"Phew, I'm exhausted... At last I've finished this work."
Yukinoshita Haruno stretched out, letting out a big yawn.
Work had kept her so busy lately that she hadn't had time to look in on her dear little sister. Even her plan to go drinking with Shizuka had been postponed again and again.
Now that she was finally free, she intended to follow through on that promise. She picked up her phone and sent a message to Hiratsuka Shizuka.
Then she set the phone aside and closed her eyes to rest, planning to meet that obligation and then go see Yukino.
(What a doting big sister—always thinking about her little sis.)
"Emilia, are you awake? Don't forget to get up and have breakfast."
Rei Ao called toward the locked door of the spare bedroom.
Emilia was already awake. After what had happened the previous night, she had locked herself in the room. There was no help for it; it was too embarrassing! Beyond humiliating! She was so mortified she couldn't bear to face anyone.
She was about to say she wasn't hungry—
But her stomach betrayed her, rumbling loudly. Emilia had no choice but to correct herself: "All right, I'm coming!"
She couldn't help it—humans still have to eat, after all. And since she was severely lacking in her holy energy right now, skipping meals would be too much of a strain. No matter how thin her pride, she still needed food.
Originally she thought of waiting until Rei Ao and the others went to school before stepping out, but then she lowered her gaze to her tummy, recalling last night:
"He... he probably didn't see anything, right...?"
Emilia tried to console herself with that thought.
Outside, Rei Ao figured she was avoiding him, so he didn't press her any further. Instead, he looked to Michiru—who was also awake—and Kanna, who clung longingly to Tohru.
"All right, time to take you two back."
Kanna gave a childish huff and declared to Rei Ao, "I'm going to snatch Tohru back—Tohru shouldn't be mating with a human."
Rei Ao felt like he'd just acquired a feisty little sister-in-law.
"Kanna, what are you saying?" Tohru said disapprovingly, cupping the little girl's cheeks. "My darling and I like each other—both of us do."
"Heh heh, Tohru," Rei Ao said, "I'll make Kanna come around."
Kanna stopped mid-sentence, eyes going wide. She saw on Rei Ao's fingertip the same blue orb of magic from the previous day, the one that tasted so good and left her belly full. Unable to look away, her eyes were glued to it.
Rei Ao wore a triumphant grin. Dealing with a snack lover this adorable was too easy. Kanna still had some willpower, though, as shown by the slight struggle on her face.
One magic orb isn't enough? Fine—two orbs. He held out another finger, from which a green orb appeared.
"This one's green apple flavor."
Kanna's eyes went wide again. And that wasn't all. Next, multiple magic orbs of various hues gathered at Rei Ao's fingertips.
"chicken flavor, sweet flavor... whatever you want, it's yours~"
In an instant, the bewitching words captured Kanna's heart.
She gave a sharp little clap of her hands, assuming a miniature adult's serious expression, and nodded firmly.
"Mm, I think Tohru and Rei Ao-nii are perfectly matched. They should mate every day!"
Tohru couldn't help laughing.
"Kanna, what nonsense are you talking about? There's nobody who can do it every day—it's just once a day!"
At that, Michiru felt a headache coming on. How is that any different from every day...?
Well, Tohru's definition of "every day" meant nonstop; even she couldn't handle that. Rei Ao, amused, said, "Kanna, you've become quite the sweet-talker," and conjured five small magic orbs in his palm, solidifying them in front of her. He tossed them to Kanna. "These are your snack rewards."
All at once, five orbs! Kanna's little mouth turned into an O shape. The happiness was so sudden!
"All right, Michiru. Give me your hand."
He took Kanna's small hand first, then held out his own to Michiru.
Michiru understood that this was necessary for the teleportation spell. Even so, taking his hand made her heartbeat quicken. She wondered if her palm might be sweaty. Fortunately, Rei Ao's teleportation took only the blink of an eye.
Michiru hadn't even processed what was happening before she found herself back in her familiar, homey apartment.
She blurted out her shock without thinking.
"Teleportation magic works similar to instantaneous movement—naturally it's fast," Rei Ao explained, then asked with concern, "You're not dizzy, are you? If so, sit down a moment—"
Michiru didn't feel any discomfort. But the strange experience of returning home in an instant deepened her sense that they existed in different worlds, as though she and Rei Ao were divided by a visible gulf—normal human vs. someone extraordinary.
"Michiru, if Kanna ever feels hungry, you're welcome to bring her over. Of course, you two can visit anytime."
"Mm," Michiru murmured, nodding.
Rei Ao then asked, "Anything else you'd like to know?"
Michiru hesitated a few seconds before shaking her head. "No."
"In that case, I'll be off. See you at school."
Rei Ao vanished with a blink. Michiru stared at the empty space he'd just occupied.
"Michiru, what's wrong?"
Kanna tugged at her sleeve. Startled, Michiru exhaled a long breath and said softly, "It's nothing. Kanna, let's go wash up. I'll make breakfast in a bit."
Seeing Kanna's obedient face, Michiru allowed herself the slightest smile. Even though she'd realized there was an immense chasm between her and Rei Ao—an unbridgeable gap between a mere human and someone extraordinary—Kanna had become an unexpected bridge. Through Kanna, she could gain further insight into Rei Ao's true nature.
"Michiru, it feels like you have something you want to tell Rei Ao-nii," Kanna said, having keenly sensed Michiru's emotional shifts. She gripped Michiru's hand with her own small one. "Kanna can help you, if you want."
Michiru froze. Of course she had things she wanted to ask. She desperately wanted to know what Rei Ao thought of her. But Tohru's presence had already crushed that idea. She had just now accepted it, when Kanna sniffed at the air and dropped another bomb:
"I smell a whiff of desire. Does Michiru want to mate with Oniisan too?"
Michiru's cheeks went scarlet at the tiny dragon's unwitting exposure of her feelings. Being asked about romance was one thing, but to frame it in such blunt, crude terms, she had no defense.
Scowling at Kanna in embarrassment, she said with a guilty conscience, "Stop saying nonsense. Hurry up and wash up—I'll make breakfast."
At the mention of breakfast, Kanna lost interest in the topic. She raised her little hand and cheered, "I want to drink warm milk~"
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