Seraphim is a Bystander

What I Want

[Author's Note]
This is kind of a late realization, but this short story doesn’t really tie directly into the main plot.
That said, I still wanted to write it, so once things settle down a bit, I might post Minato’s story as a separate novel altogether.
 
 

Surrounded by expensive-looking furniture, I sat huddled at the table my onee-san had guided me to.
“Minato-chaaaan, it’s almost ready~!”
“Ah, okay~”

I replied to her voice calling out from the kitchen and looked around the room absentmindedly.
It was clean, uncluttered, with only the essential furniture… aside from a few plushies.
Even the plush toys weren’t the type you win from arcade machines, but ones with branded patterns that looked like they’d fetch a premium if appraised.
While I was still a little overwhelmed by the “rich people vibes” of the place, onee-san brought the food over.
“Thanks for waiting, Minato-chan. Hamburg steak’s ready!”

“Ah, let me help you carry it!”
“Really? Thank you.”
We worked together to set the table, and once everything was ready, we sat down to eat.
Onee-san seemed to be quite the cook—everything was neatly arranged and looked absolutely delicious.
That’s when my stomach suddenly growled, reminding me how hungry I actually was.

“Ahaha, my stomach’s saying your cooking looks too good to wait!”
“Hehe, then let’s eat!”
“Itadakimasu~!”

We pressed our hands together and gave thanks before picking up our chopsticks.
I started with a sip of miso soup.
“...!”
Just wakame, tofu, and scallions, yet the warm, gentle flavor filled my mouth instantly.
My body, tired from dealing with annoying researchers and whatever else today, felt soothed by the comforting taste.
I set the soup down and went straight for the main dish—the hamburg steak.

“Mm! It’s so good!”
“Really? I’m glad.”
The meat was juicy, perfectly matched with the sauce, and dangerously addictive.
I couldn’t stop eating.
Onee-san watched me with a gentle smile, looking pleased.
Before I realized it, every plate was licked clean.
It had been so long since I’d had a proper meal in a real body—it honestly moved me a bit.

“Fufu, I’m really happy you enjoyed the food, Minato-chan.”
“Ah! Sorry, I got totally caught up in it. It was super delicious!”
“I’m glad. Gochisousama deshita~”

We smiled at each other and started cleaning up.
Though I tried to help, my short height meant I ended up just carrying dishes to the kitchen while she did most of the work.
It made me feel kind of useless.
“Alright then, how about we take a bath together?”
“Sure… Oh, wait. I only have the clothes I’m wearing.”

“Eh!? What have you been doing until now!?”
“Uhh… What have I been doing…? Nothing, I guess?”
I mean, this is the first day this body and these clothes even got dirty.
Not a big deal—I still have money I made from trading stocks back when I was human, so I’ll just buy new clothes tomorrow.
I brushed it off and headed toward the bath.

“Whoa, even the bath is huge.”
“You think so? I don’t think it’s anything special…”
It was clearly big enough for two people with room to spare.
Onee-san sounded like this was totally normal to her, but to me—who grew up in a perfectly middle-class family thanks to my dad—it was a bit excessive.

When we undressed and got into the bath, onee-san insisted on washing me.
I just quietly let her.
As she washed my hair, I remembered something that had been bugging me since we got here.
“Hey, onee-san, can I ask you something?”
“Hmm? What is it?”

There was something I’d been wondering ever since arriving at her place.
Her family °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° was wealthy, and the building had top-tier security…
“Why didn’t anyone come help you earlier when those scary guys were chasing you? Don’t you have bodyguards?”
Even if she didn’t have someone with her, surely there were ways to call for help…
As I thought about that, onee-san suddenly giggled behind me.

“Ahaha! I don’t have any bodyguards. We’re not some big political family or anything.”
…True, even Aoi didn’t have a bodyguard, so I guess that’s fair.
“But wouldn’t calling for help have brought someone immediately?”

In this era of advanced tech, even a quick emergency alert would summon security bots instantly.
“Yeah, in hindsight that would’ve worked, but I panicked when they attacked me… I just didn’t think of it at the time.”
Ah… yeah, I guess that’s how it goes.

“That’s why I’m really thankful you saved me, Minato-chan. Seriously—thank you.”
“No worries. You’ve already fed me and are letting me stay over. That’s more than enough.”
“Really? …Alright, rinsing now~”

“Okaaay.”
I closed my eyes as she rinsed the soap from my hair.
I could feel the suds washing away with the warm water.
She started prepping conditioner and treatments—my hair’s annoyingly long, so this would take a while.
“…Oh, right. Minato-chan, what was that favor you said you wanted when you saved me?”

“Hmm? Ah, that. Don’t worry about it. Like I said, just letting me stay here is enough.”
“Still, I feel like I’m the only one gaining here. I mean, not to brag, but I have money and connections—I can grant most wishes, you know?”
“…Eh…”

Hmm… should I ask?
There was something I’d been thinking about.
I mean, I do have the money, and if age becomes an issue, I can just have my body’s data edited by me.
But if there’s a legal route, it’s better to take it.
“Okay, then… Can I ask for something?”
“Of course! Anything you want!”

“It might be a weird request, but… I’ll pay for it. I want you to go shopping for me.”
“…That’s it? That’s all you want?”
“Yeah. It’s just something I can’t buy myself.”

She tilted her head in surprise, like she was expecting something way bigger.
But if I told her what I actually wanted, she might refuse…
“I mean, if it’s money, I could pay for it too. But what is it you want to buy?”
“I want to buy a building.”

“…Huh?”
Yep… that’s the reaction I expected.
“A building? Why something like that?”

We moved into the large tub, and she looked at me with a puzzled expression.
How do I explain this…?
“Well… for starters, I want a place to live.”
“…!”

She still seems to think I’m a poor orphan, but I ignored that and continued.
“Also, I need a base for something I want to start doing. I’m actually pretty good at making money.”
“Really…?”

Yep. I haven’t fully decided what I’ll do once I have that base, but I’ve got a direction.
“So I want a small building—maybe a two-story one—with the first floor as an office and the second as my home.”
“But Minato-chan… you’re still a kid. If you ask the government, you’d get support and wouldn’t have to work at all.”

“Unfortunately, that’s not an option for me. I can’t explain why, though.”
She fell silent at that.
Yeah… figures.
But it’s not something I can explain. Guess I’ll have to push a bit.
“It might be a big ask, but you did say you’d grant me one favor, right?”

“Ugh… I did say that, huh…”
Looking troubled, she started thinking deeply again.
I decided to press a little more.
“Look, I’ll pay for it. I just need you to make the purchase in my place. Please?”

“…Alright. I did promise, after all. Do you already have something in mind?”
Even though she agreed reluctantly, she immediately pulled up a screen and started making calls using nanomachines, not even waiting for my reply.
“Not exactly, but I was thinking something two stories, like I said. Office on the first floor, home on the second.”

“Got it…”
She stared at the screen for a few minutes, then turned it toward me to show a list of matching properties.
“This is what came up at a glance. How do they look?”

“Wow~ you’re really fast, onee-san.”
She’d picked two listings per price range, all looking better than the cost would suggest.
Now… which one to choose…
Ah, this one looks nice.
“Onee-san, can we go with this one?”

“Let’s see… Oh my, Minato-chan, you really do have quite a bit of money. Alright, I’ll have it ready for you by tomorrow.”
“Thanks! Should I send you the money now?”
“No need—this much is totally covered by my allowance. I’ll gift it to you.”

“Wait, no, seriously—I’ll pay!”
I tried to send the money, but she declined the transfer before I could stop her, and quickly completed the purchase.
“It’s fine. Really, it’s no big deal!”

“…Thanks, onee-san.”
She just smiled at my thanks and continued processing everything in the background.
A few minutes later, she closed the screen and stood up from the bath.
“Alright, let’s get to bed!”

“Yeah!”
We got out, and she helped dry my hair before lending me some oversized pajamas.
We then headed toward the bedroom—which, of course, was massive.