Shirogane Household
During dinner:
"Miyuki, why do you look so down today?"
Shirogane's father noticed his son, Miyuki Shirogane, listlessly poking at his food without enthusiasm.
"Ah… oh…"
Miyuki sounded like he barely heard him and didn't bother to respond.
"He's been upset over his grades dropping."
His sister, Kei Shirogane, who was quietly eating, explained.
Because ever since Rei Ao showed up, Miyuki had slipped down from his usual secure second place. In the latest test, he had even fallen to fifth.
In truth, it wasn't that Miyuki's performance dropped—it was more that Rei Ao, Yukinoshita, Mai, and Eriri's scores soared drastically, leaving him behind. This came as a huge blow to him.
After all, he'd always been aiming for first place, juggling part-time jobs with relentless studying.
"I see."
Shirogane's father didn't reproach Miyuki. He knew how hard his son had been working.
He himself was in no position to criticize his children for failing—he felt he could only give them as much support as possible.
"Miyuki, you're a man. You can't let something like temporarily getting surpassed knock you down forever—that's not the son I know."
"Father…"
The emptiness in Miyuki's eyes receded, replaced with resolve.
"You're right, Father. I can't let a mere setback defeat me!"
He clenched his fist, eyes regaining determination.
"I have to learn from Rei Ao and work harder to surpass myself!"
"Rei Ao? Somehow I recall that name…"
Shirogane's father stroked his chin, trying to remember who mentioned it.
"Dad, Rei Ao is that senpai who helped me once."
At that, Kei Shirogane gave a little smile.
"This time, Rei Ao-senpai again scored perfect marks across all subjects. He's truly incredible."
A senpai who'd helped Kei in the past and left a good impression—he was now admired by many girls in class, Kei included.
"Yeah, Rei Ao really is amazing," Miyuki also couldn't help admitting. "I must treat Rei Ao as a goal to push me to work even harder!"
Kei Shirogane shot him a glare.
"Hmph, how could a guy like you possibly beat Rei Ao-senpai?"
"Uh…"
Being belittled by his own younger sister hurt, but Miyuki could only smile bitterly. She was in her rebellious phase now, never calling him "onii-chan" or anything similar. Instead, she'd just say "hey you," "that guy," or "this idiot." It stung.
"Oh, so that's who he is."
Hearing these explanations, their father finally recalled. He looked at Kei.
"Kei, didn't you say you wanted to invite him to our home to thank him sometime?"
"Er…" Kei dropped her eyes awkwardly. "Dad, I…"
She didn't know how to continue.
"If you're embarrassed because our place is cramped and rundown, we could host him at a nice restaurant instead," said Shirogane's father sympathetically. He understood a teenage girl's self-consciousness—inviting someone over to their impoverished, worn-down home might be awkward.
"Dad, that's not what I—!" Kei waved her hand hastily, but her voice lacked confidence. Indeed, she worried about being looked down on if she brought Rei Ao-senpai home. Their house was poor and shabby, and she was sensitive about it.
"Kei, Dad's right. Don't be afraid. If you want to invite him, I'll just work some extra part-time shifts this weekend so we can afford a better restaurant," Miyuki offered, supporting his sister. If she wanted something, he'd help however he could.
Though, a small part of him felt uneasy about Kei's fascination with Rei Ao. It was as if she were starstruck, always asking about him. Did Kei possibly…like Rei Ao-senpai that way?
"…"
With her father and brother's backing, Kei felt a bit braver.
"Thank you. I know what to do now!"
…
Next Morning
"Why do you all look so exhausted? Didn't you sleep well?"
Rei Ao emerged from the bathroom to find Mafuyu and the others sporting dark circles and weary eyes.
"You have some nerve asking that!"
Mafuyu shot him a glare.
If someone hadn't gone on all night without rest, would they be like this? Also, having her two students in the same house and hearing all that was beyond embarrassing.
Fumino and Rizu were sipping water quietly, occasionally sneaking glances at Rei Ao. They were starting to suspect their school's health education had lied to them—no teacher ever said a human body could be that…tireless.
"Um…Rei Ao-kun, about Miko and Hana…"
Despite the shame, Touko Yotsuya was worried about the girls' physical condition… They'd been going at it with him all night, right? Was that okay?
"Don't worry about them. They're God-Kings now, so they're just too embarrassed to come out."
"I-I see…" Touko's cheeks reddened. If it were her, she'd be too ashamed to show her face, too.
"By the way, Mafuyu, you did well last night."
Rei Ao abruptly switched topics.
Mafuyu: "You knew?"
"Of course. Just because I was busy doesn't mean I can't spare attention to what you're doing."
He gently ruffled her hair. "Well done. If you'd actually killed them, I'd still have handled the aftermath. After all, the power I bestow is meant for you to protect yourselves. If anything threatens one of mine, they should be dealt with firmly."
He didn't want them to fuss with legal or bureaucratic measures for troublemakers, which would waste everyone's time.
"Hmph, I am a teacher. I know perfectly well what to do without needing you to teach me!"
Though she was secretly happy about his praise, Mafuyu refused to lose face in front of her students.
"Fine." Rei Ao saw through it and let it be. Next time he'd have to put in extra effort to coax her. After all, he'd done his main tasks: controlling this world's origin, granting Miko and Hana their godhood, and "taking care of" them. No need to stay longer.
"You're leaving already? I'd planned to cook a proper lunch to thank you," Touko tried to keep them.
"No thanks, I've got other appointments," he declined politely. "Besides, Fumino and Rizu have been away from home overnight—though we already gave an excuse, being out too long will worry their families."
"I see, alright then," Touko agreed, no longer insisting.
Rei Ao gave a warm smile. "We'll save lunch for next time. I look forward to seeing you again, Mrs. Yotsuya."
As soon as he spoke, the four of them vanished. Touko Yotsuya stared at the empty spot, dazed for a good while. Rei Ao's parting smile lingered in her mind. Resting a hand on her chest, she murmured:
"I'll look forward…to next time, too."
~~~
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