In addition to Ryuichi Inoue, seated in the back of the black commercial vehicle was a young girl wearing a crisp black-and-white maid uniform. Her straight, jet-black hair was tied into neat twin tails, and her calm, elegant appearance radiated warmth and poise.
This refined and beautiful maid was Kurosaki Yuka, the personal attendant assigned by the Suzuki family to Suzuki Seimei. She was responsible for his daily care and protection.
Though she appeared only slightly older than a teenager, Kurosaki Yuka possessed remarkable talents. Trained extensively, she had mastered a wide range of auxiliary skills—culinary arts, emergency first aid, swimming, wilderness survival, and even bone-setting.
Orphaned at a young age, Kurosaki Yuka was taken in by the Suzuki Zaibatsu's scholarship foundation. She received elite education and loyalist conditioning from an early age—raised not merely as a servant but as a retainer bound by lifelong devotion.
It was thanks to this background that she was selected to serve Suzuki Seimei directly. A role of such sensitivity wasn't entrusted to ordinary staff.
"Whoosh~"
Spotting Suzuki Seimei as he turned the corner, Kurosaki Yuka promptly stepped out of the car, accepted his schoolbag with practiced grace, and gently lifted him into the back seat of the van.
Once Seimei and Yuka were seated, Inoue Ryuichi started the vehicle. With calm precision, he maneuvered the car through the streets of Beika toward the prestigious Suzuki Manor.
Suzuki Manor was a traditional Japanese estate that perfectly fused elegance with modern luxury. Its sprawling grounds stretched across several hectares—just the lawn could rival multiple football fields in size.
Its only downside? Traversing the manor on foot could be exhausting. Even electric scooters were necessary for moving around efficiently.
For a child like Seimei, this wasn't the most practical setup.
"Seimei-sama!"
"Welcome home, Seimei-sama!"
"Good afternoon, young master~"
As the van rolled up to the manor's main building, the estate's uniformed staff lined the pathway with polite bows and cheerful greetings. Their smiles were sincere—Seimei's presence lit up the household.
Despite being a young master of a chaebol household, Seimei never acted arrogant or spoiled. He was well-mannered, soft-spoken, and clever. Among the staff, he was beloved.
┐('～`;)┌
For Seimei, however, the praise was slightly awkward. His body may have been that of a child, but his soul belonged to a man over twenty years old.
He never deliberately played up childishness, nor could he force himself to mimic the bratty behavior of typical pampered kids.
Instead, his quiet maturity naturally set him apart—and paired with his adorable looks, it made him irresistibly charming.
"Hmm?"
Just as Yuka led Seimei by the hand toward the entrance of the central building, she paused slightly. Her brows furrowed with the subtlest tension, then relaxed just as quickly. She smiled and continued forward, unconcerned.
Moments after the pair stepped into the hallway, a familiar figure peeked around the corner.
With a sly grin, the figure crept up behind Seimei and gently covered his eyes from behind.
"Guess who~?"
ヽ(ー_ー)ノ
"Obviously," Seimei replied dryly, "it's the universally adorable, energetic, and most beautiful girl in the galaxy—Sister Sonoko."
"Bwahaha!"
Suzuki Sonoko immediately squealed in delight. Her heart melted on the spot. She scooped Seimei up in her arms, planted a loud kiss on his cheek, and nuzzled him with unrestrained affection.
"My Seimei-chan is just too precious!" Under the amused gaze of Kurosaki Yuka, who looked slightly envious, Sonoko lifted Seimei high in the air and spun him around with joy.
"Sister Ayako… help…"
Nearly overwhelmed by Sonoko's enthusiasm, Seimei cast a pleading glance toward Suzuki Ayako, who was sipping tea at a nearby table.
The dignified and composed Ayako chuckled softly, her smile calm as a spring breeze. "Sonoko, now that Mother and Father aren't home, don't use the chance to harass Seimei too much~"
(#^.^#)
Grumbling playfully, Sonoko finally released Seimei from her bear hug, letting him regain his freedom.
At that moment, a senior maid in a more formal black uniform approached and addressed Ayako respectfully, "Ojou-sama, since young master Seimei has returned, shall we begin dinner preparations?"
"Mother and Father won't be home tonight," Ayako replied with a gentle nod. "Keep it simple—prepare Seimei's favorite sweet and sour pork ribs, sweet and sour hairtail, and a few homestyle side dishes with a light soup."
"Understood, Ojou-sama."
Soon after, the kitchen buzzed into action, and a comforting aroma spread through the estate.
With their parents—Suzuki Shiro and Suzuki Tomoko—away on a business trip, the atmosphere during dinner was noticeably more relaxed. The three siblings chatted freely.
Sonoko, ever the teaser, leaned over to poke at Seimei's cheek. "So, Seimei~ Any cute girls in your class catch your eye yet? A girlfriend, maybe?"
Though Seimei felt these questions were silly, he didn't find them annoying. On the contrary, the warmth of such teasing felt like a luxury.
Compared to his previous life—where he dined alone in a dingy apartment or watched movies solo—this kind of noisy, affectionate family time was something he treasured deeply.
"Ding-dong! The Super Sign-In System has been successfully activated. Wishing the host a delightful experience."
A sudden electronic voice rang out in Seimei's mind, startling him so much that he almost choked on a rib bone. His expression twitched uncontrollably.
When he had first reincarnated into this world, Seimei fantasized about receiving a "cheat ability" like those in webnovels. But as the years passed, he gave up hope.
And now, just as he had stopped expecting it, the golden finger finally arrived.
Talk about timing.
While his Suzuki lineage gave him an overwhelming head start in life, no advantage could compare to the limitless potential of a plug-in system.
Quickly calming down, Seimei wiped his mouth with a napkin and mentally focused on the system interface.
The "Super Sign-In System" had a basic structure. Aside from a simple character attribute panel, its main function was straightforward—sign in at specific locations or with key individuals to receive randomized rewards.
However, a sign-in target had to be actively selected, and Seimei hadn't yet performed one.
For now, he opened his character panel:
[Name: Suzuki Seimei
Strength: 3
Speed: 4
Stamina: 3
Spirit: 12
Skills: None
Equipment: None
Items: None]
According to the system, the average adult male had a base attribute of 10 across physical stats. As a seven-year-old, it made sense that Seimei's strength, stamina, and speed were lower.
However, his spiritual stat—representing willpower, focus, and cognitive ability—was far above average.
That made sense. He'd already lived an entire life.