Chapter 184: Rio Futaba

"..."

Inside the car, silence filled the air.

The driver kept his eyes straight ahead, focused on the road.

Sumika Fujimiya, on the other hand, was extremely tense, worried that her pounding heartbeat might be audible.

Stealing a glance at Rei Ao's profile, she compared him to her friend Takafumi.

Way more handsome.

Not to mention, he was a genuinely kind person.

And on top of that, he was her savior.

A surge of curiosity about him welled up inside her.

Just as she was completely lost in thought, Rei Ao suddenly turned his head to meet her gaze.

With a smile, he asked:

"Is there something interesting about my face?"

"You're really handsome."

Sumika blurted it out before she could stop herself.

Immediately afterward, her hands flew up to cover her mouth.

What the hell am I saying?!

She wanted nothing more than to slap herself for acting like a lovestruck fool.

Rei Ao, however, took the compliment in stride, his expression completely composed.

Casually, he changed the topic.

"Are you a university student?"

"Mm-hmm! I'm in university."

Sumika nodded eagerly.

Then she turned the question back on him:

"What about you, Rei Ao? Are you a university student too?"

"Not yet. I'll start next year."

"Eh?"

Sumika was genuinely surprised.

Rei Ao carried himself so maturely, she had assumed he was older than her—not younger!

"Wait… you're younger than me?!"

A phrase popped into her mind:

"Younger guy?!"

W-Wait, what am I even thinking?!

Sumika, you perv!

Mentally, she scolded herself harshly.

On the surface, however, she continued chatting with Rei Ao in a relaxed manner.

After a while, she noticed something strange.

She glanced at Rei Ao, then back at herself.

After a few seconds of hesitation, she finally voiced her confusion:

"Rei Ao, how come… you're not wet at all?"

"Maybe I just got lucky."

Rei Ao gave a vague response.

If ordinary water could soak him, that'd be a real problem.

"Ohh, I see."

Sumika didn't press further.

Not long after, they arrived at her house.

Before stepping out of the car, Sumika looked at Rei Ao seriously.

"I promise I'll clean your jacket properly and return it to you."

She stood outside, watching as Rei Ao's taxi drove off into the distance before heading back inside.

Originally, Rei Ao had planned to return home after leaving an impression on Sumika.

But on the way, he received a surprising message.

Rio Futaba: "Are you there?"

"She's texting me?"

Rei Ao was momentarily caught off guard.

Still, he quickly replied.

Rei Ao: "Yeah, what's up? Just tell me directly."

Rio Futaba: "Alright."

Rio Futaba: "'I' have been replaced by 'me'."

At first glance, the message was bizarrely phrased.

But given what Rei Ao knew about her situation, he instantly understood what she meant.

Rei Ao: "You mean you've fully taken over her life?"

Rio Futaba: "That's right."

Rio Futaba: "You can call me selfish, but I wanted to experience what it really means to be alive."

Rei Ao: "I wouldn't call that selfish. Everyone has things they want to do in life."

Rei Ao: "As long as you're not posting questionable pictures online for attention, I won't judge you."

Rio Futaba: "Oh? So you're really that possessive about other people seeing me?"

Rei Ao: "Of course."

Rei Ao: "I told you before, from the moment I laid eyes on you two, I decided to have you both. So yeah, I'm very possessive."

Rio Futaba: "Wow, you're really a confident and domineering bastard."

Despite her words, the real Rio Futaba was lying on her bed, smirking as she texted.

His direct and unapologetic attention was far more exciting than any generic admiration from random strangers.

And between being "popular" and being desired by Rei Ao—

She chose the latter.

After a pause, she sent another message.

Rio Futaba: "The other 'me' is too softhearted. She's homeless now, totally pitiful."

Rei Ao: "Heh. So that's what you really wanted to tell me?"

Rei Ao: "Just say it. What do you want me to do for her?"

Rei Ao didn't believe that the "outgoing" Rio Futaba had intentionally kicked out her "introverted" self with any malicious intent.

After all—

The "shy" Rio was kindhearted, to the point that she chose to leave home herself rather than expose the truth.

Likewise, the "outgoing" Rio wasn't cruel either.

Apart from their personalities, they were still the same person.

A person's behavior might change, but their nature did not.

Rio Futaba: "I know I might disappear someday. But while I'm here, I want to really live."

Rio Futaba: "So… I guess the other me has to suffer a little for now."

Rio Futaba: "She should be at XXXX location right now."

Rio Futaba: "You said you wanted her too, right? Well, if you really do—then you can't let her be in danger, Rei Ao-kun~"

Rei Ao: "You sure about handing her over to me? Don't regret it later."

Rei Ao chuckled.

She was basically hand-delivering a lamb to the lion's den.

He couldn't believe she was doing this voluntarily.

Rei Ao turned to the driver and said:

"Change of destination..."

...

"Regret?"

Rio Futaba put down her phone.

She stretched out on the bed in a starfish position, staring at the ceiling light as if she could see another version of herself reflected there.

"I won't regret it."

"Sorry, other me, I don't know if love at first sight is real, but I want to respond to him."

…

At the Park

The creaking of a swing echoed softly in the quiet night.

A lone figure sat on it, gently swaying back and forth, occasionally sighing.

Rio Futaba felt lost.

She had seen another version of herself.

And that version had completely taken over her life.

Now, she was homeless—she had nowhere to go.

"Where should I even go…?"

She still had some money on her, enough to stay at a motel or an inn for a while.

But then what?

How would she face her other self?

How could she see her again without causing a scene?

And most importantly…

Where should she even begin trying to analyze what's happening?

Why had another version of herself appeared in the first place?

The sheer complexity of the situation gave her a headache.

"Rio Futaba."

A voice suddenly called her name, breaking her train of thought.

She looked up in confusion.

Standing before her was someone she didn't recognize—yet, at the same time, he seemed vaguely familiar.

"Were you calling me?"

Rei Ao glanced around.

"It looks like there's no one else here but us.

From a scientific perspective, wouldn't that mean I must be the one talking to you?"

"..."

Hearing the word science, Rio Futaba instinctively adjusted her glasses, her expression turning serious.

"Not necessarily."

"Oh?"

"There's a probability that this is just my auditory hallucination… or perhaps… quantum mechanics at play."

"..."

Rei Ao twitched the corner of his mouth.

"Classic. When in doubt, blame quantum mechanics."

"Hmm?"

Rio Futaba found his words strangely familiar and couldn't help but ask:

"Who are you? How do you know my name? And why do you act like you know me so well?"

"You have a lot of questions, and I can answer every single one of them."

Seeing the intense curiosity in her eyes, Rei Ao smiled and suggested:

"But this isn't the best place for a proper conversation. Why don't we go somewhere else and talk?"

Rio Futaba instinctively stepped back, wary.

"Relax."

Rei Ao reassured her casually.

"I was thinking a café. It'll be full of people—nothing to be afraid of."

Then, with a teasing smirk, he added:

"Besides, if I really had bad intentions, wouldn't an empty park like this be the best place to act?"

"..."

Her eyes flickered behind her glasses as she thought it over.

A moment later, Rio Futaba nodded.

"Alright, let's go."

…

Meanwhile…

While Rei Ao was "picking up" another girl, Sumika Fujimiya had just finished her shower.

She stood in her room, staring blankly at Rei Ao's jacket in her hands.

Her mind wandered back to every moment she had spent with him earlier.

For the first time…

She felt like her childhood friend Takafumi wasn't so appealing anymore.

"Ah, Sis, why are you holding a guy's jacket?"

A curious voice interrupted her thoughts.

Sumika turned to see her younger brother, Chiaki Fujimiya, walking over.

Despite being younger than her, he was taller and had a head full of red hair that made him look oddly mature.

"Ah! T-This—!!"

Caught off guard, Sumika panicked and tried to think of an excuse.

Chiaki, however, jumped to his own conclusion first.

"Did you buy this for me?!"

"No! Definitely not!"

Sumika's sharp, immediate response made it absolutely clear.

Her voice was so fierce and urgent that even she was surprised by her own reaction.

Chiaki, however, didn't seem too upset.

Instead, he scratched the back of his red hair in confusion.

"That's disappointing… but now I'm even more curious.

Why are you holding a men's jacket, Sis?"

"Ahem."

Sumika cleared her throat and delivered the excuse she had prepared:

"I just wanted to try a different style of fashion."

"Ohhh, I see."

Chiaki immediately lost interest.

"I thought you were giving it to someone."

Then, as if making an innocent remark, he added:

"But honestly, Sis, I don't think men's clothes suit you that well."

"Your chest muscles are too big."

"???"

C-Chest muscles?!

A vein popped on Sumika's forehead.

Why does my little brother look so mature on the outside… but have the IQ of a brick?!

Did he really think her breasts were just useless chest muscles?!

Forget it.

Getting mad at her idiot little brother was pointless.

She let out a deep breath.

"Chiaki."

Her voice turned strict.

"Go do your homework."

"Ughhh… homework is the worst…"

The moment he heard that dreaded word, all the energy drained from his body.

However, seeing the deadly serious look in his sister's eyes, he reluctantly shuffled toward his room.

Once Chiaki left, Sumika let out a sigh of relief.

Then, with a glance at the jacket in her hands, she blushed slightly and tossed it into the washing machine.

After setting it to wash, she grabbed her phone and sent a message to her best friend from university.

Sumika Fujimiya: "Sawae, you there?"

Sawae: "I'm here! What's up?"

Sumika Fujimiya: "I… I have something I want to share with you."

Sawae "Ooooh, I love gossip! 🍿 Spill it!"

~~~

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