She instantly buried her face in his neck, trembling from head to toe.
A tiny, muffled whimper slipped from her lips.
Oh god
Did that really just happen?
All he did was touch me, and I I completely lost it! This is so embarrassing!
"Heh."
Rei Ao chuckled softly.
The vibration of his chest echoed right into her cheek.
But he didn't tease her or push things further.
He didn't even comment on how flustered she was.
Instead, he simply ran a gentle hand down her back, comforting her like she was a startled kitten.
His other hand casually reached for a tissue and wiped his fingers clean.
"Nodoka."
His voice returned to its usual calm, that deep, steady tone that somehow made everything feel less overwhelming.
"I noticed you seemed distracted earlier. Is something bothering you?"
The head tucked into his neck shifted slightly.
Nodoka's body tensed.
She hesitated for a few seconds.
Rei Ao's arms were too warm, too safe and he'd seen right through her act.
The thoughts she tried to bury were starting to rise up again, breaking through under the weight of his gentle question.
She slowly lifted her head.
Her eyelashes were still damp with traces of tears.
Her eyes were filled with emotionshyness, vulnerability, dependence and something she hadn't let herself talk about until now.
""
She bit her lip, unsure if she should speak.
Rei Ao didn't rush her.
His hand continued to move slowly along her back, steady and patient.
Finally, she took a deep breath.
Her voice was quiet, trembling just a little.
"It's it's about my mom."
The body-swapping chaos from Puberty Syndrome had finally been resolved thanks to Rei Ao's help.
The terrifying fear that she might be stuck in Mai's body forever was gone.
But now that her body was back to normal
Another issuethe one that had been with her for yearscame rushing back, stronger and clearer than ever.
"I I don't know how to deal with her."
Her voice dropped lower, heavy with exhaustion.
"She used to pressure me nonstop. Made me train, forced me to imitate Mai, pushed me to become a star who could outshine her"
"Her eyes they were so harsh. So intense."
"It was like I wasn't even her daughter. Just a project. A way to make her dreams come true."
The memories came flooding backher mom's cold scolding voice, the endless rehearsals, the strict control over her diet and social life
And always that suffocating phrase: You have to surpass Mai Sakurajima.
Even here in Rei Ao's arms, just remembering it made her hands go cold.
"Now that my 'illness' is gone she's going to start again, isn't she"
Nodoka's voice caught in her throat.
She couldn't finish the sentence.
But her eyes said it allfear and resistance, clear as day.
She was scared of being forced back onto that twisted path her mother called "stardom."
Scared of being sacrificed again for someone else's ambition.
That house wasn't a home anymore.
It hadn't been for a long time.
It was a cage.
She'd been trying to hide that fear.
Trying to act normal in front of everyone in this house.
But now she was saying ithonestly, completelyto Rei Ao.
He listened silently.
His expression didn't give away much, but his arms tightened around her, just a little.
That small gesture said everything.
"Then"
He waited until she calmed down a little, then spoke againvoice low, calm, but so direct it cut through to her core.
"Nodoka, what about you?"
"Do you want to be a star?"
"Forget what your mom wants. What do you want?"
"I"
She froze.
No one had ever asked her that before.
Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in, breathing in the calming scent of him.
Her thoughts scattered.
Scenes from her time living in this house flashed through her mind like a highlight reel:
Tohru, clumsy but always giving her all in the kitchen, making heartful (and occasionally horrifying) meals.
Mai, cool and composed, yet quietly helping her understand acting techniques when she was struggling with school.
Sora, always bringing laughter into the house.
Illya, proud and aloof, yet always slipping an extra sugar cube into her tea without saying a word.
Futaba, buried in her formulas, but somehow always able to explain the hardest math problems with perfect clarity.
And this man.
Rei Ao.
His strength.
His patience.
His unconditional acceptance. The safety he gave her without asking anything in return.
And that night
When he showed her a side of closeness, of intimacy, of being seen and cherished, that she never even knew existed
Chapter 861: Discussing the Mystery of Life
There were no blinding spotlights here.
No suffocating pressure from a manager.
No hysterical demands from her mother.
Instead, there was noise, clumsy moments, and all kinds of odd little daily happeningsbut more importantly, there was real warmth, unconditional acceptance, and the freedom for Toyohama Nodoka to simply be herself.
She remembered standing on stage, feeling the weight of countless eyes on her, yet deep inside there had always been that stubborn emptiness and confusion.
She remembered the hollow, drifting feeling when she tried to copy Mai-senpai, never truly finding her own identity.
And she remembered the pure, simple happiness of traveling with Rei Ao.
Slowly, Nodoka lifted her head and looked straight into his deep, steady eyes.
The uncertainty and fear she'd seen there before were fading away, replaced by a clarity and resolve she had never known.
She shook her head firmly, speaking each word with care.
"I don't want to."
"I don't want to become some superstar who has to outshine everyone."
She took a deep breath, as if setting down a burden she'd carried for years, and her voice turned lighter, brighter.
"Because I've realized I like my life now way more than standing under the lights in front of a crowd!"
"I like being with everyone and I like" her face flushed, "I like being with you, Rei Ao-kun."
Her cheeks were still burning, but her gaze was open and sincere, glimmering with the light of someone who'd finally found their way home.
Seeing her spark return, Rei Ao's lips curved into a warm smile, full of fondness and approval.
He leaned down and brushed his nose against her forehead in a tender gesture.
"Good," he said, voice calm and certain.
"That's what matters most. Nodokaremember, your life belongs only to you."
He paused, his tone shifting into one of quiet, unshakable confidence.
"As for your mother, you don't need to worry about that at all."
Nodoka blinked at him curiously. "Rei Ao-kun what are you going to do?"
She honestly couldn't imagine how he could possibly deal with her stubborn, overbearing mother.
Intimidation?
Hypnosis?
Or something else
A sly smile tugged at Rei Ao's lips. He leaned in close, his warm breath brushing her sensitive ear.
"Nodoka now's not the time to be talking about that."
Before she could react, his handalready somewhere it shouldn't besuddenly tightened.
"Ah!"
The startled cry slipped out before she could stop it.
She realized with a shock that he'd started teasing her again.
That lingering, shameful shiver from before came rushing back, stronger than everlike a jolt of electricity shooting through her, making her whole body tremble.
The blush that had just faded came flooding back, staining even her pale neck a soft pink.
Instinctively, she tried to close her legs, but only pulled his hand in deeper.
"Rei Ao-kun! This"
Her protest broke into a helpless whimper, her thoughts unraveling.
Rei Ao chuckled low, giving her no chance to think or resist.
In one smooth motion, his arms swept her up completely.
She barely had time for a gasp before the world tilted and her feet left the ground.
"Let's continue this somewhere else," he said, voice thick with unhidden desire and amusement, striding toward the master bedroom with her in his arms.
The hallway wasn't longjust enough for Tohru to peek her head out from the kitchen doorway.
"Pre-dinner workout?" she asked, eyes curious.
From behind the counter, glasses catching the light, Futaba quietly took in the scene.
Mai Sakurajima walked out of the kitchen with a plate of fresh fruit, just in time to see Rei Ao carrying Nodokaface buried in his chest, red as a tomatointo the bedroom.
With a soft click, the door shut.
Mai slowed her steps, sighing with a faint, indulgent smile she'd long since grown used to.
She set the fruit plate on the coffee table and glanced toward Ilya, who was sipping her tea like nothing unusual had happened.
"They're at it again?" Mai asked, tone neutral.
Ilya took another sip, eyes flicking toward the bedroom door, a knowing smile on her lips.
"Isn't it a good thing for the master to have this much energy?"
Tohru grinned. "Of course it's a good thing! That's the Rei Ao-sama I know. I'm joining in!"
She started to untie her aprononly to freeze when Mai gave her a sharp look.
"Not happening. Finish making dinner," Mai ordered flatly.
This was the perfect chance for Nodoka to feel like part of the family, and she wasn't going to let Tohru ruin it.
Sure, she felt a little jealous, but the two deserved their time alone.
Fair was fair.
"Fine," Tohru muttered, trudging back to the kitchen.
Rio bent over her notepad, jotting formulas quickly, her pen moving faster than usual.
For them, these "life discussions" at home were nothing new.
The bedroom's soundproofing was excellent,
blocking out the "conversation" going on inside.
The living room returned to its surface calm,
broken only by the clatter from the kitchen and the soft clink of Ilya's teacup.
Then
Ding-dong!
The doorbell rang, the crisp chime cutting clearly through the quiet.
Mai set down what she was doing, glancing at the clock with mild puzzlement.
"At this hour who could it be?"
She thought of Mafuyu-sensei, or maybe neighbors like Gabriel.
Standing, she smoothed her loungewear and walked to the door.
"Coming," she called, peeking through the peephole.
Outside stood two girls in the uniform of a well-known local prep school.
On the left was a girl with silky light-brown hair tied in a low ribboned ponytail that fell over her chest.
Beneath her fringe were gentle, bookish brown eyesthe picture of quiet elegance. Furuhashi Fumino.
On the right was a short-haired girl with a neat bob, oversized round glasses framing her wide-open eyes, the kind of gaze that radiated pure science-nerd focus with a touch of nervousness.
Ogata Rizu.
~~~
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Chapter 862: Ilias Wingman Assist...
Outside the door, Furuhashi Fumino and Ogata Rizu each carried a beautifully wrapped pastry box.
Sakurajima Mai opened the door, wearing a polite, picture-perfect smile.
"Good evening, Furuhashi, Ogata."
"Good evening, Mai!"
Fumino immediately bowed slightly, her smile sweet and well-mannered.
Rizu followed suit with a stiffer bow. "Good evening, Mai."
Fumino added quickly, "Sorry to drop in like thiswe're here for tutoring today."
"Oh? Tutoring? Come on in."
Catching on right away, Mai stepped aside.
The two switched into slippers and walked in.
Mai's eyes naturally drifted to the pastries in their hands. "And these are?"
"Ahthese are some cookies I baked myself. Thought I'd bring them for everyone to try."
Fumino handed the box over, her smile tinged with shyness.
"If they're not great, please don't hold it against me."
"Thanks, that's really thoughtful."
Mai took the box and set it on the coffee table.
Almost without thinking, she glanced toward Ilias, who was sitting alone on the armchair. "Ilias, you've got tutoring tonight too?"
Ilias set down her teacup. Her crimson eyes were calm and unreadable as she nodded.
"Yes. As planned, tonight we'll be working on a preliminary model for advanced alchemical energy conversion matrices and their relationship to complex spatial geometric topology."
Her tone was cool and steady, but the words made Fumino and Rizu instinctively shrink back.
They had no idea what any of it meantbut it definitely sounded impressive.
"Huh?"
Mai blinked. This was supposed to be tutoring in regular school subjects. How did it turn into alchemy and magic?
Fumino quickly explained, "Actually, that's our idea."
She bit her lip, looking a little self-conscious.
After seeing during the beach trip that a lot of people here had supernatural powers, she and Rizu couldn't help getting curious.
When they learned Ilias not only knew normal academics but also magic, they asked if she could teach them.
So now they had "extra tutoring" in magic.
"I get it now"
Mai nodded thoughtfully.
Fumino and Rizu glanced at each other nervously, worried she'd say no.
They knew Mai's word carried almost as much weight as Rei Ao's in this house.
"In that case, go ahead."
Mai nodded again, giving them the green light.
Rei Ao had already told her it was fine for the group chat members to get involved with supernatural stuffjust like Hayasaka Ai and Shinomiya Kaguya, who were already learning magic.
"That's great!"
Both girls lit up at her answer.
Clearly familiar with the place, they set the pastries down and headed straight for the study.
The door was open.
Inside, a large desk took center stage, surrounded by shelves of heavy-looking books and strange instrumentsmost of them Ilias's alchemy gear.
Ilias stood and followed them in.
The study was brightly lit.
On the desk lay an open parchment covered in intricate runes and geometric diagrams. Nearby, a few softly glowing crystals and metal components caught the light.
Ilias took the main seat and gestured for them to sit opposite her.
She began sorting through the papers, preparing for tonight's lesson.
As Fumino took out her notebook and pen, she let her eyes wander over the bookshelves, then to the mysterious items on the desk, before landing back on Ilias.
"Ilias-sensei," she said with a gentle smile, her tone casual,
"Why don't I see Emilia today? And Rei Ao's not around either?"
She remembered Emilia sometimes joined their study sessions or quietly read nearbya quick-learning elf whose talent made them both feel inadequate.
