you and me," Renji explained to Sayu, introducing the other residents from The Pet Girl of Sakurasou world. "Kanda Sorata, who lives on the first floor, is a boy who likes to keep cats. Because he keeps too many cats, the principal sent him here. Living on the third floor is Kamiigusa Misaki-senpai, a genius-level animation creator who's always cheerful and full of energy. Living on the second floor is a boy who's even prettier than most girls, he's Akasaka Ryuunosuke, a tech otaku who generally doesn't like to go out, busy with his own world."
Renji then shifted to the dormitory's ownership structure, looking at Sayu to ensure she understood. "On the first floor also lives Chigusa Chihiro-sensei, the original manager of Sakurasou. However, her father lost a gamble and sold Sakurasou to my parents. So at Sakurasou, I'm now the landlord. Sayu, from now on you'll live on the second floor, next to my room. Your job is to clean and take care of my daily life, is that okay?" There was a slight pause, as if waiting for approval.
"Mm-hm, I have no problem with that!" Sayu answered enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling. She was used to cleaning the house and cooking for herself, so there was no pressure. She was versatile when it came to housework, and her cooking skills were also very good, an asset that would likely be very useful at Sakurasou.
She used to think that if she worked hard, her mother would eventually like her. But she was wrong. Her mother blamed all her dissatisfactions on her, no matter how she behaved, her mother wouldn't like her. On the contrary…
She secretly glanced at Renji Kamisaka and immediately averted her gaze. An unspoken promise crossed her mind: If the man in front of her liked her and was willing to be good to her, then she would also be willing to repay him with all her abilities.
"The last person, Sayu, you must stay away from him, you must not say a word to him, understand?" Renji said seriously, a frown appearing on his forehead.
"Huh, why?" Sayu asked, confused, her curiosity overcoming her fear.
"This person is named Mitaka Jin, and he's currently dating six girlfriends at once, rumor has it girls get pregnant if they just see him on the street," Renji explained with a slight exaggeration, but there was a warning tone there.
"No way! Is there really a man that bad?" Ogiwara Sayu was shocked, her eyes widening. "I understand. I won't talk to him!" She immediately nodded eagerly to reassure him, a cute yet sincere determination.
Renji Kamisaka smiled faintly, seeing Sayu's innocent reaction. "I'm just kidding. I'm not forcing you to limit who you talk to. I just want to remind you that this person is very flirtatious with girls. And from my personal point of view, I don't want anyone else to touch you, it's… in short, I'm a very greedy person, with strong possessive desires. If you can't accept it, remember to tell me first, I won't force girls to stay by my side." An honest confession, a little selfish, but somehow it sounded so sincere.
Ogiwara Sayu heard his sincere words, and a sweet smile appeared on her lips. A smile filled with relief and a little gratitude. "I understand, I won't let other men touch me!" She added in her heart, I'll only let you touch me.
How to put it. Although what Renji said was very realistic, very selfish, and a little arrogant, for Ogiwara Sayu, this was also a feeling of being cared for, a sign that she was no longer alone. So she didn't feel dissatisfied, instead, her mood became better, as if the heavy burden she had been carrying was now slightly lifted.
After that, the atmosphere between the two was very good. Renji Kamisaka took Ogiwara Sayu by train to the largest supermarket nearby, went to the clothing section and bought her several sets of everyday dresses and tops. Also two layers. And two sets of underwear. Those items were the most expensive, but Renji didn't hesitate to buy them. After finally spending 580,000 yen, he brought home the newly transformed Ogiwara Sayu, her face radiating a happiness rarely seen before. By the way, he also bought some groceries.
Ogiwara Sayu seemed very happy. A man willing to spend money on a woman showed that the woman still had a place in his heart. Although Renji Kamisaka said that the money for the clothes would be deducted from her salary, this made her feel more comfortable and respected, as if she was part of the deal, not just a handout.
Upon returning to Sakurasou, the beautiful teacher Chihiro Sengoku was holding a bottle of wine and downing its contents in the slightly messy living room. Seeing Renji Kamisaka and Ogiwara Sayu beside him, Chihiro Sengoku couldn't help but roll her eyes, a tired but slightly amused expression plastered on her face.
"Renji, are you learning from that Mitaka guy? You actually brought a girl back to Sakurasou?" Chihiro Sengoku mumbled, her voice a little hoarse from the wine. "It's terrible, my father shouldn't have sold Sakurasou!" There was a tone of frustration and resignation there.
Renji Kamisaka shook his head with a smile. "I can't match Senior Mitaka's smoothness in dating six girlfriends at once (at least not now). This is Ogiwara Sayu, she'll be living in Sakurasou from today onwards. I've hired her as Sakurasou's assistant manager."
"Teacher Sengoku, please help with the check-in procedures. Sayu will be staying in the room next to mine."
Although Renji Kamisaka was the owner of Sakurasou, he still employed Chihiro Sengoku as the manager. After all, Chihiro Sengoku was familiar with the business, and he usually had to go to class, so it was only natural that he didn't have time to take care of the house. A mutually beneficial arrangement, or at least that's what Renji thought.
Chihiro Sengoku rolled her eyes again, this time with a hint of a teasing smile. "Are you sure she's a guest and not your little lover?" She sneered. Assistant manager? Clearly, she was just a secretary who handled his affairs. A secretary works when there's something to do, and a secretary is done working when there's nothing to do. However, there was a tone of acceptance in her mockery.
"Well, it doesn't matter to me. Miss Ogiwara, please come with me." Chihiro Sengoku waved her hand, turned, and started walking.
Ogiwara Sayu unconsciously looked at Renji Kamisaka, seeking his opinion, a habit that was beginning to form.
"Go ahead, Teacher Chihiro Sengoku is a good person, beautiful, and easy to get along with," Renji said, deliberately praising Chihiro.
"Hey, Renji, I like hearing you say that," Chihiro Sengoku immediately became pleased, a satisfied smile curving her lips.