As the four walked home in awkward silence, a handful of menboorish in both attire and drunken gaitlurched from a nearby alley.
Definitely a bunch of tipsy punks. Fumino and Rizu instantly tensed, praying nothing bad happened. But sometimes the more you hope to avoid something, the more it occurs:
"Heh, look what we've got heresome real hotties!"
One of the punks ogled them. The others smirked sleazily and moved in.
"What do we do?"
"Let's run!" suggested Fumino.
Touko reached for her phone.
"I'll call the police."
"No need."
Mafuyu raised her hand to stop them, shaking her head resignedly. "Looks like Rei Ao was right."
"Huh?" The other three were confused.
Mafuyu recalled Rei Ao telling her that a group of beauties going out together is bound to attract scoundrels. He'd showed her personally (in the midst of teasing her) how to handle such situations: hit them hard.
Shhh-Shhh
They barely heard the faint rush of water.
"Aaaagh!!!"
"Boom!!!"
Screams and crashes intermingled. The punks surrounding them went flying, slamming into walls or bushes. They collapsed, soaked to the bone, unconscious as though half-dead dogs.
"Hmph. Rei Ao told me that's how to handle little punks and pervs."
Mafuyu eyed the downed men coldly, then turned to a stunned Touko Yotsuya.
"Mrs. Yotsuya, you now have the divine power Rei Ao bestowed, so if something like this happens, strike them down."
"Huh But"
Touko was kind and a little timid by nature.
"II don't know how to control it. I might hurt innocent people"
"Don't be afraid." Mafuyu patted her shoulder, speaking firmly: "Rei Ao said he'd look after you, so he'll handle any aftermath. Compared to these small fries, he doesn't want to see us endangered at allget it?"
"Rei Ao-kun"
Touko's heart skipped a beat. So that's what he meant by "looking after her" She felt strangely happy.
Off to the side, Fumino and Rizu each showed glimmers of envy. It was their first time truly seeing how Rei Ao treated his beloved. Still, they seemed to overlook one thing: Rei Ao and Touko had never officially stated any relationship. Even Touko herself had forgotten that.
~~~
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Chapter 540: Shirogane Family! Doing the Right Thing! (Bonus Chapter)
Shirogane Household
During dinner:
"Miyuki, why do you look so down today?"
Shirogane's father noticed his son, Miyuki Shirogane, listlessly poking at his food without enthusiasm.
"Ah oh"
Miyuki sounded like he barely heard him and didn't bother to respond.
"He's been upset over his grades dropping."
His sister, Kei Shirogane, who was quietly eating, explained.
Because ever since Rei Ao showed up, Miyuki had slipped down from his usual secure second place. In the latest test, he had even fallen to fifth.
In truth, it wasn't that Miyuki's performance droppedit was more that Rei Ao, Yukinoshita, Mai, and Eriri's scores soared drastically, leaving him behind. This came as a huge blow to him.
After all, he'd always been aiming for first place, juggling part-time jobs with relentless studying.
"I see."
Shirogane's father didn't reproach Miyuki. He knew how hard his son had been working.
He himself was in no position to criticize his children for failinghe felt he could only give them as much support as possible.
"Miyuki, you're a man. You can't let something like temporarily getting surpassed knock you down foreverthat's not the son I know."
"Father"
The emptiness in Miyuki's eyes receded, replaced with resolve.
"You're right, Father. I can't let a mere setback defeat me!"
He clenched his fist, eyes regaining determination.
"I have to learn from Rei Ao and work harder to surpass myself!"
"Rei Ao? Somehow I recall that name"
Shirogane's father stroked his chin, trying to remember who mentioned it.
"Dad, Rei Ao is that senpai who helped me once."
At that, Kei Shirogane gave a little smile.
"This time, Rei Ao-senpai again scored perfect marks across all subjects. He's truly incredible."
A senpai who'd helped Kei in the past and left a good impressionhe was now admired by many girls in class, Kei included.
"Yeah, Rei Ao really is amazing," Miyuki also couldn't help admitting. "I must treat Rei Ao as a goal to push me to work even harder!"
Kei Shirogane shot him a glare.
"Hmph, how could a guy like you possibly beat Rei Ao-senpai?"
"Uh"
Being belittled by his own younger sister hurt, but Miyuki could only smile bitterly. She was in her rebellious phase now, never calling him "onii-chan" or anything similar. Instead, she'd just say "hey you," "that guy," or "this idiot." It stung.
"Oh, so that's who he is."
Hearing these explanations, their father finally recalled. He looked at Kei.
"Kei, didn't you say you wanted to invite him to our home to thank him sometime?"
"Er" Kei dropped her eyes awkwardly. "Dad, I"
She didn't know how to continue.
"If you're embarrassed because our place is cramped and rundown, we could host him at a nice restaurant instead," said Shirogane's father sympathetically. He understood a teenage girl's self-consciousnessinviting someone over to their impoverished, worn-down home might be awkward.
"Dad, that's not what I!" Kei waved her hand hastily, but her voice lacked confidence. Indeed, she worried about being looked down on if she brought Rei Ao-senpai home. Their house was poor and shabby, and she was sensitive about it.
"Kei, Dad's right. Don't be afraid. If you want to invite him, I'll just work some extra part-time shifts this weekend so we can afford a better restaurant," Miyuki offered, supporting his sister. If she wanted something, he'd help however he could.
Though, a small part of him felt uneasy about Kei's fascination with Rei Ao. It was as if she were starstruck, always asking about him. Did Kei possiblylike Rei Ao-senpai that way?
""
With her father and brother's backing, Kei felt a bit braver.
"Thank you. I know what to do now!"
Next Morning
"Why do you all look so exhausted? Didn't you sleep well?"
Rei Ao emerged from the bathroom to find Mafuyu and the others sporting dark circles and weary eyes.
"You have some nerve asking that!"
Mafuyu shot him a glare.
If someone hadn't gone on all night without rest, would they be like this? Also, having her two students in the same house and hearing all that was beyond embarrassing.
Fumino and Rizu were sipping water quietly, occasionally sneaking glances at Rei Ao. They were starting to suspect their school's health education had lied to themno teacher ever said a human body could be thattireless.
"UmRei Ao-kun, about Miko and Hana"
Despite the shame, Touko Yotsuya was worried about the girls' physical condition They'd been going at it with him all night, right? Was that okay?
"Don't worry about them. They're God-Kings now, so they're just too embarrassed to come out."
"I-I see" Touko's cheeks reddened. If it were her, she'd be too ashamed to show her face, too.
"By the way, Mafuyu, you did well last night."
Rei Ao abruptly switched topics.
Mafuyu: "You knew?"
"Of course. Just because I was busy doesn't mean I can't spare attention to what you're doing."
He gently ruffled her hair. "Well done. If you'd actually killed them, I'd still have handled the aftermath. After all, the power I bestow is meant for you to protect yourselves. If anything threatens one of mine, they should be dealt with firmly."
He didn't want them to fuss with legal or bureaucratic measures for troublemakers, which would waste everyone's time.
"Hmph, I am a teacher. I know perfectly well what to do without needing you to teach me!"
Though she was secretly happy about his praise, Mafuyu refused to lose face in front of her students.
"Fine." Rei Ao saw through it and let it be. Next time he'd have to put in extra effort to coax her. After all, he'd done his main tasks: controlling this world's origin, granting Miko and Hana their godhood, and "taking care of" them. No need to stay longer.
"You're leaving already? I'd planned to cook a proper lunch to thank you," Touko tried to keep them.
"No thanks, I've got other appointments," he declined politely. "Besides, Fumino and Rizu have been away from home overnightthough we already gave an excuse, being out too long will worry their families."
"I see, alright then," Touko agreed, no longer insisting.
Rei Ao gave a warm smile. "We'll save lunch for next time. I look forward to seeing you again, Mrs. Yotsuya."
As soon as he spoke, the four of them vanished. Touko Yotsuya stared at the empty spot, dazed for a good while. Rei Ao's parting smile lingered in her mind. Resting a hand on her chest, she murmured:
"I'll look forwardto next time, too."
~~~
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Chapter 541: Iroha Isshiki's Date!
Upon returning to their own world, Fumino Furuhashi and Rizu Ogata fled as though escaping.
Being near Rei Ao reminded them too much of the night spent hearing noises through thin walls.
"See what you've done."
Mafuyu said awkwardly, giving Rei Ao's waist a light pinch.
"Mafuyu-sensei, where did you learn this 'waist pinch' move?"
Rei Ao's forehead was streaked with black lines; it seemed both she and Mai had picked it up naturally.
"I'm teaching you a lesson!"
Mafuyu replied calmly, face unflushed and heart steady.
"Who does that kind of thing in front of others? Think about how Fumino and Rizu must feel facing me now!"
"Oh?"
Rei Ao teased with a smirk. "I was just messing around with Miko and Hana. I don't remember you joining in. How does that concern you?"
"You still dare say that!"
At the reminder, Mafuyu gritted her teeth.
"Fumino and I were staying in the same guest roomneither of us slept a wink all night. So embarrassing!"
All night, she felt like ants were crawling over her skin. Even she didn't know how to face them both.
But Rei Ao remained laid-back.
"You just have to get used to it. I've done 18 consecutive live broadcasts before."
"This topic ends here. I have to go out."
"It's the weekend. No classes."
Mafuyu reminded him.
"I knowmy outing isn't for school; I'm going on a date."
"Huh?"
On the train.
Wearing a white dress and carrying a small purse, Iroha Isshiki looked tense. She kept checking herself, worried there might be lint or stains on her clothes.
"Should be fineright?"
Even though it was her plan to "woo" Rei Ao-senpai, for some reason she was the one super nervous. She hadn't even met up with him yet and was already acting this way. Maybe it was because it was her first date?
Iroha tried to reassure herself, unaware that at the other end of the train carriage, two pairs of eyes were stealthily watching her.
"Yumiko, I feel like dressing like this is way too conspicuous."
Feeling everyone's eyes on them, Yuigahama was uncomfortable.
"Yuigahama, we're tailing Isshiki, so of course we need a disguise," Yumiko said seriously.
"Butalright." Yuigahama sighed, resigning. Though she still wanted to complain. If they were simply following Isshiki, why bundle up in coats, hats, and sunglasses, looking exactly like detective cosplayers? To bystanders, they were basically shady weirdos.
"Yuigahama, she's getting off. Let's go!"
"Got it!"
Alighting from the train, Iroha Isshiki looked around. This was where she and Rei Ao had arranged to meet.
"Iroha, over here."
Not far away, under the shade of a tree, Rei Ao waved.
"Rei Ao-senpai!"
Seeing him, Iroha brightened, running over in a swirl of floral scent. She wore an especially cute outfit, like an elf out of a story, and Rei Ao couldn't help praising her.
"Iroha, this outfit really suits youit's lovely."
"Um, th-thank you for the compliment, Senpai."
A faint blush tinted Iroha's cheeks as she nodded bashfully, all the while berating herself inwardly. Why am I getting so happy from a simple compliment!?
Then she put her hands on her hips, pouting in mock frustration to mask her emotions.
"Rei Ao-senpai, this is a dateso calling me 'Isshiki' is kinda odd!"
"Mm, you're right."
"How about Iroha?"
""
The name made Iroha's eyes tremble. She had initiated this request herself, but hearing him address her so intimately made her heart race uncontrollably.
Noticing her strange expression and silence, Rei Ao spoke again.
"What's wrong? Don't like that name? Then"
"No, it's fine!"
Iroha forced down her embarrassment. "J-just call me that, then. In that case, I'll call you Rei Ao-kun."
Rei Ao smiled slightly. "No problem, Iroha."
"Ugh!"
She quivered. Not daring to meet his eyes, she whirled around.
"Alright, Rei Ao-kun, let's go. Time to start the date!"
Walking side by side, Rei Ao's eyes briefly flicked toward the pillar behind them, noticing two people but swiftly looking away.
Behind that pillar
"Yumiko, I think Rei Ao-kun spotted us."
Yuigahama scratched her head. His glance had been unmistakable.
"Of course he did," Yumiko retorted sourly. "He's too powerful for our little stakeout to fool him. I expected this, but it's fine."
She shrugged. "We're just here to see if that little fox Iroha tries seducing him. Doesn't matter if he found out we're watching."
"Little fox?"
Yuigahama was taken aback that Yumiko would use such languagebut she had to admit it fit. She and Yumiko didn't mind if a new girl joined Rei Ao's circle, but they disliked the possibility that someone might come in purely through seductive tricks. Over time, they'd come to see Iroha as not malicious, but her sheer determination to "chase" Rei Ao unnerved them a bit.
Even if love can grow slowly over time, there should be at least some genuine affection, right?
"C'mon, Yuigahama, don't stand there. We're following them!"
"Right!"
Rei Ao and Iroha strolled from the mall to the aquarium, then to an arcade crane gamea carefully planned itinerary by Iroha.
She also added some personal touches: trying on outfits in clothing stores, taking close-up photos in a photo booth, playing innocent with sea animals at the aquarium, acting clumsy at crane gamesshe was intentionally showing off every aspect of a "perfect girlfriend" persona, all to captivate Rei Ao. She felt she'd carried out these roles flawlessly.
