Mai felt ignored, which was true, but she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her. Frozen in place, sensing some movement, she quickly turned around and whispered, "Rei Ao-kun, how can you still... at a time like this?"
Rei Ao didn't speak aloud but instead sent a message through the chat group.
Rei Ao: "Mai, you know she can't see you, right?"
Mai Sakurajima: "..."
Mai Sakurajima: "Is it really okay?"
Rei Ao: "Relax. Just go for it."
Akame: "What are you two talking about?"
Rei Ao: "Nothing much, just discussing the best way to cuddle."
Mai Sakurajima: "Stop saying that!"
Frieren: "Cuddle what?"
Rei Ao: "Never mind, Mai told me to stop, so I'll keep quiet."
In reality, Mai pinched him as a warning, feeling embarrassed. Despite this, she cautiously followed his lead, slipping his hand under her last layer of clothing.
The rooftop was incredibly quiet. At least for Kasumigaoka Utaha, who couldn't hear Mai's soft sounds, it felt serene.
After a while, Mai shifted to a face-to-face position, placing her hands on Rei Ao's shoulders and resting her chin on his neck. The previous position had been too exhausting.
Kasumigaoka suddenly stopped what she was doing and spoke up.
"Thank you for what you did last time, Rei Ao-kun."
"What do you mean by last time?"
Mai's internal radar flared up, her eyes instantly sharp, though she didn't stop her movements. Rei Ao gave her a reassuring glance.
"Kasumigaoka-san, I'm just glad you're okay. You seem to be looking much better today," Rei Ao said with a smile. "Hopefully, you won't pass out from lack of sleep again, right?"
"..."
Kasumigaoka's gaze darkened. "Rei Ao-kun, don't you know it's embarrassing to bring up someone's shortcomings?"
Rei Ao shrugged. "There's no one else here anyway."
Well, except for Mai Sakurajima.
He said this partly for Mai's benefit, who now understood that Rei Ao had helped Kasumigaoka when she fainted from exhaustion due to lack of sleep. However, Mai couldn't shake the feeling that Rei Ao's intentions weren't entirely pure.
"You don't have feelings for her, do you?"
"..."
Rei Ao gave her an innocent look, blinking "pure" eyes at her.
Mai could see nothing but mischief in his gaze. "You perverted wolf!" she thought.
Annoyed, Mai decided to "punish" him by tightening her grip and stopping any further movements.
Rei Ao, however, found her "punishment" amusing. To him, it was more like a reward.
"Rei Ao-kun, are you waiting for someone?" Kasumigaoka asked, glancing at the unopened bento next to him, implying that he might be expecting a girlfriend.
Given Rei Ao's looks and demeanor, having a girlfriend would be no surprise. In fact, after what happened last time, Kasumigaoka had done some research and discovered that Rei Ao was quite popular at school, although there were no rumors of him having a girlfriend.
"No, I'm not waiting for a girlfriend," Rei Ao replied, smiling inwardly since his girlfriend was right there in his lap.
"This bento just happens to be extra." Mai wasn't in the mood to eat anymore, so Rei Ao offered it. "If you don't mind, you can have it. I saw you were just munching on bread earlier. That can't be too satisfying."
Kasumigaoka's eye twitched. Was he really calling her food unsatisfying to her face?
She intended to decline, but when Rei Ao opened the untouched bento, she couldn't help but be tempted by how delicious it looked.
"Gulp…"
She swallowed instinctively, hesitating. "Are you sure I can have this?"
"Of course."
Rei Ao ignored Mai's furious expression and handed over the bento.
"Thank you…"
Kasumigaoka couldn't resist and accepted it. Lately, with her editor Machida Sonoko pushing her deadlines, she barely had time to cook, relying on bread and water to survive while focusing on her writing.
When she took her first bite, her eyes widened. "This is delicious! Did you make it yourself?"
Rei Ao laughed and glanced at Mai, who was pouting. "Haha, no, a certain celebrity made it for me."
As he said this, he gently rubbed the soft figure in his arms.
In a low voice, he whispered to Mai, "After all, we can't finish it ourselves, right?"
"Hmph!"
Mai huffed in frustration. She was upset. He was giving away her bento, using her effort to please another woman.
Upset, she clenched her hands and refused to let go of her grip.
'Sigh...' Rei Ao let out a deep sigh.
Enough was enough. There were limits to his patience.
"Eek?"
Before Mai could react, Rei Ao scooped her up into his arms.
"Wait! You'll get caught!" Mai panicked.
But Rei Ao chuckled. "Don't worry."
"Did you forget about the ability I got from our trade?"
Mai's eyes widened as she remembered. "You mean…"
"Exactly what you're thinking."
"Right now, Kasumigaoka can't even notice us."
Just as he said, Kasumigaoka was engrossed in her meal, completely oblivious to Rei Ao's presence.
~~~
Damn kinky...
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— 50 Advance Chapters!