It was the first Sunday morning since Satoshi started high school, and our protagonist was still sleeping in bed, even though it was already 8:30 a.m.

"Satoshi-kun, you should wake up now," said a voice.

"Shut up, you baka author, let me sleep some more," Satoshi grumbled.

"Well, whatever you wish."

“Satoshi, wake up! How long are you going to sleep?” shouted his mom from downstairs.

'Geez, even though it's a Sunday morning, why does everyone want me to wake up so early?' Satoshi thought.

“Yeah, I’m waking up, Mom.”

Satoshi quickly woke up, made his bed, changed his clothes, and went downstairs.

"Morning."

"Satoshi, I know it's a Sunday morning, but that doesn’t mean you should be sleeping in so late," said Satoshi’s dad.

"Dad, come on! Not you too!"

"Satoshi, you should listen to your dad," his mom added.

"Geez, Mom."

"What will you do when you reach our age? Being so lazy in the morning isn't good."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Satoshi mumbled in a grumpy voice.

Satoshi and his family had their breakfast together.

"Oh, right. Did I tell you guys that some new neighbors will be moving in today?"

"Where? At Yamada-san's house?"

"Yeah, apparently they sold their house here and moved back to Hiroshima."

"Well, I guess since they already have a house in Hiroshima, it was smart to sell this one and reinvest the money into their business back home."

"If Yamada-san's family had a hotel business in Hiroshima, why did he move to Tokyo in the first place and start working here?"

"He started working at an advertising company to learn how to upscale his business with the right strategies. He met his wife at the same company, and this house was gifted to them by her uncle, who didn't have any children of his own."

"So, you guys knew her uncle too?"

"Yeah, he was a good guy. He even told Yamada-san that if he ever planned to move back to Hiroshima, he could sell this house and reinvest the money into his business back home."

"Seems like he was a really nice person."

"He sure was."

The family continued their usual chatter, and soon it was 10 o'clock. Large trucks arrived, carrying the luggage of the new neighbors. A family of four—a father, mother, daughter, and son—moved in. They seemed like nice people and greeted the Sugimotos when they met Satoshi and his dad, who were watering their plants in the yard.

"You must be the new neighbors. Nice to meet you. I’m Hiroshi Sugimoto, and this is my son, Satoshi Sugimoto," said Satoshi's dad.

"Nice to meet you too. I’m Riku Kazama, and this is my wife, Toru Kazama, and our lovely children, Shizuka and Jin. Say hello, kids."

"Hello," the kids and their mother said in unison.

'Hmm, looks like a decent family. I hope they don’t cause us any trouble. The girl seems a bit shy,' Satoshi thought.

"Oh ho, Satoshi, why are you staring at the little girl so intently? You like her or something?" teased the author.

"The heck??? How did you come to that conclusion??"

"Oh, come on, you don't have to hide it. Seems like you’ve fallen for the little angel."

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"Shut up, baka. I’m not a pedophile. Even if she’s cute, there's no way I would look at a little girl like that."

"So, you agree she’s cute?"

"That's not the point."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, hehe."

"It looks like there's a lot of stuff. Let me and my son help you guys," Satoshi's dad offered.

"Oh no, Sugimoto-san, we can’t trouble you with that," said Riku.

"Oh, come on, it's no trouble at all, right, Satoshi?"

"Yeah, true. Let us help you; it’s really no trouble for us."

"But—"

"No buts, we're helping you," said Satoshi’s dad as he and Satoshi began helping the Kazamas.

Satoshi noticed the little boy was energetic and loved carrying boxes, while the shy little girl was also trying her best to help out. Seeing how hard she was trying, Satoshi picked up the heavier boxes from her and handed her some lighter ones.

Though reserved, the girl seemed really happy that Satoshi helped her.

After over an hour, all the stuff was unloaded and brought into the house. As they rested, Satoshi’s mom came out and saw that her husband and son had helped the new neighbors. Feeling happy, she invited everyone over for some cool drinks to relax.

"Thanks for the cool drinks, Mrs. Sugimoto," Toru Kazama said.

"Oh, don't mention it. Besides, it was my husband and son who did most of the helping," Satoshi’s mom replied.

"Well, that's true. Thanks to them, we finished unloading sooner than expected."

"Is the orange juice to your liking, kids?" Satoshi’s mother asked.

"I like orange juice, but Shizuka likes apple juice," Jin said.

"Oh, is that so? Don’t worry, Shizuka-chan, we have some apple juice too."

Though hesitant, Shizuka looked happy to hear that.

"Jin, that was rude. Mrs. Sugimoto was kind enough to ask if you liked the juice; you should say thank you," Toru scolded.

"Oh, don’t worry, Mrs. Kazama, it’s fine. My son also likes apple juice more than orange juice," Satoshi’s mom said.

"But still, I’m sorry, Mrs. Sugimoto. My kid sometimes just says whatever comes to mind," Toru apologized.

"Haha, it’s alright. Being honest is a good quality," Satoshi’s dad added.

The little girl was given apple juice, and she looked really happy.

‘She looks really cute when she’s happy,’ Satoshi thought.

"Is that what you think, Satoshi? I guess you’ve really fallen for her cuteness," the author teased again.

"The heck, stop it, baka author! I’m not a pedophile. She’s just genuinely cute."

"Well, whatever you say, hehe."

"Jin, Shizuka, what do you guys like?" Satoshi asked.

"I like Dog Ranger Shiro, and Shizuka likes Magical Girl Shizuka."

"Is that so? I used to watch those shows a lot when I was your age. I still watch a few episodes now and then when I feel like it."

"Really, onii-chan?" Jin’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

**Explanation Time**

*Magical Girl Shizuka* and *Dog Ranger Shiro* are two popular kids’ anime that have been airing for over 30 years. Though the manga has officially ended, the original authors still release new anime episodes. Interestingly, both series were created by a brother-sister duo who targeted both young girls and boys, making them some of the most popular manga authors of all time. Satoshi, a big otaku, has watched both shows since he was a kid, which helps him connect with both girls and boys easily.

**Explanation Ended**

"Onii-chan, what do you like about *Magical Girl Shizuka*?" Shizuka asked shyly.

"Well, it’s incredible how a young girl like her became a magical girl so quickly. Even though she was half-forced into it, she chose to follow in her mother’s footsteps and fight against evil to protect the people she loves."

"Exactly! I know, right? She’s so incredible! She was just a regular girl like me, but she could do all that hard stuff so easily, while I can’t even help my dad carry boxes."

‘This girl lacks self-confidence. That’s why she looks up to Magical Girl Shizuka so much. Shizuka was just a normal girl who chose the difficult path to become a hero,’ Satoshi thought.

"Come on, Shizuka-chan, don’t feel bad. You know, when I was your age, I also thought Magical Girl Shizuka was amazing and that I was lame. But true courage is doing things even when you’re not confident. Remember the episode where Shizuka lost her powers and had to fight the mafia boss without any magic?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"What did she say?"

"She said that even if she didn’t have powers, even if she was scared, she would still fight because that’s what she wanted to do to protect the people she loves."

"Exactly. Even though you struggled to carry the boxes, you still carried the lighter ones because you wanted to help your dad. You should be proud of that."

Shizuka, though not fully grasping Satoshi’s words, felt his sincerity and thanked him with a smile.

"Thank you, Satoshi onii-chan."

"You’re welcome."

‘What the heck? She’s so cute when she smiles. I hope she keeps smiling like that forever. If I could see that smile every day, I’d die of happiness,’ Satoshi thought.

"Well, well, Satoshi, what did I say? You’ve completely fallen for her. Just wait another 10 years before marrying her," the author teased.

"Shut up! How many times do I have to tell you? She’s just a kid, and besides, kids are always cute when they smile."

"But she’s extra cute, isn’t she?"

"Yeah, she is."

"Hehe. Well, time will tell."

"Whatever, just shut up"

---

With this, after resting for a bit, they helped the Kazamas again, unpacking the rest of the items and settling them in. It was a tiring yet fulfilling day, and Satoshi felt surprisingly content helping out his new neighbors.

As the sun started to set, the Sugimotos and the Kazamas bid each other farewell, and Satoshi returned to his room, reflecting on the day.

‘Man, what a day... New neighbors, and that girl, Shizuka... She really was something. But it’s not like that, okay?’

"Sure, Satoshi. Whatever you say," I, the baka author, smirked, knowing full well what’s going on in his heart.

“Whatever, just leave me alone already, baka author,” Satoshi grumbled, grabbing his manga and plopping onto his bed, ready to lose himself in another world.

Thus, Satoshi’s first Sunday of high school came to an end. A day where he helped his new neighbors, bonded with a shy little girl, and had a glimpse of something new entering his life.