Miura Yumiko: "Just as I thought! I was saying how Yui seemed so strange just now, turns out it was Mrs. Yuigahama. Why did you two swap bodies again?"
Yuigahama Yui: "Haha, my adolescent syndrome wasn't completely cured before, but now it won't be a problem anymore."
Miura Yumiko: "Aha, and Rei Ao is at your house now. He must've been the one who cured you."
Yuigahama Yui: "Hehe."
Hiratsuka Shizuka: "@Rei Ao, you brat, I got your leave from school again. Do you have any idea how many days off you've taken this month?"
Rei Ao: "Shizuka-sensei, I know you can handle it. I'll come see you in the next couple of days. I'll have to give you a proper thank-you, right?"
Hiratsuka Shizuka: "You..."
Sensing the implications of Rei Ao's "thank you," Hiratsuka Shizuka blushed, pressing her legs together.
Hiratsuka Shizuka: "Ahem, anyway, it's no big deal to take leave, but in a few days we have the monthly test. You'll need to show some results."
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Ehhh, so if his scores are good enough, it's fine if he doesn't come to school at all?"
Eriri: "Isn't that obvious?"
Hiratsuka Shizuka: "It's also a requirement from our superiors."
Rei Ao: "That's just a small matter, don't worry."
Hiratsuka Shizuka: "As long as you know your limits."
Rei Ao: "You should know my 'limits' better than I do."
Hiratsuka Shizuka: "… …"
Kachak!
A pen nib snapped.
Hiratsuka Shizuka thought, This kid—why does he keep making lewd hints at me?
In the group chat, everything was equally clear to Yuisuki, who was also reading along.
"You can see for yourself—Yui won't be coming back now."
"!!!"
Only then did Yuisuki realize her hand was being held all this time. Even though the two of them had already done everything, this time the body wasn't Yui's, it was her own.
"Rei Ao-kun, don't…"
She had barely started speaking when Rei Ao abruptly released her hand.
"All settled with Yui, so I'll be heading back. See you next time, Mrs. Yuigahama."
With that, he disappeared on the spot.
Mrs. Yuigahama stood there with her mouth slightly open, dazedly staring ahead. After a long pause, she lowered her head to look at her right hand, which still felt the warmth he'd left. In her heart rose a sense of loss and reluctance, leaving her at a loss.
Just a second ago, she was resisting him, yet once Rei Ao was gone, she was like this.
"Yuigahama Yuisuki… what are you doing…"
She muttered, scolding herself for acting like a widow hungry for affection, yet also…secretly looking forward to the next time she would see Rei Ao.
…
Kachak.
"I'm home."
"Miko, welcome back."
Hearing Miko's voice, Mrs. Yotsuya came out from the kitchen.
"I just finished making dinner."
"Mmm, Mom, I—I'm not hungry."
"Huh?"
Mrs. Yotsuya cast a worried look at Miko, who said she wasn't hungry. She looked utterly exhausted, with an unusual flush coloring her cheeks.
That appearance made Mrs. Yotsuya a bit concerned.
"Miko, did something happen?"
"No."
Miko shook her head.
"Rei Ao-kun took me and Hana out—bouncing around all over, and we ate a ton of delicious food."
Thinking about it made Miko feel embarrassed. She'd eaten that until her stomach was full to bursting. So perverted.
"Rei Ao-kun and Hana?"
Since she trusted both of them, Mrs. Yotsuya didn't think too deeply about it. But seeing the dinner she'd prepared, she felt a little helpless.
"With all this food, it'll likely go to waste."
"Mmm, sorry, Mom. I didn't let you know in advance."
Miko bowed her head in guilt, mostly because she never expected to eat that until she was stuffed. It was all due to Rei Ao-kun's prowess. Not only Miko herself but also gluttonous Hana had left with bulging bellies.
Eventually, they even fused with each other, feeling one another's every sensation. Miko had clearly seen how much Hana enjoyed Rei Ao-kun's "excalibur." Naturally, she felt pretty much the same. She was so caught up in everything she forgot even to let her mom know.
"It's fine. It's just some food. As long as you had a good time, Miko."
Mrs. Yotsuya patted her head and said, "If you're tired, go rest."
"All right."
Before heading back to her room, Miko recalled something important. She took out two protective-crystal amulets.
"Mom, these are new charms from Rei Ao-kun. You keep one on you, and leave one at home."
"Huh?"
Mrs. Yotsuya took them and then removed the old one from around her waist.
"Wait, I still had mine on me."
"This one's new and way more powerful than the old one."
Miko then described what happened at the shrine today, explaining the function of these new protective charms in detail.
"An evil spirit that became a 'god'?"
Mrs. Yotsuya's eyes showed her surprise. It sounded so fantastical, but she believed her daughter, and believed Rei Ao. Under Miko's instruction, she learned how to use the new charms.
"This is incredible. Even an ordinary person like me becomes something like a superhuman because of it."
She marveled at the power of the charms Rei Ao had given them. But at the same time, her expression turned troubled.
"Rei Ao-kun's done so much for us. How should we thank him?"
Her golden gaze moved slowly to settle on Miko, and Mrs. Yotsuya smiled teasingly. "Perhaps the only way is to marry you off to him."
"Eh?!"
Thin-skinned Miko's face turned red in a flash. Seeing her mother's half-smile, Miko realized she was being teased.
"Ugh, if you want to marry him, do it yourself, Mom!"
Grumbling in embarrassment, she rushed off to her room.
"… …"
Behind her, Miko never noticed how those words wiped the smile from Mrs. Yotsuya's face.
Marriage.
For her, that was probably not an option anymore. Not to mention she'd once nearly married, only for a car accident to take both her fiancé and their unborn child—some kind of curse.
Let alone the fact that having such an already-grown daughter further decreased her chances of remarrying. Though raising Miko all alone had indeed been tough, Mrs. Yotsuya was content. She didn't mind whether she got married again. It was just…
She stared at Miko's receding figure for a long while.
"Sigh…"
Mrs. Yotsuya let out a deep sigh. Once Miko was married, she'd probably be left alone at home.
"I almost wish Miko would slow down growing up."
People can feel lonely, after all. Even she was no exception. She'd been strong, enduring all the rumors to raise a girl who wasn't even related to her—but she was still human.
A woman who, to this day, had never known a partner's love.
~~~
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