"What's going on?"
The instructor nearby could hardly watch Yui's clumsy movements any longer. Just as he was about to say something, Rei Ao stepped in.
"Yui."
"Yes?" Yui looked up, and Rei Ao's hand was already on her cheek.
"!!!"
He he touched her!
Her heart skipped a beat as he brushed something off her cheek.
He showed her the flour mix on his finger, saying, "Your mixing technique is off."
After wiping the flour off his finger with a tissue, he asked, "Want me to teach you hands-on?"
His gentle voice left Yui staring, dumbfounded, as she nodded.
Soon, Rei Ao's large hand wrapped around hers. "Relax. Follow my movements."
"Mm-hm!" Yui could hardly relax. Feeling his hand against hers made her heart race. And they were so close!
The instructor, observing the scene, suddenly realized, "Ah, so they're a couple," he thought, moving on to help other students.
Amid the flustered, heart-racing atmosphere, Yui finally finished making her cookies. Determined to taste one before giving them to Rei Ao, she nervously picked one up.
Rei Ao laughed at her hesitation, "It can't be that bad, especially since I guided you."
Yui's face reddened further, remembering the "hands-on" instruction. With a determined look, she took a small bite.
"!!!"
The moment she tasted it, her eyes widened in surprise.
"Good?" Rei Ao asked.
Yui seemed lost in thought, so Rei Ao leaned down and took the cookie right out of her hand.
"Mm, not bad."
If her first batch had been practically inedible and the second batch barely passable, then this one was actually quite good.
"Congratulations, Yui. This is really tasty. You've improved a lot."
But Yui barely heard his compliment, staring at her hand and then at Rei Ao's mouth, where he had just bitten the same cookie she had Indirectly, they had kissed, hadn't they?
Before she could process this, Rei Ao gently wiped a crumb from her lip and said, "It looks like you made a lot. Let's split them."
"O-Okay," Yui replied, her cheeks flushed red as she quietly divided the cookies. Her face was burning as she left the class.
"Uh, see you tomorrow! I-I have to go now!" she called out, nearly running away. She was worried her heart might burst if she stayed with Rei Ao any longer.
Watching Yui's retreating figure, Rei Ao smiled.
"A heart rate of 125 beats per minute?"
He spoke as if to her, though she couldn't hear. That quick, drum-like beat was crystal clear to him. Far from normal heartbeats, these weren't the beats of illness. They were something else entirely.
He wondered just how fast her heart could race.
Back at home, Rei Ao was already putting his theory to the test as he listened to another heartbeat.
"Why did you grab me like this the second you got home?" Mai asked, blushing as she sat on Rei Ao's lap.
"Just wanted to feel the rhythm of your heart."
""
Mai wanted to tease him back, but his timing was too perfect, making her feel both vulnerable and close to him. Just as she was about to respond, Rei Ao said suddenly, "I added another woman to the mix today."
"???"
Mai froze. "Yukino? Utaha? Yui? Yumiko?"
She quickly listed a few names that came to mind, knowing how close some of them were to Rei Ao.
He shook his head, "None of them."
Without hiding anything, he explained the events of the previous night and told her about Sonoko Machida's decision.
""
Mai was silent for a moment before finally asking, "Rei Ao do you have a thing for older women?"
"What makes you think that?"
Rei Ao chuckled, "Have you forgotten how much I enjoy spoiling you?"
"W-Well" she glanced at him, embarrassed but also a little satisfied with the attention.
"Then why the older ones?" she mumbled, blushing.
"Maybe I just appreciate beautiful women," he said, smiling mischievously. "By the way, do you have any pictures of your mom?"
"???"
Mai stared at him in shock. "What what do you mean?"
He laughed, "Oh, relax. I just meant that if I don't know what she looks like, it could be awkward if we run into each other."
"!"
Yet, somehow, Mai wasn't entirely convinced. If it were anyone else, she might have let it go, but with Rei Ao he wasn't "just anyone."
Just then, a notification appeared in the group chat.
[Ding! Tohru has joined the chat group!]
[Ding! Yukino Yukinoshita has joined the chat group!]
"Yukino?" Rei Ao and Mai exchanged a glance. This was unexpected.
Sure enough, not long after
'Ding dong! Ding dong!'
The doorbell rang. Rei Ao didn't need to guess; it was Yukino.
"I'll get it," he said, standing up to answer the door.
"Um" Yukino hesitated, looking up at him. She seemed like she wanted to say something but, noticing Mai looking over with curiosity, she took a breath and said, "Rei Ao, could you come with me for a moment? There's something I'd like to discuss."
"Of course."
He gave Mai a quick look before following Yukino out, heading to her place.
"Mm!"
After finishing her work, Haruno stretched with a relaxed sigh.
Dealing with the Yukinoshita family affairs was dull and tedious, leaving her without any free time over the weekend.
"Sigh, I wish I could have the freedom Yukino has," she murmured with a hint of envy. Curious, she remotely checked Yukino's apartment's thermal imaging camera. She could only see the heat signatures, but it was enough to confirm someone was there. Likely her sister.
For a while, Yukino didn't move. But after a bit, she appeared to head toward the entryway.
"Busy even on the weekend?" Haruno thought, a little surprised, assuming Yukino would be resting.
She was about to turn it off when she noticed a second figure's heat signature entering the apartment.
"?"
Her gaze sharpened. Who was that?
It was Rei Ao.
After stepping into Yukino's apartment, his eyes immediately landed on a large panda plush sitting on the couch. 'A surveillance camera?' he noted, raising an eyebrow. He had spotted the camera embedded in the panda's eye.
"Have a seat, Rei Ao," Yukino said, placing a cup of tea on the table.
"Thanks." He sat down, glancing casually at the panda plush. "Nice plush you have here, Yukinoshita. Did you buy it yourself?"
Yukino, who had been trying to gather her thoughts on the unexpected group chat in her mind, felt a momentary pause at his question. "It was a gift from my sister," she replied.
"Ah figures." Rei Ao nodded, amused. It seemed that Haruno's sisterly instincts were intense. Since it was an internal family matter, he decided to leave it alone.
"What's wrong?" Yukino asked, uncertain of his intentions.
"Nothing," he replied, smiling. "I just thought it was a cute panda. I'd consider getting one myself."
"Cute" Yukino murmured, instinctively tugging at the panda's ear. Anyone who thought Mr. Panda was cute couldn't be all bad even if Rei Ao was a bit of a flirt.
Turning her attention back to Rei Ao, she grew serious. "Rei Ao, can you explain what this 'Trade Chat Group' is?"
Rei Ao took a sip of tea. "This is good tea, did you make it yourself?"
Her brows furrowed. "You"
But Rei Ao interrupted gently, "No need to rush. The chat group isn't going anywhere."
"Besides, everything you need to know about it is already in your mind. You're just hoping I'll confirm it for you. Now that we're talking, you already have your answer, don't you?"
Yukino fell silent, realizing he was right. His existence was indeed tied to this mysterious chat group. But the strange realities surrounding it felt worlds beyond her understanding, leaving her feeling overwhelmed.
Sensing her hesitation, Rei Ao suggested, "Maybe you should introduce yourself to the group."
In the Chat Group
Saeko Busujima: "New members already?"
Ayame Yomogawa: "Welcome to both of you."
Shizue Izawa: "Welcome."
Rei Ao: "@Tohru and classmate @Yukinoshita, any questions?"
Tohru: "Questions? Not now. Busy fighting!"
Frieren: "Doesn't seem like the new one likes interruptions."
Frieren: "But the other one did Rei Ao just call her a 'classmate'?"
Megumi Kato: "Yukino Yukinoshita hmm, I think I've heard that name somewhere."
Megumi Kato: "@Yukino Yukinoshita, aren't you the 'Ice Cold Princess' from Class 1?"
Yukino felt a flush of embarrassment spread through her. Being called that by strangers from various worlds was incredibly awkward, like a personal detail leaking across dimensions.
She noticed Rei Ao's amused expression, and he couldn't resist asking, "Would you introduce yourself as 'I'm very cute'?" (?)
"???"
The phrase struck her, bringing up distant memories. Wait! Her eyes widened.
"How how did you know about that?"
But Rei Ao simply shrugged. "Know about what?"
""
Watching him feign innocence, Yukino decided to let it go. She turned back to the group chat.
Yukino Yukinoshita: "I am that Yukino Yukinoshita."
Megumi Kato: "It really is you!"
Mai Sakurajima: "I just saw her. She was the one who called Rei Ao out."
Sui: "You're neighbors?"
Mai Sakurajima: "She lives next door."
Akame: "You sound bothered."
Frieren: "Mm-hmm, like you're a bit annoyed."
Stella: "Annoyed? Well, her boyfriend is at another girl's place. Mai, sounds like you're a little jealous."
Stella: "Instead of being jealous, though, maybe you should warn Yukinoshita to be careful around him You know, so she doesn't end up in a compromising position."
Mai Sakurajima: ""
Ayame Yomogawa: "Come on, I doubt Rei Ao-sama would go that far."
Frieren: "Exactly, Rei Ao already has plenty of girlfriends. No need for him to rush."
The comments in the chat only heightened Yukino's wariness, especially after seeing the trade logs, which were full of shockingly personal details. She cast Rei Ao a cautious glance.
"Rei Ao You wouldn't get too impulsive, would you?"
Rei Ao gave her a measured look. "I'm not some beast ruled by desire, Yukinoshita. I simply appreciate beauty. But if a beautiful girl like you offered a trade, I wouldn't say no."
There was a dangerous glint in his gaze, making Yukino feel as though she'd suddenly become one of his 'targets.' But
"I'm sorry, but I have no intention of making such inappropriate trades," she stated firmly.
What others did in the chat group was their choice, but she wouldn't participate in anything improper. She stood, her posture formal and collected. "Now that I understand the situation, you may leave."
Rei Ao shrugged and made his way to the door, pausing as he exited to add, "Oh, one more thing. You might want to go through the previous chat logs. There have been sightings of man-eating monsters in this area, so maybe avoid going out alone at night."
And with that, he left, closing the door behind him.
""
She let out a small sigh. Since she had been the one to dismiss him, calling him back would be out of the question. Instead, she decided to heed his advice and carefully go over the chat logs.
~~~
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Chapter 89: Different Clashes, A Demon doing too many good deeds?
Just as Rei Ao returned home, Mai Sakurajima jumped into his arms and kissed him fervently. They held each other at the entrance for quite a while before Mai finally pulled away, leaving Rei Ao with a satisfied grin, wiping his mouth as he looked at her with amusement.
"What's this?" he asked, "Checking if I brought back anyone else's scent?"
Mai's body stiffened, clearly caught off guard, but she quickly replied, unfazed, "Hmph. Even if there was another scent, I'd make sure to cover it with mine right away."
Her serious expression showed that even if she couldn't make Rei Ao belong only to her, she'd ensure that he was fully present when he was with her. It was a unique mix of possessiveness and acceptance.
"Oh?" Rei Ao raised an eyebrow at her statement, then placed his hands gently on her shoulders, signaling her to kneel down.
"What is it?" Mai followed his guidance, her gaze questioning him. But before she could process what he intended, her view was suddenly obscured, and she felt his touch on her face as he leaned in with a playful tone, "Since you insist, why don't you double-check?"
Without giving Mai any chance to respond, he went ahead.
Meanwhile, in another vast world, an entirely different scene unfoldedan all-out war among humans, dragons, and divine beings.
"Roar!!"
The thunderous roar of a green dragon echoed across the battlefield. With a mouthful of flames spewing from a conjured magic circle, the dragon set ablaze a group of armored figures soaring through the sky.
The battleground was pure chaos, filled with dragons, humans, and divinely armored warriors fighting for supremacy.
"!!!"
The green dragon, Tohru, momentarily distracted, barely avoided a fatal strike from a divine warrior's blade. She snarled in frustration, her voice seething with anger.
"A chat group? What on earth is this? Don't interrupt my battle!"
This was a war for survival among speciesvictory meant life; defeat, death. Annoyed, Tohru ignored the mysterious messages popping into her mind, focusing intently on her enemies.
"Damn gods! Die!" she roared, plunging back into the thick of battle.
On both sides of the battlefield, intense clashes raged on.
One side saw Rei Ao locked in a fierce battle with Mai, while Tohru clashed with the divine beings. Meanwhile, far away, Haruno Yukinoshita fought a different struggleone against herself.
She sat, biting her right thumbnail as she stared at the thermal imaging screen, her eyes glued to the movement there. She watched intently as the larger heat signature finally left her sister Yukino's apartment, leaving Yukino alone, standing in the living room.
Inside, Haruno's emotions clashed in turmoil. Part of her wanted to think optimistically, that maybe the visitor was just a friend or neighbor. Yet a darker thought countered, whispering that this person might actually be a man Yukino was hiding. Could this be one reason Yukino had left home? It was, after all, the worst possibility her mind could conjure.
"If I charge over there now, it'll just scare them off" she thought, frustrated, staring at her phone as she fought the urge to call. After a full ten minutes of restraint, she finally dialed Yukino's number.
"Hello, sister" Yukino's voice sounded weary and distant.
The fatigue and resignation in Yukino's voice took Haruno abackshe had never heard her sound this way. She wanted to ask Yukino what was wrong, but instead, Haruno forced herself to act casual. "Oh? My Yukino-chan sounds exhausted Don't tell me you're getting up to adult activities by yourself?"
