Chapter 137: Chapter 137: Rain Incident
In the world group chat, a question was raised.
Yui Yuigahama: "Um, who is Mai Sakurajima?"
Yumiko Miura: "You should probably ask Rei Ao about that yourself."
Rei Ao: "Mai is currently living with me. She's my first girlfriend in this world. I've already met her parents, and I've received her mother's blessing."
Yui Yuigahama: "Eh?!"
Yumiko Miura: "Huh? How is her progress so fast?!"
Megumi Kato: "Actually, Rei Ao has also met my sister, and he received her blessing as well."
Sonoko Machida: "Wow, young people are really something these days."
Sonoko Machida: "Um, Rei Ao, could you find some time to meet my family too?"
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "???"
Of all the people involved, Utaha couldn't hold back when Sonoko suddenly spoke up.
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "Are you sure it's a good idea to introduce someone like Rei Ao to your family at your age? Won't they call the police?"
Sonoko Machida: "Uh…"
At her workplace, Sonoko suddenly broke into a cold sweat.
It was possible.
Her mother might really mistake Rei Ao for some kind of predator.
Yui Yuigahama felt dejected.
Why did it feel like all the "competition" in this world was so overwhelming?
She hadn't even established her relationship with Rei Ao after all these years.
And… could this many people really work out?
Yukino Yukinoshita frowned deeply.
In her view, this kind of relationship was problematic—chaotic and outrageous.
But she chose to suppress those thoughts.
She told herself repeatedly that they weren't normal people and that it wasn't her business.
Kobayashi: "Wow, young people's thoughts are really hard to understand."
Kobayashi sighed, while in her spiritual world, Shou was cheering loudly.
Little Saint: "Mom, you should win over Dad—no, I mean Oniisan!"
Kobayashi rolled her eyes.
Sure, Rei Ao was perfect.
But she knew there was at least a six or seven-year age gap between them.
There was no way she could lower her pride enough to pursue him.
Still, she admired Sonoko Machida for her courage despite being even older than her.
Mabel: "What's the point of becoming his girlfriend and meeting his family?"
Sonoko Machida: "I don't know about others, but with Rei Ao, it probably means you'll never have to worry about food, and you'll have a very fulfilling life."
Mabel: "Never have to worry about food?!"
Her eyes sparkled, practically bulging out of their sockets.
Utaha noticed something odd.
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "Sonoko, you made a typo. It should be happiness."
Sonoko Machida: "Nope, I meant fulfillment—very fulfilling~"
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "…"
Yukino Yukinoshita: "…"
Everyone immediately understood.
Utaha's eyelid twitched.
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "Sonoko, are you turning into a horse in heat? Is it really that intense?"
She was skeptical.
But her mind betrayed her as she recalled a night of unrelenting passion—one that hadn't ended until the morning light.
Maybe… it was true.
"Ugh, what am I even thinking?!"
Utaha bit her tongue, snapping herself out of her embarrassing train of thought.
The seemingly simple conversation stirred all sorts of emotions and thoughts among the group members.
Rei Ao did it on purpose.
He had no interest in being a sneaky "player."
He could easily tell that most of the group members, excluding Yukino, Kobayashi, Little Saint, and Mabel, had at least some level of affection for him.
He preferred to lay everything out in the open.
Even if he built a harem, it would be a transparent, aboveboard one.
No beating around the bush.
After closing the chat, Rei Ao waited for Eriri after school.
Before long, Eriri arrived, cheerful and bright.
"Are we heading straight to your place?"
"Mm-hmm. My mom's already bought everything. Let's walk over," she said, nodding shyly.
She suggested walking—not because Rei Ao's teleportation was inconvenient, but because she wanted to enjoy the feeling of walking together with him.
Rei Ao glanced at the sky, which was dotted with dark clouds.
"We might need to walk a little faster, or we'll get caught in the rain."
"Boom!"
The weather changed rapidly.
What had been a sky with scattered clouds soon turned into a dark expanse filled with thick storm clouds.
In an instant, torrential rain began to pour.
"Ha, thank goodness we ran fast; we almost got drenched," Eriri said, patting her small, flat chest as she stood outside the front door of her villa.
She rang the doorbell. Normally, her mother would answer.
However, after waiting for a while, no one came to the door.
"What's going on? Where's Mom?" Eriri muttered, a puzzled expression on her face.
She took out a spare key from her bag.
Click.
The door unlocked.
"Mom?" Eriri called out, but there was no response.
Her confusion deepened.
She took out a pair of disposable slippers for Rei Ao, who declined to change into them and said, "You should check if your mom is home first."
"Alright."
Eriri stepped inside and checked every room, but her mother was nowhere to be found.
Her expression turned anxious.
"That's strange—Mom shouldn't take this long to go shopping."
"No need to panic. Try calling her to check her situation," Rei Ao calmly suggested.
"You're right!"
Realizing her oversight, Eriri immediately took out her phone and called her mother.
After a few rings, the call connected.
"Hello? Eriri, are you home already?"
On the other end of the line, Sayuri's voice sounded a bit tired.
"Yes, I'm back with Rei Ao, but we didn't see you here," Eriri replied, her voice tinged with worry. "Where are you right now?"
"I twisted my ankle while shopping at the market, and now it's pouring rain. I'm sheltering here for now."
"I'll bring you an umbrella!" Eriri exclaimed, relieved to hear her mother wasn't in any serious trouble.
"I'll go instead," Rei Ao interjected, taking the umbrella from her. "It's the XXX market, right?"
"Yes, that's the one."
Eriri nodded but insisted, "I'll come with you!"
"No need. You stay home and wait."
"Sigh, what terrible luck today," Sayuri muttered after ending the call.
Sitting alone under a small shelter, she let out a bitter laugh.
First, she had twisted her ankle while shopping. Then, the sudden downpour left her drenched to the bone.
Now, she was shivering under the cold and relentless rain.
The rain was so heavy it blurred her surroundings, creating a hazy curtain of water.
With no one else in sight, she could only hope the rain would stop soon.
"Mrs. Spencer."
Suddenly, she heard someone calling her name through the rain.
She turned to see a figure holding an umbrella, emerging from the misty downpour.
At first, she couldn't make out who it was. But as the person got closer, she recognized the familiar face.
"Rei Ao?!" Sayuri exclaimed in surprise.
Rei Ao approached her with a gentle smile. "I heard about your situation from Eriri, so I came over."
"The rain was too heavy, so I didn't want Eriri to come herself."
He glanced down and immediately noticed her swollen right ankle.
"Mrs. Spencer, your sprain looks quite severe. Can you walk?"
"No, it's too painful," Sayuri admitted with a shake of her head.
She tried to move again.
Hiss!
The sharp pain made her wince.
Rei Ao could have easily healed her injury with elemental or healing magic, but he chose not to.
Instead, he crouched down and offered his back to her. "Mrs. Spencer, let me carry you home."
"Eh?"
Sayuri hesitated, flustered by the offer.
"Uh, I'm soaked through; I'll get your clothes wet," she stammered.
"It's just a T-shirt. I can take it off later," Rei Ao replied nonchalantly. "Come on."
"Alright, then… thank you," Sayuri said, still feeling shy as she carefully climbed onto his back.
Sayuri hesitated for a moment.
Seeing her swollen ankle, it was clear she couldn't walk properly.
She carefully got up on one leg and leaned gently onto Rei Ao's broad back.
The firmness of his body and the warmth radiating from him made her face flush, her heart beating erratically.
"Mrs. Spencer, hold onto your things, and if you don't mind, please handle the umbrella," Rei Ao said calmly.
"Oh, oh, sure!"
Snapping out of her daze, Sayuri clutched her belongings and held up the umbrella.
The next moment, she felt herself lifted smoothly off the ground as Rei Ao stood up with her on his back.
To ensure she wouldn't slip, he adjusted his grip under her knees, hoisting her slightly higher.
"Ah!"
Sayuri let out a soft gasp, a reflexive reaction to an unexpected sensation.
Rei Ao turned his head slightly. "What's wrong?"
"N-Nothing!"
Sayuri's face turned scarlet. She had just felt an instant of accidental contact with a sensitive spot but knew it wasn't intentional. It was just her body reacting on its own.
"Alright, let's get going."
With steady, confident strides, Rei Ao carried her through the downpour, ensuring she stayed as dry as possible under the umbrella.
The only sounds accompanying them were the raindrops pounding on the umbrella and the rhythmic cadence of Rei Ao's breathing.
Sayuri could feel the warmth of his back and the firm strength beneath her.
Her heart raced uncontrollably, and her flushed face burned even hotter.
This level of intimacy with a stranger—albeit a boy—was entirely new to her. Yet, Rei Ao exuded a sense of security that made her feel inexplicably safe.
After some time, Rei Ao suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Sayuri, startled, lifted her head in nervous anticipation, worried that he might have noticed her abnormal heartbeat.
He turned slightly, his profile softened by a gentle smile.
"Mrs. Spencer, are you alright? Your heart seems to be racing a bit," he asked, concern evident in his tone.
"!!!"
He noticed!
Sayuri wanted to find a hole to crawl into. Her voice wavered as she tried to dismiss it, "I-I'm fine. Thank you for your concern. And thank you for coming to get me."
Rei Ao chuckled lightly. "No need to thank me; it's the right thing to do."
Without saying more, he resumed walking, allowing Sayuri to relax slightly.
As she leaned her head gently against his back, a warmth spread through her heart.
She never imagined a boy's back could make her feel so safe and at ease.
"Mom!"
At the villa's door, Eriri anxiously waited for Rei Ao's return.
When she saw his figure emerging through the rain, she ran out into the storm without hesitation, getting drenched in the process.
"Mom, are you okay?!"
"Eriri, Mrs. Spencer twisted her ankle. She's fine otherwise, but she's soaked. Let's get her inside to avoid catching a cold," Rei Ao reminded gently.
"Oh, oh, right!"
Realizing the situation, Eriri grabbed the items from her mother's hands and led them inside.
Once indoors, Rei Ao carefully set Sayuri down onto a chair.
As her foot touched the ground and she left the warmth of his back, Sayuri felt a trace of reluctance.
"Eriri, is the hot water ready?"
"Yes, yes!" Eriri nodded eagerly.
"I've already filled the bathtub with warm water."
"Mrs. Spencer, I recommend taking a hot bath first to prevent catching a cold," Rei Ao advised.
He gently took Sayuri's hand and passed her to Eriri for support.
"Her right ankle is pretty badly sprained, so help her out, alright?"
"Got it!" Eriri nodded with surprising obedience, her demeanor so considerate it left Sayuri stunned.
Was this really her daughter?
"Mom, lean on me. I'll help you."
"Ah… okay."
Meanwhile, at the Kato household.
The dining table was quiet, the four family members eating their meal in silence.
It seemed like any other day.
But Hiromi Kato couldn't shake the feeling of unease. She felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, her skin crawling under the weight of a particular gaze.
Across from her, her younger sister, Megumi Kato, was staring at her intently.
Ever since that embarrassing incident, Hiromi had been instinctively avoiding Megumi.
It was too mortifying.
After all, she had spent almost an entire night eavesdropping. And now, it was impossible to reconcile her typically composed sister with the memory of those sweet, breathy moans.
As Megumi's unwavering gaze bore into her, Hiromi couldn't handle it anymore. Hastily finishing the rice in her bowl, she stood up.
"I'm done!"
She turned to leave.
"Wait, Nee-san," Megumi's soft voice called out, stopping her in her tracks.
"I have something I'd like to ask you. Can you come to my room later?"
"Uh…"
Hiromi froze mid-step.
"Sure, okay," she replied awkwardly, unable to refuse her little sister.
Their parents, sitting at the table, didn't find anything unusual. The sisters were always close, after all.