Chapter 623: Kagayama Kaede: Don't Spoil Me So Much!
"Is this Onii-chan's home? Which floor?" Natsumi asked, craning her neck to look up at the towering, modern apartment building as they arrived downstairs.
Ren just smiled, a hint of pride in his voice. "The entire building is mine."
"Ah?" Hearing this, everyone's eyes widened in unison.
"So... so rich!" Kazuho swallowed audibly. An entire building in Tokyo? The cost must be astronomical. Kaede's eyes also widened in silent calculation, her mind reeling.
"Heh heh, don't just stare. Come in." Ren gestured for them to enter the sleek, automated glass doors of the lobby. But as soon as they entered the pristine hallway, they heard a sudden, emotional argument.
"Rikka, do you know how worried I was?! Can you please stop running around!"
"But, I'm searching for the Unseen Horizon…"
It was Toka and Rikka, the girl with the eye patch from before. They seemed to be in the middle of a heated confrontation.
Rikka's words seemed to ignite her sister's frustration. "It's the Unseen Horizon again... Rikka! Dad is dead! He's dead! There's no such thing as the Unseen Horizon!" Toka's voice was filled with a pained desperation.
[Inorin's Note: 'Chuunibyou' is a Japanese term for 'eighth-grade syndrome,' where teenagers have delusions of grandeur, believing they have hidden knowledge or special powers. The 'Unseen Horizon' is Rikka's term for the afterlife or a magical realm where she believes her father resides.]
Rikka's reaction was unexpectedly intense. "No, it's not!!!" she shouted back, her voice cracking as tears welled in her visible eye. "The Unseen Horizon exists! Dad is on the other side!" After shouting, she rushed past Toka, past Ren and the others, and burst out of the building's main door, disappearing into the street.
Toka did not try to stop her, her shoulders slumping in defeat. Upon seeing Ren, she quickly wiped the corner of her eye, trying to appear natural as she apologized. "Sorry, you've seen a spectacle."
"It's fine," he said gently, not prying. He wouldn't casually interfere in other people's family matters.
Afterward, Toka left with a weary sigh, and Ren led the now quiet and slightly bewildered group from Asahigaoka to the elevator.
"What is the Unseen Horizon?" Renge, who had been silent, asked curiously, her big eyes full of questions.
"I don't know, but her outfit was really cool," Natsumi said, covering one eye with her hand, imitating Rikka's pose.
"It sounds a bit chuunibyou-ish," Kazuho said with a knowing look. She quickly reminded her younger sister, "Renge-chan, whatever you do, don't become a chuunibyou!"
But an adult like Kaede saw more than just a strange outfit. "Ren-kun, do they live in your building too?"
"They rented an apartment on the fifth floor. They're my neighbors."
"Do you know much about them?"
He thought for a moment. "Not much."
"Alright." Although she had heard about their father passing away, since they weren't very close, Kaede decided to stop the topic.
After arriving at Ren's home, Kanae and the others were pleasantly surprised by the arrival of Renge and her friends. Ren asked Nao to help them tidy up Room 802 for their stay. Kaede then took the girls to greet the Yukinoshita family, whom they had met during the trip to Asahigaoka.
Their plan was simple. The zoo and aquarium weren't urgent. Tomorrow, they planned to go. Ren, however, had prepared one very thoughtful detail. Noticing Komari's quiet insecurity about her country clothes, he decided to take them all shopping.
"Ren-kun is taking us shopping?" Komari asked, her voice a small whisper.
"That's right! New clothes!" Natsumi cheered.
Kaede offered to pay, but Ren flatly refused. "Isn't that bad? Won't it be too much trouble for you?"
"It's just a small amount of money; it's nowhere near a burden." Ren's lips curled into a mischievous smile. "If you really feel it's inappropriate, a kiss from you as compensation wouldn't be out of the question. What do you call this? Daughter's debt, mother pays?" The daughter was Renge, and the "mother" was, of course, Kaede, who cared for her like one.
"Ew~, you're too cheesy! I'm very uncomfortable!" Kaede's face turned a bright red, yet she tried to look disgusted, turning her head away.
In the evening, they returned, their arms laden with large and small shopping bags. Natsumi and the others were already wearing their new clothes, looking like they had been completely transformed.
"Phew, shopping is really tiring, but... it was so much fun! Kazuho-nee, look at my new shoes!" Natsumi lifted her foot boastfully.
"Heh." Kazuho sneered playfully. It was not even a fraction as good as the latest model phone Ren had given her.
"Onii-chan, thank you for the recorder. I really, really like it," Hikage said, hugging the new instrument to her chest.
"As long as you like it. How about you all? Are you satisfied?" he looked at Renge, Komari, and Hotaru. All three had changed into beautiful new dresses and shoes, their previous insecurity completely gone.
"Nyanpasu! I like it!" Renge was very happy, twirling in her new dress.
"I also really like this outfit. I've wanted to buy it for a long time. Thank you, Onii-chan," Hotaru's smile was also very cute.
When Ren looked at Komari with a smiling gaze, she blushed, realizing her initial small emotions had been seen through. "Mmm." Although she was shy, the feeling of being cared for warmed her heart. "Th-thank you, Onii-chan, I like it very much…"
Natsumi, on the side, rolled her eyes. "Hmm? Komari-nee, are you saying you like Onii-chan?"
"Ah?" Komari was startled. "No way... uh!" Just as she was about to refute, she realized Ren was right beside her, his smiling eyes watching her. If she refuted loudly… wouldn't that be a lie? And would he misunderstand? "Waaahhh, Natsumi, you idiot!" Flustered and unable to respond, she could only get into a playful tussle with her sister.
"Eh! Komari, Natsumi, don't fight!"
"Hey, hey, hey, don't knock my new phone down!"
"Nyanpasu!"
It instantly turned chaotic. Although noisy, it was quite nice.
Kaede twitched her lips, seeing Ren smiling at the scene. "You're too doting on them, aren't you?"
Ren looked sideways at her. "What, you don't like the necklace I gave you?"
"Uh!" Kaede subconsciously touched the delicate silver necklace on her neck, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. She was speechless. It seemed she was also one of the pampered ones.
[Inorin Note:
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