Furuhashi Fumino and Ogata Rizu were still in shock from Rei Ao's earlier… let's say very unorthodox explanation of what "romance" meant.
They followed his pointing finger with dazed eyes, staring blankly at the pitch-black night outside the window, then slowly turned back to look at him again—still lost in thought.
"It's pretty late," Rei Ao said casually. "Do you want me to drive you two home?"
The words sounded like an offer… but the air around him still had that commanding presence that made it hard to refuse.
Drive them home?
With him?
After that conversation?
In the small, enclosed space of his car?
In both their heads, a rapid-fire slideshow of painfully awkward and socially lethal scenarios played out in high definition.
They shook their heads furiously—so hard it looked like their necks might snap.
"Or…" Rei Ao went on, like he'd seen that coming from a mile away, "you could just stay here for the night."
He nodded toward the guest room Mai and the others had disappeared into.
"There's still an empty room."
Stay the night?
In this house?
The same house still charged with the awkward tension of earlier?
Their heads moved even faster, practically vibrating like overworked phone motors.
Nope!
Absolutely not!
The thought alone was enough to make them want to dig a hole and bury themselves in it.
Watching them shake their heads like a pair of bobbleheads, Rei Ao raised a brow and threw out a third option—the one he probably thought was the most realistic from the start.
"Or… you could ask your teacher, Kirisu Mafuyu, if you can crash at her place."
That name hit them like a flashlight beam in a dark cave—suddenly their hopeless, scrambled brains were full of clarity.
Kirisu Mafuyu!
Strict on the surface, but warm and caring underneath.
Reliable. Safe.
And most importantly—an adult.
She'd understand… probably.
And even if she didn't, staying with her was a million times better than staying here or paying for a taxi home.
The two girls didn't even hesitate.
The second the words left his mouth, they snapped their heads up, eyes still brimming with embarrassment but now burning with desperate hope, and nodded like crazy.
"Y-Yeah, that works!"
"I agree!"
Their voices shook like people who'd just been pulled out of a sinking ship, scrambling to grab onto the lifeline.
Rei Ao took in their obvious relief with a knowing smile. He just nodded, pulled out his phone, and didn't say another word.
…
Meanwhile, downstairs in another apartment—
The bathroom was filled with a cloud of steam, the warm, damp air laced with the soft scent of lavender oil.
Hot water swirled gently in the tub, lapping against pale skin. Kirisu Mafuyu reclined lazily against the smooth edge, her signature red hair piled up to bare her long, elegant neck and the delicate lines of her collarbones.
A few damp strands clung to her forehead and cheeks, giving her normally composed beauty a softer, more intimate glow. The heat had painted her skin a light pink, and the stern look she wore in public was replaced by a hazy, relaxed gaze.
One arm rested along the rim of the tub, the other holding a waterproof pouch with her phone inside. The screen's glow reflected on her lips, which curved into a small, private smile—the kind she only wore when she was alone… or thinking of a certain someone.
A message lit up the display.
Rei Ao: Still awake?
A text from him at this hour? Definitely suspicious.
Unless…
She thought of Rei Ao's teasing, shameless personality, and her cheeks flushed for a completely different reason. She couldn't help feeling a little excited.
"Hmph…"
Her fingers tapped quickly against the plastic cover as she typed back:
Kirisu Mafuyu: Not yet~ It's late… Rei Ao-kun, are you missing me?
She sent it, then pressed the phone lightly against her chest. The blush on her face deepened, her eyes filled with a mix of playfulness and anticipation.
Just thinking about that strong, slightly dangerous man who could so easily unsettle her… made the water feel a degree hotter.
Buzz!
Another message.
Rei Ao: What are you doing?
Her eyes lit up, her lips curling into a mischievous smile. Adjusting her posture, she rose partway from the water, ripples breaking around her. In the golden light and thick steam, her skin gleamed like pearl, water droplets sliding along her collarbone in an image that was both hazy and hypnotic.
She typed with just the slightest tremor in her fingers:
Kirisu Mafuyu: Taking a bath~ Want to see?
The reply came instantly.
Rei Ao: I do.
Her heart skipped a beat.
She could already picture those dark, smoldering eyes staring at her without holding back.
Heat rushed through her, and under the water her toes curled. She bit her lip, hovering over the send button, tempted to push things further—
But then another message appeared.
Rei Ao: But not over the phone. If I'm going to see, it'll be in person.
In… person?
Boom.
Her face went up in flames.
That man—always saying the most heart-stopping things in the calmest tone!
She pressed the phone to her chest again, like it could muffle her racing heartbeat, before furiously typing back:
Kirisu Mafuyu: Pervert! I'm not sending you anything!
With a huff, she set the phone on the bath tray and sank deeper into the water, leaving only her flushed face and shy, sparkling eyes above the surface.
The water wrapped her in warmth, but her mind kept replaying his words—
If I'm going to see, it'll be in person.
And deep down, that thought stirred something new inside her…
A mix of embarrassment, anticipation—and a quiet, undeniable longing.
~~~
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