Once Sakurajima Mai had calmed down and taken her medicine, Rei Ao asked, "Why did you run here in the middle of the night, in the rain?"
"I..."
After hesitating for a moment, Sakurajima Mai honestly explained her situation.
"Pfft..."
Rei Ao couldn't help but laugh after hearing her story.
"This is really something out of the ordinary."
"It seems like your 'Adolescence Syndrome' is seriously affecting your life. If you don't solve this soon, it could be dangerous."
"Dangerous… how?"
Rei Ao replied seriously, "You might completely disappear from this world."
As he spoke, he opened his phone and searched for something, then handed it to her.
He had searched for "Sakurajima Mai," but the results were minimal!
"What's going on?"
Sakurajima Mai scrolled through the search results in disbelief.
It shouldn't be like this.
She wasn't being arrogant—she knew how famous she was before she retired from the entertainment industry. It was impossible for there to be so little information about her.
"This is exactly the issue."
Rei Ao took back his phone, speaking calmly. "I've been keeping an eye on your situation for a while now."
"As fewer people notice you, even the information about your existence is decreasing."
"So, you're not just invisible; it's like your very existence is fading away."
"One day, even your photos might turn into blank images."
After hearing Rei Ao's explanation, Sakurajima Mai sat on the sofa, feeling lost.
"What… what should I do?"
The thought of completely disappearing from the world left her voice trembling.
"Don't worry, at least I still remember you."
Rei Ao's calm voice eased her anxiety a little. Instinctively, she began to view him as her lifeline.
"Don't look at me like that. I can't solve your problem right now either."
Rei Ao didn't want to give her false hope.
"But your current situation is indeed dangerous. How about… we make a trade?"
He finally laid out his offer.
"No way!"
Sakurajima Mai immediately snapped out of it, clutching her bath towel tightly, her guard up.
"Haha, you've misunderstood."
Rei Ao chuckled and explained, "Trade your ability to me in exchange for staying here temporarily."
"It's a fair deal, covering your living expenses and shelter."
So that's what he meant.
"Sorry."
Realizing her mistake, Sakurajima Mai sincerely apologized.
Rei Ao waved it off, not bothered by it.
"It's understandable in this situation."
"Just think it over and send the trade request when you're ready."
To be honest, Rei Ao was quite interested in this "bunny girl."
Especially after witnessing that "butterfly moment," he knew he wanted her.
But being too direct wouldn't work.
He believed in taking advantage of proximity to achieve his goal over time. If he could keep Sakurajima Mai here, there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.
Sakurajima Mai thought about her current predicament.
It seemed… besides going home, she didn't have many other options.
She didn't want to return home.
So...
Gritting her teeth, she sent the trade request.
[Ding! Sakurajima Mai has initiated a trade request!]
[Trade terms]: Temporary stay.
Stella's heart skipped a beat when she saw the notification.
Was this going to be another trade involving body usage rights?
Thankfully, the next notification put her mind at ease.
[Ding! Trade initiated!]
[Trade with]: Sakurajima Mai.
[Trade terms]: Temporary stay.
[Trade condition]: Adolescence Syndrome: Cognitive Disappearance.
"Phew, a normal trade."
Stella patted her chest in relief, finally able to relax.
[Ding! Trade completed, you have acquired the ability!]
The trade was completed instantly.
Rei Ao felt a bit uneasy when he acquired the ability, worried it might affect him.
But luckily, the chat group came through.
[Ding! Defective ability detected. Auto-correcting… You have acquired the ability "Cognitive Disappearance"!]
Cognitive Disappearance: Allows you to disappear from others' perception.
"So it's changed from a passive to an active ability? Not bad."
At the very least, it functioned as a stealth ability, and Rei Ao was quite satisfied.
He pointed to the guest room.
"You can sleep in the guest room tonight."
"Tomorrow, I'll take a day off and go shopping with you to get some clothes."
"I'm tired, going to bed now. Good night."
He yawned, got up, and walked towards his bedroom.
*Clang.*
By the time Sakurajima Mai processed what was happening, the door had already closed.
...
Lying in bed, Sakurajima Mai couldn't fall asleep.
She took off the bunny girl outfit since it wasn't comfortable to sleep in.
Now, she was practically naked, which left her feeling insecure.
Even though she had locked the door and wrapped herself tightly in the blanket, the fact remained that she was in a man's house.
And that man had superhuman strength, so the door wouldn't stop him if he wanted to come in.
How had things ended up like this?
*Sigh...*
In the darkness, Sakurajima Mai let out a deep sigh.