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50 Advance Chapters!
Chapter 50: Rooftop Scene
Yukinoshita Yukino had accepted Shizuka Hiratsuka's request, but Rei Ao didn't seem to come seeking her as expected. Confirming her suspicion, she asked, "You never actually came looking for me."
"Yeah, I didn't think it was necessary," Rei Ao replied, shrugging.
"Oh? You think you can make progress on your own?" Yukinoshita's tone remained cool.
"I've been improving recently. Maybe I'll even get first place in the midterms this time."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Yukinoshita's interest in him dwindled. Her cold response drifted out, "Rei Ao-kun seems to be quite skilled at making big claims."
"Like when you claimed to taste blood in the cookies earlier."
Rei Ao glanced at her with a smirk.
"I'm not one to make empty boasts."
"Whether it's getting first place or my heightened senses."
"For instance, standing here, I can smell the scent of a cat on you."
A 'cat!'
Yukinoshita's eyes widened, staring at Rei Ao in shock.
"Yuigahama-san has already left, so I'll take my leave as well. I won't bother you while you're reading."
Rei Ao waved with a mischievous grin and closed the door behind him as he left, leaving Yukinoshita with a puzzled expression.
Because of his mention of a cat, Yukinoshita was reminded of the small campus cat she had fed with some bread earlier that morning when no one was around. The cat never let her touch it, so how did Rei Ao know?
"Could it be his sense of smell is really that sharp?"
Yukinoshita furrowed her brows slightly.
If Rei Ao wasn't lying, then his test scores
"Since you've said that, I'll wait and see this afternoon."
...
Rei Ao, however, wasn't particularly concerned about his test results.
Because
Mai had come to school.
Even though no one else could see her, she was still there.
"So, what made you come to school all of a sudden?" Rei Ao asked, gently stroking her hand. Mai blushed slightly and replied softly, "I brought you a bento. I wanted to have lunch with you."
"Oh?"
Rei Ao teasingly bumped his nose against hers, grinning. "Missed me?"
"Or do you miss something else of mine?"
"Or maybe you want me to have a taste of you?"
The first two comments were playful, but the last one had an unmistakable innuendo, causing Mai to roll her eyes and playfully swat him. "You're such a pervert!"
"Haha, but my dear Mai isn't far behind in that department. Who was it yesterday who kept holding my head down and wouldn't let me move, huh? And who was the one who"
As Rei Ao kept exposing her, with each word getting more and more explicit, Mai quickly covered his mouth, her eyes filled with embarrassed anger. "Stop it, or else!"
Her expression suggested she was ready to pounce if he said one more word.
Rei Ao's smile never faltered, and seeing her so flustered filled him with a strange sense of satisfaction. But knowing that pushing further would ruin the moment, he nodded in understanding.
"Let's head to the rooftop for lunch, shall we?"
Hand in hand, the two left together.
Unbeknownst to them, standing by the staircase nearby was Megumi Kato, who watched them quietly, holding two bento boxes. She silently observed their closeness before murmuring to herself, "I guess living with Rei Ao-kun does give her a head start, after all."
...
"Why can't you ever behave yourself, even while eating lunch?"
Mai sighed in exasperation.
What should have been a relaxing lunch had turned into something else. Rei Ao had pulled her into his lap, and while that was fine, the real issue was the "gun" poking against her, making her uncomfortable.
He insisted it was just some "rooftop cuddling." But where did he even get such strange phrases?
Holding her waist with a grin, Rei Ao teased, "You say that, but why are your legs moving restlessly?"
"That's your fault!" Mai retorted.
Of course, she'd never admit that she was also enjoying it.
Yes, everything was Rei Ao's fault!
Click.
Just as they were bantering, the rooftop door suddenly opened.
Mai instinctively pressed down on her skirt and squeezed her legs together.
"Hmm? Someone's here?" Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had just stepped onto the rooftop, noticed the presence of others and initially considered leaving. She preferred having the rooftop to herself.
But when she saw Rei Ao sitting near the edge, she changed her mind.
With her long, black legs gracefully moving, she approached him and politely asked, "Mind if I sit here?"
Rei Ao nodded. "Go ahead."
Kasumigaoka sat down, taking out a sandwich and her phone. She didn't say much, nibbling on her food while occasionally glancing at Rei Ao from the corner of her eye. She noticed one bento box open and another still closed, finding it a bit odd.
She completely ignored the presence of Mai sitting in Rei Ao's lap.
~~~
Damn! Hhihihi
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50 Advance Chapters!
Chapter 51: Both Disappear
Mai felt ignored, which was true, but she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her. Frozen in place, sensing some movement, she quickly turned around and whispered, "Rei Ao-kun, how can you still... at a time like this?"
Rei Ao didn't speak aloud but instead sent a message through the chat group.
Rei Ao: "Mai, you know she can't see you, right?"
Mai Sakurajima: "..."
Mai Sakurajima: "Is it really okay?"
Rei Ao: "Relax. Just go for it."
Akame: "What are you two talking about?"
Rei Ao: "Nothing much, just discussing the best way to cuddle."
Mai Sakurajima: "Stop saying that!"
Frieren: "Cuddle what?"
Rei Ao: "Never mind, Mai told me to stop, so I'll keep quiet."
In reality, Mai pinched him as a warning, feeling embarrassed. Despite this, she cautiously followed his lead, slipping his hand under her last layer of clothing.
The rooftop was incredibly quiet. At least for Kasumigaoka Utaha, who couldn't hear Mai's soft sounds, it felt serene.
After a while, Mai shifted to a face-to-face position, placing her hands on Rei Ao's shoulders and resting her chin on his neck. The previous position had been too exhausting.
Kasumigaoka suddenly stopped what she was doing and spoke up.
"Thank you for what you did last time, Rei Ao-kun."
"What do you mean by last time?"
Mai's internal radar flared up, her eyes instantly sharp, though she didn't stop her movements. Rei Ao gave her a reassuring glance.
"Kasumigaoka-san, I'm just glad you're okay. You seem to be looking much better today," Rei Ao said with a smile. "Hopefully, you won't pass out from lack of sleep again, right?"
"..."
Kasumigaoka's gaze darkened. "Rei Ao-kun, don't you know it's embarrassing to bring up someone's shortcomings?"
Rei Ao shrugged. "There's no one else here anyway."
Well, except for Mai Sakurajima.
He said this partly for Mai's benefit, who now understood that Rei Ao had helped Kasumigaoka when she fainted from exhaustion due to lack of sleep. However, Mai couldn't shake the feeling that Rei Ao's intentions weren't entirely pure.
"You don't have feelings for her, do you?"
"..."
Rei Ao gave her an innocent look, blinking "pure" eyes at her.
Mai could see nothing but mischief in his gaze. "You perverted wolf!" she thought.
Annoyed, Mai decided to "punish" him by tightening her grip and stopping any further movements.
Rei Ao, however, found her "punishment" amusing. To him, it was more like a reward.
"Rei Ao-kun, are you waiting for someone?" Kasumigaoka asked, glancing at the unopened bento next to him, implying that he might be expecting a girlfriend.
Given Rei Ao's looks and demeanor, having a girlfriend would be no surprise. In fact, after what happened last time, Kasumigaoka had done some research and discovered that Rei Ao was quite popular at school, although there were no rumors of him having a girlfriend.
"No, I'm not waiting for a girlfriend," Rei Ao replied, smiling inwardly since his girlfriend was right there in his lap.
"This bento just happens to be extra." Mai wasn't in the mood to eat anymore, so Rei Ao offered it. "If you don't mind, you can have it. I saw you were just munching on bread earlier. That can't be too satisfying."
Kasumigaoka's eye twitched. Was he really calling her food unsatisfying to her face?
She intended to decline, but when Rei Ao opened the untouched bento, she couldn't help but be tempted by how delicious it looked.
"Gulp"
She swallowed instinctively, hesitating. "Are you sure I can have this?"
"Of course."
Rei Ao ignored Mai's furious expression and handed over the bento.
"Thank you"
Kasumigaoka couldn't resist and accepted it. Lately, with her editor Machida Sonoko pushing her deadlines, she barely had time to cook, relying on bread and water to survive while focusing on her writing.
When she took her first bite, her eyes widened. "This is delicious! Did you make it yourself?"
Rei Ao laughed and glanced at Mai, who was pouting. "Haha, no, a certain celebrity made it for me."
As he said this, he gently rubbed the soft figure in his arms.
In a low voice, he whispered to Mai, "After all, we can't finish it ourselves, right?"
"Hmph!"
Mai huffed in frustration. She was upset. He was giving away her bento, using her effort to please another woman.
Upset, she clenched her hands and refused to let go of her grip.
'Sigh...' Rei Ao let out a deep sigh.
Enough was enough. There were limits to his patience.
"Eek?"
Before Mai could react, Rei Ao scooped her up into his arms.
"Wait! You'll get caught!" Mai panicked.
But Rei Ao chuckled. "Don't worry."
"Did you forget about the ability I got from our trade?"
Mai's eyes widened as she remembered. "You mean"
"Exactly what you're thinking."
"Right now, Kasumigaoka can't even notice us."
Just as he said, Kasumigaoka was engrossed in her meal, completely oblivious to Rei Ao's presence.
~~~
Damn kinky...
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50 Advance Chapters!
Chapter 52: The restless wind on the rooftop
Rei Ao gently removed Mai's hands and pinned them along with the butterfly clasp to the stone ledge. He then asked the question he had been wanting to ask, "Mai, are you ready now?"
Understanding what he meant, Mai bit her lip, her gaze flickering nervously as she replied, "Not yet."
Rei Ao noticed her hesitation. "Tell me, what are you worried about?"
""
Lowering her head, Mai spoke softly, "I I'm afraid that one day I might really disappear, and I won't be able to respond to your feelings."
That was her fearthat she might eventually fade away to the point where even Rei Ao couldn't remember her.
"So that's what it is," Rei Ao said, a soft smile forming on his lips. "If that's the case, let's fix it."
He leaned in and kissed her forehead. A radiant light enveloped her as he granted her a blessing.
"Uh?!"
Mai immediately felt a change within her body, a surge of powerful energy flowing through her. She now had a pair of shimmering earrings beneath her ears, and red dragon scales appeared on her arms and cheeks.
"What is this?!"
Mai was shocked by her transformation.
[Name]: Mai Sakurajima
[Level]: 3
[Abilities]: "Dragon Strength," "Cognitive Disappearance," "Rei Ao's Blessing," "Inherent Device: Void Star"
"Dragon Strength": Grants the body the strength of a dragon.
"Inherent Device: Void Star": Earrings that can erase the existence of objects.
These abilities made her stronger, but what stood out most was the evolution of her cognitive disappearance.
"Now that you have my blessing, you should understand what has happened to you."
""
Mai gazed at the dragon scales on her arms, and with a thought, they vanished. She could also feel that she now had the ability to restore people's perception of her at will.
"Don't even think about testing your abilities right now," Rei Ao warned, seeing her thoughts clearly. "Unless you want Kasumigaoka to notice."
He nodded toward Kasumigaoka, who was still seated nearby, eating.
"!!!"
Mai, suddenly remembering that Kasumigaoka was still there, quickly gave up the idea of restoring her presence. She looked at Rei Ao with a complicated expression.
"So you already had a way to restore my presence."
"This method wasn't something I was completely sure about," Rei Ao admitted. The blessing could trigger unexpected evolutions, based on a combination of his power and the individual's own abilities.
It was now clear that Mai's abilities had evolved alongside his, resulting in her gaining powers that matched his "Crimson Lotus Dragon God" and an Inherent Device. It was a pleasant surprise, and he couldn't help but wonder if Saeko and Aoi would undergo similar changes. If they didn't, it would be a missed opportunity worth a fortune. He'd have to investigate that further later.
For now, Mai was more important.
"Now that your worries are gone, Mai, are you ready?" Rei Ao asked once again.
"W-Wait!!!"
Mai gasped as she felt herself being overwhelmed by him. Her final worry had vanished, and the person she loved was right here, the one who had taken away her fear. The emotions and affection she wanted to express flowed through her, but words couldn't capture everything. She realized the only way to truly share her feelings was through the closeness they shared.
With her long hair cascading down, she rested her chin on Rei Ao's shoulder, her voice barely a whisper.
"She she really won't notice, will she?"
Her newfound vulnerability made Rei Ao smile.
"Don't you trust me?"
"I do, but this feels so strange."
"So, that's a yes? Then, here I go."
"Wait, noah!"
...
"Whose bento was this, again?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha stared blankly at the empty bento box in her hands after finishing her meal. Was it hers? Why couldn't she remember?
She recalled talking to someone earlier, but when she glanced around the rooftop, it was completely empty, save for the sound of the metal railing rattling in the wind. Waitthere was no wind.
Kasumigaoka's face went pale as she stared at the shaking railing, recalling various ghost stories about rooftops in schools.
Frightened, she hastily packed up the bento box and fled from the rooftop, running as fast as she could.
Still gripping the railing, Mai sighed, exhausted. "You said she wouldn't notice"
Rei Ao grinned mischievously, replying, "Haha, I lied, Mai. Kasumigaoka has been able to see us the whole time."
"!!!"
Mai's reaction was immediate, her eyes widening in shock.
