Hiromi finally mustered the courage to post a message.
She directly @-mentioned that one, singular name.
Hiromi Kato: "@Rei Ao, Rei Ao, do you have time tomorrow?"
The chat, quiet a moment ago, instantly lit up.
Eriri: "Huh? Hiromi-nee? What do you need Rei Ao for?"
She remembered Hiromi and Rei Ao weren't exactly at the "casually set a time" stage.
Sayuri: "Hiromi-san, do you need help with something?"
Even without seeing her, you could hear the warmth and care in Sayuri's wordsbefitting a mother.
Sonoko Machida: "Oya? What's this about?"
An editor's sharp instincts were picking up something unusual.
Seeing the rapid replies, Hiromi's cheeks warmed, but she pressed on and succinctly explained the trouble at work and her idea to ask Rei Ao to pose as her boyfriend so the guy would give up.
To add weightor to show it wasn't just her flight of fancyshe added:
Hiromi Kato: "This this was actually Megumi's idea. She thinks Rei Ao is a good fit"
Megumi Kato: "Mm. I suggested it."
Megumi confirmed it, as brief as ever.
The chat rippled.
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "Heh 'pretend boyfriend'? A classic, with room for imagination."
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "And Megumi's magnanimity is astonishing."
Her words carried their usual layered meaning.
Tohru: "Eh?! A pretend boyfriend? Sounds fun!"
Tohru: "But wow, Hiromi, that's awfulgetting pestered by a guy like that."
Blunt as ever: sympathy mixed with curiosity.
Shizuka Hiratsuka: "Workplace harassment? Unacceptable."
Shizuka Hiratsuka: "Want me to go have a little 'heart-to-heart' with him? IronFist.jpg"
Yumiko Miura: "Guys like that are the worst. I'm with you, Hiromiget a badass boyfriend to scare him off!"
Yui Yuigahama: "Ehh? A pretend boyfriend that's so dramatic! But if it helps Hiromi-san, I'm all for it!"
Yukino Yukinoshita: "I have reservations."
A cool voice cut in, like a splash of cold water over the heated discussion.
Yukino Yukinoshita: "@Hiromi Kato, I understand your situation."
Yukino Yukinoshita: "But a pretend boyfriend is a roundabout tactic with potential riskslike causing messier misunderstandings."
Yukino Yukinoshita: "For Rei Ao, stopping your coworker's harassment should be simpleperhaps even a single sentence would suffice."
Yukino Yukinoshita: "Why choose an inefficient method likely to create side issues?"
Yukino's questions hit the bullseye.
Indeed, given Rei Ao's ability, getting a regular office worker to stop harassing someone would be easy.
Maybe just a hint, or some subtle nudge.
The chat fell quiet for a beat, everyone seeming to consider her point.
Then the tagged party finally appeared.
Rei Ao: "Yukino is right."
He acknowledged her assessment first.
Rei Ao: "If the goal is to make that man disappear from your sight or drop the idea entirely, it really would take me only a word."
Rei Ao: "I wouldn't even need to lift a finger."
The words carried an easy confidencejust stating a simple fact.
Rei Ao: "That said, I am free tomorrow."
Rei Ao: "So, @Hiromi Katowhat do you want?"
Rei Ao: "Should I resolve it the most efficient way, or should I go with your and Megumi's plan and 'pretend' to be your boyfriend?"
~~~
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Chapter 960: Everyones Reactions to Pretend Boyfriend
Rei Ao: "Do you want me to handle this in the most efficient way, or should I go with you and Megumi's plan and 'pretend' to be your boyfriend once?"
That questionlobbed back like Gilgameshlanded squarely on Hiromi Kato.
Should she choose the simple, forceful fix, or the option tinged with a little ambiguity, a little thrill, and perhaps a bit of private desirethe "performance"?
"!!!"
Seeing Rei Ao's message, Hiromi's heartbeat spun out of control again.
Staring at the line on the screen, she almost felt she could see the playful glint in Rei Ao's eyes through the words.
He was definitely doing it on purpose!
Testing her?
Teasing her?
Either way, Hiromi's thoughts were in shambles.
Reason told her to pick the former: clean, decisive, no trouble for anyoneespecially not Rei Ao or Megumi.
But emotionally, the "pretend boyfriend" option was like a forbidden fruit with a heady fragrancefatally tempting.
""
She hesitated.
Her finger hovered over the virtual keyboard, unable to drop.
That chance the chance to stand at his side openlyeven if it was just an act, and just for a moment
Just when she was locked in that inner struggle and about to pick "the efficient option,"
Megumi, who'd been quietly watching, suddenly spoke.
"Sis, are you sure you want to pass up this chance?"
"!!!"
The words were either the straw that broke the camel's backor the spark that lit her resolve.
"I"
Hiromi took a sharp breath and made up her mind.
Her fingertips tapped firmly:
Hiromi Kato: "Um then, could I trouble you to pretend to be my boyfriend, Rei Ao?"
Hiromi Kato: "I think that might feel more 'real.'"
The instant she sent it, her cheeks went as red as ripe tomatoes.
Her heart pounded.
Shame and a giddy, all-or-nothing thrill tangled together.
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "As expected meaningful-smile.jpg"
Mabel: "Whoa! It's decided! Can't wait to see what happens!"
Eriri: "Hmph! Rei Ao, you'd better do it right and help Hiromi-nee vent some anger!"
Sayuri: "Hehe, youth is so lively."
Yukino Yukinoshita: "Since that's your choice, I hope it goes smoothly."
Yukino still had reservations, but she respected the decision.
Rei Ao: "Okay. What time tomorrow? Where should I pick you up?"
Rei Ao agreed crisply and moved straight to logistics.
Conveniently, he was slated to escort Michiru out of this world before long.
Looking at his reply, Hiromi felt like she'd just completed something monumentalweak with relief yet oddly exhilarated.
And so a "pretend boyfriend" play, seemingly simple yet full of undercurrents, quietly raised its curtain.
Hiromi's request and Rei Ao's assent were like a stone dropped into a still lakesending ripples through this special, world-limited group chat, and across the hearts of everyone watching.
At the Shinomiya family mansion,
Kaguya Shinomiya read the thread, a barely noticeable ripple passing through her crimson eyes.
Kaguya: "Hayasaka, a pretend boyfriend such a commoner way to solve a problem. How unique."
Her tone carried a hint of heiress pride, though, on closer listening, something else lurked beneath.
Of course Ai Hayasaka saw right through her lady's envy.
Ai Hayasaka: "Milady, analysis suggests that while it's not the most efficient, this method best satisfies Hiromi Kato-san's latent needs for 'showing' and 'security.'"
Ai Hayasaka: "And with Rei Ao-sama involved, the effect will likely be beyond expectations."
Calm maid's analysiswhile subtly hinting that her lady might try it herself next time.
Ai Hayasaka: "However, Megumi Kato's mindset is worth observing."
There was no doubt Megumi had engineered this.
To Hayasaka, Megumi seemed very selfless.
Kaguya gave a soft hum and said nothing more, but her gaze slid again to Rei Ao's accepting reply, lost in thought.
Mafuyu Kirisu saw the chatter and a playful smile touched the corner of her lips.
Mafuyu Kirisu: "So even Megumi's sister, Hiromi Kato, has her own ideas, huh."
Seeing Hiromi's choice, she'd already read her mindset.
Her eyes drifted down the members list.
Mafuyu Kirisu: "At this rate, it won't be long before that big wolf Rei Ao 'claims' the rest of them too."
At the Amagami family shrine, the mood was more complicated.
Asahi Amagami: "Hiromi-san's in trouble I hope Rei Ao-san can handle it smoothly."
Yuna Amagami: "A pretend boyfriend. Feels a bit strange."
Yae Amagami: "If it's Rei Ao, it'll be fine!"
Chiharu Amagami: "Ooh! Just like a TV drama!"
Mahiru Anekji: "Tsk, tsk. Young people do know how to play"
Shirahi Tsuruyama: "It's nice everyone can help each other."
Different reactionsbut everyone's eyes were on tomorrow.
Rizu Ogata: "The effectiveness of a pretend boyfriend is based on the intimidation of a third party."
Rizu Ogata: "Variables: Rei Ao's intimidation coefficient and the coworker's stubbornness."
Rizu Ogata: "Success rate calculating"
The science prodigy cocked her head, trying to logic it out.
The liberal-arts prodigy, Fumino Furuhashi, had stars in her eyes.
Fumino Furuhashi: "Ahhh! Such a literary setup!"
Fumino Furuhashi: "A sister forced to seek help, a little sister who stays cool, and a mysterious, powerful 'fake boyfriend' material! Pure gold!"
Mafuyu Kirisu frowned slightly.
Mafuyu Kirisu: "Workplace harassment should be handled seriously."
Mafuyu Kirisu: "I just hope this approach doesn't set a bad example for the students."
She instinctively thought of the other students in the chatwithout the slightest awareness that her own "deep interactions" with students weren't exactly a model example either.
She had even joined multi-party "exchanges."
Chapter 961: Co Worker who needs a lesson taught (Christmas Gift!)
In this world's group chat
Yukinoshita Haruno: "Oh my, oh my~ Yukino-chan was as serious as ever just now."
Yukinoshita Haruno: "But sometimes a roundabout tactic leads to results you'd never expect~"
Yukinoshita Yukino: "Sis, please don't say things that invite misunderstandings. I simply believe the optimal solution matters most."
Yuigahama Yui: "Hiromi-nee wants big bro Rei Ao to pretend to be her boyfriendso spicy!"
Yuigahama Yua: "Yui, don't stir things up!"
Kei Shirogane: "..."
Lurking in silence, Kei Shirogane felt all kinds of complicated. A few other people's dynamics were delicate too.
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Eriri, did you see that? The main girl's composureand the potential rivals getting restless."
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "This drama is juicier than anything we write."
Eriri: "Kasumigaoka Utaha! Cut it out with the snide commentary!"
Eriri: "Hiromi-nee just ran into trouble, that's all."
Sonoko Machida: "My, my, young people's feelings are as messy as they are fascinating."
Sonoko Machida: "But hey, great material. Utaha, feeling inspired for the new book?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "I am, actually."
Shizuka Hiratsuka: "Tch. If that kid uses 'helping out' as an excuse to misbehave, I'm the first one who won't allow it!"
Even knowing how capable Rei Ao was, she couldn't help slipping into the protector role.
Saki Kawasaki: "Workplace harassment. A real pain."
Brief and to the pointborn of her part-time experience.
As for one of the people at the eye of the stormKato Hiromiafter sending that decisive message, she was a bundle of nerves, anticipation, and shame all mixed into one breathless high.
She started obsessing over what to wear tomorrow, how to do her makeup, how to play the scene opposite Rei Ao completely unaware that this "fake boyfriend" plan had long since drifted beyond a simple fix and was tugging on quite a few heartstrings.
Night fell again over Disboard.
Inside Rei Ao's place, the vibe was even more complicated than before.
After the day's little incident, Michiru now couldn't help blushing and racing inside whenever she saw Rei Aoher eyes darting away only to sneak back for another look.
Schwi was still on standby. Kanna and Couronne watched, curious, as a luminous screen in front of Rei Ao scrolled through the group chat.
"Rei Ao, are you going to pretend to be someone's boyfriend?" Kanna tilted her head, voice soft and sing-song. As a dragon, human relationship norms were still a bit fuzzy for her.
"Mm, more like doing a favor." Rei Ao ruffled Kanna's hair, easygoing.
"A favor does it require a kiss?" Kanna remembered what she'd seen between Michiru and Rei Ao earlier and asked with innocent earnestness.
"Pff!"
Michiru, mid-sip, sprayed water everywhere.
"Cough, cough!"
She hacked, her face turning as red as a boiled prawn.
Rei Ao chuckled. "No, not this time. This one's a more subtle kind of help."
Kurone rubbed her chin. "Hmm sounds like some kind of diplomatic mission?"
Rei Ao smiled and shut the screen. To him, it really was just a small thingif anything, a splash of seasoning in a dull stretch of days.
He'd noticed Hiromi's little feelings of course, but didn't mind. What intrigued him more was that Megumi Kato had been the one to suggest it.
That girl always seemed to be running quiet calculations beneath that calm surface, giving things the gentlest nudge.
He glanced at Disboard's moonlight outside the window, then thought of Rin Tohsaka racing the clock elsewhere, Ais's hunger for strength, and the group system's upgrade countdown Stories in different worlds moving forward in parallel.
"Tomorrow, let's go see just how shameless that troublesome coworker really is."
The corner of his mouth lifted. There was a touch of languid, god's-eye detachment in his smileand the faintest glint of mischief.
At the Kato home, Kato Hiromi was staring helplessly into her closet. Megumi quietly handed her a dressproper on the surface, with a hint of playful strategy.
"Wear this one, sis."
"Megumi you really don't mind?" Hiromi couldn't help asking again.
Megumi lifted her eyes to her sisterstill calm, but it made Hiromi feel a twinge of guilt. "As long as you think it's right."
With that, Megumi turned and left the room. Hiromi was left alone, clutching the dress, heart surgingnervous and wildly excited for tomorrow's performance.
For most office workers in Tokyo, the morning sun means a new daymaybe busy, maybe hopeful. For Kato Hiromi, every step into that familiar office building felt like treading sticky shadows, her mood heavy.
She worked at a mid-sized trading company. Not top-tier, but clean and orderly.
However, ever since a male coworker named Oda Toshita fixed his sights on her, this ordinary workspace had turned into a battlefield where she had to stay on guard at all times.
Hiromi had just sat down at her deskshe hadn't even opened her laptopwhen a figure that made her spine go cold showed up right on cue.
Oda Toshita. Around thirty, gold-rimmed glasses, hair slicked to an oily shine. He was clearly trying to project "refined elite," but the shifty eyes behind the lenses and that pinched face made people uncomfortable.
He wore what he thought was a soulful smile, a wilted red rose pinched in his fingers, and strode straight to Hiromi's desk.
