In the center of the room.
Kaname was half-squatting on the floor, fully concentrated, her eyes locked onto the brown ball of fur in front of her.
“Eevee…!” Eevee returned Kaname’s gaze.
It lowered its forelimbs and stuck its rear high in the air; there wasn’t much fear in its eyes, but rather a hint of provocation and playfulness.
This was the scene Erika saw as she pushed open the door.
From her perspective, it was a completely warm and cute picture.
Eevee, who usually hid under the bed, was now wiggling its body, its fluffy big tail swaying from side to side.
On the other side, although Kaname’s small face was tense and her brows were slightly furrowed like she was facing a great enemy, combined with her chubby cheeks, it instead gave off a sense of contrastingly cute over-seriousness.
“Wow…” Are they playing some fun game?
Erika’s eyes lit up, and she held her breath, tiptoeing over to Kaname’s side.
Kaname had noticed Erika’s arrival long ago, but her attention could not be spared right now.
[Lock-On Target: Eevee.] [Action Prediction: Hind limb muscle contraction, center of gravity shifting back, expected to jump and change direction to the left in 0.5 seconds.] [Capture Plan: Step forward to the left for an interception.] Dammit…
Kaname gritted her teeth inwardly.
Even though the pokédex system had accurately pointed out Eevee’s movement intentions and weaknesses, and even drew the best interception route on her retina, she had no way to catch this slippery little fox.
A 5-year-old child’s body was still too weak.
Neural reactions couldn’t keep up, limbs weren’t long enough, and explosive power was almost zero.
Just now, she had already tried pouncing three times, and every time Eevee had lightly avoided her.
Then the little fellow would stop, tilt its head, and cry out at her.
Kaname was a bit confused.
She clearly could easily suppress Eevee two days ago, making it behave obediently, showing no resistance whether it was being fed medicine or stuffed into a bag.
How could it turn its back on her as soon as its injuries healed?
Sure enough.
Is it the nature of Pokémon to follow the strong…?
It was only obedient before because it was weak; now that it had recovered its strength, it started being disobedient.
“That’s so nice…” An envious voice came from beside her.
Erika squatted down, resting her chin on her hands, looking at the human and pet still in a standoff, her tone full of longing.
“Kaname is really amazing.
Eevee usually hides when it sees me, but it’s only willing to come out and play when it’s with you…
You two must have a really good relationship.” Good relationship?
The corner of Kaname’s mouth twitched.
Which eye exactly saw that she had a good relationship with it?
The little girl instinctively pouted, crossed her arms, turned her head to the side, and didn’t want to speak out of annoyance.
“Erika?” Just then, the lady’s gentle call came from the hallway outside.
“Oh no, oh no!” Erika cried out as if waking from a dream, only then remembering her original purpose for coming to Kaname’s room.
She quickly stood up and reached out to nudge Kaname’s shoulder.
“Kaname, hurry!
Teacher Chinatsu is here and is waiting for you in the living room!” It turned out that the security system update work at the Daycare Center was nearing its end.
Although the three-day holiday hadn’t fully finished, Kaname was, after all, a child on the Daycare Center’s roster, and it wasn’t right to leave her at Erika’s house without checking in.
Therefore, daycare worker Chinatsu had specifically come for a home visit today to confirm the child’s safety.
“…Phew.” Hearing that there was serious business, Kaname let out a long breath, her childishness instantly vanishing.
She turned her head, her gaze becoming extremely serious, staring intently at the Eevee on the floor, and pointed her finger toward the space under the bed.
No words were spoken, but the pressure was palpable.
“…” Eevee read the warning in Kaname’s eyes and silently jumped off the tatami, scurrying back into the shadows under the bed without needing further instruction.
Seeing this miraculous scene, Erika couldn’t help but blink again, looking dazed.
They were just playing around a moment ago, so how could it be so obedient with just one look from Kaname?
“Let’s go.” Kaname straightened her clothes, pulled the still-dazed Erika, and walked out of the room.
…
In the spacious and bright reception room.
Chinatsu was sitting upright on the very edge of the leather sofa, her hands placed properly on her knees, looking restless.
As an ordinary daycare worker, she rarely had contact with such a wealthy family.
Just the vases with fresh flowers here looked more expensive than her annual salary.
Moreover, the maids around her were always appearing silently to pour tea; the excessive politeness instead made her feel pressured.
Until Kaname arrived, Chinatsu had been nervously handling Erikas Mother’s greetings.
In particular, Erikas Mother’s attitude today was a bit strange.
She had carefully asked many things related to Kaname.
From Kaname’s background to her usual personality and hobbies, she even asked clearly if Kaname had any food allergies.
Despite not knowing the other party’s specific intentions, Chinatsu was also worried that an incorrect answer would cause trouble for Kaname, so she had to rack her brains before every word, fearing she might say even one thing wrong.
Therefore, when she saw Kaname’s small figure appear at the door, Teacher Chinatsu was practically relieved, feeling as if she had seen a savior.
“I’ll let you two chat for a while.
I’ll go have the kitchen prepare some fruit.” Erikas Mother was very perceptive; she stood up with a smile and an elegant posture, walking out of the room to leave the space to the teacher and student.
“Kaname!” Chinatsu first called Kaname over and immediately took her left hand to carefully examine the wound on her palm.
Seeing that the scratch had basically healed, leaving only a faint mark, she finally felt completely at ease and gave a habitual reminder.
“It’s healing well, but you still need to be more careful when playing in the future.
Don’t hurt yourself again.” Kaname nodded and then proactively asked about the kindergarten.
Chinatsu spoke briefly, saying that the new security fence had been reinforced and school would resume tomorrow.
Speaking of this, she suddenly paused and looked at the door; after making sure no one was there, she lowered her voice, her expression becoming extremely serious as she spoke to Kaname.
“Kaname, there is something Teacher must tell you.” “Hmm?” “Just now, Erikas Mother asked me a lot about you…
Teacher thinks she might be considering adopting you.” Chinatsu held Kaname’s small hand, her tone a bit urgent.
“This time is different from those previous families.
You’ve seen it yourself, Kaname; Erika likes you so much, and the two of you get along so well…” “If it’s here, you’ll certainly be provided with the best education and future.
So, if the Madam truly brings it up, you absolutely mustn’t refuse willfully like you did before, okay?” The conditions here were superior far beyond anyone’s imagination.
Chinatsu truly wanted what was best for Kaname and didn’t want her to miss out on such immense wealth and status.
…Accept adoption?
However, unlike the bright future Chinatsu was constructing for herself through her constant chattering…
The first thought that flashed through Kaname’s mind upon hearing this was— If she accepted Erikas Mother’s adoption, wouldn’t that mean she and Erika would become sisters from now on?