Protagonist and First Heroine

Time passed steadily for Ryuki.

His daily routine was simple: eat, play with Saki all day, teach her new games, and massage their mother, Fumiko, when she got home. But things got tricky when the three of them started bathing together. Bathing with Fumiko distracted Ryuki. He wasn't her biological son, and though his body was five years old, his mind was that of a teenage boy. Luckily, his young body didn't react, which kept things from getting too awkward. As for Saki, he had no romantic feelings for her right now. He wanted her to grow up naturally.

For the next few days, life followed the same pattern after they went to bed. That changed when it was time for Ryuki and Saki to start school.

Ryuki wasn't thrilled about going to school with a bunch of immature boys. It wasn't something he looked forward to. In this world, school had three years of elementary, three years of junior school, three years of middle school, and three years of high school. The main story of the game began in high school—nine years away. Ryuki wasn't sure if he'd meet other heroines in elementary school, but he hoped so.

On the first day, Ryuki arrived at school with a nervous Saki gripping his hand tightly. He led her to the board to check their classes.

"Please let me be in the class with little bro," Saki muttered over and over, eyes shut tight.

Ryuki's heart warmed as he guided her, hoping her wish would come true. He scanned the list. "Saki, we're in the same class," he said.

Saki opened her eyes nervously and saw his name right below hers. A big grin spread across her face. She looked less scared now. Suddenly, she frowned at him. "I'm your elder sister, not just Saki."

"Yes, yes, my elder sister. My mistake," Ryuki said with a forced smile. He kept scanning the board for another familiar name.

There it was: Takeru Yuta. The protagonist was in their class too. This didn't shock Ryuki. In the game, it said Takeru Yuta and Akechi Ryuki had been friends for nine years by the time the story started.

A question popped into Ryuki's head: What should he do about the protagonist? Ignore him or befriend him like in the game? He chose friendship. Takeru might be dense, but he was gifted and would make a good ally.

With that in mind, Ryuki pulled Saki toward their classroom. Lost in thought, he didn't notice someone coming his way. They collided, and he fell with another body landing on top of him.

Soft, long hair brushed his face. He looked up to see a cute girl with black hair and a mole near her left eye. Her red eyes met his, and she blushed, scrambling to get off him. "I'm sorry, sorry!" she said, bowing as she sat on the ground, legs tucked under her.

"It's alright," Ryuki said, sitting up too.

Saki rushed over, grabbing his head. "Are you okay?" she asked, worried.

"I'm fine," he told her.

"Phew, no blood," Saki said, relieved.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry for my sister," a boy's voice said. Ryuki looked up. The boy had red eyes and long black hair, just like the girl. He was cute now but would grow up handsome. The girl would become a beauty too. They were Takeru Yuta and Takeru Asuka—the protagonist and the first heroine, siblings.

"It's no trouble," Saki said, helping Ryuki stand while Yuta helped his sister.

"Again, sorry. I rushed in because of my annoying brother," Asuka said, bowing again.

"It's nothing. I wasn't paying attention either," Ryuki replied.

"Phew," Asuka sighed, then smiled. "I'm Takeru Asuka, and this is my brother, Takeru Yuta. He's stupid but nice."

"Are you complimenting me or insulting me?" Yuta joked, then turned to Ryuki. "Nice to meet you."

"I'm Akechi Ryuki, and this is my elder sister, Shizimu Saki," Ryuki said.

Saki patted his back and whispered, "Good introduction, little brother."

"Huh? Brother and sister?" Asuka asked, confused.

"She has our mother's surname, and I have our father's. That's why they're different," Ryuki explained. He didn't want to say he was adopted. Fumiko had warned him not to—kids might bully him if they knew. He doubted it'd happen, but he kept it secret anyway.

"Oh, why's that?" Asuka asked, curious.

"I think my father's surname is cool, and my sister likes our mother's. That's all," Ryuki said smoothly.

"Oh," Asuka nodded.

"Which class are you in?" Yuta asked.

"We're both in C Class," Ryuki answered.

"Wow, me too!" Yuta said.

"Why am I the only one in a different class?" Asuka grumbled, staring at the floor.

And that's how Ryuki met the protagonist and the first heroine. It wasn't the meeting he'd pictured, but it wasn't bad either.