Chapter 86: Chapter 86: The Fallen Gabriel, Sonoko and Utaha
"The situation is basically like this. As long as you follow Raphiel's contract and don't talk about it, you'll be fine." Rei Ao stood up. "I'll be taking my leave now."
"Wait!" Sonoko Machida suddenly called out, her voice tinged with nervousness.
Under Utaha Kasumigaoka's increasingly complicated gaze, Sonoko, blushing slightly, asked, "Rei Ao-kun, could you come with me for a moment? I have something I want to talk about… in private."
"Sure," Rei Ao replied.
With that, Rei Ao and Sonoko headed to the guest bedroom in Utaha's apartment. Before closing the door, Utaha caught a glimpse of Sonoko giving her a grateful look.
"…"
Utaha ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. Why had she agreed to let Sonoko use her guest bedroom? Were they really going to do… that in there?
She couldn't help but hope, desperately, that Rei Ao would refuse Sonoko.
But things often unfold unexpectedly.
Suddenly, a voice echoed in her head, and a display appeared before her eyes. Along with this came an influx of knowledge and information.
"A trading… chat group…?"
She had experienced so many shocks today that she felt numb. Seeing this interface appear didn't even surprise her anymore. However, when she saw the name of the group leader, her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Rei Ao?"
Just as she tried to examine it more closely, she heard a strange sound coming from the guest bedroom where Rei Ao and Sonoko had gone.
"!!!"
In an instant, Utaha realized that Rei Ao had made the choice she most feared.
"…"
For reasons she couldn't explain, it left her feeling… deeply dissatisfied.
…
A few minutes earlier.
After entering the guest bedroom, Sonoko locked the door behind her. Taking a deep breath, she turned around, only to find Rei Ao standing just inches away from her.
Before she could react, Rei Ao leaned in, his hand pressing against the door in a classic 'kabedon' stance, trapping her against the wall.
"Sonoko Machida-san, I think I need to remind you of something," Rei Ao whispered softly in her ear, watching her nervous expression closely. "My senses are incredibly sharp."
"Sharp senses…?" Sonoko repeated, not fully grasping what he meant.
But in the next moment, something clicked in her mind. Her eyes widened in realization.
"Are you saying… you heard everything earlier?!"
Rei Ao smiled lightly. "Heh, I didn't expect that after knowing how special I am, you'd still talk about your plan out loud right next to me."
"Ah!!!" Sonoko's face flushed with embarrassment, tears nearly welling up in her eyes. She couldn't believe that everything she had confessed to Utaha—the plotting, the apology, the request—had all been overheard.
What a disaster.
"Honestly, I didn't expect you to make such a bold decision, Sonoko-san. Going for the 'older woman, younger man' dynamic, huh?"
"Ugh…" Sonoko hung her head in shame. "I-I'm sorry…"
Now that her thoughts had been exposed, she felt utterly ashamed of herself.
"Sorry? Why are you apologizing?" Rei Ao chuckled, clearly amused. His right hand then lifted one of her legs.
"Sonoko-san, just like you, I don't mind trying something daring myself."
"In fact, I got my license for driving big trucks in another world, you know?"
"Eh?" Sonoko was confused by his words for a split second.
But in the next moment—
"Mmph!"
She quickly realized that Rei Ao's "license" for driving big trucks was very, very real!
…
'Whoosh!'
"Ha~"
Gabriel yawned as she pushed open the bathroom door and stepped out.
But she couldn't sleep just yet.
There was a group raid in her game today.
Just then, the room filled with a holy light—Raphiel had just returned.
"Raphi?" Gabriel rubbed her eyes.
"When did you go out?"
Raphiel retracted her halo and wings before replying, "About ten minutes ago."
"Why did you go out so late?"
"…"
Raphiel looked at the messy-haired Gabriel with a meaningful expression. "Gabriel, have you forgotten our responsibilities in the human world?"
"Hmm…" Gabriel mumbled, realizing she had indeed forgotten, caught up in gaming as she was.
But then she straightened up and recited with conviction, "First, deal with the issues arising from the otherworldly connections. Second, observe Rei Ao. Third, learn human knowledge."
"Good."
Raphiel's eyes glinted as she nodded.
"I went out earlier because Rei Ao notified me of the appearance of a magical beast."
"Oh."
Gabriel responded indifferently because if Rei Ao was involved, it wasn't an issue. If something was too much for him to handle, then there was no point in them trying.
"!!!"
Remembering her group raid, Gabriel hurriedly said, "Since it's already been handled, I'm going to… sleep!"
She dashed back to her room in a flash.
In the darkness, Raphiel's lips curled into a pleased smile.
"Oh my, Gabriel has truly fallen. What should we do?"
…
As for 'fallen' Sonoko Machida, she chose to completely surrender. It wasn't that she didn't want to move; it was that her entire body felt like jelly, unable to muster any strength.
"Sigh…"
Breathing out softly, a lingering warmth in her breath, she gazed contentedly at the ceiling. Sonoko Machida realized she had been completely wrong.
Rei Ao wasn't some naive young boy—he was a real man. At least this time, she was thoroughly dominated.
Finally, she understood why her friends and colleagues preferred to be in relationships. Men really were amazing!
No, not just men—'Rei Ao' was different from the rest.
Feeling thirsty, she asked, "Water?"
Rei Ao walked over with a glass of water, unbothered, and helped her sit up, gently feeding her the drink. Sonoko Machida stared straight into his eyes. Being cared for like this by a man… felt incredible.
She wanted to hide her emotions, but Rei Ao saw through it all. He pulled her into his arms.
"So, do you like me now?"
"Mm, a little," Sonoko admitted freely. She had never felt this way toward a man before and naturally leaned into his shoulder.
"Just a little?" Rei Ao teased, pressing her gently.
"Ugh."
Sonoko's body shuddered. How could she not like him?
"Liking you won't change anything, though. Sadly, you don't belong to me," Sonoko murmured, her fingers tightening slightly as a wave of melancholy washed over her. Rei Ao was a man she would never forget, someone she doubted any other man could compare to after experiencing the happiness he gave her.
Would she stay single forever?
"Sigh…"
Sonoko sighed deeply, preparing to take advantage of this last opportunity to be with him. Just as she was about to make her move, Rei Ao suddenly said, "What if you belonged to me instead?"
"Huh?"
Sonoko froze.
"Are you saying… as friends with benefits?"
That was the first thought that came to her mind.
"I'd be willing. As long as you don't tire of me, you can call me anytime!" She was overjoyed at the thought. Even being friends with benefits was fine. At least she'd get to enjoy herself for a few more years.
"Why do you sound so insecure?"
Rei Ao's expression grew amused.
"It's because I 'want' it," Sonoko answered without hesitation. "Even I can't control this desire."
She had to admit, she had grown addicted to this feeling.
Rei Ao chuckled. "You're at that age where the saying 'like a wolf and a tiger' fits perfectly."
"But no, I didn't mean being friends with benefits."
"Ah?"
Sonoko's heart sank.
But Rei Ao's next words made her feel like she was floating on air.
"What I meant was, if you become a woman who belongs to me for life, I can give you everything you want."
"You mean… a wife?"
Sonoko gulped.
Rei Ao grinned.
"A wife, huh? You've got guts. Though, maybe one day you could become one of my wives."
"One of your wives?"
Was that even possible?
"Take a look at this."
Rei Ao showed her the chat group system. Sonoko stood frozen in place, trying to process it.
While she was still absorbing the information, Rei Ao made his move.
After a moment, her eyes regained focus, but her emotions were conflicted.
"I didn't expect you to have such a background…"
She noticed something was off.
"Wait, when did I end up like this?"
Turning to look at Rei Ao's smiling face, she finally understood his playful approach. He was always one step ahead.
"You saw the others—Ayame, Saeko, and Mai—belong to me. Would you like to join them?"
"…"
Sonoko had seen the chat group logs—raw, unfiltered transaction records.
She couldn't help but feel envious. She wished she had entered the chat group earlier, where she could have made transactions every day.
Just like now.
Her eyes filled with mist, and in a soft voice, she said, "Rei Ao-kun, do I even need to answer that? I've already given you my answer. Let me belong to you forever!"
Hearing this, Rei Ao smiled in satisfaction. He appreciated honest people like her.
Though the less direct ones, like Mai and Sui, were just as charming.
"I'll give you my blessing. You will belong to me, and…"
Rei Ao finally gave her the support she craved.
Happiness!
Pure, overwhelming happiness flooded through her.
Was there anything more joyful than knowing she could enjoy this feeling for the rest of her life?
For Sonoko, the answer was clear—nothing could be better.
…
The first rays of sunlight peeked through the window, lighting up the bedroom.
"Mm…"
The sunlight hit Utaha Kasumigaoka's face, making her frown slightly. She turned over, facing away from the light.
After a while, she fluttered her lashes and opened her sleepy eyes, just as usual. She glanced at the time and got out of bed, heading to the bathroom to freshen up.
But as she stepped out of her room, she noticed the door to the guest bedroom was open. Inside, she saw Sonoko Machida, already dressed.
"!!!"
A chill ran down her spine as yesterday's memories rushed back.
She remembered spending the whole night tossing and turning, trying to ignore the muffled sounds she had heard.
Now… it was finally over?
"Hmm? You're up, Utaha? I was just about to see if I should wake you," Sonoko said as she turned toward her.
Utaha stared at her, noticing that Sonoko's skin seemed especially radiant today.
Thinking back to everything that happened last night, she couldn't help but ask with a bitter smile, "Rei Ao-kun… he…"
"Oh, he left," Sonoko replied nonchalantly.
"And don't worry, I'll buy you a new set of sheets," she added.
"Ah?"
Utaha froze, her eyes landing on the bed in the guest room.
Especially on the large stains that looked like someone had dumped a bucket of water onto the sheets.
"…"
Recalling the loud noises from Sonoko's room the night before, she could only imagine what had gone on.
Her brain was reeling.
Utaha Kasumigaoka regretted ever agreeing to let Sonoko use her guest bedroom.
"'Tch'."
Sonoko also felt embarrassed, being so openly scrutinized.
She quickly ushered Utaha into the living room, closing the door behind them.
"Oh, Utaha, let me show you something cool."
"…"
Utaha was already emotionally drained.
What could possibly be cooler than this?
But when Sonoko raised her hand toward a nearby cushion, a sudden gust of wind lifted it into the air.
At first, Utaha thought it was just a random breeze. But when she looked at the windows, she realized they were completely closed!
Where had that wind come from? And even more bizarre, the cushion was floating, as if dancing in the air.
~~~
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