Chapter 7: Maki and Xiao Di! Shared Possession! (4/5, Requesting Data)

In thought, he had already arrived before a slightly larger house, comparatively luxurious among the surrounding dwellings.

The Meteor Street had vast disparities in wealth; the outer areas were mostly slums piled high with trash.

The inner areas featured splendid houses and tidy streets, accessible only to those of high status.

This house was recently taken by him, seized from several strong men—it was a rare decent dwelling in the outer zone.

Its location was already close to the inner area, so calling it an inner-area-level house wasn't unreasonable.

As someone who had experienced normal life, he couldn't bear living amid trash, sharing his space with cockroaches and rats.

Pulling out his keys, Luo Ge gently opened the door; his usually stern expression softened slightly, gaining a touch of warmth.

If everything he encountered in Meteor Street was mostly misfortune, then Nidoran was one of the rare joys.

The remaining joys were the two people inside this house.

Opening the door revealed the interior's decor at a glance.

The style leaned Western, with a slightly ornate chandelier hanging from the ceiling, illuminating the living room brightly.

The house wasn't large in area, but it was compact and fully equipped.

It included a living room, bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, and even a small patch of open ground outside—all part of the property.

It was said this house was originally built by someone of decent status in the inner area for his illegitimate child.

After changing hands several times, it now belonged to Luo Ge.

The slightly aged door creaked softly when pushed, immediately drawing the girl's attention on the sofa.

A girl with a youthful face, about twelve or thirteen years old, sat on the sofa.

She had medium-length pinkish-purple hair tied back with a rubber band, wearing a faded white outfit.

She looked clean and efficient, especially her sapphire-blue eyes, filled with indifference.

Her facial features were delicate, clearly hinting at a future beauty, though she had yet to fully mature.

She was Maki, a character with significant role in the original work—now still a little girl, not yet joined the Phantom Troupe.

Seeing Luo Ge appear, Maki's eyes brightened with delight, her expression softening as she put down the thread in her hand and stood up, whispering:

"You're back? No injuries?"

Hearing Maki's first concern was for his injuries, Luo Ge's heart warmed; he smiled: "Don't worry, total victory."

"Not a scratch, and I brought back plenty."

At this, Maki's expression eased slightly; she exhaled softly, then realized her mistake.

A careful look would have shown Luo Ge had no wounds at all—why ask?

Seeing Luo Ge watching her with amusement, Maki bit her pink lip lightly, a blush staining her pale face.

But Maki quickly recovered, clearing her throat twice: "Cough, cough—safe return is what matters."

"Also, since you dealt with the Shopkeeper, you brought back all the Kilon from the shop, right?"

Maki stared intently at Luo Ge, her fingers rubbing together in a money-gesturing motion.

Perhaps because she grew up in Meteor Street, Maki was unusually "greedy" for money, fond of hoarding it.

Similar to Nami from One Piece.

But she hadn't yet developed to the extent seen in the original work—only the early signs were visible.

Luo Ge had no intention of correcting her; hoarding money wasn't bad, as long as she didn't go too far.

"Alright, alright, put it all with you, little housekeeper."

Luo Ge pulled out the Kilon he took from the shop—the universal currency of Hunter x Hunter—and handed it to Maki.

But in Meteor Street, Kilon wasn't widely used; people mostly traded goods directly.

So Luo Ge hadn't looted much from the shop—though he did acquire other valuable items.

Maki knew this well, yet she still wanted only Kilon, refusing anything else.

Without even glancing, she slipped the money straight into her pocket, turning her head away and murmuring in a voice barely louder than a mosquito's:

"Dinner's ready—Xiao Di already prepared it. We were just waiting for you."

Housekeeper, huh…

Seeing this, Luo Ge stopped teasing the little girl, washed his hands quickly, and walked to the dining table.

At that moment, another girl emerged from the kitchen, carrying several serving trays.

The girl was about eight, shorter than both Maki and Luo Ge, with short black hair.

She had lively, large eyes with deep purple-red irises.

She wore a dark sweater; she wasn't yet as "stunning" as in the original work.

And because she was still young, she hadn't started wearing glasses.

She was Xiao Di, like Maki, a character from the original work who later joined the Phantom Troupe.

But neither had joined the Phantom Troupe yet.

The reason they lived under the same roof as Luo Ge was that when he first appeared in Meteor Street, he was unconscious.

Both Maki and Xiao Di found him simultaneously, each claiming him as her own "find," refusing to yield.

When Luo Ge woke up, he had, inexplicably, become the "shared possession" of the two girls.

Luo Ge accepted this willingly, though he always suspected they had picked him up because of his appearance.

But since he had met them and even become close friends, he would prevent them from joining the Phantom Troupe.

Xiao Di, of course—joining the Phantom Troupe happened much later in the original.

Maki's joining was likely imminent, but with his involvement now, things wouldn't unfold as in the original.

These past days, Luo Ge had asked around; it seemed Maki had only met a few individuals from the Troupe, not familiar at all.

Far less than the deep bond they had built in just this past month.