*Note: well, here you have the chapter, but today I need to ask you something.
Is a spoiler, but I need to tell you because I want to make a decision. Whatever, I want Akira and girls travel to another timelines and I want to ask you if you want a girl from one of these timelines.
I'll explain myself, only To Love Ru heroines (maybe only ONE OG in the future), but for the moment, only To Love Ru heroines. For example: Another Mikan from another time line that is more adult and is only child, something like that (this is only an example). Well, tell me if you like it the idea or not.
If you don't like the idea, it doesn't matter, after all, I didn't do anything yet.
And don't forget to comment to tell me your opinion.
Have a good day :)
...
"Hey, you said you'd have to make dinner tonight, right?" - I asked.
"That's right" - Mikan nodded.
"But that's a shame. Because of this conversation, you've lost a lot of time and haven't been able to do it. Want me to help you?" - I asked curiously.
{Note: I know some of you might say this part feels a little forced or out of place, but I wrote this chapter a long time ago and can't go back to rewrite it. So please bear with me. At the time, I thought it was a good idea. If you like it, just ignore this note. Thanks.}
Yeah, I know it's a bit sudden, but I felt I'd made a good impression on her, so maybe it would work out.
"Well... it's true that it's gotten pretty late, and Rito will be getting home soon. Plus, I haven't done the laundry, or swept the floor, or mopped... and I didn't even get around to doing the dishes this morning... I don't think I'll be going to bed anytime soon today..." - Mikan said, sounding a little overwhelmed.
"I don't think that's necessarily true" - I said.
"What do you mean?" - Mikan asked, confused.
"Well, if you're okay with it, I could lend you a hand. And I could even call Lala to help us. That way, we could get everything done faster" - I said with a smile.
"No, no, I couldn't possibly ask that of you! This is my responsibility!" - Mikan said, shaking her head.
How could she let someone she just met help her with chores at her house?
"You don't need to worry. Until recently, I was living on my own, so I was used to doing all the household chores by myself. And Lala's actually gotten pretty good at them too" - I said.
It's true. Back when I lived alone, I always tried to keep the house in top condition. Since I reincarnated, I've continued doing the same. And when Lala moved in, she and Peke insisted on helping. Now the three of us handle everything together, so the workload is much lighter.
"Really?" - Mikan asked, clearly surprised.
Hearing that Akira had lived alone and taken care of everything himself, Mikan felt an unexpected connection with him. Maybe that's why he understood her so well...
"Do your parents work away from home too?" - she asked curiously.
"Well… my parents passed away a while ago, so I've been on my own ever since" - I said calmly.
Upon hearing that, Mikan's heart sank. She instantly regretted asking the question and feared she might have made Akira feel bad.
"I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have asked that! I don't know what's wrong with me today, I swear I'm not usually like this!" - Mikan said, flustered.
What was going on with her? Normally she was calm, thoughtful, and careful about what she said—but around Akira, she kept slipping up. Why?
"Don't worry about it. I've gotten used to living on my own and now that I have Lala with me, I don't feel alone anymore. So? What do you say? Can we help you? I'm sure Lala won't mind at all" - I said reassuringly.
Mikan hesitated for a moment, but after being so emotional and vulnerable with him, she couldn't bring herself to refuse. She didn't want Akira to think she was being rude.
"Okay..." Mikan said softly.
"Then you'll be my guide," I replied with a smile.
Hearing that, Mikan smiled back. She had come to the park today feeling bitter and overwhelmed by everything going on in her life, and she never imagined she'd leave it with Akira—let alone with a smile on her face.
"That smile suits you. I hope I get to see it more often" - I said.
Mikan blushed. More often? Did that mean he wanted to see her again? Her heart felt like a mess. She didn't know what to say, so she just nodded and began leading Akira toward her house.
Meanwhile, I called Lala and explained the situation. After hearing everything Mikan had been going through, she immediately agreed to help—no persuasion needed. Once Mikan told her the address, she was already on her way.
"It's here" - Mikan said once we arrived.
Her house was quite similar to mine. The facade had a few differences, but the overall structure was nearly identical.
"It looks almost exactly like ours, at least from the outside, right?" - Lala asked.
By the way, Lala had arrived at the same time as us. How? Well, Devilukeans have physical abilities far superior to humans, so just by using a little of her strength, Lala could move at terrifying speed. That probably explained how she got here so quickly. Also, I forgot to mention that she and Mikan had already introduced themselves.
Note: That's my bad. I accidentally left that part out, and by the time I noticed, it was too late to go back and add it in. Sorry!
"Yeah, you're right" - I nodded.
"Don't just stand there, come in. I'll show you around the house" - Mikan said.
Obviously, we listened to her and stepped inside. I have to admit, my first impression was great. The house was spotless and tidy, just as I remembered it from the anime and manga—completely identical.
Mikan gave us a full tour of the house, skipping only her room and Rito's, until we ended up in the kitchen, which was connected to the living room.
"Your house is very nice" - I said.
A simple comment, sure, but genuine.
"Thank you" - Mikan replied.
Throughout the tour, I noticed that Lala seemed unusually quiet and thoughtful.
"Is something wrong, Lala? You've been quiet this whole time" - I asked curiously.
"Are you feeling okay?" - Mikan asked, echoing my concern.
"No, no, I'm fine. It's just... while I was looking around your house, I had this weird feeling, like... what was it called again?" - Lala said, frowning slightly as she searched for the word.
"What kind of feeling?" - I asked, confused.
"Yes! Déjà vu! That's it. I feel like I've been here before, although I have no idea why" - Lala said.
That caught me completely off guard. How could she feel like she's been here before? In this timeline, she's never even set foot in this house. I mean, in the original anime she lived here, sure, but here, she's never even interacted with Rito. Actually, to be more precise—she actively ignores him. He's just not relevant to her at all. Yami even calls him "The Pervert" thanks to all the stories Risa and Mio told her. In fact, she always gives Rito a look of disgust whenever she sees him.
"… Well, sometimes those things usually happen, it have happened to me many times too" – Mikan said.
That's a feeling that a lot of people have throughout their lives, but most of the time you've never been in that situation or place, so it's just that, a feeling.
"You're right, anyway, it doesn't matter" – Lala nodded.
Lala quickly brushed off that strange feeling of familiarity—after all, she had never been in this house before, so… what did it matter?
"I think it's time we helped Mikan out. That's what we came for, after all" - I said.
Better to steer the conversation away until I can figure out why Lala felt that way. Although, honestly, I doubt I'll ever get an answer. I don't have some kind of system that gives me information, and I doubt I can discover the reason on my own. Still… maybe there is a way. I'm not smart enough to figure it out myself, but what if there's an alien that is? One intelligent enough to explain why Lala felt that strange déjà vu. I'll have to try unlocking one later—though who knows if it'll work.
"Yes, let's help! By the way, shouldn't Yuuki-kun be here?" – Lala asked.
"Yeah, he should be, but he's probably caught up chatting with his friend Saruyama. It happens sometimes, so let's not worry about it" - Mikan sighed.
"Got it. So, where should we start?" – I asked.
"Well, truth is, there's a lot to do: make dinner, laundry, sweeping, mopping the floor, doing the dishes, and so on. So pick anything," – Mikan said.
And right then, a great idea hit me.
"Mikan, how about you start by cleaning the bathroom? Meanwhile, Lala and I can take care of the rest downstairs" – I suggested.
"Sounds perfect, I'll do that… but if it's okay, I'd like to do the laundry myself" – Mikan said.
Totally understandable. After all, her underwear would be mixed in, and it'd be really awkward for her to let a guy she barely knows handle that.
"Sure, we'll take care of everything else and leave that part to you" – I nodded.
With that, she headed straight for the bathroom on the second floor.
"So, where do we start, Akira? There's a lot to do" – Lala asked.
"Lala, listen. I've got the perfect alien for situations like this. He'll help us finish everything in just a few seconds" – I said confidently.
"Which one?" – Lala asked curiously.
"You'll see" – I said with a grin.
I activated the Omnitrix and selected one of the most beloved aliens from the Ben 10 universe—XLR8.
"That alien will let you clean everything in just seconds? How?" – Lala asked, clearly puzzled.
She didn't even call them monsters anymore, even though she didn't recognize any of them.
"This alien is extremely fast. With him, I'll finish all the chores in no time" – I explained.
"Okay! But let me handle the cooking. I'd feel bad not doing anything at all" – Lala said.
"Fair enough. No matter how fast I am, food still takes time to cook" – I said.
Every meal needs cooking time, no matter how quick you are.
"Perfect!" – Lala smiled.
At least she'd feel like she contributed.
"Alright, then. Just stay there and watch me in action" – I said.
"Okay!" – Lala nodded eagerly.
And with that, I took off.
I began moving so fast that it was impossible to see me with the naked eye. Even if you recorded me and played it back in ultra-slow motion, you'd barely catch a glimpse. Lala didn't even realize I had moved until I was standing in front of her again, just a few seconds after vanishing from sight.
"All done" – I said proudly.
Lala looked around in amazement. She checked every room on the ground floor and saw, to her utter surprise, that everything was sparkling clean. The floors, the windows, the furniture, the TV—everything was dust-free and gleaming. The dishes weren't just washed; they were dried and neatly put away.
And if you're wondering how I managed to dry them so fast? Easy. I just did a few extra laps around the kitchen, and the wind I generated dried everything instantly.
"That was… amazing!" – Lala exclaimed, wide-eyed with wonder.
She hadn't even seen him move—and now, the entire house was spotless and shining. Could there be a more practical alien than this one?