Rei Ao looked puzzled:
"Mai, I should tell you, I didn't write any of that."
"Huh?"
Mai scowled:
"Rei Ao-kun, do you even know what you're saying?"
"Of course."
Under her embarrassed gaze, he raised her shirt a bit. Sure enough, her stomach was covered in messy words that extended down below the waist. Rei Ao frowned slightly:
"This is from Tohru's magic. That's why you can't wash it off."
"???"
Mai was stunned.
"T-Tohru?"
So these were Tohru's doing?
"Seems obvious. Looks like Tohru was messing with you." Rei Ao shrugged.
""
Mai wasn't dumb. Adding up the signsRei Ao's cluelessness and allshe realized he really hadn't known. So she'd ended up trying to hide, feeling mortified for days over something Tohru did? That made her feel like a total clown.
"Ugh!"
Mai let out a small whimper of frustration.
"What's wrong?" Rei Ao asked.
"Rei Ao-kun, do you have any idea what it's like to feel so humiliated you'd rather die?"
"Hahaha, can't say I do."
He chuckled, moving as though to remove her skirt and tights.
"H-Hey, w-what are you doing?!"
Mai quickly blocked his hands, flustered:
"Class is about to start! We don't have time for that!"
Rei Ao found her response amusing. Right away, he could tell she had misunderstood him. Her first reaction wasn't to refuse him but to point out they didn't have enough time. So she had that slight interest in "campus play," too, it seemed.
He teased:
"Mai, you're getting dirtier. I only meant to erase Tohru's scribbles."
"!!!"
Mai froze.
E-erase
She watched Rei Ao raise a finger. As though something unseen shattered, the magic on the writing vanished. Anywhere he touched, the scribbles disappeared in sequence. Indeed, she had misunderstood.
She grew self-conscious as her body heated with shame. Glaring at him in embarrassment:
"This is all your faultI-I've been corrupted by you!"
"Really now?"
Rei Ao narrowed his eyes, then suddenly kissed her smooth belly:
"Then I'd better do my best to mold Mai into my shape."
"Ugh!"
Feeling Rei Ao's move this time wasn't merely about removing scribbles, Mai's face flared bright red.
~~~
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Chapter 218: Scribbles, Contact Info, Sigh~
Actually, Rei Ao didn't do anything more to Mai in that brief moment.
He only used his tongue to help remove the scribbles from the marker on her body.
He was exceedingly meticulous, leaving out no spot.
Unfortunately, he deliberately didn't let Mai experience that ultimate pinnaclehe stopped halfway.
At that moment, Mai's expression was something he carefully savored:
A look of hazy confusion, tinged with puzzlement;
Within the confusion, a trace of frustrated desire,
And after confirming there would be no follow-up, a yearning but too embarrassed to speak, coupled with an aggrieved, tight-lipped sulk.
He was waiting for Mai to speak up on her own, to beg him to let her experience that "driving to the limit."
Pity that he didn't manage to see it happen this time.
Mai stubbornly ran off.
"It seems Mai still isn't open enoughthis won't do."
Rei Ao's goal was truly a "great bedful" (i.e., everyone together). Mai still had a long way to go to reach that point.
He had to train her carefully.
When he returned to the classroom as well, two particular gazes caught his notice.
One gaze came from Kato Megumi, her soft, mild eyes calmly watching him.
The other from Hyodo Michiru, who looked hesitant yet kept glancing his way.
After sitting at his desk, he suddenly turned around:
"Hyodo-san, you've been staring at me since I walked in, looking preoccupied. Why?"
"I"
Caught off-guard, Hyodo Michiru didn't know how to articulate it.
After organizing her thoughts, she explained her dilemma:
"Actuallymy bandmatesthe ones you helped out last timehave been wanting your contact info. They keep pestering me, so"
That gaggle of silly fangirls shoved the task onto her.
Asking a guy for his contactshe felt so awkward doing that.
"That's it?"
He'd thought it might be something serious. Turned out it was just a simple matter.
"No worries; I'll give it to you."
Rei Ao wrote down his details, in case she couldn't memorize them.
Hyodo Michiru thanked him.
After pausing a few seconds, she asked:
"Um, can I add your contact as well?"
"Of courseno problem."
Rei Ao smiled: "When your band has a gig, let me know. If I'm free, I'll come support you."
Hyodo Michiru's eyes lit up: "Rei Ao-kun likes music?"
"Not exactly about liking or disliking. I don't know anything about professional music or have the motivation to learn."
He spoke candidly about his thoughts on music.
"Oh"
She looked a little disappointed.
But then Rei Ao shifted his tone:
"However, I'm quite skilled at appreciating beauty."
"Appreciating beauty?"
She stared in surprise at the hint of a smile on Rei Ao's face.
He continued:
"Yes. Whether it's the pleasing sound of the music or the confident radiance you show when performing, I can appreciate that."
Her earlobes went slightly pink.
It didn't sound so much like he was talking about the music itself but more like he was praising the person performing it. Something within her was stirred.
To avoid making it awkward, she quickly said:
"All right, then I'll be sure to let you know when we perform next time. And besides, the band wants to thank you for helping us out the other day."
"Haha, deal."
Rei Ao didn't continue with idle chatter and simply turned back around.
It was better to strengthen rapport naturally rather than waste words.
After he faced forward,
" "
Hyodo Michiru gazed at his back blankly, lost in thought about something.
During Break
Rei Ao received a text, which was no surprise.
It came from Futaba Riospecifically, the outward-going version of Futaba Rio at school.
Futaba Rio: "Meet me at the garden."
Just a simple request to head to the garden.
Rei Ao knew she likely wanted to discuss the matter of the inward/introverted Futaba Rio, so he went.
He arrived at the garden to find Futaba Rio quietly waiting on a bench.
Rei Ao casually sat beside her, quipping:
"Haven't heard from you these last couple of daysI thought you'd stopped worrying about her."
Rio turned her head with a self-mocking smile:
"Or maybe there's another possibility: I disappeared entirely."
"Not possible."
But Rei Ao denied it with conviction. A seriousness in his voice:
"I said I wouldn't let either of you vanish, so I won't let it happen."
""
Futaba Rio's eyes flickered. She gathered her hair calmly:
"I was just mentioning a possibility. Even so, I do hope you can keep your promise. At the very least, I don't want to disappear."
She gave a faint smile:
"Anyway, to the point: How's she managing at your place? Don't tell me you laid a hand on her already."
"She's adapted fairly well. As formaking a move"
Rei Ao let out a resigned sigh:
"I've been rather busy and haven't found the chance. A shame."
""
Futaba Rio paused.
Though Rei Ao's tone sounded teasing, somehow she sensed he was half-serious.
"I'm starting to think sending her to you was a mistake."
"If you want my opinion: a massive mistake indeed."
Rei Ao's lips curved into a grin:
"You basically dropped a sweet little lamb straight into a wolf's maw. I see no reason not to devour."
""
She was at a loss for wordsbecause it was true.
She'd known from the start Rei Ao was a lustful, big bad wolf. She'd still done it.
And hidden in a corner of her heart was envy and anticipation for "her" to get devoured.
Probably from the first time she met Rei Ao and heard his confession, her feelings had grown complicated. She craved attentionespecially when recalling Rei Ao's burning gaze from day one. It made her heart sink each time, reminding her. And sitting beside him now, it was the same. She'd rather have Rei Ao notice her than others notice her.
"Anyway, soon I'll return her life to her. Once that happens"
She would fade away. That was Futaba Rio's intuition.
"Sigh."
Rei Ao exhaled.
"So you really have no faith in me, huh?"
"No"
She responded seriously:
"I'm actually grateful you noticed me at first sight, grateful you liked a person like me."
"ButI'm ultimately an existence that shouldn't be."
Her tone was both sincere and dejected.
The more she lived her life, the more she understood that her presencelike Rei Ao said, "a puberty delusion"was a pathological error.
No one understood Futaba Rio better than herself. She had a hunch that once the other Rio overcame her issues, her own existence would lose all purpose.
~~~
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Chapter 219: I have a friend... (Bonus Chapter)
Futaba Rio's relieved attitude wasn't so much about her having faith in Futaba Rio herself, but rather about her believing in Rei Ao, that man who had entered her heart the first time they met.
Because she trusted him, she believed that Futaba Rio (the introverted "her") would be changed by him.
Although she couldn't see all that was inside her counterpart's heart, Rei Ao could sense Futaba Rio's calm acceptance and relief.
It seemed he'd have to use some methods today. He had no intention of letting the "little wife" he'd had his eye on for so long vanish for no reason.
So he stood up, gently ruffling Futaba Rio's hair with his big hand and said:
"From now on, you will never disappear again. I promise you that."
"Eh?"
Futaba Rio hadn't yet processed such a serious assurance. By the time she came to her senses, Rei Ao was already gone, leaving only his retreating figure.
She touched the strands of hair where he had patted her, whispering anxiously, "A promise"
"Ughhhhh"
Inside the art club, Eririwas so upset she ruffled her hair in frustration.
Originally, she'd thought her passionate union with Rei Ao meant she'd found happiness that could last a lifetime. But suddenly, her mother dropped two shocking revelations on her.
1. Her "mom" wasn't actually her real mother.
"Pfft!"
When she first heard that, she was both stunned and filled with complicated emotions. But after a while, she was able to accept itbecause whether or not this woman was her biological mother, the bond of mother and daughter between them was very real. Eriri didn't mind at all; she would forever see that person as her mom.
But
2. The second matter she absolutely, absolutely couldn't accept!
Her mom had also obtained "a future" and it was the same big "future" that Eriri herself had!
Like a thunderbolt, that flood of shocking information overwhelmed her. She'd never expected to see, in her own life, a situation similar to Takagi Saya from the chat groupthe same kind of thing that had once been gossiped about.
For a moment, Eriri didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
On the one hand, she was happy she and her mother could stay together forever;
On the other, she was dismayed that she and her mother would be "sharing the same big future" with Rei Ao.
Eriri was frantic, not knowing how to face that kind of scenario.
And Mom told her she didn't mind at all, that everything still depended on Eriri's own choice.
What would her mom do if she (Eriri) did mind?
She didn't know. But she was sure her mom would yield to her in some way.
"Hmph, it's all Rei Ao's fault!"
Eriri was extremely angry. If he weren't such a twisted pervert, they wouldn't be stuck in this predicament.
"What am I supposed to do"
She wanted to talk to someone about her troubles, but she didn't really have any friends. The only people close to her were Rei Ao and her mom.
Rei Ao
"Hmph, I'm not gonna ask him for help!"
The thought of him, who would reap all the benefits of this situation, made her grind her teeth in fury. No matter what she decided, that perverted wolf would profit.
Suddenly, a lightbulb went on in her headshe thought of someone:
Kasumigaoka Utaha.
They'd met a few times, but they were both members of the chat group. Even if Eriri confided in her, it probably wouldn't spread all over the place, right? She could just private-message her in the chat!
She was desperate for someone to talk to about her gloom.
Eriri: "Ahem, Kasumigaoka-san, do you have a moment?"
"Hmm?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha, who was resting her head on her desk, raised her head curiously. This "Eriri" was messaging her for what reason? She felt they weren't exactly close. But they were groupmates, so she politely replied:
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Mm, Sawamura-san, is there something you need?"
Eriri: "Uh, I have a friend who has some issues and wants to gather some opinions."
""
Kasumigaoka Utaha lifted an eyebrow. That classic line: I have a friend who
Eriri: "My friend just got into a mutual, 'they like each other' relationship with a boy she really likes."
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Oh, how nicemutual feelings are always worth celebrating."
Eriri: "Mhm, indeed. She was really happy."
Eriri: "But today, she ran into some extremely shocking trouble."
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "How shocking?"
Utaha was intrigued. Love topics might spark creative ideas or new inspirations.
Eriri: "Well, just last night she and her boyfriend got very intimate. Then, early this morning, she hears two bombshell pieces of news."
Eriri: "First, she found out her mother isn't her real mom."
Kasumigaoka silently nodded. That's pretty sad news.
Eriri: "Second"
Just as Utaha was eager for more gossip, Eriri's words cut off. Ah, this is driving me nuts, Utaha thought. She sensed that the second piece was an even bigger bombshell. She didn't dare rush, though, only waited impatiently.
After a while, Eriri, having made a tough decision, couldn't hold back sharing her friend's secret:
Eriri: "She discovered that her boyfriend and her mom are also"
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "..."
Even though Eriri didn't finish the sentence, Kasumigaoka Utaha already understood what it meant.
Eek!!!
This is unbelievably bizarre?
She suddenly felt this "friend of Eriri's" was pretty tragic.
Eriri: "What do you think she should do about a situation like that?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Uhh"
