It wasn't until the next morning that the group saw Momobami Kirari again. She looked exceptionally radiant, a vibrant glow about her, yet she couldn't stop a series of delicate yawns from escaping her lips. Her silver hair, usually carefully tied up, was left to cascade freely over her shoulders, an uncharacteristic and alluring sight.
She was clinging to Ren's arm with an overt affection, practically lting into his side as if she wanted to fuse with him.
Lucifer shot Kirari a knowing, playful look. "Well, well," she purred, a mischievous smile dancing on her lips. "I was wondering where you disappeared to for so long, Kirari."
A faint blush crept up Kirari's cheeks. She cleared her throat, attempting a semblance of composure. "This, ah... let's just say it was the grand gift package I promised Ren. He liked it a great deal, didn't you, Ren? Isn't that right?" She nudged him, her eyes sparkling.
Ren paused, a thoughtful expression on his face, before a playful glint entered his eyes. "I don't know... the ti was a bit too short to properly evaluate it. Can we get another grand gift package for a more thorough review?"
Kirari playfully slapped his arm. "You've really been spending too much ti with those schers, haven't you? You can't even control yourself anymore. Who teases their own woman like that?"
Her choice of words—"my woman"—brought the still-confused Sonoko and the others to a halt. They rembered Kirari always declaring herself Ren's future woman, but this was a definitive shift in status. For a mont, their expressions beca a complicated mix of shock and dawning understanding.
"Ahem! That's enough!" Kirari announced, her blush deepening. "I'm going back to my room on the ship to rest, alright? I'll see you all this afternoon."
With that, she turned and quickly made her way onto the ship, her posture noticeably stiff and unnatural.
Jinx scratched her head, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Eh? Why is Kirari walking so weirdly? Did she twist her ankle or sothing?"
Mouri Ran shook her head, her expression one of innocent concern. "I don't know... maybe. Kirari-nee can be really careless sotis, but with Brother Ren here, I'm sure it's been handled. She should get more rest."
Lucifer's smile widened. "Mm, precisely because Ren is there, it must have been handled quite thoroughly, right?"
As a highly skilled individual himself, Ren simply smiled. "Of course. It's very easy to handle. Just look at Lucifer, and you'll know. She recovered quite quickly after she strained her back before."
Lucifer rolled her eyes at him before gracefully slipping away. The others were left looking either helpless or utterly bewildered.
anwhile, Kirari had reached her room and collapsed onto the bed, stretching her limbs out. A distinct groan echoed from her lower back, and her entire body went rigid. After a long, stiff mont, she went completely limp, flopping onto the mattress like a spent fish. She hugged a pillow to her chest, her eyes fixed motionless on the ceiling. The room was deathly quiet, but a frantic rhythm hamred against her ribs.
A slow, satisfied smile spread across her face. "It's just a matter of courage, and I have that, too," she whispered to the empty room. "But if that's the case... it makes even more afraid of losing you... Really, I don't know where all my bravado went... Haa, my back hurts so much... I'll have Sayaka give a massage when I get back..."
Her expression softened, a dreamy look entering her eyes.
"I wonder... if there will be a little baby... Heh..."
With that final thought, she drifted into a deep and deep sleep.
Ren's suite was in the sa corridor as the girls', and the entrance was still discreetly guarded, making it impossible for anyone to enter unannounced. He was relaxing on a deck chair, gazing out at the sea sparkling under the brilliant sun.
"Mr. Yamashita," he said softly, his eyes still on the water. "What is it you wish to say?"
His visitor was none other than Yamashita Kazuo. A few dramatic events had transpired recently, including Yamashita's son being targeted by the Kure clan. The condition for his release had been simple: Tokita Ohma had to defeat Kure Raian.
Yamashita Kazuo imdiately bowed low, his voice thick with emotion. "Ren-san! Thank you and Ohma-san for saving my son! And for saving Ohma-san as well!"
Before Ren could reply, Ichihara Yuko strolled over. She naturally settled into a sun lounger beside him, stretching languidly. "You two go on and chat. Just pretend I'm not here. Eh?! Ren! You have delicious food out and you didn't call ?!"
Without waiting for an answer, she plucked a slice of cake from a nearby plate and began to eat. Cake paired with red wine—it was a combination that brought a look of pure bliss to her face.
Ren smiled faintly. "Mr. Yamashita, I believe you've misunderstood sothing. I didn't save your son. Mr. Tokita Ohma defeated Raian to save him. What does that have to do with ?"
Yamashita Kazuo swallowed nervously. "Um... when I went to the restroom earlier, I heard that young lady from the Kure clan who is always beside you, Ren-san, on the phone. I unintentionally overheard a sentence: 'Sister Fusui, Ren asked to tell you not to get excited and eliminate him. Ren doesn't seem to want him to have any problems...' Hearing sothing like that..."
Ren tilted his head slightly.
Yamashita Kazuo spoke faster, flustered. "I only overheard it by accident, I swear! And earlier, Ren-san was with Chairman Katahara... you and Mr. Katahara seed very familiar with one another... so I thought... it must be related to you, Ren-san!"
Ren's smile remained gentle. "Karura was on the phone, and you happened to overhear a casual conversation. There's no need to thank , Mr. Yamashita. You should go and check on Mr. Tokita Ohma's condition instead."
As he watched the grateful but confused man depart, Ichihara Yuko stretched out her long, elegant legs. "In a sense, your motives for saving him weren't entirely pure, were they?"
Ren chuckled. "Yuko, you're quite clever. Yamashita Kenzo, huh... Although I probably won't intervene further, I still have to help those two old n solve a few problems. That Yamashita Kenzo is still useful to them, but how they choose to use him is their own business." He paused, his fingers finding their way into her long, dark hair. "By the way, you can talk, but why are you playing with my hair again? Is it a toy?"
"Yuko, you still haven't made any move to resist," Ren pointed out softly.
"That's because I always believe you're capable of repenting! Be careful, I might just rebel one day!"
"Judgnt skill warning."
"You... you scoundrel! You're even worse than that scheming man in the glasses!"
Watching her, Ren's expression softened. Despite her face being a mask of displeasure, she made no effort to pull away. "The shop has been upgraded," he said gently. "We can go to another world soon."
Ichihara Yuko's eyes lit up instantly, a genuine smile replacing her pout. "Eh? I'm really looking forward to it. But why tell alone?"
"Because I wanted to ask," Ren said, his tone turning serious. "Yuko, does your world need to be connected?"
Yuko fell silent, pondering the question for a long ti. Finally, she slowly shook her head. "Ren, after I return this ti... don't ever go to that world again."
"Why? It's your world, isn't it?"
A mysterious smile touched Yuko's lips. She stood up, leaned over, and gently lifted Ren's chin with her finger. "Ren, what's my na?"
Ren calmly took her hand, his touch warm against her skin. "Ichihara Yuko."
"That's a pseudonym," she said, her voice a low murmur.
"I know."
Her smile widened. "The pseudonym 'Ichihara Yuko' can only walk in one world. In another world, the hidden true na has been left behind, permanently remaining with the flowing river of ti. It has dissipated in the wind, pushed out by an endless current and countless dinsions. It no longer exists—not the soul, not the na, not the experiences or the mories. Everything is gone..."
She paused, her free hand reaching out to gently caress his cheek. "Here, in this world, there is only Ichihara Yuko." Her voice was a soft, intimate whisper. "And the world of the living Ichihara Yuko... is her world. Because here... there is a ho, and a master who accepts 'Ichihara Yuko' as her true na."
Under Yuko's slightly surprised gaze, Ren reached up and gently pinched her cheek. A warm smile spread across his face. "Then go and say a proper goodbye—to your past self, and to the old ho you won't be returning to. Then co ho safely, with a new na... Everyone will be waiting for you. So you need to hurry up."
A tremor went through Yuko's heart. She nodded slowly, her eyes shining. "Mm, I will... After all, nowhere is as good as one's own ho, is it?"
"Yuko..."
"I never realized your cheek felt so nice to pinch, Yuko."
"Ren... Do you believe that a witch's bite hurts a lot?"
"I don't believe it."
"You actually bit ? That's really a style that doesn't suit you at all."
"It is so Yuko's style! Also... don't you dare tell anyone!"
"We'll see."
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