There were no blinding spotlights here.
No suffocating pressure from a manager.
No hysterical demands from her mother.
Instead, there was noise, clumsy moments, and all kinds of odd little daily happenings—but more importantly, there was real warmth, unconditional acceptance, and the freedom for Toyohama Nodoka to simply be herself.
She remembered standing on stage, feeling the weight of countless eyes on her, yet deep inside there had always been that stubborn emptiness and confusion.
She remembered the hollow, drifting feeling when she tried to copy Mai-senpai, never truly finding her own identity.
And she remembered the pure, simple happiness of traveling with Rei Ao.
Slowly, Nodoka lifted her head and looked straight into his deep, steady eyes.
The uncertainty and fear she'd seen there before were fading away, replaced by a clarity and resolve she had never known.
She shook her head firmly, speaking each word with care.
"I don't want to."
"I don't want to become some superstar who has to outshine everyone."
She took a deep breath, as if setting down a burden she'd carried for years, and her voice turned lighter, brighter.
"Because I've realized… I like my life now way more than standing under the lights in front of a crowd!"
"I like being with everyone… and I like—" her face flushed, "I like being with you, Rei Ao-kun."
Her cheeks were still burning, but her gaze was open and sincere, glimmering with the light of someone who'd finally found their way home.
Seeing her spark return, Rei Ao's lips curved into a warm smile, full of fondness and approval.
He leaned down and brushed his nose against her forehead in a tender gesture.
"Good," he said, voice calm and certain.
"That's what matters most. Nodoka—remember, your life belongs only to you."
He paused, his tone shifting into one of quiet, unshakable confidence.
"As for your mother, you don't need to worry about that at all."
Nodoka blinked at him curiously. "Rei Ao-kun… what are you going to do?"
She honestly couldn't imagine how he could possibly deal with her stubborn, overbearing mother.
Intimidation?
Hypnosis?
Or something else…
A sly smile tugged at Rei Ao's lips. He leaned in close, his warm breath brushing her sensitive ear.
"Nodoka… now's not the time to be talking about that."
Before she could react, his hand—already somewhere it shouldn't be—suddenly tightened.
"Ah—!"
The startled cry slipped out before she could stop it.
She realized with a shock that he'd started teasing her again.
That lingering, shameful shiver from before came rushing back, stronger than ever—like a jolt of electricity shooting through her, making her whole body tremble.
The blush that had just faded came flooding back, staining even her pale neck a soft pink.
Instinctively, she tried to close her legs, but only pulled his hand in deeper.
"Rei Ao-kun! This—"
Her protest broke into a helpless whimper, her thoughts unraveling.
Rei Ao chuckled low, giving her no chance to think or resist.
In one smooth motion, his arms swept her up completely.
She barely had time for a gasp before the world tilted and her feet left the ground.
"Let's continue this somewhere else," he said, voice thick with unhidden desire and amusement, striding toward the master bedroom with her in his arms.
The hallway wasn't long—just enough for Tohru to peek her head out from the kitchen doorway.
"Pre-dinner workout?" she asked, eyes curious.
From behind the counter, glasses catching the light, Futaba quietly took in the scene.
Mai Sakurajima walked out of the kitchen with a plate of fresh fruit, just in time to see Rei Ao carrying Nodoka—face buried in his chest, red as a tomato—into the bedroom.
With a soft click, the door shut.
Mai slowed her steps, sighing with a faint, indulgent smile she'd long since grown used to.
She set the fruit plate on the coffee table and glanced toward Ilya, who was sipping her tea like nothing unusual had happened.
"They're at it again?" Mai asked, tone neutral.
Ilya took another sip, eyes flicking toward the bedroom door, a knowing smile on her lips.
"Isn't it a good thing for the master to have this much energy?"
Tohru grinned. "Of course it's a good thing! That's the Rei Ao-sama I know. I'm joining in!"
She started to untie her apron—only to freeze when Mai gave her a sharp look.
"Not happening. Finish making dinner," Mai ordered flatly.
This was the perfect chance for Nodoka to feel like part of the family, and she wasn't going to let Tohru ruin it.
Sure, she felt a little jealous, but the two deserved their time alone.
Fair was fair.
"…Fine," Tohru muttered, trudging back to the kitchen.
Rio bent over her notepad, jotting formulas quickly, her pen moving faster than usual.
For them, these "life discussions" at home were nothing new.
The bedroom's soundproofing was excellent,
blocking out the "conversation" going on inside.
The living room returned to its surface calm,
broken only by the clatter from the kitchen and the soft clink of Ilya's teacup.
Then—
Ding-dong!
The doorbell rang, the crisp chime cutting clearly through the quiet.
Mai set down what she was doing, glancing at the clock with mild puzzlement.
"At this hour… who could it be?"
She thought of Mafuyu-sensei, or maybe neighbors like Gabriel.
Standing, she smoothed her loungewear and walked to the door.
"Coming," she called, peeking through the peephole.
Outside stood two girls in the uniform of a well-known local prep school.
On the left was a girl with silky light-brown hair tied in a low ribboned ponytail that fell over her chest.
Beneath her fringe were gentle, bookish brown eyes—the picture of quiet elegance. Furuhashi Fumino.
On the right was a short-haired girl with a neat bob, oversized round glasses framing her wide-open eyes, the kind of gaze that radiated pure science-nerd focus with a touch of nervousness.
Ogata Rizu.
~~~
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