Mabel: "Something terrible's happened! Something terrible!"
Sui: "Is it really necessary to get all worked up in the middle of the night?"
Mabel: "It's Yukino! She's gone missing!"
Frieren: "Didn't Yukino live right next door to Rei Ao? How could she go missing?"
Tohru: "I checked. Indeed, Yukino's aura isn't next door right now."
Mabel: "Right?! Right?! I got up for a nighttime snack—went to peek at Yukino's room—her light was on, but she was nowhere to be seen! And I searched the whole place!"
Frieren: "So... Yukino really disappeared?"
Rei Ao: "No, she went home."
Mabel: "How do you know?"
Rei Ao: "It could be that we went back together."
Back in Yukino's bedroom, she'd just climbed into bed when she felt someone on her right side. She turned and saw Rei Ao smiling at her, which made her tense.
"Y-you... My mother and sister are in the next room."
"Heh, Yukino, why are you so jumpy? I only dropped by to let Mabel, who was looking for you in the group, know that you're fine."
He sent a snapshot of him and Yukino together.
Tohru: "Ah, so Rei Ao isn't home either."
Frieren: "I thought so. If Rei Ao's next door, there's no way Yukino would've disappeared silently."
Mikoto Misaka: "Wait, Yukino went home, so what are you two doing right now?"
Sui: "Right, it looks like Rei Ao is with Yukino."
Frieren: "Mmm-hmm. They're clearly lying in bed."
Yukinoshita Yukino: "Don't jump to weird conclusions. My sister and mother were attacked by a demon from another world earlier, and Rei Ao came to help. He's staying at our house tonight."
Erica: "Wait, so your world has beings from other worlds popping in?"
Frieren: "Their world is somewhat special; it seems to have connections to other realms, so occasionally monsters and such come through."
Erica: "I see... That sounds really troublesome."
Rei Ao: "It's nothing compared to the disasters in your worlds, with monsters and Heretic Gods. Just minor stuff."
Mabel: "So, will Yukino be back in the morning?"
Rei Ao: "Since she's staying over, she'll at least stick around for breakfast. It's basic courtesy."
Yukinoshita Yukino: "Yes, I might be back a bit later."
Mabel: "Uuugh, does that mean I'm gonna go hungry?!"
Akame: "You could go hunt something to grill."
Shizue Izawa: "Self-sufficiency is quite nice."
Mabel: "Waaah... I can't hunt! I can't grill anything either!"
Miko Yotsuya: "Then just fry an egg or toast some bread. That's how I manage when my mom's out."
Mabel: "...I can't do that either."
Rei Ao: "Don't mind her. Mabel's a useless beauty who's basically a living plaything."
Mikoto Misaka: "I get the 'useless beauty' part, but what do you mean 'plaything'?"
Saeko Busujima: "You didn't know? Mabel is Rei Ao-kun's... ahem... let's say, 'pet project.'"
Mikoto Misaka: "Huh?"
Mabel: "Uuugh, don't tease me like that!"
Yukinoshita Yukino: "..."
Unnoticed, Rei Ao had pulled Yukino into his arms. She shot him a glare.
"So crude. Are you trying to embarrass me?"
Rei Ao only laughed, then slipped under Yukino's blanket.
"What are you doing?!"
"It's cold out. You wouldn't let me freeze, would you?"
"Cold? Freeze? You...?"
Yukino couldn't connect the idea of him—powerful enough to destroy the planet—with something as trivial as catching a cold.
But she didn't kick him out. With her ears burning red, she mumbled:
"Don't... try anything."
"Heh, no worries. I won't do anything."
Mabel: "@Yukinoshita Yukino. Uuugh, I'm useless, so you have to come back and cook for me!"
Yukinoshita Yukino: "There are snacks in the fridge. That should tide you over."
Mabel: "Nooo, but I want your cooking in the morning!"
Shiba Miyuki: "Mabel, maybe this is your chance to prove you're not useless."
Mabel: "I don't wanna!"
Hiiragi Shinoa: "Give up. She's hopeless."
Yomogawa Ayame: "Yes, it seems she's only good for being Rei Ao-sama's pampered plaything... At least she's never short on food."
Ayame's companions all looked exasperated. In her world, Ayame was like an empress, yet in the chat group, her "kindly remarks" came quite freely.
Watching Mabel flail about, Yukino sighed deeply. The more she treated Mabel like a child, the more Mabel used that as leverage against her.
"Yukino," Rei Ao teased, nudging her forehead. "That kind of approach won't work. If you bring up our kids this way, you'll spoil them rotten."
Hearing him casually mention children, Yukino's breathing hitched. Flustered, she tried to make an excuse:
"I-I've never been a mother before..."
"That's no excuse. Just watch me handle this."
Rei Ao: "@Mabel. Tomorrow morning, come to my place. Tohru, have Mai prepare an extra breakfast."
Mabel: "But I want Yukino's cooking..."
Rei Ao: "Mabel, when I give you an out, you don't take it. Let me remind you: 'stick or carrot.' ."
He attached an image showing Mabel begging desperately for mercy in the past.
She knew exactly what kind of "education" that photo implied. A chill ran down her spine.
Mabel: "Fine! I'll head to Mai's tomorrow morning! I'm going to bed now—please don't 'educate' me!"
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