And with that, he left.
Sakurajima Mai was left in turmoil.
'The bunny girl I've set my eyes on'was that a confession?
But this guy had just yesterday
"Tch"
Sakurajima Mai now realized that her problem wasn't something that could be solved by merely attracting attention in a bunny outfit. She also lost the reason to continue doing so.
But
"I'm never going to make a trade with you!"
Saeko Busujima had nothing to trade except her body to save her friends, but she herself wasn't in that desperate of a situation.
After all, it wasn't like she was going to die. At most, she would just go unnoticed by others.
...
Later that evening, after school, Sakurajima Mai found herself standing in front of her apartment door, unable to open it.
She felt completely lost.
There was even a "For Rent" sign next to the door.
"What's going on?"
Confused at first, she suddenly thought of a possible explanation.
"Is it because of my existence issue?"
Could it be that her landlord had completely forgotten about her and had even forgotten that she was renting the apartment?
The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
She immediately called her landlord.
But no one answered.
""
Sakurajima Mai stood speechless.
She wondered if she should stay at a hotel. But then she rememberedno one could see her, and she didn't have any money left.
"I"
For the first time, Sakurajima Mai began to panic.
Apart from her schoolbag and the bunny girl outfit, she had nothing with her.
Where could she go?
Home?
But the thought of her irreconcilable issues with her mother made her skip that option.
After thinking it over, she realized she had nowhere to go.
And even if she managed to get through tonight, what about tomorrow?
The day after?
Would she end up wandering the streets?
She crouched down by the door, hugging her knees, for the first time desperately hoping someone would see her.
Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind, and she lifted her head.
"The chat group!"
Rei Ao was from the same world as her, and he could see her.
Should she ask him for help?
But she had just sworn earlier today that she wouldn't ask him for anything.
""
Pressing her lips together, she realized this was her only option.
Sakurajima Mai: "@Rei Ao, are you there?"
Rei Ao: "What do you need? Speak."
Sakurajima Mai: "Where do you live?"
Rei Ao: "Oh? How did you know I just moved today?"
"Who asked you that?!"
His playful tone made Sakurajima Mai feel like retorting.
Stella: "What's going on? Why are you asking about where he lives when you're not even from the same world?"
Rei Ao: "Funny thing is, we're actually from the same world and go to the same school, same grade."
Akame: "So, people from the same world can also join the chat group."
If only the other members of Night Raid could join too, she thought.
Frieren: "A school? That's like a human academy, right?"
Saeko Busujima: "Yes."
Rei Ao: "Oh, Saeko Busujima, you're here. How's your recovery going?"
Stella: "Wait a second, why are you asking something like that in the chat group?!"
Stella quickly realized what Rei Ao was referring towhat happened after.
Rei Ao: "It's my chat group, I can say whatever I want."
It was clear that Rei Ao ruled his chat group however he liked.
Chapter 11: I Feel so Impure
Frieren: "This question is strange."
Frieren: "Would a human's body be harmed after mating? I've never heard of such a thing."
Rei Ao: "No, it wouldn't."
Rei Ao: "But I'm much stronger than an ordinary human. If you're curious, you can ask Saeko Busujima for details."
Frieren: "@Saeko Busujima, can you tell me? I'd like to study it."
Stella: "..."
Stella was about to lose her mind.
The topics in the chat group were way too bold and explicit!
Saeko Busujima: "Mm... very strong."
Saeko Busujima: "At least from what I learned in biology class, what happened isn't usually possible."
Stella: "???"
Sakurajima Mai: "???"
No way! Why would you even answer such a question?!
Saeko Busujima didn't care.
Aside from Rei Ao, everyone in the chat group was female, and none of them were from her world.
There wasn't anything she felt she couldn't say. Even if it were in front of Takagi Saya and the others, Saeko could still admit the truth without flinching.
That was just her personalitycasual and unbothered, except when it came to her own nature.
Saeko Busujima: "Rei Ao-kun, my body is fine. Thank you for your concern, and thank you for saving all of us."
She had already recovered, though her body still felt an occasional numbness.
Having experienced this for the first time, Saeko wasn't sure if it was a side effect or if... she had developed some sort of addiction.
She could only observe and see.
Rei Ao: "No need to thank me."
Rei Ao: "The protection from the ice crystals is temporary. You'll need to find a better solution."
He didn't care about being thanked. In the end, this was just another trade.
He didn't expect Saeko to become loyal to him after one or two trades.
Feelings take time to develop.
It would take more interactions.
So
Rei Ao: "Saeko Busujima, I have a way for you to become strong enough to fight more of the undead. You might want to consider it."
What he was referring to was the ability "Blessing." He hadn't tested this ability on anyone yet.
If Saeko was willing to trade, he didn't mind granting her his blessing.
Saeko was momentarily stunned.
Become stronger?
She instinctively recalled Rei Ao standing still against hundreds of undead, freezing them all with just a look.
The scene made her heart race.
She understood what Rei Ao was implyinganother trade.
The right to use her body could be traded multiple times, unlike an ability.
It was the only trade option she had left.
"Is he hinting at that?"
Saeko looked down at her body, a seductive smile forming on her lips.
At least she knew her body could attract Rei Ao.
A small sense of satisfaction welled up inside her.
But now, she needed to remain calm and confirm what she truly wanted.
Saeko Busujima: "I'll think about it."
"This guy... he really is a pervert!"
Sakurajima Mai was even more convinced of her thoughts after witnessing this exchange.
She thought about whether it would be better to avoid asking for his help altogether. Who knew if she'd be in danger?
Rei Ao: "@Sakurajima Mai, back to the main topic. I live at xxxxxx. Why do you ask?"
Sakurajima Mai: "It's nothing..."
"There's no way I'm going to his place!"
Sakurajima Mai swore to herself.
...
At 1 a.m.
Rain started to fall during the night.
The wind howled, and heavy rain poured down.
**Ding dong!**
The doorbell rang at Rei Ao's house.
"Who is it?"
Dressed in pajamas, he opened the door.
What he saw was Sakurajima Mai, arms crossed, shivering in the cold.
"Hm?"
Though surprised that she had come at this hour, seeing her soaked to the skin, with her undergarments clearly visible through her clothes, and not even trying to cover herself, he decided to let her inside.
"Don't stand out there in the rain. Come in and talk."
...
Inside, Rei Ao handed her a clean towel and a new bath towel.
"Don't say anything yet. Take a bath first, or you'll catch a cold."
""
Sakurajima Mai held the towels, unsure what to do.
She was afraid that Rei Ao might have other intentions.
Rei Ao noticed her hesitation and chuckled.
"Yes, I do appreciate beautiful women, but I'm not a creep who would randomly touch you."
"If you're really that worried, I can start a livestream. You can watch it to keep an eye on me. How about that?"
With that, he activated the livestream.
[Ding! Rei Ao has started a livestream!]
Akame: "So sudden."
Stella: "I was just sleeping, and now there's a livestream?"
Frieren: "A human femaleare you going to livestream the process for my research?"
Stella: "What? No way! That's unacceptable!"
Rei Ao: "What's the problem? No one's forcing you to watch. If you don't like it, you can leave the stream."
Stella: "You"
Alright, fine. It's true she could leave.
But... this was so shameless!
She hadn't been in the chat group for long, but Stella felt that all of her royal upbringing had been sullied.
She was witnessing all sorts of embarrassing topics she had never encountered before!
"Mother, Father, I feel so impure!" Stella thought, her face flushed with shame, as if she were on the verge of tears.
Chapter 12: Butterfly
Saeko Busujima: "Rei Ao-kun probably isn't serious about doing anything."
Rei Ao: "Mm, this is Sakurajima Mai from the group."
Akame: "She went to your house."
Rei Ao: "I don't know why she came in the rain, but I figured she needed a bath or she'd get sick. However, she was afraid I'd make a move on her, so I started a livestream to reassure her."
Stella: "I'd be scared too!"
Saeko Busujima: "I don't think Rei Ao-kun is someone who would do anything rash."
Stella: "What? Why are you defending him?"
She wanted to shout: *You're the one he took advantage of!*
Frieren: "Could this be what humans refer to as Stockholm Syndrome?"
Saeko Busujima: "No, Rei Ao-kun follows the rules of the trade."
Saeko Busujima: "The trade terms were for body usage rights once, and although he clearly had more energy left, he stopped after just one time."
It was she who initiated things afterward, which was why Saeko held this view.
But this explanation might be hard for some to accept.
Stella: "Ahhh, this group has been tainted!"
Frieren: "I think it's fine. It shows integrity in following a contract, which I appreciate."
Akame: "Yeah, a mutual trade is better than one side forcing the other."
Sakurajima Mai: "..."
Seeing the conversation veering further off track, Mai quickly said:
"I'm going to take a bath now. Thanks."
Clutching her towel, Sakurajima Mai hurried to the bathroom.
...
With the livestream on, Sakurajima Mai could be sure Rei Ao wasn't making any moves.
*Gurgle, gurgle...*
She blew bubbles into the bathwater with her mouth submerged.
She never imagined she'd one day be bathing in the home of a man who lived alone.
Especially one she considered a pervert.
Then, in the livestream, she saw Rei Ao get up.
"!!!"
She tensed up, but he wasn't heading toward the bathroom. Instead, he seemed to be grabbing something from a drawer.
Watching him pick up cold medicine and boil water specifically for her, she realized those things were prepared for her.
Her impression of him improved slightly.
...
A little while later.
*Whoosh!*
The bathroom door opened, and steam billowed out.
Rei Ao glanced over, his expression growing a bit strange.
But what was even stranger were the reactions in the chat group.
Akame: "Is that clothing?"
Stella: "What kind of outfit is that?!"
Frieren: "It looks like an imitation of a black rabbit, possibly for camouflaging as weak prey. I wonder if it would work on demons?"
Frieren: "I conceal my magic power to trick demons with sharp senses into thinking I'm weak, then I kill them."
Frieren: "Maybe a rabbit outfit like that could be useful."
Rei Ao smirked.
He already guessed what Frieren was thinking.
Rei Ao: "@Frieren, don't bother. This is called a 'bunny girl outfit,' a type of lingerie."
Stella: "..."
*Just as I thought! That outfit was way too suggestive!*
Frieren: "Oh, so it's used for human courtship."
Frieren: "The combination of silk and leather, the tight fit showing off the body, and the exposed skinit must be considered very appealing by human standards, right?"
Rei Ao: "Yes, it's very sexy."
Sakurajima Mai blushed furiously after seeing those comments, her face turning as red as an apple.
But then Rei Ao said something that made her expression darken.
Rei Ao: "Too bad her chest isn't as big as Saeko Busujima's."
He was joking, of course.
Saeko's world seemed to have its own unique charm, where almost everyone was extraordinarily well-endowed.
Mai's figure wasn't quite as voluptuous, but it was still more than enough.
Saeko Busujima: "Thank you for the compliment, Rei Ao-kun."
Sakurajima Mai: "??? Turn off the livestream!!!"
Frieren: "Wait, I was hoping to study human mating behavior."
*Mating?*
Sakurajima Mai wanted to dig a hole and hide in it!
Luckily, Rei Ao turned off the livestream.
He asked curiously, "Why didn't you use the bath towel I gave you?"
""
Holding the towel, Sakurajima Mai sat down across from him on the sofa, feeling the weight of his gaze.
She couldn't exactly tell him it was because she didn't have a change of underwear and was worried the towel wasn't secure enough.
TV dramas often had accidents in such situations.
So instead, she put on her bunny girl outfit, forgetting how provocative it was, especially without any undergarments.
The moment she sat down, Rei Ao glanced at her discreetly, but Mai noticed.
"!!!"
Realizing the problem, she quickly wrapped herself in the bath towel.
The view was gone, but Rei Ao wasn't disappointed.
At least he'd gotten a glimpse of the delicate "butterfly in flight" and considered it a win.
He pointed to the medicine and water on the table.
"Take some medicine and drink hot water, then we can talk."
Seeing her sitting there silently, he added, "Don't worry, it's not a drug, just cold medicine."
""
Of course, Sakurajima Mai knew it was cold medicine. She'd seen it during the livestream.
She had just been distracted by thoughts of the "butterfly"... so embarrassing!
"Okay."
Feeling a mix of shame and reluctance, she nodded and obediently took the medicine and water.
Chapter 13: Sakurajima Mai's Deal
Once Sakurajima Mai had calmed down and taken her medicine, Rei Ao asked, "Why did you run here in the middle of the night, in the rain?"
"I..."
After hesitating for a moment, Sakurajima Mai honestly explained her situation.
"Pfft..."
Rei Ao couldn't help but laugh after hearing her story.
"This is really something out of the ordinary."
"It seems like your 'Adolescence Syndrome' is seriously affecting your life. If you don't solve this soon, it could be dangerous."
"Dangerous how?"
Rei Ao replied seriously, "You might completely disappear from this world."
