Time seemed to lose all meaning in their closeness.
Nodoka Toyohama lay completely limp in Rei Ao's arms, like all the strength had drained from her body.
"Haa…"
Her breathing was fast and shallow.
Her eyes were hazy and unfocused, like someone who'd just fallen from a terrifying height.
Rei Ao held her tightly, his strong arms the only thing keeping her upright.
He looked down at her—her face still flushed, lips slightly parted, looking soft and breathtaking.
Her eyes, which usually held a trace of stubbornness and unease, were now misty with emotion, unfocused and strangely alluring.
He raised his right hand.
Under the light, his fingertips glistened.
Nodoka's gaze followed his movement.
And the second she realized what was on his fingers—what it meant—the blood rushed back to her face with full force. Her cheeks turned so red it was like they might burst.
She instantly buried her face in his neck, trembling from head to toe.
A tiny, muffled whimper slipped from her lips.
Oh god…
Did that really just happen?
All he did was touch me, and I… I completely lost it! This is so embarrassing!
"Heh."
Rei Ao chuckled softly.
The vibration of his chest echoed right into her cheek.
But he didn't tease her or push things further.
He didn't even comment on how flustered she was.
Instead, he simply ran a gentle hand down her back, comforting her like she was a startled kitten.
His other hand casually reached for a tissue and wiped his fingers clean.
"Nodoka."
His voice returned to its usual calm, that deep, steady tone that somehow made everything feel less overwhelming.
"I noticed you seemed distracted earlier. Is something bothering you?"
The head tucked into his neck shifted slightly.
Nodoka's body tensed.
She hesitated for a few seconds.
Rei Ao's arms were too warm, too safe… and he'd seen right through her act.
The thoughts she tried to bury were starting to rise up again, breaking through under the weight of his gentle question.
She slowly lifted her head.
Her eyelashes were still damp with traces of tears.
Her eyes were filled with emotion—shyness, vulnerability, dependence… and something she hadn't let herself talk about until now.
"…"
She bit her lip, unsure if she should speak.
Rei Ao didn't rush her.
His hand continued to move slowly along her back, steady and patient.
Finally, she took a deep breath.
Her voice was quiet, trembling just a little.
"It's… it's about my mom."
The body-swapping chaos from Puberty Syndrome had finally been resolved thanks to Rei Ao's help.
The terrifying fear that she might be stuck in Mai's body forever was gone.
But now that her body was back to normal…
Another issue—the one that had been with her for years—came rushing back, stronger and clearer than ever.
"I… I don't know how to deal with her."
Her voice dropped lower, heavy with exhaustion.
"She used to pressure me nonstop. Made me train, forced me to imitate Mai, pushed me to become a star who could outshine her…"
"Her eyes… they were so harsh. So intense."
"It was like I wasn't even her daughter. Just a project. A way to make her dreams come true."
The memories came flooding back—her mom's cold scolding voice, the endless rehearsals, the strict control over her diet and social life…
And always that suffocating phrase: You have to surpass Mai Sakurajima.
Even here in Rei Ao's arms, just remembering it made her hands go cold.
"Now that my 'illness' is gone… she's going to start again, isn't she…"
Nodoka's voice caught in her throat.
She couldn't finish the sentence.
But her eyes said it all—fear and resistance, clear as day.
She was scared of being forced back onto that twisted path her mother called "stardom."
Scared of being sacrificed again for someone else's ambition.
That house wasn't a home anymore.
It hadn't been for a long time.
It was a cage.
She'd been trying to hide that fear.
Trying to act normal in front of everyone in this house.
But now she was saying it—honestly, completely—to Rei Ao.
He listened silently.
His expression didn't give away much, but his arms tightened around her, just a little.
That small gesture said everything.
"Then…"
He waited until she calmed down a little, then spoke again—voice low, calm, but so direct it cut through to her core.
"Nodoka, what about you?"
"Do you want to be a star?"
"Forget what your mom wants. What do you want?"
"I…"
She froze.
No one had ever asked her that before.
Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in, breathing in the calming scent of him.
Her thoughts scattered.
Scenes from her time living in this house flashed through her mind like a highlight reel:
Tohru, clumsy but always giving her all in the kitchen, making heartful (and occasionally horrifying) meals.
Mai, cool and composed, yet quietly helping her understand acting techniques when she was struggling with school.
Sora, always bringing laughter into the house.
Illya, proud and aloof, yet always slipping an extra sugar cube into her tea without saying a word.
Futaba, buried in her formulas, but somehow always able to explain the hardest math problems with perfect clarity.
And… this man.
Rei Ao.
His strength.
His patience.
His unconditional acceptance. The safety he gave her without asking anything in return.
And that night—
When he showed her a side of closeness, of intimacy, of being seen and cherished, that she never even knew existed…