Chapter 9: Bunny Girl

Rei Ao walked up to her and handed the beret back into her hands.

"Thank you."

She gratefully took the beret and put it back on, tilting her head curiously.

Her bright, lively eyes kept staring at Rei Ao.

"Hmm? Why is Kato staring at me like that? Do I have something on my face?"

"Yeah, don't move."

Surprisingly, Kato nodded seriously and reached up with her fair hand to pluck a cherry blossom petal from his hair.

"There really was something?"

Rei Ao was a bit surprised.

After tossing the petal aside, Kato asked curiously, "Why does it feel like your gaze has been focused on my face today, Rei Ao?"

Kato was very observant.

She had known since childhood about her own issue of lacking presence.

Even her parents and sister couldn't escape this phenomenon.

Rei Ao wasn't an exception—he would subconsciously overlook her as well.

His gaze would often lose focus when he looked at her, which was her problem.

But…

To Kato, Rei Ao was still special.

Kato Megumi had seen him carve parts of her name onto desks, chairs, and every book, all to help him remember her name.

She had witnessed him pinching his own thigh to force himself to focus when his attention began to drift while talking to her.

But today, Rei Ao was even more special.

'His gaze has been fixed on my face without wavering.'

Rei Ao instinctively brushed a strand of her hair, blown in front of her face by the wind, behind her ear and smiled softly.

"It's nothing."

"It's just that today I realized how uniquely beautiful Kato is."

"…"

Kato's face, which was never good at expressing emotions, remained as calm as ever.

"Thank you for the compliment. Let's go to school."

Even her thanks were flat.

But the subtle blush on her earlobes and the barely visible smile at the corners of her lips revealed her true feelings.

The two of them walked side by side toward the school.

Down the hill, a boy wearing glasses stood dumbfounded, leaning on his bike, staring at their retreating figures.

He slowly lowered his hand, which had been poised to catch the beret just moments ago.

A wave of disappointment washed over him.

His name was Aki Tomoya.

A self-proclaimed "otaku."

He had just witnessed what he believed to be a fateful encounter.

That girl… she was the angel he had been searching for!

The pounding in his chest told him this was a destined encounter.

But fate had cruelly passed him by.

Because of the man who was now laughing and chatting with the girl!

Aki Tomoya felt like pounding his chest in frustration.

But soon, he rallied himself, full of determination once again.

He had seen that school uniform before—it was from his own school. He would find her!

...

Who was Aki Tomoya?

Heh, Rei Ao couldn't care less.

By mid-morning, he was called into the office by his homeroom teacher.

Hiratsuka Shizuka sighed as she looked at his grades.

"I really feel like your grades could improve more. Why do you always fall just a little short?"

Maybe it was because Rei Ao was well-liked and had the face of someone who could easily be considered the school's most handsome guy.

He had the good looks but also the sharp, manly features of starry eyes and sword-like brows.

Even Hayama Hayato, known for his good looks, couldn't surpass Rei Ao in popularity among the girls.

But unlike Hayama, Rei Ao wasn't a popular socialite.

Especially when it came to his grades.

Hiratsuka Shizuka shook her head as she looked at his test results, which always hovered just short of breaking into the school's top 100.

Rei Ao shrugged. "Nothing I can do, that's just my ability."

He hadn't cared much about his grades before, and now he cared even less.

Most people aimed for good grades to get into better universities, which would lead to better jobs and more money.

But now, he didn't seem to need money anymore.

In the space that came with the chat group, there were piles of gold bars and jewels he had casually taken from Saeko's world.

Money was still useful to him at this stage.

When he returned home today, he planned to exchange some of it and find a new place to live.

That shabby apartment was no longer suitable for him.

At the very least, he needed to find a spacious place with three bedrooms and two living rooms.

Seeing his nonchalant attitude, Hiratsuka Shizuka was a bit frustrated.

After a moment's thought, she said, "If you want to improve your grades, you could try going to the Service Club. There might be someone there who could help you."

"…"

The Service Club.

Rei Ao didn't misunderstand. He knew what she meant.

That was Yukinoshita Yukino's club.

He responded casually, "Sure, I'll check it out."

"If there's nothing else, I'll be heading back now."

"Mm, no other business."

After leaving the office, Rei Ao had no intention of actually visiting the Service Club.

He didn't need to.

With his current mental clarity, he didn't need anyone's help. If he took another exam, his grades would likely astonish everyone.

Rei Ao turned the corner of the hallway.

Destination: the library.

…

"…"

In the library, bunny girl Sakurajima Mai wandered aimlessly, sighing in frustration.

Her problem was getting worse.

Although in her near-invisible state, no one would notice if she took things, she still left money on the counter when buying food.

It was her moral line.

But now, she faced a big problem.

She only had enough cash left for one more meal.

To withdraw money… all she had was a passbook, and with no one able to see her, she couldn't make a withdrawal.

Besides, she wasn't sure if the surveillance cameras would be able to see her.

If they couldn't, would withdrawing money make her a criminal?

At this rate, she wouldn't even be able to buy food.

She desperately wanted to find a way to fix this.

She didn't want to cross any moral lines… just like her mother.

Thinking back to how she had refused her mother's immoral advertisement contracts as a child, Sakurajima Mai clenched her fists.

"Ugh!"

Suddenly, she bumped into someone.

Instinctively, she apologized, "I'm sorry!"

But the next second, she realized—she shouldn't be able to bump into anyone!

She quickly looked up.

Standing in front of her was the familiar yet unfamiliar face of Rei Ao.

"It's… it's you!!!"

Casually, he draped a jacket over her bunny girl outfit.

"Sakurajima Mai, let's talk."