As he spoke, he opened his phone and searched for something, then handed it to her.
He had searched for "Sakurajima Mai," but the results were minimal!
"What's going on?"
Sakurajima Mai scrolled through the search results in disbelief.
It shouldn't be like this.
She wasn't being arrogantshe knew how famous she was before she retired from the entertainment industry. It was impossible for there to be so little information about her.
"This is exactly the issue."
Rei Ao took back his phone, speaking calmly. "I've been keeping an eye on your situation for a while now."
"As fewer people notice you, even the information about your existence is decreasing."
"So, you're not just invisible; it's like your very existence is fading away."
"One day, even your photos might turn into blank images."
After hearing Rei Ao's explanation, Sakurajima Mai sat on the sofa, feeling lost.
"What what should I do?"
The thought of completely disappearing from the world left her voice trembling.
"Don't worry, at least I still remember you."
Rei Ao's calm voice eased her anxiety a little. Instinctively, she began to view him as her lifeline.
"Don't look at me like that. I can't solve your problem right now either."
Rei Ao didn't want to give her false hope.
"But your current situation is indeed dangerous. How about we make a trade?"
He finally laid out his offer.
"No way!"
Sakurajima Mai immediately snapped out of it, clutching her bath towel tightly, her guard up.
"Haha, you've misunderstood."
Rei Ao chuckled and explained, "Trade your ability to me in exchange for staying here temporarily."
"It's a fair deal, covering your living expenses and shelter."
So that's what he meant.
"Sorry."
Realizing her mistake, Sakurajima Mai sincerely apologized.
Rei Ao waved it off, not bothered by it.
"It's understandable in this situation."
"Just think it over and send the trade request when you're ready."
To be honest, Rei Ao was quite interested in this "bunny girl."
Especially after witnessing that "butterfly moment," he knew he wanted her.
But being too direct wouldn't work.
He believed in taking advantage of proximity to achieve his goal over time. If he could keep Sakurajima Mai here, there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.
Sakurajima Mai thought about her current predicament.
It seemed besides going home, she didn't have many other options.
She didn't want to return home.
So...
Gritting her teeth, she sent the trade request.
[Ding! Sakurajima Mai has initiated a trade request!]
[Trade terms]: Temporary stay.
Stella's heart skipped a beat when she saw the notification.
Was this going to be another trade involving body usage rights?
Thankfully, the next notification put her mind at ease.
[Ding! Trade initiated!]
[Trade with]: Sakurajima Mai.
[Trade terms]: Temporary stay.
[Trade condition]: Adolescence Syndrome: Cognitive Disappearance.
"Phew, a normal trade."
Stella patted her chest in relief, finally able to relax.
[Ding! Trade completed, you have acquired the ability!]
The trade was completed instantly.
Rei Ao felt a bit uneasy when he acquired the ability, worried it might affect him.
But luckily, the chat group came through.
[Ding! Defective ability detected. Auto-correcting You have acquired the ability "Cognitive Disappearance"!]
Cognitive Disappearance: Allows you to disappear from others' perception.
"So it's changed from a passive to an active ability? Not bad."
At the very least, it functioned as a stealth ability, and Rei Ao was quite satisfied.
He pointed to the guest room.
"You can sleep in the guest room tonight."
"Tomorrow, I'll take a day off and go shopping with you to get some clothes."
"I'm tired, going to bed now. Good night."
He yawned, got up, and walked towards his bedroom.
*Clang.*
By the time Sakurajima Mai processed what was happening, the door had already closed.
...
Lying in bed, Sakurajima Mai couldn't fall asleep.
She took off the bunny girl outfit since it wasn't comfortable to sleep in.
Now, she was practically naked, which left her feeling insecure.
Even though she had locked the door and wrapped herself tightly in the blanket, the fact remained that she was in a man's house.
And that man had superhuman strength, so the door wouldn't stop him if he wanted to come in.
How had things ended up like this?
*Sigh...*
In the darkness, Sakurajima Mai let out a deep sigh.
Chapter 14: New Member! Kato Megumi and Ayame Yomogawa
Heaven.
"Phew, thankfully, Rei Ao's request to retain his memories was approved."
Gabriel sighed in relief.
"After all, Mr. Rei Ao is the first Awakened One in this world. Naturally, he's receiving special attention."
Beside her, Raphiel smiled with the graceful expression of an angel.
Gabriel nodded. "It's truly amazing that an Awakened One can emerge in the human world at this time."
The odds were astronomical. Even calling it one in a million wouldn't do it justice.
There shouldn't have been any Awakened Ones born at this time.
Raphiel had a theory.
"Maybe it's because of the connection with that other world."
"Didn't your sister go to that world for negotiations? Have you heard anything?"
Gabriel shook her head.
"Not much news."
"I've only heard that there are a lot of dragons in that world."
"Dragons, huh those are certainly interesting creatures."
"Hm? You think they're interesting?"
"Haha, Gabriel-chan, you must have misheard. I meant *dangerous* creatures~"
—
The next morning.
Rei Ao got up and walked out of the bedroom.
He was about to wash up and handle some morning business when he saw Sakurajima Mai emerging from the bathroom.
Her face turned red.
She was wearing her school uniform, now dry after being cleaned, though slightly wrinkled.
Clearing her throat, she pointed toward the living room. "I noticed you had some ingredients in the fridge, so I made breakfast."
"No wonder I smelled something delicious when I woke up. Thanks."
After thanking her, he slipped past and went into the bathroom.
As the door closed and the sound of running water filled the air, Sakurajima Mai's face grew even redder. She hurriedly distanced herself from the area.
After breakfast, Rei Ao called his teacher, Hiratsuka Shizuka, to ask for the day off.
Just as they were about to head out together, a notification popped up in the chat group at the most inconvenient moment.
[Ding! Kato Megumi has joined the chat group!]
[Ding! Ayame Yomogawa has joined the chat group!]
"..."
Rei Ao paused for a moment upon seeing those two names.
But what caught his attention even more was a unique notification for him.
[Ding! As the group owner, you have unlocked a new feature: "Sub-group"!]
"Sub-group?"
*Sub-group*: As the group owner, you can grant a sub-group to others.
*Note*: Sub-group members can see information and participate in trades, but they cannot send messages.
"Huh, this feature is interesting."
Rei Ao was surprised.
"Is this meant to expand the 'user base'?"
His first thought went to people like Miyamoto Rei and Takagi Saya, those around Saeko.
They were all potential trading partners, after all.
Even if the best they could offer was body usage rights.
But he liked that idea.
He was just a simple guy, enjoying a bit of physical pleasure.
After all, what's the point of getting stronger if not for things like this?
—
Meanwhile, in the chat group:
Kato Megumi: "Hmm... I think I just saw Rei Ao-kun's name."
Kato Megumi, who had been preparing to go to school, suddenly found herself in the chat group.
As she began to grasp its existence, she was shocked.
She never expected to encounter something like this.
And
Not only did she see that the group owner was Rei Ao, but as she scrolled through the chat logs, she came across some strange discussions.
A girl had stayed at Rei Ao's house, and there was talk of a body usage trade?
"Is this really Rei Ao-kun?"
Kato Megumi murmured to herself at the door.
Her suspicion was quickly confirmed.
Rei Ao: "Megumi, it's me."
Rei Ao was just as surprised to see Kato Megumi join the chat group.
Kato Megumi: "..."
Realizing the group owner was indeed Rei Ao, Kato Megumi didn't know whether to be happy or confused.
That trade about body usage was still fresh in her mind.
And then, she saw confirmation from Saeko Busujima in the chat logs.
Rei Ao had really done it with her.
"..."
Kato Megumi clenched her fists instinctively.
But she didn't show any of this in the chat group.
Kato Megumi: "Rei Ao-kun, are you going to school?"
Rei Ao: "I took the day off. I'm going to xx mall with Sakurajima Mai, who's staying at my place, to buy her some clothes."
Kato Megumi: "Oh, Sakurajima Mai."
After sending that message, Kato Megumi pulled out her phone.
Just as Sakurajima Mai was about to ask about Rei Ao's conversation with Kato Megumi, someone in the chat group spoke up first.
Stella: "Someone else joined the chat group!"
She had originally thought only the five of them were special, but now it seemed that wasn't the case.
Stella: "@Rei Ao, you seem quite familiar with that new person named Kato Megumi."
Akame: "It seems like you're talking to a companion."
Saeko Busujima: "It might be more appropriate to call her a friend."
Rei Ao: "Megumi is indeed my classmate and friend."
Sakurajima Mai: "I see."
She glanced at Rei Ao, realizing the two must be very close.
The fact that Kato Megumi didn't question anything after seeing his name suggested their relationship wasn't ordinary.
Frieren: "Why hasn't the other new member said anything?"
The other new memberAyame Yomogawa.
Rei Ao could only think of the person from *Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress.*
Rei Ao: "If she's not speaking, she's probably busy. Anyway, I'm off for now."
~~~
I fuck it up when I uploaded this Fanfic early. So expect unstable updates. I'm just gonna take this slow.
Chapter 15: Coincidence? I think not!
Ayame Yomogawa was indeed busy.
The Kotetsujyo had just arrived, barely docking.
The Industrial Revolution had swept across the world, bringing great change.
But when the transition from the early modern period to the industrial age occurred, an unexpected disaster struckundead monsters suddenly appeared.
Covered in an iron-like membrane and unable to be killed unless their hearts were destroyed, these creatures were relentless. Those bitten would die and then resurrect, attacking other humans.
These creatures, later known as "Kabane," multiplied explosively and spread across the entire world.
In the Far Eastern islands, to protect themselves from the Kabane threat, people built fortified settlements known as "stations" across the land.
They were forced to live within these stations, doing everything they could to survive.
The only connection between these stations was the armored steam trains (commonly known as Hayajiro). The stations relied on these trains to exchange goods and maintain a semblance of life.
In the station of Iwato, which specialized in iron production and heavy steam machinery, a long track stretched out.
On it rested a massive black train, as dark as a fortress.
People bustled around the train, making repairs and preparations.
As the daughter of the Yomogawa family, the station's rulers, Ayame Yomogawa was responsible for overseeing the maintenance.
Even after seeing the miraculous phenomenon of the chat group, she had to finish her duties before investigating it further.
Meanwhile, elsewhere:
"???"
Hiratsuka Shizuka scratched her head.
Kato Megumi who's that?
And why is she calling in for someone else to take a day off?
Not thinking too much of it, she approved the request.
"Kato, what are you doing here?"
Rei Ao stood at the entrance of the mall, staring at Kato Megumi, who looked pure and cute in her outfit, lost in thought.
Kato Megumi greeted him with her usual calm expression and tone. "Rei Ao-kun, what a coincidence."
Coincidence?
Sakurajima Mai, who was standing next to Rei Ao, couldn't help but twitch at the corners of her mouth.
It was Wednesday, after all.
Why wasn't she at school this early in the morning? And how coincidental was it that she showed up at the mall right after joining the chat group and asking Rei Ao what he was doing?
What a "coincidence," indeed.
Sakurajima Mai eyed Kato Megumi's pure and cute appearance, noting how unusually "proactive" she seemed. A sudden sense of urgency rose within her.
Kato Megumi also focused her attention on Sakurajima Mai.
"Rei Ao-kun, this is Sakurajima Mai, the same person from that strange chat group you mentioned, right?"
"Oh?"
Rei Ao was a bit surprised. "Yes, it's her. But Kato, you can see her?"
Kato Megumi nodded. "I don't know why, but I can."
"Maybe it's because you both share a unique bond," Rei Ao mused as he analyzed both of their conditions.
"This kind of strange presence really exists?"
Sakurajima Mai was astonished.
The two seemed to have something in common, but in fact, they were different.
To Rei Ao, Kato Megumi looked like this:
[Name]: Kato Megumi
[Level]: 0
[Ability]: "Mysterious Presence"
Her ability was called "Mysterious Presence."
While it was also a passive ability, it wasn't as extreme as Sakurajima Mai's.
As for why they could see each other, Rei Ao had two theories:
First, it could be due to the effects of the chat group.
Second, it could be that their abilities resonated with one another.
Either way, it was a good thing.
"Since Kato is here, how about you help Sakurajima Mai? It's a bit inappropriate for me, as a guy, to help her buy personal things like underwear."
Rei Ao had certainly noticed that Kato's "coincidence" was too convenient, but he didn't expose it.
After all, with the chat group, she had likely seen some of his more questionable trades.
Rei Ao wanted to see if Kato's opinion of him had changed.
To his proposal:
"Sure."
Kato Megumi agreed with a smile.
But then
She turned to Sakurajima Mai and asked, "Sakurajima Mai, it doesn't seem proper to stay at a guy's house. If you need a place, you can stay at my house."
Although the words were polite and friendly, Sakurajima Mai sensed a certain... tension.
