"Yukino, is something on your mind today?"
Alicia, who'd been staying with Yukino for some time, couldn't help but ask when she noticed how distracted she seemed.
"Heh, Yukino's probably thinking about which snacks to buy me," Mabel chimed in, half-joking.
Yukino shot Mabel a sharp look, making her shrink back. Placing her teacup down with a slight shake of her head, Yukino began, "It's nothing, I'm just"
Ding-dong!!!
She got cut off by the doorbell.
"I'll get it!"
Alicia, still in her pajamas, trotted off to answer the door. Soon, a familiar figure stepped into the doorway of the living room.
"Huh?"
Alicia gasped in surprise.
"Long time no see," Rei Ao greeted with a smile.
"Mm-hmm" Alicia nodded a bit awkwardly.
"May I come in? Yukino asked me to drop by."
Not too long ago, Yukino had sent him a private message inviting him over. Conveniently, after he'd dropped off Kei at her house, he came straight here.
"O-oh, right!"
Alicia realized she was blocking the entrance and hurriedly moved aside.
"Who is it, Alicia?"
Mabel called out from the couch, not even bothering to look away from the TV.
"It's Rei Ao,"
Alicia said in a small voice.
"Huh?"
The mere mention of his name wiped the happy-go-lucky expression from Mabel's face. She stiffened, then slowly lifted her head.
"Mabel, what's with that look? Am I not welcome here?"
Rei Ao narrowed his eyes in a mischievous smile.
In an instant, Mabel's hair practically stood on end.
"Ah!!!"
She squealed like a startled animal and darted behind Alicia.
"Wh-why are you here?!"
Her mind raced, wondering if she'd said anything bad about him recently. She immediately thought he might've come to punish her in some way.
Reading her like an open book, Rei Ao only smiled.
"You're safe for today. I'm not here to pick on you."
He walked straight over to Yukino and naturally took a seat next to her, slipping an arm around her shoulders.
"Have I kept you waiting long?"
He murmured softly into her ear.
Yukino's body visibly stiffened, and a pinkish flush spread across her pale cheeks.
"W-what do you think you're doing?!"
She protested quietly but didn't push him away. All the frustration and questions she'd been stewing over all day vanished the moment he got soclose. Yukino felt annoyed at herself.
She'd wanted a serious conversation about Iroha Isshiki and Kei Shirogane, but how was she supposed to hold her ground when a simple embrace turned her mind to mush?
"What's wrong? Isn't it normal for a guy to get close to his girlfriend?"
Rei Ao teased, brushing the tip of his nose against her soft cheek.
Mabel, now relieved she wasn't Rei Ao's target, had quietly switched to spectator mode. Alicia, meanwhile, blushed at their public display of affection, unsure whether she should keep watching.
Yukino wasn't the type to handle PDA well.
"D-don't get so close"
But her soft protest only seemed to spur Rei Ao on. He got bolder, ignoring her objections altogether.
"Go on, Yukinosay what you wanted to say. I'll keep hugging you, you keep talking. It won't bother me."
"You"
She could see he had no intention of stopping. When it looked like he might even escalate things in front of Mabel and Alicia, she hastily clutched at his shirt.
Flustered, she blurted, "Let'slet's go talk in my bedroom! It's important!"
"Oh? Sure."
That suited Rei Ao just fine. He scooped Yukino up in his arms and carried her off to her room.
When the bedroom door shut behind them, Alicia spoke up timidly, "Um, they"
"Aah, don't worry about them!"
Mabel cut her off, patting the couch beside her. "Come watch this movie with me instead!"
Having narrowly avoided any trouble herself, Mabel was in a great mood. At least Yukino was the one who had to deal with Rei Ao now, not her.
"I alright,"
Alicia replied, giving a quick glance at the firmly closed bedroom door before sitting back down next to Mabel, half-heartedly returning her attention to the movie. She couldn't help wondering what exactly was happening in there
On the edge of Yukino's bed:
Yukino now found herself sitting on Rei Ao's lap.
"I heard"
She tried to keep her voice steady.
"That you gave Shirogane-san a pretty expensive pair of running shoes?"
Rei Ao blinked, then gave an "Oh, so that's why you called me here" look.
He didn't loosen his hold. Instead, he pulled Yukino in even closer.
"Jealous?"
"Don't flatter yourself."
She turned her face away, but the red tips of her ears were a dead giveaway.
"I just think that as a senpai, you ought to be mindful of boundaries with kouhaiboth Isshiki-san and Shirogane-san included."
"Yukino."
Rei Ao's voice turned serious. He gently lifted her chin with his fingertips so she had to meet his gaze.
"You know you're the only one who's special to me."
She felt her breath catch in her throat. At such a direct declaration, all her defenses crumbled.
"It's like you knew exactly what I wanted to hear,"
she mumbled, quiet and embarrassed.
"Idiot"
Still, she couldn't help leaning into his chest.
"I already knew you were like this"
Logically, Yukino understood perfectly why he'd be popular. She'd seen for herself how appealing he could be: a tall, striking presence with cool, distant charm, paired with a surprisingly high emotional intelligence. It was lethal to women.
She locked eyes with him, the man she'd let into her heart at last.
"You and them seem so comfortable together."
Rei Ao let out a soft laugh, not mocking, but almost as if he understood something deeply. His iridescent eyes never left hers.
"You're right; I enjoy talking with them. Iroha's got a fun personality, and Kei is very cute. In fact, they both match my tastes."
Yukino's fingers clenched in the fabric of her nightdress. His honesty was like a double-edged sword; she appreciated that he wasn't making excuses, but couldn't stand how he barely tried to hide it.
"You know why I'm upset."
Those ice-blue eyes fixed on him.
"It's not just about you being close to them, it's"
She bit her lip, at a rare loss for words.
"It's that I neglected you," Rei Ao filled in. He reached over and tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear.
Yukino's pupils contracted slightly. He was always so observant, noticing even the smallest detailsyet he'd still let these "incidents" happen.
~~~
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Chapter 666: Taking Pleasure on someone else's misfortune?
"I'm not going to apologize for that."
Rei Ao's voice was calm.
His fingers slipped through Yukino's hair and down to the back of her neck, the warmth making her involuntarily shiver.
"First, you know exactly what kind of person I am. I'm drawn to beauty and enjoy the thrill of possessing someoneheart and soul."
He leaned in slightly, shrinking the distance between them. Yukino could smell his fresh scent.
"And you, Yukino, are no different."
He bowed his head until his forehead nearly touched hers. His thumb grazed across her collarbone.
"You're like a book I want to read and reread, savoring every page."
A tremor raced up Yukino's spine. His words, like the man himself, were both blunt and filled with subtle nuancehard to dismiss as mere sweet talk.
"Such flowery words."
She turned her face away but didn't push his hand off.
"They're not flowery words. They're facts."
Rei Ao gave a quiet laugh. With his other arm, he wrapped around Yukino's waist, pulling her closer.
"I'm fickle, but I never lie. If the day comes when my feelings for you change, you'll be the first to know."
Yukino felt his heartbeat through his clothessteady and strong. Beneath his usual composed exterior, it was beating faster than she'd expected. He wasexcited.
"You really are detestable."
Cheeks flushed, Yukino pressed her forehead against his shoulder.
"You're basically justifying your own womanizing like it's some kind of virtue."
Rei Ao stroked his chin lightly against the top of her head.
"Because I know you, Yukino."
"What really bothers you isn't my wandering eyes. It's your fear that all those fleeting attractions might water down our relationship."
His fingers wove through her long hair.
"But you're overthinking it. I'd never let someone who's captured my heart so completely slip out of my grasp."
"At school, I keep my distance out of respect for your feelings. Otherwise, I'd want you by my side every secondready to, you know, start a round anytime."
"Youwhat are you even talking about?!"
Mention of "starting a round" made Yukino burn with embarrassment. She squeezed her eyes shut. She had to admit, his words were hitting the marklike a key perfectly unlocking all her half-understood emotions.
Yes, what she feared wasn't the sharing. It was the possibility of being replaced.
"What am I supposed to do with you"
Her voice was muffled against his sweater.
Rei Ao cupped her face in his hands, looking more earnest than she'd ever seen before.
"You don't have to suppress your possessivenessjust like I won't suppress my nature. We'll find a balance, even if it's contradictory."
He pressed a light kiss to her forehead, not a lustful one but more like a promise.
"Besides"
A mischievous grin tugged at Rei Ao's lips.
"You get the perk of seeing how I am when I'm trying to coax you. Everyone else just sees my polite, gentle, or wild side."
Unable to hold back, Yukino murmured, "You narcissist."
"Only when it comes to you."
Seizing the moment, Rei Ao kissed her softly but firmly, leaving her resistance to melt away like spring snow.
By the time they broke apart, night had fallen. Moonlight filtered through the clouds into the room, edging Rei Ao's silhouette with silver.
Yukino gazed at him, realizing this was precisely his allure: he never hid his roving nature, and that honesty made every moment of genuine focus feel all the more precious.
It was a kind of "real deal," she supposedeven someone as aloof as she was found herself feeling jealous.
"Next time"
She straightened the collar of his rumpled shirt.
"At least keep your distance from the girls you aren't actually interested in."
Rei Ao caught her fingertips, dropping a kiss on them.
"As you wish, my Yukino."
"But"
He flashed a mischievous smile. "You getting jealous is so cuteit almost makes me look forward to next time."
Yukino glared at him, but there wasn't any anger in her eyes.
"Don't count on it!"
She was about to get up when his large hand pulled her back into his arms.
"Where do you think you're going?"
He asked with a grin. "You don't get to throw a hungry wolf out once he's already inside."
"At least feed me first."
Realizing exactly what he meant, Yukino's face went bright red. She didn't dislike the idea. In fact, part of her wanted to be in his arms, wanted to
But still.
"II'm going to take a bath"
"Aw, why bother? I like Yukino just as she isfresh out of the box~"
"???"
"Hahahaha, that's hilarious!"
In the living room, Mabel was doubled over, laughing at the comedy film playing on TV. She was acting almost like she was born in this modern world, totally unlike the way Alicia behaved.
But Alicia couldn't muster a smile. She was restless and uncomfortable, her nerves on edge every time she heard certainnoises coming from the master bedroom. It had been going on for a while now, and was only gettinglouder.
"Alicia, what's up?"
Mabel asked when she noticed her unease.
"U-um"
Alicia lowered her head, mumbling. "Mabel, d-don't you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
Mabel tilted her head and listened. Soon enough, she picked it up. Her eyes went wide, and she glanced at the closed door.
"It's Yukino," she remarked calmly.
"You'll get used to it."
"G-get used to it?"
Can someone really just "get used to" that kind of thing? Alicia felt utterly bewildered. Was she the odd one, or was this world simply thatopen?
"Aah, it's got nothing to do with us, so let's just watch the movie," Mabel said with a dismissive wave, not particularly bothered. As long as it wasn't happening to her, she was fine. If Yukino was the one suffering, Mabel could at least eat her snacks in peace!
She was feeling quite smug, until
All of a sudden, a voice rang out from the other room:
"Mabel, get in here!"
"!!!"
Rei Ao's call cut right through the walls. Mabel froze, her face going slack with shock.
Chapter 667: Things Happening in the Chat Group!
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~~~
"Mabel, come here!"
"W-wait, not nowthis isn't right"
"Yukino, that won't do. I think we need Mabel to give you a little help. Be good."
"Ugh"
End of conversation. Yukino seemed to give in. Then Rei Ao's voice came again:
"Mabel, come!"
"Ugh!"
Mabel's face fell completely. She'd thought her suffering was over for today, but it looked like there was no escape. At first, she used to resist. But by now, Mabel understood all too well that resistance would only trigger a more forceful "charge." So, she decided to just go with the flow.
With a miserable look, she got up and headed toward the master bedroom.
"Uh?"
Seeing Mabel open the door, Alicia finally snapped to attention.
"Mabel!"
She cried out on instinct. Mabel turned back.
"Alicia, take care of my snacks for me, okay?"
Showing a resolute expressionlike she was going off to meet her doomshe stepped into the room.
Click!
The door shut. Alicia froze on the spot. A moment later
"Hey?! Th-this is No! Ugh!"
Mabel's voice came through again, now sounding flustered. It immediately piqued Alicia's imagination.
"What's going on in there?"
Her entire mind had drifted from the movie to what was happening in that bedroom.
Meanwhile, in the chat group
Mikoto Misaka: "@Hiiragi Shinoa, you there?"
Shinoa: "Yes, what's up?"
Mikoto Misaka: "Sorry to bother youI just wanted to check on how things are going in your world."
Frieren: "Mikoto, you sure care a lot about Shinoa's world, huh?"
