Before long, Eriri arrived, cheerful and bright.
"Are we heading straight to your place?"
"Mm-hmm. My mom's already bought everything. Let's walk over," she said, nodding shyly.
She suggested walkingnot because Rei Ao's teleportation was inconvenient, but because she wanted to enjoy the feeling of walking together with him.
Rei Ao glanced at the sky, which was dotted with dark clouds.
"We might need to walk a little faster, or we'll get caught in the rain."
"Boom!"
The weather changed rapidly.
What had been a sky with scattered clouds soon turned into a dark expanse filled with thick storm clouds.
In an instant, torrential rain began to pour.
"Ha, thank goodness we ran fast; we almost got drenched," Eriri said, patting her small, flat chest as she stood outside the front door of her villa.
She rang the doorbell. Normally, her mother would answer.
However, after waiting for a while, no one came to the door.
"What's going on? Where's Mom?" Eriri muttered, a puzzled expression on her face.
She took out a spare key from her bag.
Click.
The door unlocked.
"Mom?" Eriri called out, but there was no response.
Her confusion deepened.
She took out a pair of disposable slippers for Rei Ao, who declined to change into them and said, "You should check if your mom is home first."
"Alright."
Eriri stepped inside and checked every room, but her mother was nowhere to be found.
Her expression turned anxious.
"That's strangeMom shouldn't take this long to go shopping."
"No need to panic. Try calling her to check her situation," Rei Ao calmly suggested.
"You're right!"
Realizing her oversight, Eriri immediately took out her phone and called her mother.
After a few rings, the call connected.
"Hello? Eriri, are you home already?"
On the other end of the line, Sayuri's voice sounded a bit tired.
"Yes, I'm back with Rei Ao, but we didn't see you here," Eriri replied, her voice tinged with worry. "Where are you right now?"
"I twisted my ankle while shopping at the market, and now it's pouring rain. I'm sheltering here for now."
"I'll bring you an umbrella!" Eriri exclaimed, relieved to hear her mother wasn't in any serious trouble.
"I'll go instead," Rei Ao interjected, taking the umbrella from her. "It's the XXX market, right?"
"Yes, that's the one."
Eriri nodded but insisted, "I'll come with you!"
"No need. You stay home and wait."
"Sigh, what terrible luck today," Sayuri muttered after ending the call.
Sitting alone under a small shelter, she let out a bitter laugh.
First, she had twisted her ankle while shopping. Then, the sudden downpour left her drenched to the bone.
Now, she was shivering under the cold and relentless rain.
The rain was so heavy it blurred her surroundings, creating a hazy curtain of water.
With no one else in sight, she could only hope the rain would stop soon.
"Mrs. Spencer."
Suddenly, she heard someone calling her name through the rain.
She turned to see a figure holding an umbrella, emerging from the misty downpour.
At first, she couldn't make out who it was. But as the person got closer, she recognized the familiar face.
"Rei Ao?!" Sayuri exclaimed in surprise.
Rei Ao approached her with a gentle smile. "I heard about your situation from Eriri, so I came over."
"The rain was too heavy, so I didn't want Eriri to come herself."
He glanced down and immediately noticed her swollen right ankle.
"Mrs. Spencer, your sprain looks quite severe. Can you walk?"
"No, it's too painful," Sayuri admitted with a shake of her head.
She tried to move again.
Hiss!
The sharp pain made her wince.
Rei Ao could have easily healed her injury with elemental or healing magic, but he chose not to.
Instead, he crouched down and offered his back to her. "Mrs. Spencer, let me carry you home."
"Eh?"
Sayuri hesitated, flustered by the offer.
"Uh, I'm soaked through; I'll get your clothes wet," she stammered.
"It's just a T-shirt. I can take it off later," Rei Ao replied nonchalantly. "Come on."
"Alright, then thank you," Sayuri said, still feeling shy as she carefully climbed onto his back.
Sayuri hesitated for a moment.
Seeing her swollen ankle, it was clear she couldn't walk properly.
She carefully got up on one leg and leaned gently onto Rei Ao's broad back.
The firmness of his body and the warmth radiating from him made her face flush, her heart beating erratically.
"Mrs. Spencer, hold onto your things, and if you don't mind, please handle the umbrella," Rei Ao said calmly.
"Oh, oh, sure!"
Snapping out of her daze, Sayuri clutched her belongings and held up the umbrella.
The next moment, she felt herself lifted smoothly off the ground as Rei Ao stood up with her on his back.
To ensure she wouldn't slip, he adjusted his grip under her knees, hoisting her slightly higher.
"Ah!"
Sayuri let out a soft gasp, a reflexive reaction to an unexpected sensation.
Rei Ao turned his head slightly. "What's wrong?"
"N-Nothing!"
Sayuri's face turned scarlet. She had just felt an instant of accidental contact with a sensitive spot but knew it wasn't intentional. It was just her body reacting on its own.
"Alright, let's get going."
With steady, confident strides, Rei Ao carried her through the downpour, ensuring she stayed as dry as possible under the umbrella.
The only sounds accompanying them were the raindrops pounding on the umbrella and the rhythmic cadence of Rei Ao's breathing.
Sayuri could feel the warmth of his back and the firm strength beneath her.
Her heart raced uncontrollably, and her flushed face burned even hotter.
This level of intimacy with a strangeralbeit a boywas entirely new to her. Yet, Rei Ao exuded a sense of security that made her feel inexplicably safe.
After some time, Rei Ao suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Sayuri, startled, lifted her head in nervous anticipation, worried that he might have noticed her abnormal heartbeat.
He turned slightly, his profile softened by a gentle smile.
"Mrs. Spencer, are you alright? Your heart seems to be racing a bit," he asked, concern evident in his tone.
"!!!"
He noticed!
Sayuri wanted to find a hole to crawl into. Her voice wavered as she tried to dismiss it, "I-I'm fine. Thank you for your concern. And thank you for coming to get me."
Rei Ao chuckled lightly. "No need to thank me; it's the right thing to do."
Without saying more, he resumed walking, allowing Sayuri to relax slightly.
As she leaned her head gently against his back, a warmth spread through her heart.
She never imagined a boy's back could make her feel so safe and at ease.
"Mom!"
At the villa's door, Eriri anxiously waited for Rei Ao's return.
When she saw his figure emerging through the rain, she ran out into the storm without hesitation, getting drenched in the process.
"Mom, are you okay?!"
"Eriri, Mrs. Spencer twisted her ankle. She's fine otherwise, but she's soaked. Let's get her inside to avoid catching a cold," Rei Ao reminded gently.
"Oh, oh, right!"
Realizing the situation, Eriri grabbed the items from her mother's hands and led them inside.
Once indoors, Rei Ao carefully set Sayuri down onto a chair.
As her foot touched the ground and she left the warmth of his back, Sayuri felt a trace of reluctance.
"Eriri, is the hot water ready?"
"Yes, yes!" Eriri nodded eagerly.
"I've already filled the bathtub with warm water."
"Mrs. Spencer, I recommend taking a hot bath first to prevent catching a cold," Rei Ao advised.
He gently took Sayuri's hand and passed her to Eriri for support.
"Her right ankle is pretty badly sprained, so help her out, alright?"
"Got it!" Eriri nodded with surprising obedience, her demeanor so considerate it left Sayuri stunned.
Was this really her daughter?
"Mom, lean on me. I'll help you."
"Ah okay."
Meanwhile, at the Kato household.
The dining table was quiet, the four family members eating their meal in silence.
It seemed like any other day.
But Hiromi Kato couldn't shake the feeling of unease. She felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, her skin crawling under the weight of a particular gaze.
Across from her, her younger sister, Megumi Kato, was staring at her intently.
Ever since that embarrassing incident, Hiromi had been instinctively avoiding Megumi.
It was too mortifying.
After all, she had spent almost an entire night eavesdropping. And now, it was impossible to reconcile her typically composed sister with the memory of those sweet, breathy moans.
As Megumi's unwavering gaze bore into her, Hiromi couldn't handle it anymore. Hastily finishing the rice in her bowl, she stood up.
"I'm done!"
She turned to leave.
"Wait, Nee-san," Megumi's soft voice called out, stopping her in her tracks.
"I have something I'd like to ask you. Can you come to my room later?"
"Uh"
Hiromi froze mid-step.
"Sure, okay," she replied awkwardly, unable to refuse her little sister.
Their parents, sitting at the table, didn't find anything unusual. The sisters were always close, after all.
Chapter 138: Hiromi's Thoughts, Healing Massage
After a short while, in Megumi Kato's bedroom, the two sisters sat across from each other, facing one another.
Hiromi Kato had come as promised, but she felt nervous, worried her younger sister would bring up some explosive topiclike her love life.
Even though Hiromi herself enjoyed light gossip, she didn't want to hear her little sister flaunting her relationship when she, the older sister, was still single. That would sting.
Feigning casualness, she put on a forced smile and asked, "Megumi, are you here to ask me for love advice?"
Megumi shook her head. "You don't have a boyfriend, you've never held a guy's hand, and you have zero experience. What advice could you possibly give?"
Her blunt words landed a direct hit.
"!!!"
Hiromi's eyes widened slightly. She wanted to argue but couldn't find the words.
The facts hurt.
She deflated, muttering, "Megumi, are you here just to mock me? That's mean, you know."
"It's not to show off," Megumi clarified, her voice calm. "I have something important to tell you."
"Something important?"
"About the hidden world."
Shortly after
[World Group Chat]
Megumi Kato: "@Rei Ao, I talked to my sister about it earlier. After careful consideration, she's willing to join the chat group."
Rei Ao: "Alright."
Sitting on a couch, Rei Ao was slightly surprised by Megumi's efficiency.
Adding Hiromi Kato to the group was something he did casually; he hadn't expected progress this quickly.
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "?"
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "Didn't you just mention this afternoon that you were going to bring it up? She agreed so easily?"
Hiromi Kato: "Uh, hello everyone. I'm Hiromi Kato, Megumi's sister. Nice to meet you."
Sonoko Machida: "Welcome, welcome!"
Yukino Yukinoshita: "Welcome."
Little Saint: "Oh no, Mommy has another competitor!"
Kobayashi: "Don't say weird things!"
Tohru: "@Rei Ao, are you coming home yet? '[Photo]' Tohru is clean and ready for you~"
Tohru's post was a steamy, provocative photo, practically oozing with sensuality.
Sonoko Machida: "Wow! Is this world-class?"
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "Forget world-class; is it really okay to post something like this in the group?"
Rei Ao: "What's the issue? I like it. Feel free to post more."
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "???"
Yumiko Miura: "Pfft. You're such a perv!"
Yui Yuigahama: "Uh um does Rei Ao-kun prefer this kind of, uh full figure?"
Rei Ao: "I like all kinds. Petite can be cute too. As long as it's not completely flat, I'm fine."
Yukino Yukinoshita: "..."
At the dinner table, Mebel glanced up nervously at Yukino.
She immediately regretted it as Yukino's icy gaze pierced through her like a blade, radiating frosty pressure.
"What are you looking at? Are you done eating?"
"Hiii!!!"
Mebel trembled, bowing her head and quietly finishing her meal.
Back in Megumi's bedroom, Hiromi Kato was sweating bullets.
"Megumi, you said this was about the 'hidden world.' Why does it now involve things like interdimensional travel?"
The information was leagues beyond what she'd expected.
Megumi tilted her head slightly, her calm demeanor unshaken. "This is the truth about the world, and also the truth about Rei Ao-kun."
"..."
Hiromi's lips twitched awkwardly. It was indeed Rei Ao's truthnot only his dramatic identity but also his tangled romantic affairs.
She hesitated before asking cautiously, "Megumi, I noticed in the chat records is this group really just Rei Ao's harem?"
The chat group's tone felt entirely unseriousespecially after Tohru posted that picture, which absolutely should have been flagged.
Megumi's lips curved into an enigmatic smile.
"Maybe, someday in the future, it will be."
"???"
Hiromi suddenly felt as though her little sister had led her straight into a trap.
Mai Sakurajima: "Tohru, stop posting strange pictures in the group!"
Tohru: "Tsk, but I even took a photo of you earlier."
Mai Sakurajima: "Don't you dare post it!"
Mai Sakurajima: "Anyway, @Rei Ao, when are you coming home?"
Rei Ao: "I was planning to return tonight, but as you can see, it's pouring outside."
Yumiko Miura: "Don't you know teleportation magic?"
Rei Ao: "Well, Eriri's mom invited me to stay the night. I couldn't refuse her hospitality."
Yumiko Miura: "???"
Yumiko Miura: "And you say you're not a perv?!"
"Heh, I never said I wasn't a flirt."
Dressed in fresh, clean clothes, Sayuri sat on the couch with Eriri's help, carefully keeping weight off her injured foot.
"Boom! Crack!"
Thunder roared outside, rain pounding hard against the windows.
Sayuri spoke up warmly, "Rei Ao-kun, with this awful weather, it's probably not safe for you to head home. Either wait for the rain to stop or just stay the nightwe have a guest room."
"Sure, I'll stay."
Rei Ao accepted the invitation without hesitation.
Sayuri smiled but sighed with some regret. "I was planning to cook a big meal to thank you, but with my foot like this"
Rei Ao glanced at her injured ankle and suggested, "If you don't mind, I can give you a massage to help."
"A massage?"
Eriri blinked in confusion. "Massages can only ease pain, right?"
Sayuri thought the same. She had just checked her ankleit was swollen badly, and it didn't seem like it would recover in a few days.
