Chat Group: Anime Girls are Moist

Gabriel's mind went blank.

She had just been kissed on the lips by Rei Ao.

Her eyes widened in shock as she pushed him away with all her strength. Covering her mouth, her face turned a deep, fiery red.

"W-why the lips?!"

Rei Ao casually wiped the corner of his mouth and smiled faintly. "A kiss is on the lips. Kissing the cheek is just a peck, not a kiss."

"Huh?"

Gabriel froze for a moment. That… kind of made sense.

But…

Rei Ao didn't give her time to think, adding quickly, "I already gave you the money, and you've already spent it on the game and bought your gear. The deal is final, no take-backs."

"!!!"

Gabriel's eyes widened in shock.

No wonder Rei Ao let her top up and buy her gear first. It wasn't about caring for her gaming experience—it was all part of his plan!

Staring at his sly smile, she stammered, "Y-you… are you actually a demon?"

"Oh?"

Rei Ao leaned in slowly, his smirk deepening. "Vinette calls me the Demon King."

…

Raphiel sighed deeply as she stood in front of the couch, lost in thought.

She decided to chalk everything up to an accident… for now.

But glancing down at herself, her face grew even hotter.

She had clearly felt Rei Ao's… reaction earlier. It was impossible to ignore.

She shook her head, trying to clear her mind.

"Ugh, I should just put on some proper clothes."

Wearing only a towel felt way too risky.

…

On her way back to her room, Raphiel overheard a conversation through the slightly open door of her own room.

"Hey, why are you doing this?"

"Just habit. One more left."

"Wait!"

Hearing this, Raphiel hesitated, her curiosity piqued.

She crept closer to peek through the gap.

What she saw left her stunned.

Inside, Gabriel was hugging Rei Ao, and… they were kissing.

"Gab?!"

Raphiel clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle her gasp.

She had just witnessed Gabriel and Rei Ao kissing.

Not wanting to be caught, she quickly and quietly retreated to her own room.

Leaning back against the door, her heart pounded in her chest.

She was sure of what she'd seen—it wasn't her imagination.

But…

"So Gab and Rei Ao… are they that kind of relationship?"

…

Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong!!!

Back at her apartment, Utaha Kasumigaoka had just returned from the forest. She wanted nothing more than a glass of water to calm her nerves.

But the sudden, incessant doorbell ringing instantly shattered her fragile peace.

Dragging her exhausted body to the door, she was ready to give the visitor a piece of her mind.

"Utaha-chan, I'm here to see you!"

"…Why are you here?"

Upon seeing her visitor, Utaha bit back her anger.

It was none other than her editor, Sonoko Machida.

"Of course, I came to check on you! I wanted to ask how your journey to another world went."

Having calculated the three-hour limit for the trip, Sonoko had come right on time.

Seeing Utaha's haggard, weary expression, Sonoko blinked in surprise.

"You look like you've been through something life-changing."

"It's hard to have a good experience after going through something like that..." Utaha muttered, her voice tinged with frustration.

Utaha Kasumigaoka shook her head and gave a bitter laugh.

She could still recall the metallic tang of blood entering her mouth, making her complexion turn pale and her stomach churn.

Seeing her state, Sonoko Machida grew concerned.

"If you don't mind, why don't you tell me about it? We're good sisters, right?"

"Good sisters…"

For some reason, Utaha felt like there was more to Sonoko's words than met the eye.

Still, she didn't dwell on it too much.

Having someone around actually eased the weight on her mind. Keeping everything bottled up had been suffocating.

She licked her dry lips and slowly recounted everything that had happened not long ago.

From being nearly eaten by a demon disguised as a child to witnessing Rei Ao kill the creature right before her eyes, Utaha poured out the details.

Sonoko was both horrified and relieved.

Utaha trembled as she stared at her hands.

"Sonoko-san… do you know what it's like to have a headless body right in front of you? To have blood drench your entire body and flow into your mouth… I…"

The memory of the gory scene made her body shake uncontrollably.

"Alright, stop there, Utaha."

Sonoko interrupted her firmly and pulled the fragile Utaha into her arms.

"Don't worry. Rei Ao saved you, and I'm here now. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"…Okay."

Normally cold and sharp-tongued, Utaha now seemed like a fragile rabbit, curling up in Sonoko's embrace.

Sonoko's heart ached for her.

After some time, when Utaha seemed to calm down, she suddenly asked, "Sonoko-san, have you ever killed anyone?"

Utaha remembered that Sonoko had also traveled to another world and even became something like a real superhero.

"Me? No, never."

Sonoko shook her head. "But I've killed terrifying monsters before—things like goblins, for instance."

Utaha's eyes widened with curiosity. "Were you scared?"

"Of course I was."

Sonoko gave a wry smile. "I'm just an ordinary person. Fear is natural."

"But I knew that if I wanted to stay by Rei Ao's side, I had to adapt and become stronger."

She spoke earnestly.

Sonoko had seen firsthand just how powerful others in Rei Ao's circle were.

Knowing that Rei Ao had the ability to traverse worlds through the chat group, she couldn't even begin to fathom the heights he might reach in the future.

But one thing was clear—she couldn't leave him.

Once someone's horizons expanded, their standards inevitably rose.

After experiencing the kind of connection she had with Rei Ao, Sonoko didn't think she'd ever find a man stronger or more perfect than him.

Nor did she think any other man could possess his sense of balance and endurance.

The thought of leaving Rei Ao and being with someone else? Impossible.

Sonoko had become utterly addicted to the feelings Rei Ao stirred in her. She was irrevocably shaped by him and could never belong to anyone else.

So, with that mindset, she had forced herself to kill monsters.

Even if it meant retching and stepping out of her comfort zone, she chose to embrace a new future.

"…."

Utaha gazed at Sonoko, stunned.

It was the first time she had seen such unwavering resolve from her.

"Utaha-chan, are you feeling a little better now?"

"…Yes."

Sonoko breathed a sigh of relief but still advised her gently. "If you truly can't handle this world of the unknown, why not pretend the chat group doesn't exist?"

"You mean… ignore it?"

"Yes."

Sonoko nodded. "There's nothing wrong with living an ordinary life. Besides, you're already a rising star in the light novel industry."

Utaha had achieved notable success at a young age. Sonoko believed she had a bright future ahead, even without being involved in the supernatural.

But Utaha disagreed.

"Pretending to ignore it doesn't make it go away."

"…."

This question didn't need an answer from Sonoko.

"Even if I ignore it, monsters and demons still exist in this world. If Rei Ao hadn't been there that day, you might have died, Sonoko-san."

"And the cause of death? It wouldn't even be explainable."

Utaha's gaze turned complex. "I keep wondering what would happen if something like that occurred to me again…"

"…Sigh."

Sonoko sighed deeply.

She knew this was inevitable. Once someone learned about these things, they couldn't simply ignore them.

"There are two ways to overcome your fear. Want to hear them?"

"Please, tell me."

Utaha wanted to change her situation.

"First, you can go to Rei Ao. He knows angels who can erase memories. As the group leader, he might even be able to kick you out of the chat group entirely."

"…What?"

Utaha blinked in surprise. "You're suggesting I forget everything and go back to my old life?"

"That's the simplest solution, isn't it?" Sonoko countered.

It wasn't wrong.

If she didn't know anything, there would be no fear, no confusion, and no unnecessary worries.

But Utaha wasn't on board with that idea.

"What's the second option?"

"Well… the second option also involves Rei Ao."

Sonoko paused before raising her hands.

She made an "OK" gesture with one hand and slid a finger from the other hand into the circle.

"All you need to do is make a deal with Rei Ao and gain overwhelming power from him—just like I did."

"That way, Utaha-chan, you won't have to fear monsters anymore."

"…What?"

The overly vivid gestures from Sonoko Machida were impossible for Utaha Kasumigaoka to misunderstand.

"Are you telling me to sell myself?!"

She widened her eyes in shock.

Never in her wildest imagination had she thought her editor would suggest something so outrageous.

No matter what, selling her body was absolutely out of the question!

"Ahem."

Even Sonoko felt that phrasing it that way sounded awkward.

"Let's put it another way. You could make Rei Ao fall for you—or fall for him yourself. Wouldn't that make everything simpler?"

"???"

Utaha's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"You realize he's your man, right? Are you seriously okay with saying this?"

"Pfft."

Sonoko laughed nonchalantly.

"He's not exclusively mine, and let's be honest, there's no way I can outdo young ladies like you when it comes to receiving his affection."

"But, if we team up, Utaha-chan…"

Realizing the conversation was veering into bizarre territory, Utaha quickly intervened.

"Stop!!!"

She put a firm end to the discussion, instinctively stepping away from Sonoko.

Recalling Sonoko's prior antics, Utaha began to suspect something deeper.

"Don't tell me all your previous attempts to show off were part of some perverted scheme?"

"…A tiny bit," Sonoko admitted sheepishly, her expression awkward.

"???"

Utaha was left speechless.

The editor she trusted had actually been plotting to sell her out—not for survival, but for Rei Ao's favor!

And that realization was the last straw.

Utaha promptly kicked Sonoko out of her apartment.

While there was a hint of anger, most of her turmoil stemmed from her own confusion.

Leaning against the closed door, her mind was flooded with thoughts of Rei Ao.

"Ugh, what's wrong with me?"

A long sigh echoed through the silent room.

…

Due to Tomoya Aki's death, classes had been temporarily suspended.

However, the break wasn't indefinite, and before long, a return date was announced.

The entire school was set to resume next Monday.

For most students, the news was unwelcome.

But for Rei Ao, it was a good thing.

Who knew—perhaps he'd cross paths with another beautiful girl.

Today, though, Mai wasn't in her usual calm state.

Seated on the couch, she clutched Rei Ao's hand tightly, her fingers interwoven with his.

She was visibly tense.

Her mother was coming to visit.

…

The ordeal began when Mai woke up in Rei Ao's arms, as usual.

Not that it was a natural wake-up—Rei Ao had, as always, been up to his morning antics.

Before she could even complain, a phone call interrupted them.

"Mom?"

Seeing her mother's name on the screen immediately jolted Mai awake.

She patted Rei Ao, signaling for him to behave.

Rei Ao, hearing her call out "Mom," stopped what he was doing.

"?"

Mai was momentarily surprised by his restraint.

He usually intensified his antics when she told him to stop.

Answering the call, she heard her mother's direct tone:

"Mai, do you remember our agreement?"

Without any pleasantries, her mother got straight to the point.

Mai's expression dimmed, and she responded coolly, "I remember. What's this about?"

"Hmm?"

Her mother's sharp ears caught the uncharacteristic coldness in Mai's tone.

'Has she realized I was just stringing her along before?'

It didn't matter.

Her mother didn't think Mai would dare go against their agreement.

"I want to meet that boy—Rei Ao, was it?"

"Rei Ao?!"

Mai's sudden shout startled her mother.

"Rei Ao… You seem quite excited just hearing his name," her mother remarked with a raised brow.

"Uh… no, not really."

"Really?"

Her mother's tone was laced with suspicion.

Mai's voice had been trembling with excitement, yet she was trying to deny it.

"I don't care about your reasons or excuses. Send me the address later. I'll visit at noon."

Having stated her intentions, her mother waited for a response.

"…"

When a minute passed with no reply, her patience wore thin.

Just as she was about to demand an answer, Mai suddenly shouted, "Sure!!!"

The drawn-out tone of her voice left her mother baffled.

Her usually aloof daughter was now brimming with energy.

Before she could question it, the call abruptly ended.

"Rei Ao…"

Her mother's eyes narrowed coldly as she whispered his name.

There was no way she'd let her daughter's bright future as a potential superstar be derailed by a mere student.

~~~

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