Re:Zero - Reincarnated on a Co-op Route

--[Subaru Pov]--

Subaru was in the dressing room, surrounded by Emilia, Rem and Ram. He stared with a sigh at the servant's uniform he was wearing, evidently too baggy for his body.

"Isn't there anything in your size?" asked Emilia, bowing slightly as she inspected the clothes.

"Unfortunately, there were only girls' sizes...," Subaru replied, sighing dramatically.

Ram, not missing the opportunity, added with a smirk.

"You look pitiful, Balse."

"Oi, Neesama! Don't turn my name into a curse. Kaoru already calls me that sometimes, and it sounds like... Balls! Literally," Subaru retorted in exasperation.

Ram arched an eyebrow, ignoring the complaint. "Sis, what do you think of Balse's pathetic appearance?"

Rem, always calmer, replied in a neutral tone:

"He has short legs, weird shoulders, and scary eyes... Although I must admit, the other boy's eyes are scarier. I'm scared just looking into his eyes."

Subaru turned to her with indignation.

"I can't change any of those things! Well, maybe my height, because I keep growing... And Kaoru is a friendly boy! Don't say those things about him!"

"This is wrong. You're going to make Roswaal look bad with that appearance." Ram sighed theatrically.

"At least let him change your jacket, Subaru," Rem added, approaching with a tape measure to take measurements.

Meanwhile, Emilia smiled at the sight but prepared to retreat.

"I have to study for the actual selection, so I'll leave you guys to it. Good luck with your work, Subaru."

Subaru, touched by Emilia's gesture, gave a thumbs up and exclaimed:

"Leave it to me, Emi! I'll make you proud."

However, as the twins worked on adjusting the costume, Subaru couldn't help but be distracted by a thought.

"What will Kaoru be doing now...?"

--[Kaoru Pov]--

Kaoru stood on the outskirts of the mansion, facing the forest that stretched beyond the manicured gardens. He looked up at the sky as he stretched, relaxing her muscles after dinner.

"Mmm, Roswaal told me the things I ordered will be in my room in a couple of hours. Well, that's just as well," he muttered, drawing air through his nose in a gesture of satisfaction.

With a sigh, his gaze drifted back to the forest. Although he wanted to train physically, he knew it wouldn't be as effective without the proper equipment he had requested.

"I should wait to train physically when I have the equipment," he reasoned as he pulled a notebook from his pocket. He flipped through until he found a page with jumbled notes and drawings of what looked like an anatomical diagram.

"In the meantime..." his eyes fell on the words written in sloppy penmanship: 'Flow Method'.

"I must learn to control this method... or so old Raigor told me. If I succeed, I will be able to keep the mana flowing through my body constantly and improve my physical capabilities." He sat down on the grass, cross-legged with his legs crossed and his notebook open on his knees.

"The old man also said it all depends on potential... but physical training and technical control are also important," he mused, stroking his chin.

He closed the notebook and placed it to the side before crossing his arms and looking at the horizon earnestly.

"First, I must visualize my magic door. Raigor also warned me that if you damage your door..." he interrupted himself as he remembered the old man's stern expression as he explained the process.

"You're fucked, in a nutshell," he said with a slight shudder. He let out a long, deep sigh. "I should be careful, then."

He closed his eyes, letting the outside world fade away. Slowly, he tried to calm himself, focusing on his breathing, as if each inhale and exhale would dissipate the tension in his body. With a clearer mind, he began to visualize a door.

It was several seconds, perhaps minutes, before a blurry image of what appeared to be a magical, almost transparent door appeared in his mind. It was surrounded by a faint blue glow.

"There you are..." muttered Kaoru, straining to keep the image steady. The door seemed to be surrounded by thick, gaseous smoke that floated around it, oscillating as if it were alive.

"Good, now I must let some in," he thought.

Kaoru remained motionless for several minutes. He refused to rush; he knew that a single mistake could cost him dearly. With extreme caution, he began to move small fragments of that smoke toward the door. The resistance he encountered at first made him sweat, but with patience he managed to get a few tiny pieces of gaseous mana through the door.

For a moment, Kaoru felt an unfamiliar energy coursing through her body, but then something changed. His mind filled with alarm as he felt an overwhelming pressure. The flow became uncontrollable, threatening to overload her door.

"Shit!" he thought quickly as he slammed the door shut with all the willpower he had.

His eyes snapped open, panting heavily, beads of sweat running down his face.

"I almost fucked the door!" he gasped, running a hand through his hair to push it away from his drenched forehead.

"Really, my driving is horrible. If I had been less careful, I would have exploded in black smoke... and goodbye magic forever." Kaoru took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.

"But at least... it's progress," he thought, though he couldn't help but chuckle nervously at the irony of his situation.

He looked out into the forest, as if seeking some solace in the trees.

"I'll try to do the same thing in a couple of minutes... but more carefully this time."

--[Time Skip]--

Kaoru walked through the corridors of the mansion with a slight smile on his face, carrying the training weights in her hands. Before going to Subaru's room, she had stopped by his to pick up the equipment Roswaal had provided. The wrist and ankle weights were impressive: each weighed 10 kg and, according to Roswaal, were enchanted with a spell called Vita. This could increase her weight considerably if Kaoru wished, but he had also warned that doing so without prior training would be suicidal.

"It would be impossible to move if I activate them to the maximum," he muttered as he arrived in front of Subaru's door. He had also picked up a wooden sword that looked like they were made for intensive training. His plan was simple: motivate Subaru so that the two of them could improve together.

Kaoru knocked on the door softly before entering without waiting for an answer. Subaru was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking exhausted and wearing a slightly disheveled servant's uniform.

"Hey, Balse, how was your first day as a clown's slave?" Kaoru smiled teasingly.

"Don't call me Balse! That's very derogatory, dude," Subaru protested, standing up a little, but with cheeks red with embarrassment.

"Sorry, sorry...it's just that the pun is so funny. Besides, it's pronounced like balls-"

"Stop it!" Subaru interrupted him, waving his hands in front of him as his face lit up even more.

Kaoru let out a laugh. "Okay, I'm sorry. Subaru."

The young man sighed, dropping his shoulders. "Well, my day was exhausting. I was put to cleaning for hours while you did whatever you wanted outside the mansion. How envious. I'm sorry I'm such a fool. I'm so tired I couldn't train..."

"Well, it was your decision. Maybe you should stop being so impulsive, I guess," Kaoru replied, shrugging.

"I've had enough of being lectured all day. Don't you do it too," Subaru complained in a plaintive tone.

Kaoru held up her hands in surrender. "I know, sorry, hehe." He then dropped the weights on the floor with a small thud. "Hey, here are your training weights."

Subaru looked at the weights curiously before asking, "How much do they weigh?"

"They weigh 10 kg each without the spell. You should put them on your wrists and ankles," Kaoru explained.

Subaru raised an eyebrow. "Do you think I'm going to be cleaning and working with 40 kg on me?"

"Yes," Kaoru replied matter-of-factly. "It's either that or stay a weak loser. That way you can improve your strength and endurance while you work."

Subaru sighed, looking at the weights with resignation. "I guess you're right. Roswaal only left me an hour free, and on top of that, that hour is at night. I have to use it to learn to write and study with Ram tomorrow, so I'm on nothing again."

Kaoru smiled slightly. "That's the attitude, buddy."

Subaru lifted one of the weights with some effort before looking at Kaoru curiously. "Hey, cutting to the chase, did you notice anything weird today? Something to be on the lookout for."

Kaoru crossed her arms and pondered for a moment. "Well, the two maidservants are friendly... in their own way, I guess. And the lord of the manor hardly shows himself either."

Subaru nodded. "I see. Then we're good, I guess."

Kaoru sighed, relaxing her posture. "Then we'll talk tomorrow."

He waved his hand before turning towards the door. Subaru watched him as he walked out and then smiled determinedly.

"Yes! We'll survive this," Subaru exclaimed.

Kaoru paused for a moment at the door and looked back with a slight smile. "Sure, buddy."

He closed the door behind him, leaving Subaru to reflect on the day. As he walked back to his room, Kaoru couldn't help but think that, despite everything, having Subaru as a fellow sufferer was what was helping him the most in adjusting to this strange world.