"Seele, do you want Bronya to wake you up tomorrow?"
"No need. You really are treating like a little kid, huh?"
At that, Seele couldn't help but laugh a little.
"No." Bronya looked at her seriously. "Bronya just wants Seele to feel more comfortable here."
"Alright, alright." Seele sighed helplessly and nodded, then picked up the pajamas on the bed and started changing.
As she undressed, the pale skin of her body was exposed, along with several scars left behind from past battles. Bronya's gaze flickered slightly.
"Seele… do those injuries still hurt?"
"Of course not."
By now, Seele had already taken off everything on her upper body, only a pair of pink shorts left underneath.
She'd bought all of these clothes in this world. And she didn't mind changing in front of Bronya at all, because Bronya was still just a kid to her.
Seele didn't even have the kind of thoughts she'd once had around i or Kiana—like using Raiden Ei's body to seduce them a little.
"These scars are from ages ago already." Seele lifted the pajamas, about to put them on.
But Bronya suddenly stepped closer, gently placing a hand against her skin.
The cool, soft touch almost made Seele break out in goosebumps.
"What are you doing?"
Bronya didn't answer imdiately. Instead, her fingertips carefully traced over a faint scar along Seele's waist.
"Did it hurt?"
"Didn't I just tell you? It stopped hurting a long ti ago."
"No… Bronya ans back then."
"Back then?"
Seele froze slightly. Looking into Bronya's lifted eyes, she saw guilt and heartache written plainly across them.
"Don't worry about it, kid."
Seele sighed helplessly before laughing softly. She set the pajamas down and raised a hand, gently patting Bronya's head.
"I'm a fighter. One of Wildfire's core mbers. Getting hurt during battles is normal. People in the Underworld get injured all the ti. And honestly, it only hurts for a little while when it first happens. You used to be a soldier too, right? You should understand that."
Bronya stayed silent.
Even though she already knew about Seele's experiences, she still carefully traced every scar across Seele's body one by one.
If you keep touching like this, I'm seriously going to get excited.
Seele was starting to lose composure a little, but at the sa ti, she just couldn't bring herself to make a move on Bronya.
Bronya looked way too young. Doing anything would make Seele feel unbearably guilty.
"Bronya, that's enough."
Seele stepped back and finally slipped the pajamas on.
"Alright, it's getting late. We should sleep."
After saying that, she climbed into bed, ready to finally enjoy what kind of dreams she'd have after going more than seven days without sleep.
But the mont she lay down, she noticed Bronya's eyes turning red, her expression filled with sadness and self-bla.
Seele instantly shot upright.
"Huh? What's wrong now?"
"Bronya… feels a little sad…"
"Sad about what? These scars?" Seele climbed back off the bed again, panicking slightly at Bronya's reddened eyes.
"Bronya, listen to carefully."
She leaned down slightly, rubbing Bronya's head gently.
"These injuries weren't caused by you. And I've never even t the 'you' from another world. You don't need to feel guilty for , and you don't need to make up for soone else's mistakes."
Bronya looked at her, but tears still slipped down her cheeks.
"But Bronya… still feels heartbroken."
Seeing her like this, Seele could only sigh and open her arms, pulling Bronya into a hug.
"Alright, alright. Stop crying."
Her movents were a little clumsy as she patted Bronya's back.
"Seriously… kids who cry too much won't grow taller."
Only after a long while did Bronya finally stop crying. She lifted her head from Seele's embrace.
"Seele."
"Yeah?"
At this point, Seele was genuinely afraid Bronya might start crying again, and her whole body tensed instinctively.
"From now on…" Bronya looked at Seele with slightly reddened eyes and softly asked, "Can Bronya still hug you like this?"
"Sure, sure. As long as you stop crying, anything's fine." Seele nodded repeatedly, her voice sincere and serious.
Just let keep hugging a gorgeous older-woman type forever—woohoo!
Honestly, if she thought about it another way, Bronya was an intelligent, experienced woman. She'd served in the military overseas and had even once been controlled by Anti-Entropy extremists!
With all that life experience, couldn't Bronya practically count as a mature beauty herself?!
As Seele thought about it, her mindset gradually began shifting.
"Mhm…"
Bronya smiled happily at last. She wrapped her arms around Seele's neck and gently kissed her on the cheek.
"Thank you, Seele."
"Mhm."
Seele nodded, completely unfazed.
Still midway through ntally reframing things, she genuinely didn't think there was anything strange about a child like Bronya kissing her cheek.
But that reaction made Bronya both happy… and a little disappointed.
Seele still saw her as a child…
"Alright, now it's ti to sleep." Seele led her toward the bed, originally intending for Bronya to return to her own.
But Bronya looked up at her, her voice careful and hopeful.
"Seele… can Bronya sleep with you tonight?"
"Huh?"
Seele froze, looking like she wanted to refuse, yet hesitated.
Sleep together?
It wasn't that she minded sharing a bed with Bronya. Honestly, she did have a thing for mature won.
But what Seele worried about was whether, after falling asleep, she might absentmindedly end up doing sothing to Bronya.
Still, after seeing the faint redness lingering in Bronya's eyes, she finally gave up resisting and nodded.
"Alright."
"Mhm!"
Bronya smiled brightly. Holding Seele's hand, she pulled her beneath the blankets, then imdiately wrapped both arms around Seele's waist and buried herself completely in her embrace.
Seele really doesn't know how to say no…
"Goodnight, Seele."
"Mhm." Seele looked down at Bronya and nodded, though her body still felt stiff, completely unaccustod to sleeping while being held.
"…Goodnight."
After closing her eyes, Seele imdiately began replaying the events of the day in her head.
Sothing feels… off about Bronya.
She was treating Seele as though she were the Seele from this world, taking care of her that way—yet she also knew she wasn't truly that Seele.
The feeling was strangely complicated.
Seele had every reason to suspect she was being used as a replacent.
Like how Yae Sakura once treated Theresa as a stand-in for Kallen, Bronya was pampering her as though she were another Seele.
Whatever.
No point overthinking it.
Having a gorgeous older-woman-type mom wasn't bad either.
Seele peacefully kept her eyes shut.
At this rate, these seven days of transformation would probably pass by pretty smoothly…
Her thoughts drifted back to the soft kiss Bronya had given her earlier.
Mm… not bad…
Only—
As Seele slept with her eyes closed, Bronya quietly opened hers again within Seele's arms. She gazed at Seele's gradually calming breathing, her eyes becoming impossibly firm and resolute.
Bronya… doesn't want to lose Seele again.
But… in six days, Seele will return to her own world. Back to that impoverished Underworld…
What should Bronya do?
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