Clearly, if I didn’t explain, things could get messy.
“She’s my good friend. She was nearby, so she came to hang out,” I said quickly, coming up with a decent excuse.
While speaking, I tugged Evin’s sleeve. “Hey, play along.”
Unbeknownst to me, when I said “good friend,” a sly glint flashed in Evin’s eyes.
My arm was hugged even tighter, and a cute loli voice chimed in. “Yup, I’m Anan’s good friend. Hi, big sisters~”
“Oh, a good friend~”
“Hello!”
“You’re both so adorable.”
The shop assistants had zero resistance to Evin’s bright smile, especially with another equally cute loli beside her. They were utterly charmed.
Thank goodness this world is full of loli fans.
I sighed in relief, then noticed a piece of paper on the floor. Curiously, I bent down to pick it up.
But before I could read it, a familiar voice sounded nearby.
“Oh, is this Tongtong’s friend?”
…
“So that’s it. I was wondering where you picked up a little sister,” Aunt Anrou said with a smile after Yuyu’s explanation.
“Yeah, I didn’t expect my Tongtong to make a friend like this,” Yuyu added.
Don’t make your niece sound like a lonely weirdo with no playmates!
I silently protested, glaring at the culprit behind this mess.
Hoping to spark some guilt in her.
But Evin’s dictionary clearly lacked the word “guilt.” Worse, she eyed the crepe in my hand. “Not eating that? I don’t mind helping you out~”
“How are you so shameless?!” I finally snapped, pinching her cheeks.
“Cause I’m Anan’s good friend~” she mumbled.
Is this girl stuck in some roleplay game?
My forehead twitched, tempted to toss her into a tearjerker game with endless save-scumming for three days and nights.
But before my fantasy could gain traction, a voice derailed it.
“Don’t bully her, Little Tong.”
“Tongtong, good friends should love each other~”
…
I wanted to tell my aunts this girl wasn’t my friend—just a cheeky, self-entitled loli who barged into the fitting room and took advantage of me.
But considering how long it’d take to explain and the trouble it’d cause, I quietly dropped the idea.
So, somehow, the plot spiraled into this.
“It’s not dinner time yet. Little Tong, Evin, watch some TV or hang out in your room,” Anrou said, arranging the bought necessities. “Oh, Evin, you’ve cleared it with your family, right?”
“Yup, told them I’m staying at a friend’s for the night~” Evin raised her hand, looking thrilled.
Yes, that’s right. I somehow brought this stranger home, and under her relentless pestering, I agreed to let her stay the night.
“Need your aunt to keep you company~?” Yuyu asked, clearly eager to bond with two lolis.
I shut her down with one sentence. “This is girl talk. No eavesdropping, Aunt Yuyu.”
Pulling Evin’s hand to my room, I lowered my voice sternly. “One night only. You’re going home tomorrow.”
“Got it, got it~” Evin nodded, looking obedient.
Despite knowing her compliance was an act, I sighed and let her into my room.
“Wow, this is Anan’s room~?” Evin scanned the space excitedly, then gave her verdict after a moment. “Not very girly.”
“Sorry for being so plain,” I said sarcastically.
“But I love it~” Evin flopped onto my bed, rolling around like cabbage on a grill, in my words.
“Anan’s bed is so soft and comfy~”
“Don’t say embarrassing stuff, idiot.” I grabbed a pillow and smacked her face.
But she didn’t care, burying her face in it with a blissful look. “Hehe, smells like Anan. So nice~”
“Are you a pervert…?”
I quickly rescued the poor pillow before it became a drool-soaked mess.
“So why are you sticking to me?”
“Who knows? Maybe cause Anan’s my type~” Evin propped her cheek, grinning as if joking.
Looking at the twin-tailed loli wreaking havoc on my bed, I rubbed my temples, wondering how things escalated to bringing a loli home from a fitting room. It was all too surreal.
Unsure about the plot’s direction, I knew one thing: if I didn’t distract her, my bed was doomed.
“Wanna play a game? Chess,” I said, pulling a new box from the cabinet. “Though I’ve never played.”
“Me neither,” Evin said, climbing off the bed. “But it’s simple. No need for the rulebook.”
“Really?” I hesitated.
Thus began an utterly chaotic match between two people clueless about the rules.
In short—
My rook charged and ate her knight. Her bishop went berserk, taking out two of my pawns.
My queen cheated and seduced her queen. Evin used an earthquake to fling my rook off the board.
I launched a pawn to topple her rook. She stole my bishop.
I assassinated her other knight. She tried to steal my king, but I caught her.
I checkmated. She took it back.
I ordered my queen, mid-affair, to die with her bishop. Her rook evolved into a tank, blasting all my pawns.
I checkmated again. She undid it and dismantled my rooks.
I ate her tank. She cast a mass resurrection, putting all dead pieces back.
The result? A furious smackdown.
“Even if you’ve never played, this is ridiculous!”
“You’re just as bad! A cheating queen dying with my bishop? Only dam otakus like that plot!”
“You taught me!”
“No good,” Evin sighed, patting my shoulder like a lecturing mom. “Anan, you need to be more independent.”
…
“Wait, ugh, I can’t breathe!”
It ended with her dutifully picking up the scattered pieces and resetting the board as punishment.
With nothing else to do, I remembered the paper from earlier and pulled it from my pocket, glancing at it. Moments later, I silently looked up at the petite figure.
“All set! Ready for another fateful duel?” Evin looked up, meeting my unguarded stare. She paused, then clutched her flushed cheeks. “Wow, such a passionate gaze. Is Anan finally charmed by me~?”
Before she finished, I grabbed her hand.
“Come with me.”