"Eh? Y-you're leaving already?" Sui asked, feeling a hint of reluctance upon hearing that Rei Ao was about to depart. Ever since she had left the Elven tribe, she had been a loner, and it had been a long ti since she'd had such close interaction with anyone.
"Yes, it's about ti," Rei Ao replied. "There isn't enough ti left to track more monsters, so it's ti to head back."
"And… this coat…" Sui's face turned a deep shade of red. She realized she was still wearing the jacket Rei Ao had lent her earlier.
Rei Ao glanced at her and smiled. "You can keep wearing it for now. Just return it to the next ti we et."
Sui breathed a sigh of relief. If she had to give it back now, she'd be left only in her undergarnts, which would be beyond embarrassing.
But suddenly, a thought hit her: according to the chat room rules, she had nothing left to offer for a trade—except… her body! Sui's eyes widened in realization. She wanted to say sothing, but before she could, Rei Ao vanished without a trace.
"…"
Sui stood there in a daze, Rei Ao's words about "next ti" echoing in her mind. That would an she would have to make *that* kind of trade next ti. Sui felt lightheaded. Wasn't that an obvious hint from Rei Ao?
Indeed, Rei Ao had subtly hinted at it, but back ho, what awaited him was a far more direct approach from Mai.
After not finding her in the living room or bathroom, Rei Ao opened the bedroom door. In the bright light, he saw Mai standing before him, dressed in a revealing bunny girl outfit with a torn stocking. Her face was flushed with embarrassnt, and she trembled slightly as she asked, "Ao-kun, are you just going to stand there and watch?"
Rei Ao's fiery gaze made Mai feel both happy and self-conscious. But instead of acting on the enticing scene, Rei Ao suddenly asked, "Mai, do you know what I'm thinking right now?"
Confused, Mai responded, "What are you thinking?"
"Well, of course…"
…
The next morning, Mai was still asleep when she was woken by the sound of Rei Ao's phone ringing. Lying in his strong embrace, she rubbed her sleepy eyes.
"Ao-kun, who's calling?"
"It's my horoom teacher."
Rei Ao was equally puzzled as to why Shizuka Hiratsuka was calling him this early. After answering the call, he heard her familiar voice.
"Ao-san, are you up?"
"Not yet. Is there sothing you need, Shizuka-sensei?"
"Ao-kun, I need to take a shower first," Mai whispered. Even though she was exhausted and sore from the previous night, she still wanted to clean up.
Rei Ao gave her a playful "OK" sign.
Mai's face flushed as she stood up right in front of Rei Ao, heading toward the bathroom. Rei Ao, with a smile, watched her elegant figure and continued the call.
"As your horoom teacher, I wanted to congratulate you for getting a perfect score and ranking first. Both Kirisu-sensei and I have verified that it was entirely your own achievent."
Rei Ao glanced at Mai, who was still teasing him as she walked away, and signaled to her with his eyes.
"…"
Mai imdiately understood, giving him a quick glare before complying with his unspoken request.
Rei Ao couldn't help but grin with satisfaction. Under his guidance, Mai had learned a lot of new "skills."
"Hey, are you even listening to ?" Hiratsuka sounded annoyed on the other end. "I'm hearing so weird sounds—do you have bad reception, or is it on my end?"
"It must be a signal issue. But I heard your congratulations, Shizuka-sensei. Is there anything else?"
"…"
Hiratsuka fell silent for a mont before sighing. "You forgot about our earlier agreent, didn't you?"
"Oh, the date? Um, Mai…" Rei Ao suddenly called out.
"Mai?" Hiratsuka was confused. "Who's that?"
"Ah, it's nothing," Rei Ao quickly covered. "I ant, are you ready for our date, Shizuka-sensei?"
"A d-date?! No! It's just a lunch invitation!" Hiratsuka hastily corrected. "et at the shopping mall entrance at noon."
She ended the call quickly, afraid Rei Ao would say sothing even more outrageous.
"That brat… How dare he act so bold toward ," Hiratsuka grumbled, running her fingers through her hair. She recalled the advice from Haruno Yukinoshita. "I guess I'll just have lunch with him and turn him down gently afterward. Better to get it over with quickly."
Without telling Haruno, Hiratsuka decided she would handle it on her own. As she stood in front of her mirror in just her underwear, she glanced at her reflection.
Her figure was still decent, though she couldn't help but feel self-conscious about her age.
"I don't get what Rei Ao sees in older won…" she muttered, sighing as she looked through her wardrobe. She hesitated before picking out a light blue dress that she rarely wore, originally intended for blind dates her family had arranged.
"I guess it should be fine for today," she told herself, feeling embarrassed as she imagined how she'd look in the dress paired with high heels. "This will do… Dressing up is such a hassle."
With that excuse, Hiratsuka managed to convince herself, at least for the mont.
…
In front of the mall, Rei Ao stood waiting, looking sharp and neat.
"Jealous Mai is kind of cute," he thought, but then rembered the bite she had given him when she heard the word "date."
With a wry smile, he muttered, "Her teeth are a bit too much, though."
"Rei Ao."
Suddenly, Shizuka Hiratsuka's voice called out.
Turning around, Rei Ao saw a completely different version of the usually laid-back teacher. She was dressed in a light blue long dress, paired with white high heels. Her hair was elegantly tied up, and she wore a necklace and earrings. Her feminine charm was unmistakable, and she even had a touch of lipstick and light eyeshadow on.
Even Rei Ao couldn't help but steal a second glance.
Hiratsuka felt uncomfortable under his gaze and, in her embarrassnt, impulsively grabbed his head, trapping it under her smooth armpit.
"Hey, kid! Your eyes are a bit too bold!" she exclaid, trying to cover up her awkwardness.
She regretted it instantly—this was a bad idea. Dressing up like this in front of her student felt embarrassing and mortifying.
Rei Ao, however, didn't seem to mind, especially since his head was now pressed against her chest, which Hiratsuka didn't even notice.
But he did remind her, "Shizuka-sensei, you look very ladylike today, but that move wasn't ladylike at all."
"Ugh, who cares about being ladylike," she huffed in frustration. "That word doesn't suit at all."
Rei Ao chuckled and agreed, "True, the word 'ladylike' doesn't quite match you."
But then he added, "Still, you look young and beautiful today, Sensei. It's quite refreshing to see you like this."
Hiratsuka was taken aback by the unexpected complint. Her breath hitched, and a blush crept up her face. Embarrassed, she quickly released him and coughed awkwardly.
"Ahem. Enough of that. Let's head to the restaurant—I've already reserved a table."
With that, she turned and walked toward the mall, her hips swaying slightly as she hurried off.
Rei Ao stifled a laugh. "Sensei is so easy to read," he thought, shaking his head with amusent. She wore all her emotions on her sleeve. It seed winning her over wouldn't be too hard.
As they entered the mall, soone else was watching.
"Ah, Shizuka didn't invite to this?"
From a short distance away, Haruno Yukinoshita watched the scene unfold. She had been out shopping during her rare break when she spotted the two.
"So, she really is into younger guys, huh?" Haruno mused, noting Shizuka's rare effort to dress up. She had never seen her friend go to such lengths before.
"This is going to be interesting," Haruno said with a sly smile.
…
"Shizuka-sensei, aren't you going to say anything?"
Rei Ao couldn't help but laugh a little as he watched Hiratsuka quietly and awkwardly focus on eating her al.
"This is turning into a pretty boring date," he teased.
Hiratsuka froze for a second.
Could it be that she didn't have any dating experience at all?
Thud.
Hiratsuka felt like he had hit her right in the heart with that comnt.
She imdiately tried to explain, "W-what are you talking about! Of course not!"
"I'm an adult, okay? I've had several boyfriends. What would you know?" she blurted out, clearly flustered.
Rei Ao just smiled without saying anything, his eyes clearly showing that he wasn't buying it.
"She's really easy to read," he thought. Her blushing face, the way her heart was racing, and her nervous gestures all gave her away.
She was cute, and Rei Ao found himself wanting to kiss her.
But he held back.
Seeing his expression of disbelief, Hiratsuka felt her pride being crushed.
In a fit of frustration, she slamd her hand on the table, pretending to be angry.
"Anyway, this isn't a date! It's a celebration for your top score, got it?"
"Got it," Rei Ao replied, playing along. He decided not to tease her too much—he didn't want to push her too far and risk her doing sothing truly outrageous.
"By the way, Sensei, would you like so wine?" he asked.
…
His question left Shizuka Hiratsuka stunned. She had a weakness for alcohol and cigarettes, sothing she couldn't quit. Her family had even tried to set her up with potential matches before, but the mont they heard about her habits, not to ntion her proficiency in Taekwondo, they quickly made their exits.
Shizuka's emotions were complicated. She suspected that her long-standing single status wasn't just due to her personality, but also her habits. Her thoughts drifted, but outwardly she kept a wary eye on Rei Ao.
"Be honest, you're not planning to get drunk and take advantage of , are you?" she asked, half-joking.
Rei Ao smirked, "Do you really think I'm that low, Sensei?"
"Didn't I teach you? You can never fully trust soone—you only see their face, not their heart, rember?"
"…"
Rei Ao sighed, exasperated. "Sure, let's say you're right."
"So, do you want so or not?"
"Yes!"
Her answer ca without hesitation.
*Gulp, gulp!*
*Sigh…*
She downed an entire bottle in one go. The sight of her, in a youthful outfit yet chugging alcohol like that, was a stark contrast. It created a strange dissonance, but Shizuka was more at ease now. This was the real her. No matter how nicely she dressed, that wouldn't change.
She'd thought that showing this side of herself might scare Rei Ao off. But to her surprise, he didn't flinch or show any sign of disgust the entire ti.
As she looked at him curiously, Rei Ao asked, "Why are you staring at like that? Is there sothing on my face?"
"...No."
Shizuka shook her head.
"I'm just wondering if you're pretending to stay calm."
Rei Ao chuckled. "That's an imaginative way to put it."
"But no, I'm not that bored."
"Heh, I don't believe you."
Shizuka still seed doubtful.
"You should know I'm older, I love drinking and smoking, and I've got a notorious temper. Plus, I practice martial arts. Any man would avoid , but you're really not bothered?"
Rei Ao got it now...
"So, you're wondering what exactly I see in you?"
It was true that her habits and personality weren't easy to deal with, especially for soone looking for a stable relationship. Her love for smoking and drinking wasn't just a nuisance but also a health risk that would inevitably cause problems in the future.
But Rei Ao wasn't like other people. He had ways to transform others, making them extraordinary. Besides, he wasn't here for a conventional life.
With a sly grin, Rei Ao stood up and moved to sit next to her on the couch.
"What are you doing?" Shizuka tensed, unsure of his intentions as he ca closer.
Rei Ao picked up a bottle of beer and lightly blew on it. A fine layer of frost instantly coated the bottle.
At first, Shizuka didn't notice. But when Rei Ao handed it to her, she instinctively took it and imdiately realized sothing was off.
"It's freezing cold!"
She stared at the bottle in disbelief. It had been at room temperature just monts ago—how had it suddenly frosted over?
Rei Ao raised his hand with a playful smile. "Want to know how the drink got so cold? Hold my hand."
"Is this a magic trick?"
Thinking it was a simple illusion, Shizuka reached out and held his hand.
The next second...
"Ahh! So cold!"
An intense chill shot through her, making her gasp.
"Your hand… How is it this cold?!"
Rei Ao retracted his power but kept his hold on her hand.
"Sensei, you can think of as soone with supernatural abilities," he explained casually.
Shizuka's mind reeled. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
But then Rei Ao stretched out his other hand, palm up, under the table in front of them. Slowly, ice began to materialize and take shape, forming an intricate ice sculpture—an exact replica of Shizuka herself, complete with the outfit she was wearing.
"!!!"
Shizuka was speechless.
He wasn't lying.
At the sa ti, nearby, Haruno Yukinoshita was left in shock.
She had followed them into the restaurant and chosen a discreet spot to spy on them. Watching her forr teacher, Shizuka Hiratsuka, interact with a younger man was quite the spectacle.
Initially, nothing too exciting had happened, and Haruno had sighed at how restrained Shizuka was being.
But things changed when Rei Ao sat next to her and took her hand.
Haruno frowned, thinking, "Is he trying to get her drunk and take advantage of her?"
She had seen such tricks many tis in business dealings. If she hadn't been cautious in those situations, she might have fallen into a similar trap herself. But Shizuka had only had one bottle of beer—there was no way she'd be drunk already. Haruno knew her tolerance well.
Then she saw Rei Ao reach under the table toward Shizuka's lap. From her angle, she couldn't quite see what was happening but assud the worst when she saw Shizuka's shifting expressions.
"This isn't right!" Haruno thought.
Her mind jumped to the conclusion that Shizuka must have been drugged.
She imdiately stood up and hurried over to confront them.
"Take your hands off her!"
Haruno realized too late that her choice of words implied more than she intended, but it was too late to take it back. She reached out to pull Rei Ao's hand away, only to find herself holding…
A small ice sculpture of Shizuka.
"What is this…?" Haruno stared in confusion, her mind struggling to comprehend what she was seeing.
~~~
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