Chat Group: Anime Girls are Moist

At the Yukinoshita residence, a family of some renown, the atmosphere was tense.

Yukinoshita's mother, dressed in a traditional kimono, gazed intently at her younger daughter, Yukino Yukinoshita. Under her mother's scrutiny, Yukino stood with her head bowed. The silence weighed heavily on her, amplifying the pressure she felt.

Of all the people Yukino had grown up fearing and being unable to resist, her mother topped the list. Today, Yukino had mustered the courage to make a request.

Suddenly, her mother withdrew her gaze and spoke calmly: "You said you want to move out and live on your own. Why?"

Yes, Yukino wanted to move into an apartment. She sought to briefly escape from this household. Forcing herself to remain composed, she replied with a seemingly logical reason: "I want to learn how to be independent. Also, it's inconvenient to rely on the family's car to go to and from school."

On the surface, it sounded reasonable, but deep down, Yukino was anxious. She knew she was lying to cover up her desire to escape. Normally, this would go against her principles, but she felt compelled to do so to flee from the oppressive environment of her family.

Her mother glanced at her coldly. "Yukino, I don't recall ever teaching you that it's acceptable to lie to me."

"!!!"

Yukino's body trembled slightly. As expected, her mother saw right through her. Her mother had a sharp eye, and being her daughter, it was impossible to hide anything. She knew her mother's insight and recognized that her true desire for freedom had been exposed.

"You want freedom?"

"…"

Yukino lowered her head even further, her smooth black hair falling over her eyes, her fists clenching unconsciously. Knowing her true feelings had been uncovered, she realized she couldn't defy her mother.

"Very well, I will grant you freedom."

Her mother's unexpected words shocked her.

"Mother… are you saying…"

Her mother looked at her with a measured gaze. "I will allow you to move out, but only until you graduate. After graduation, you will follow my arrangements."

"…"

Yukino's initial excitement quickly subsided. As expected, freedom came at a price. But before her mother, she had no choice.

"I understand."

"Good."

Her mother nodded in satisfaction, adding a warning: "Even though I'm allowing you to move out, I expect you to know what you should and should not do. Correct?"

"Yes."

Yukino quietly agreed and turned to return to her room. Her mother watched her daughter's dejected figure until the door closed.

"…"

Shifting her gaze out the window, her mother reflected. This is the Yukinoshita family. They enjoy all that the family name provides, and in return, they must sacrifice their freedom. Such was her own life, and so it would be for her daughters as well.

Back in her room, Yukino found someone lying leisurely on her bed—a woman who looked strikingly similar to her, but with short black hair. The woman stood up and stretched with a lazy yawn, revealing one major difference between them—her ample chest, in stark contrast to Yukino's modest figure.

"Yukino-chan, wanting to move out to find freedom—isn't that just running away?" her older sister, Haruno Yukinoshita, teased.

"…"

Yukino's gaze darkened as she stared at her. Haruno was talented in every way, adored by everyone. Yukino, by contrast, was not as favored and felt she could never meet people's expectations the way her sister did. To those around her, Yukino was seen as well-behaved and sensible, but she often sensed that these qualities translated into being cold and unlikable. It was this image that bound her.

Yukino saw herself as nothing more than a "replacement" for her sister—a mere doll with no sense of self, living in the shadow of Haruno. This yearning for change, yet feeling lost about the future, was why she chose to run away.

"Sister, why are you in my room without my permission?" Yukino asked, unwilling to engage in a conversation about running away.

Sensing this, Haruno playfully dropped the subject. As the ultimate sister-obsessed sibling, she'd keep an eye on Yukino even if she moved out.

Haruno patted her slightly wrinkled skirt and smiled mischievously. "I heard you've already found an apartment, Yukino-chan. You're moving out tomorrow, right?"

Yukino frowned. "You've been investigating me again?"

"Yukino-chan, how can you call it investigating? This is just your sister caring for you," Haruno replied with a mockingly "innocent" look.

"…"

Yukino didn't feel even the slightest sympathy. She just found Haruno's fake attitude increasingly irritating. Her sister always wore that mask, never revealing her true emotions.

Just as Haruno was about to continue teasing her cute little sister, her phone rang. Seeing the familiar name on the screen, she answered it without hesitation, even with Yukino in the room.

"What's up, Shizuka? Why call me at this hour?"

Shizuka? Yukino knew it referred to their teacher, Shizuka Hiratsuka.

"Haruno, I have something I need your advice on."

"Oh? What is it? Don't tell me you're looking for a boyfriend or something," Haruno teased.

Yukino was aware that Hiratsuka-sensei was being pressured by her family to get married due to her age, so she didn't think much of the joke.

"Uh…"

But to her surprise, Shizuka hesitated.

Haruno immediately put on an intrigued expression, clearly ready for some juicy gossip.

After a long pause, Shizuka quietly asked, "Haruno, what should I do if a student seriously confessed to me?"

"Huh? A student confessed to you?"

Even Haruno was shocked.

Yukino, for the first time, looked up in curiosity.

"Pfft, I'm at a loss here! And we even made a bet to go on a date. What should I do?"

"!!!"

Haruno's eyes lit up with excitement. It had been a long time since she encountered something this amusing!

Yukino, seeing her sister's wicked grin, knew Haruno had no good intentions.

"How about this—why not go through with the date this weekend? I can help you navigate things."

"This weekend? Sure, I could use the help."

"Great! By the way, Shizuka, what's the student's name? I might be able to dig up some information."

"His name is Rei Ao, but don't stir up any trouble. He's a good student."

"Don't worry, Shizuka. I know how to handle things."

Haruno ended the call, her face brimming with excitement, but she noticed a shocked expression on Yukino's face.

Sensing something was off, Haruno narrowed her eyes. "Hmm? Yukino-chan, you seem surprised. Is it because of Shizuka's predicament?"

Yukino remained silent, but her eyes shifted slightly at the mention of Rei Ao's name.

Haruno noticed. "So, you know this Rei Ao?"

"…"

Yukino recalled meeting Rei Ao in the Service Club. She hadn't expected him to confess to their teacher! It was shocking.

In response to Haruno's probing, Yukino simply said, "We've met. Hiratsuka-sensei asked me to help him once."

"Shizuka asked for your help?"

Haruno's interest piqued. She knew about Yukino's involvement in the odd Service Club at school and had been worried when she first heard of it. After investigating and realizing it was harmless, she had simply found her sister's awkwardness endearing.

"Yes, his grades were just below the top 100, so Hiratsuka-sensei asked me to help him. But it seems he doesn't need my help anymore."

Haruno asked, "Why not?"

Yukino's expression became complex. "Now, he's managed to get a perfect score in every subject."

"Oh?"

From struggling to break into the top 100 to achieving perfect scores—it was an astonishing leap. Haruno became even more curious about Rei Ao, the student who had confessed to Shizuka and left a strong impression on her sister after just one meeting.

"It looks like there's something fun ahead this weekend," Haruno said, her eyes gleaming.

…

"It seems I won after all."

Rei Ao, smiling, ran his fingers through Esdeath's soft blue hair.

"…"

Esdeath stared deeply at the man who had just bested her.

"A bet is a bet. From now on, I will obey you. But one day, I will defeat you."

Her tired but fierce eyes were still full of determination. From this moment on, her goal was clear: she would beat Rei Ao and take back everything she had lost.

"When that day comes, I will reclaim everything and conquer you."

Rei Ao shrugged nonchalantly. "If you can do it, I'll give you the chance. But let's see if you don't end up being completely conquered by me first."

Esdeath remained expressionless. She looked at him as he stood up and asked, "So, what do you want me to do?"

"I saw Akame and the Night Raid members in the chat group. Are you planning to have me infiltrate the Empire or help the Night Raid and the Revolutionary Army?"

Esdeath didn't particularly care about the Empire's fate. Rei Ao, turning back with a smile, said, "No need. Just keep doing what you're doing. I won't interfere unless there's a trade involved."

As he dressed, Rei Ao glanced at Esdeath. "If you ever want to go another round, feel free to make another trade with me. Until then, see you."

His figure vanished, leaving Esdeath to stare at the spot where he disappeared for a long time before smiling faintly.

"Ah, what an interesting man."

...

Rei Ao was indeed satisfied, mainly because Esdeath's strength in all aspects allowed for complete indulgence. But upon returning home, something felt off.

The room lights were off, and he could hear Mai's steady breathing in the darkness. She hadn't waited up for him and had already fallen asleep. However, when he got into bed, he immediately realized something was wrong—there was water on the bed.

It was then he understood that Mai had spilled water, perhaps during her sleep. With a strange look on his face, Rei Ao didn't wake her up. She must have worn herself out, having been "busy" for quite some time.

"Well, tomorrow I'll have to make it up to her properly," he decided, thinking about how to give Mai a great time, especially now that she had become stronger.

…

Rei Ao soon learned the meaning of "plans can't keep up with change." Originally, he had planned to spend a carefree weekend leaving traces of their love all around the house. But early in the morning, a phone call woke her up, and she hurried to answer it, not even noticing the mess on the bed.

She told Rei Ao afterward that it was her mother calling, and she had to go back home for a visit. Rei Ao, noticing her reluctance, offered to accompany her, but Mai declined after giving him a deep kiss.

"I can't run away anymore," she said. "Facing my mother is a necessary step in my growth."

Before leaving, she promised, "When I come back, I'll tell you everything."

And so, Mai prepared to return home, leaving Rei Ao alone in the house. The sudden quiet left him feeling somewhat lonely.

"Maybe I'll go visit Ayame or Saeko," he thought. Not only could he have some fun there, but he could also level up by fighting monsters. Just as he was about to send a message to set up a trade with one of them, the doorbell rang unexpectedly.

He assumed it was Gabriel coming to repay him, but when he opened the door, he was surprised to see someone else.

"Yukinoshita-san?"

"Ao-san?" Yukino Yukinoshita was equally surprised. "Do you… live here?"

Rei Ao nodded. "Yes, I moved in just a few days ago. And you…?"

His gaze shifted to the box of fruit she was holding.

Yukino handed it to him, explaining, "This is a small gift. I've just moved in today… to the apartment next door."

She pointed to the left side.

"Oh, so you rented the place next door," Rei Ao said, accepting the fruit with a smile. "Looks like we're neighbors now. Let's look out for each other."

He extended his hand.

"Yes, let's look out for each other." Yukino lightly shook his hand before they both pulled back, aware of the awkwardness.

Just then, the door to the right opened, revealing Gabriel with messy hair, walking out. Yukino recognized her from earlier when she had also dropped off a welcome gift.

Gabriel, noticing Rei Ao, scratched her head awkwardly and mumbled, "Rei Ao… could you come over for a second?"

Rei Ao couldn't help but chuckle internally at Gabriel's swift descent into laziness. Gone was the perfect angel he had seen before.

He gave Yukino an apologetic look and said, "If you need any help, feel free to ask me."

With that, he followed Gabriel into her apartment. Yukino, now feeling puzzled, watched the two disappear into the neighboring room. The girl seemed to be quite familiar with him.

She, too, returned to her apartment, her mind swirling with thoughts. Moving in next door to someone she knew was an unexpected twist.

Inside Gabriel's apartment, she once again brought Rei Ao to her computer. On the screen was a familiar ad—'Holy Divine Staff—19999 for purchase!'

"Gabriel's really getting sucked into this, huh?" Rei Ao thought, amused. The game was clearly designed to fleece people, selling virtual gear for absurd amounts. He couldn't help but wonder if this was a devilish game specifically targeting naive angels like Gabriel.

"Do you need to borrow more money?" he asked playfully.

Gabriel nodded vigorously. "Don't worry, I'll pay you back on time according to the contract," she said, patting her chest with confidence. She had already calculated how to scrimp, save, and take on a part-time job if necessary.

"Well, alright. I'll transfer it to you, same as last time," Rei Ao said as he sent her the money.

"Thank you so much! The people of Valhalla will be grateful to you as well!" Gabriel exclaimed, referring to the game's fictional kingdom as she eagerly proceeded with the purchase.

Watching her rush back to the game, Rei Ao couldn't help but shake his head and laugh. "You're really hooked on this game, huh?"

"I'm saving the world!" she declared earnestly, though she hadn't even gotten the chance to test her new staff's powers.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"!!!"

Gabriel suddenly remembered. "It's probably Raphiel and the others!"

She was torn. She really wanted to test out her new staff but couldn't let her friends find out about her obsession. Making up her mind, she turned to Rei Ao.

"Rei Ao, could you answer the door for me? I need to, uh, clean up quickly."

"Your friends?" he guessed it might be Raphiel or Vignette and the others. He agreed and went to open the door, giving Gabriel some time to quickly jump back into her game.

~~~

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