Chapter 22: This Damn Loli Control
"Is that so? But hair this long must be really hard to take care of."
"It is a bit troublesome, but I think this child's extremely long hair is quite rare and very beautiful. It would be a shame to cut it, and whether to cut it or not should really be up to her, don't you think?"
In response to Mei's question, Satoru smiled and spoke casually to everyone, especially to Mukuro.
He had been worrying about how to raise this girl's affection level, and now Mei's comment provided the perfect opportunity to solve that problem~!
Why had Mukuro sealed away her sister's friend's memories of her sister in the first place?
Wasn't it because that friend had suggested cutting her hair?
So now, by doing the opposite and going along with Mukuro's wishes, there shouldn't be any issues, right~?
Sure enough, upon hearing this, everyone present seemed slightly moved, including Mukuro herself. She quickly nodded, expressing her thoughts with a mix of nervousness and excitement.
"See~? This child really doesn't want to cut her hair, so I think it's best to let her decide for herself for now, isn't that fine?"
So Satoru continued with a smile, directing his most radiant and friendly expression toward Mukuro.
Her large eyes flickered with a subtle light, her emotions seemingly complicated. Though she still clung to her sister, she couldn't help but sneak glances in his direction.
It seemed like her affection level had risen just a little~.
...Honestly, this kind of behavior made him feel a bit guilty, as if he were tricking a little girl with candy.
Of course, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Doing this could also help Mukuro change for the better, making her feel that at least some outsiders could be trusted.
"That's true, Satoru. You make a very good point—this child's feelings are what matter most~."
Asahi, too, seemed to realize this and looked at Satoru with surprise before nodding with a smile.
In truth, their family hadn't lived here for very long—only about two months.
They hadn't fully adjusted to the new environment yet, but Mei-chan had been helping them all along, which was why she had grown so close to Mei-chan.
After all, Asahi herself had few friends, and moving to a new place had made her somewhat fearful, so she valued Mei-chan's opinions highly.
But now, after hearing Satoru's words, she realized—yes, this child needed even more care. Her heart was far more delicate.
With that thought, Asahi smiled and reached out, gently stroking Mukuro's small head.
This reaction made Mukuro happily wrap her arms around her sister's neck.
Clearly, hearing her sister say those words had finally put her at ease.
She had originally thought that "sister's friends"—these kinds of "creatures"—would always try to take her sister away, making her sister neglect her.
The black-haired sister aside, the orange-haired one had been like that.
But unexpectedly, this new big brother had spoken up for her, and her sister had started caring for her again~.
This big brother is really nice!
Mukuro couldn't help but think this as she glanced toward Satoru.
"Mukuro-chan is so adorable~ Whether it's her face, hair, or personality, everything about her is cute~"
At that moment, Satoru was also looking in her direction, his face still wearing that radiant smile as he reached out to gently pat her little head.
Though Mukuro's body trembled slightly at first, seeming somewhat nervous, she soon allowed him to continue, even showing a faintly pleased expression.
Well, his "head-patting skills" were quite proficient indeed~
Normally, it was Nia who enjoyed this treatment. Though she'd never admit it, she secretly quite liked it.
"How unusual... This child actually accepted physical contact from someone else. It seems she really likes Satoru~"
Even Ayano watched this intimate scene with surprise, as it exceeded her expectations. Mukuro had always been resistant to outsiders, let alone complete strangers she'd just met.
For so many years, this had been the case—no outsider had ever touched her before.
This was the first time Ayano had seen someone make contact without meeting resistance.
"Haha~ Maybe I just naturally appeal to children~"
Satoru laughed heartily as he continued his gentle patting, with Mukuro obediently accepting his touch while Ayano watched with quiet amusement—a perfectly harmonious scene.
...However, this display left Mei visibly displeased beside them, and Ayano's eyes had turned into unimpressed dots as she stared at Satoru with disdain.
So much for having "special business" to attend to—he was just here to charm cute little girls!
This damn lolicon!