Re:Zero - Reincarnated on a Co-op Route

"Ugh... what was that all about?" Muttered Kaoru as he slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry, and he felt like his whole body was heavy as if he had been thrown under a pile of bricks. "I hurt all over...did I faint?"

With a low groan, Kaoru glanced down at his body. He was bandaged in several places; bandages covered his broken arm, his torso, and some wounds on his legs. His skin, normally a pale shade, was now almost comparable to Roswaal's sickly pallor. "The blood loss was too much", he thought, swallowing saliva with difficulty.

Kaoru carefully leaned back on the bed and tried to get up. "Shit... moving is fucking agony," he grunted through his teeth as every muscle in his body protested. After a while of struggling with himself, he finally managed to stand up. Every step to the window was a challenge, but as he reached it, he paused to watch the sunrise. The soft light was beginning to illuminate the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. "It must be early... The sun hasn't even risen yet."

His eyes wandered around the room, looking for something to wear, and stopped at the bedside table. There lay his school uniform, clean and organized, though he wore no shirt, and the pants were the same as his servant's, torn and covered in battle marks. Kaoru sighed. "Well, this will do for now..."

Suddenly, a soft sound brought him out of his thoughts.

knock, knock

"Are you awake?" asked a soft voice from the other side of the door.

Kaoru recognized the voice instantly. "Oh, yes, yes. Come in, please," he replied, scratching the back of his neck.

The handle turned, and Emilia entered the room. There was something strange about her demeanor: she seemed more shy than usual, as if she were nervous about something. Her hands were clasped in front of her, and she avoided looking directly at Kaoru.

"Feeling better?" asked Emilia, slowly approaching. Her eyes showed genuine concern as she took Kaoru's bandaged hand gently. His skin was so pale that Emilia couldn't help but frown.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine," Kaoru replied with a weak smile, though his movements were still awkward and painful. To reassure her, he raised his free hand and gently stroked her silver hair. "Thank you for caring."

Emilia blushed slightly, but her expression relaxed. "That's a relief," she murmured, sitting down next to him on the edge of the bed. Kaoru sat up as well, grateful for the rest after the effort of getting up.

"How is Subaru?" asked Kaoru after a moment of silence.

"He's fine," Emilia replied with a slight smile. "He's just exhausted. Roswaal brought him back to the mansion last night. We went to see him, and he's resting."

Kaoru let out a sigh of relief. "That's good. Subaru is sometimes a bit impulsive... He doesn't measure the risk until it hits him head-on." His tone held a hint of humor but also concern.

Emilia let out a small laugh. "The same could be said of you, Kaoru," she replied, glancing sideways at him with a mischievous grin.

Kaoru chuckled, bringing a hand to his hair. "Touché... I guess you're right."

"Beatrice and Ram kept watching you while you slept," Emilia commented, looking at Kaoru curiously.

"Really?" asked Kaoru, surprised.

"Yes... and so did I," Emilia added, looking down a little, visibly embarrassed.

"Did they really do that?" thought Kaoru, feeling a mixture of surprise and gratitude. "Was I in such a bad state that they even came to see me? Or do they really care about me?"

Emilia continued, trying to fill the silence. "Beatrice even stayed for a bit after Ram and I left."

Kaoru nodded slowly, processing what he had heard. "So that happened... I really don't know what to say other than... thank you. Thank you for caring so much about me. You have no idea what it means to me."

Inside, Kaoru was excited. "That loli tsundere finally showed her true colors! She has a heart after all! And to think that Ram, the ever aloof and sarcastic Ram, also cared... She's adorable! But Emilia... Emilia is different. She is an angel. Every single thing she does makes me fall more in love with her. Why do I have to leave that angel to Subaru? It's so unfair!"

Without realizing it, a warm smile began to form on Kaoru's face.

"Kaoru... are you okay?" asked Emilia, tilting her head as she looked at him.

"I'm just happy, Emilia" Kaoru replied, looking straight into her eyes. "Hardly people care about me. They always think I'm a drag or a wretch. But you...you matter to me. And I matter to you. That makes my cynical heart soften every day." His voice, though weak, was laden with sincerity.

Before Emilia could respond, Kaoru enveloped her in a sudden embrace. He pulled her to him, pressing their bodies together as he closed his eyes.

"Emilia... ♡"

"K-Kaoru...!" stammered Emilia, completely red from the contact. She felt her heart racing, and her mind went into chaos. "What is he doing? This is too close!" she thought, but she couldn't pull away.

"I love you so much, Emilia ♡," Kaoru murmured with a mischievous smile, enjoying the moment.

"Kaoru... aahh..." moaned Emilia, her face now as red as a tomato as her hands trembled. She could barely process what was happening.

Kaoru soon realized how awkward the moment was becoming and let out a small laugh. "Sorry, sorry. I went a little overboard," he said as he pulled away, though he still had a playful smile on his lips.

"No! It's nothing, don't worry about it," Emilia replied quickly, too nervous to look directly at him.

Kaoru scratched his head, trying to ease the tension. "Well, Emilia, I don't know what I'd do without you. You're amazing, you know that, right?"

Emilia finally looked up, still blushing, but with a small smile. "Thank you, Kaoru..."

"Hey, Emilia," Kaoru said as he scratched his head, with an expression of slight discomfort. "I have hazy memories of last night. I think I hit my head while fighting the Wolgarm."

The mention of the previous night made Emilia blush instantly. Her mind was invaded by the memory of what had happened: Kaoru, in a hallucinated state, had kissed her deeply. And, according to her naive understanding of relationships, that kiss had gotten her pregnant. "A baby... Kaoru's baby... My baby!" she thought with a knot in her stomach.

"Is something wrong, Emi?" asked Kaoru, arching an eyebrow as she noticed Emilia's face getting redder and redder.

"Well... I..." Emilia lowered her gaze, fiddling nervously with her fingers. Her shyness was evident, but she was determined to speak. "I came here because... we need to talk."

Kaoru noticed the serious tone in her voice and stopped scratching his head. He straightened up, adopting a more attentive posture. "Okay. What's wrong?"

Emilia took a deep breath of air before blurting it out all at once. "I came here to talk about the baby in my belly. Your baby. I'm pregnant with you."

For a moment, time seemed to stand still for Kaoru. His eyes widened, and his breathing stopped. The phrase hit his mind like a speeding truck.

"HUUUUUUH?" he exclaimed, choking on his own saliva. "WH-WH-WH-WHAAAAAT?! ¿¡EEEEHHH!?"

Kaoru tried to formulate a word, any word, but his brain was too busy processing what he had just heard. "Did I... did I fuck her last night? When the hell did it happen?! How?! Does none of this make any sense?!"

For her part, Emilia looked completely serious, though visibly nervous. She looked at Kaoru with eyes full of worry. "I don't know if this will affect my royal selection... I haven't told anyone. I don't know how they would react or what they would say," she confessed, her voice trembling as she played with a lock of her silver hair.

Kaoru, still in shock, finally managed to articulate something. "E-Emilia..." he said, with a noticeable twitch in his right eyelid. "What exactly did I do last night?"

Emilia lowered her gaze even further, her voice barely a whisper. "Well... you... you were in a really bad way. You were hallucinating about Ram and...well...you thought I was Ram. You said to come closer and... well, I came closer and..."

Kaoru felt his stomach sink. "And...?" he asked, dreading the answer.

"You... you kissed me deeply," Emilia confessed, her face completely red. "But I know it wasn't your fault. I don't want to blame you for anything! You weren't well, and it was all my fault. I'm sorry... But I don't want you to think that I'm going to leave the burden to you alone."

Kaoru blinked several times. A kiss? Wait... it was just a kiss? " For a second, his heart seemed to stop, but then he let out a long sigh of relief. He brought a hand to his face and let out a small nervous laugh as he pushed his hair back.

"Really, it was just a kiss? Thank God...I thought I'd done something much worse," he said, feeling a ton of weight lift off his shoulders.

Emilia looked at him, confused. "Kaoru? What's wrong?" she asked, visibly worried.

Kaoru looked straight at her, with a mixture of disbelief and surprise. "Who told you babies are made by a kiss?" he asked, in the most serious tone he could manage at the moment.

Emilia averted her gaze, visibly embarrassed. "W-well... it was P-Puck who told me it was like that," she confessed, fiddling nervously with her hands.

Kaoru closed his eyes for a moment, holding a hand to his forehead as he processed what he had just heard. "That damn cat... What the hell is he teaching her? Does he have her in complete isolation or what? He's a possessive creep, is what he is. "

Meanwhile, Emilia was still looking at him with tearful, pleading eyes, her face still tinged with red. Kaoru felt a strange inner conflict as he watched her.

"Oh god, why are you looking at me like that? Those eyes... What am I supposed to do with that? "

Kaoru averted his gaze, feeling his mind begin to split in two. And then, the inner voices began their eternal debate.

Sinful voice: "Come on, Kaoru! Look at that face. She's pure, innocent, vulnerable... and she's all alone with you in this room. What are you waiting for? You've got one of the most beautiful girls you've ever met in your life in front of you, and she's practically begging you to claim her. It's just like in those visual novels you used to play in your old world! Make her yours!"

Rational voice: "Don't do it, Kaoru! Don't become a monster! If you take advantage of her now, you'll cross a line you won't be able to come back from! Is that what you want, to turn your life into some kind of 'Fucktale' in this world? They're people, Kaoru, not characters in a video game. Emilia's purity and innocence are beautiful, and you have no right to sully them!"

Kaoru held his hands to his head, feeling both voices fighting for control of his morality. "Lust vs. Chastity, huh? Damn it, why do I always have to deal with these absurd situations? "

Finally, he let out a long sigh, closing his eyes to calm himself. "Easy, Kaoru, you can't lose your mind here. Breathe. Breathe. "

Kaoru opened his eyes, looking at Emilia with a forced smile. "Emilia, listen. You're not pregnant. You can't get pregnant from a kiss. That's... not how things work," he said, choosing his words carefully so as not to break her emotionally.

Emilia blinked several times, clearly confused. "I'm... not pregnant?" she asked, her voice shaky. "But Puck said that...?"

"Well, Puck lied to you," Kaoru interrupted, trying to keep his composure. "It's... a complicated issue, but trust me, one kiss doesn't make babies."

Emilia was silent for a moment, processing what she had just heard. Finally, she let out a small sigh of relief, though her face was still red. "Oh... I see. That... that makes sense," he muttered.

Kaoru nodded, though he still felt a slight twitch in his right eye. "That damn cat's going to hear me when I see him... " he thought, as he tried not to lose his patience.

"Thanks for telling me, Kaoru," Emilia said with a small smile, though she still looked slightly embarrassed. "I'm glad to hear there's no baby..."

Kaoru let out a nervous laugh. "I spent all my willpower on not fucking you right now, geez, " he thought, as he tried to keep the conversation as neutral as possible.

"Subaru will definitely hate me when he finds out that I kissed Emilia... and lewdly on top of that" Kaoru mused as he looked up at the ceiling. "Well, another secret to take to my grave. Along with Raigor and Roswaal's..." He sighed long, letting guilt and exhaustion wash over him.

"Am I really a bad friend? I guess so." He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to find some excuse that would ease his conscience. "In my defense, I was hallucinating, wasn't I? That shouldn't be a problem... should it? Maybe I should explain it to him... He'd understand me, wouldn't he?" A pause. "...Better not. I don't think he'd believe me."

Kaoru let out a dry laugh, imagining the scene. "I just hope Emilia, because of her innocence, doesn't end up saying something to him about it at some point."

"If I were to get another chance like that... I might not be able to restrain myself. " His sigh was heavier this time, as if trying to offload the guilt of his own thoughts.

Shaking his head, Kaoru slowly sat up, still feeling the twinges of pain in his bandaged body. "Hey, Emilia, why don't we get out of here? The others must have woken up by now. I don't want to keep you any longer," he said, looking toward her.

Emilia, still in the room, remained silent for a few seconds. Her mind was still somewhat clouded by recent events, but the blush on her face had slightly diminished. "Oh... yes, yes. I'm just a little distracted, you know..." she replied in a soft voice, trying to hide her thoughts.

Kaoru smiled slightly. "Don't give it another thought. Don't worry," he said, trying to calm her down.

"It's okay... but please don't try too hard, okay?" Emilia reached over and, with a gentle gesture, took Kaoru's hands between her own.

"Understood," Kaoru replied, though he felt the words were more to reassure her than an actual commitment.

Emilia smiled, though she still looked a little nervous. "Good. See you then," she said as she said goodbye to Kaoru, walking out the door with a shy air.

When the door closed, Kaoru let out a long sigh. "Things just keep happening lately... I'm just hoping for a normal day." He stretched gingerly, feeling his bandaged muscles protest.

"Mmm... I don't think I can work today. I can barely walk, I'm pretty low on blood, and I don't think they'd have the nerve to make me work in this condition... right?"

Kaoru shook his head, deciding to ignore that possibility. "Anyway, I have things to do and put in order. Maybe then I can take a break... at least a little." His gaze shifted to his school uniform, which rested on the nightstand. "First I need to go back to my clerk's room to get my grimoire. I suppose after that I could go to Beatrice's archive." And then he would come to breakfast.

He eyed the uniform with some disdain. "I should put on something looser first, though. I don't want to rub my scars... Just a touch already causes me too much pain."

With that thought, Kaoru took his clothes in his arms, walked out of the guest room, and headed for the employee room on the lower floor. His steps were slow and careful, still dealing with the pain as he walked. As she made her way through the corridors, she ran into Rem.

"Kaoru-sama, are you feeling better?" asked Rem in a soft voice, laden with concern. She approached with light steps, bending down a little to take a closer look at him, as if to make sure he really was all right.

Kaoru looked up and gave him a tired but genuine smile.

"Yeah, don't worry, Rem. I'm fine," he replied calmly, though the exhaustion was still present in his tone.

Rem sighed softly, relieved by her words. "I see... I'm very glad," she said, but her expression still showed some doubt. "Although... you look very pale, Kaoru-sama. You must have lost a lot of blood."

Kaoru shrugged, letting out a dry laugh. "Enough to paint the forest red," he commented sarcastically, trying to lighten the mood.

Rem's eyes widened a little more, and his concern intensified. "That's too bad then... You shouldn't move!" she exclaimed urgently, looking at Kaoru as if he was about to faint at any moment. Evidently, she hadn't gotten the joke.

Kaoru waved a hand calmly, trying to reassure her. "Oh, no, no. Yes, I lost a lot of blood, but I can move. I'm fine, really. Emilia told me not to push myself too hard today and to try to rest."

Rem watched him for a moment, her expression still serious, but something in her eyes gave away that there was something else she wanted to say. Her hands were shaking slightly, and her breathing seemed heavier than normal. Finally, she took a step towards Kaoru, her gaze fixed on him.

"...Rem?" asked Kaoru, tilting his head. His tone was wary; clearly, he had noticed that something wasn't quite right.

Without another word, Rem took a couple more steps until she was right in front of him. Before Kaoru could react, she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly around the waist.

"Rem!?" exclaimed Kaoru, surprised by the sudden gesture. His body tensed instinctively, not knowing how to respond. "What... what are you doing? This is... weird." In his mind, memories of the previous loop came back like a cold shock. He remembered clearly how Rem had brutally slaughtered him, and though he knew this Rem was different, he couldn't help but feel conflicted.

"I'm sorry..." muttered Rem, her voice trembling as she hid her face against Kaoru's chest. Due to the height difference, the girl's forehead barely brushed his torso. "I'm so sorry..."

Kaoru blinked, still confused by the situation. "You're sorry? Look, I forgive you for whatever you did, okay? You don't have to get all worked up like that. It's all right," he said, trying to calm her down as he lifted a hand and began to gently stroke her blue hair. His fingers ran through the tresses in awkward but gentle motions.

Rem looked up slightly, her eyes glistening with tears. She didn't let go of the embrace, and her voice cracked as she continued. "I doubted... I doubted you... Two nights ago... I... I... tried to..." But her voice trailed off before she finished the sentence, as if the words were too heavy to say.

Kaoru sighed, feeling there was no need to press her to continue. "It's okay, Rem. I forgive you. You don't need to say more."

"But I..." Rem tried to protest, but Kaoru shook his head slightly, interrupting her.

"Relax. I'm not upset. In fact, I'm glad you came to tell me," he said with a warm, if still shy, smile. It was clear that he was making an effort to appear friendly, even if he still wasn't completely at peace with what had happened in the past.

Rem looked at him with a mixture of gratitude and confusion. "Why are you being so nice?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Kaoru let out a small laugh and shrugged. "Even I don't know. Don't ask me," he replied with a snort, trying to play it down.

"'You're silly, you know that?" said Rem, still clinging to him, though her tone had a slight hint of warmth to it this time.

"Quite a bit, to be exact," Kaoru replied with a sarcastic smile, breaking the tension a bit. Rem let out a slight chuckle and, finally, after a few more moments, broke away from the embrace. She used the sleeves of her uniform to wipe the tears from her cheeks, trying to compose herself.

"Then... we can start again, if you want," Kaoru said after a brief pause.

Rem looked at him, blinking curiously. "Again?"

"From zero," Kaoru replied, smiling a sincere smile. "Let's forget all the bad stuff and start from zero."

For the first time in a long time, a small, genuine smile formed on Rem's lips. That smile soon turned into a soft chuckle, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

"I understand. We can do it... from zero," she said, nodding with determination.

Kaoru nodded as well, satisfied. But then, he held up a hand as if marking a boundary. "Well, I don't want us to get too mushy for now. I have things to do."

Rem bowed her head with a slight bow. "That's fine, Kaoru-sama. But please don't overexert yourself. I'll bring your breakfast to your room. Roswaal said you can use the guest room until you recover."

Kaoru arched an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "Roswaal said that?"

"Yes. You and Subaru-sama can use them," Rem confirmed with his usual tone of formality.

"Well, in that case, take me breakfast there. I'll just go get my things and come back," Kaoru said with a carefree tone, though relieved to be able to take some time to rest.

Rem nodded again before retreating with careful steps, leaving Kaoru alone.

Kaoru let out a long sigh, bringing a hand to his hair. "Well, what a day it is today, huh?" he muttered to himself, shaking his head as a small smile crossed his face.

Kaoru opened the door to his room with a sigh. It was a small, simple room, much more modest than the mansion's guest rooms, which were considerably more comfortable. But he had no time to worry about that. He closed the door behind him and looked around.

"Well, here we are. Time to get changed and get on with the rest of the day. "

He walked over to the closet and opened it in hopes of finding some clothes. He stared inside for a few seconds before clicking his tongue.

"Empty. Of course it's empty!" he exclaimed, letting out a frustrated sigh. He slammed the closet shut and put a hand to his forehead. "Well, shit...then I'll just wear my fucking school uniform."

Resignedly, he walked to the edge of the bed and picked up his uniform folded on a chair. He buttoned up his white shirt with quick, efficient movements, pulled up his dark gray pants fitting them snugly, and finished by putting on his black shoes. Finally, he put on the red tie, pulling it on until it was perfectly aligned. As he briefly glanced at himself in the small mirror in the room, he couldn't help but let out a dry remark.

"Impeccable. Now I look like a classy idiot," he muttered sarcastically as he rearranged the sleeves of his shirt.

With his clothes at the ready, he began to walk around the room. His footsteps echoed lightly on the wooden floor as he made his way to a specific drawer. As he opened it, his eyes fell upon an object that was as familiar to him as it was strange: his grimoire.

There it was, with its dark cover and intricate design that seemed almost alive in the light. Kaoru took it carefully, feeling the weight in his hands. It was a large book, too large to fit in any of her pockets, which had always been a nuisance.

"It's big enough to fit in any of my pockets," he commented quietly, as he held it with one hand and ran his fingers along the cover with the other.

As he opened it, his eyes roamed the pages curiously. It wasn't long before something caught his eye: a page titled "Wolgarm ".

"Wolgarm..." he muttered, frowning. "I don't remember writing anything specific about those Mabeasts. I didn't even have time to write anything yesterday."

Curiosity drove him to analyze the page in more detail. What he found astounded him. The description was incredibly detailed, far more than he could have written, even if he had had days to do so. The grimoire showed precise information about the Wolgarms: their weight, size, strength, and speed, as well as specific details about the alpha forms, which were the leaders of the packs. It also described their curse, the curse they applied when biting a victim, their habits, their olfactory capabilities, and a host of additional data.

Kaoru paused for a moment, processing what she was seeing. "This thing... it records things automatically?" he wondered, as he flipped through the pages, incredulous at the accuracy of the data. "I mean, I'm not complaining, but this is... I'd even say it's too good to be true."

His fingers paused over the page as his thoughts raced. "Does this mean that everything I see or experience is recorded here, without the need to write it down myself? If so... this is an incredible tool. It could be a huge advantage in dealing with whatever comes next. "

Kaoru closed the grimoire with a soft thump, looking at its cover once more. "Anyway, this is a good thing," he concluded quietly, as he placed it back in the drawer. "It's like the grimoire records what I see without needing to carry it around with me. I don't even need to carry it around for it to work."

He stood thoughtfully for a moment, looking at the drawer before closing it. "In that case, I don't see the need to carry it with me. Besides, it's too big and would attract attention. I'd rather save myself awkward questions about it, if possible."

Kaoru stood up, stretching slightly as his mind continued to process the grimoire's usefulness. "It's useful, yes, but the world doesn't need to know I have something like this. Better to keep it as my little secret. "

With that thought, he headed for the door, ready to face whatever the day had in store. But just before he stepped out, he paused and glanced over his shoulder toward the closed drawer.

"I'll have to try this later. If the grimoire can automatically record what I see, how far does its range go? What else can I learn from this? "

Kaoru smiled slightly, a mixture of curiosity and satisfaction crossing his face. "Who knew something so strange could be so useful? Maybe Raigor isn't so bad after all. "

With that, he left the room, closing the door behind him.

Kaoru walked quietly through the halls of the mansion, his footsteps echoing softly on the floor as his hands rested in the pockets of his uniform. Finally, he stopped in front of one particular door.

"This is it," he said quietly, a faint smile on his lips.

He opened the door without hesitation and, as he expected, found himself in Beatrice's archive. The immense library stretched around him, with shelves crammed with old books that exuded an aura of mystery. In the center, as always, Beatrice was sitting in her favorite armchair, a book open on her lap. Seeing him enter, she looked up, gazing at him with her typical mixture of indifference and curiosity.

"How do you always know which door leads to this place? It seems the passage I use is a joke to you, kashira," Beatrice said, narrowing her eyes.

"Good morning, Betty," Kaoru replied, raising his hand slightly in a nonchalant greeting.

Beatrice sighed, closing her book with a soft thump. "I guess you're better, since you have the energy to come here. After all, you were so injured that I was already thinking of finding you a coffin."

Kaoru smiled slightly, tilting his head. "Does that mean you care enough about me to make that sweet gesture for me? You melt my heart," he said calmly, his tone slightly playful.

Beatrice looked at him with narrowed eyes, clearly wary. "If you say it so calmly, it sounds strange, kashira."

Kaoru smiled slightly as he shrugged. "I just don't have much energy today, so you'll see a calmer side of me, I guess."

Beatrice watched him for a few seconds before looking away with a slight snort. "Anyway, why are you here? Do you have a reason or did you just come to annoy me?"

"To visit you, clearly," Kaoru replied, his tone feigning innocence.

"Visit me? Huh? And why did you think I would want you to visit me, kashira?" asked Beatrice, crossing her arms and looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

Kaoru smiled softly, leaning a little towards her. "Do you want us to get sentimental here or something?" he asked with a small, amused smile.

"Ugh... no, avoid it, I've had enough of you," Beatrice replied, averting her gaze with a slight blush on her cheeks.

Kaoru chuckled, enjoying Beatrice's reaction. Then, his expression softened as he looked at her sincerely.

"Thank you for keeping an eye on me while I was weak. You don't know how much I appreciate that."

The sudden change in his tone puzzled Beatrice, who blinked several times, her guard completely down. "W-what?" she stammered, looking at him in surprise. "I... I only stayed to make sure you didn't worsen your condition. I did it because otherwise Emilia would be sad, and that would put Puck in a bad mood. It wasn't because of you!" she exclaimed quickly, trying to regain her composure.

"Your tone is not very convincing," he remarked quietly.

"D-don't bother me! That's why I did it!" retorted Beatrice, crossing her arms and looking away. "If you have nothing more to say, then you can go."

Kaoru tilted his head slightly, as if he was thinking about something. Then, he smiled slightly. "Well, I really just want you to know something... You made me very happy."

Beatrice blushed instantly, her eyes blinking rapidly as she tried to process his words. "D-don't start with your stuff," she murmured, averting her gaze. "I know damn well you're going to try to kiss me again, that's not going to happen, kashira!"

Kaoru raised a puzzled eyebrow. "Kiss you... again?" he asked, clearly confused. "Well... not exactly?"

"You don't deny it!?" cried Beatrice, her face growing redder and redder.

"Why would I? I wouldn't say no to your lips," Kaoru replied with a mischievous grin. "But that's not why I came. I just wanted to thank you... and, well, I'd like to come back to read some books here from time to time, if you don't mind. I need to do some studying."

Beatrice snorted, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Ughh... you... do whatever you want," she said quickly, averting her gaze.

Kaoru watched her for a moment before leaning slightly towards her, a playful smile on her lips.

"Like kiss y—?"

"Never that!" interrupted Beatrice, almost shouting as she rose from her seat.

Kaoru laughed softly. "You don't sound very confident."

"¡¿Are you bothering me?!" exclaimed Beatrice, trying to sound firm as her face remained red.

""Not really,"" Kaoru replied with a calm expression.

"¿¡Why would I sound insecure about that!?" insisted Beatrice, clearly on the defensive.

"Maybe because you like m—"

"Stop!" shouted Beatrice, her face completely red as she waved her hands as if trying to physically stop his words.

Kaoru simply smiled, enjoying the scene. "God... I really love tsunderes, " he thought, stifling a wider grin.

Finally, Kaoru sighed and took a step towards the door. "Well, Betty, I'll see you later then. I just want you to know that I really adore you," he said sincerely, his tone calm and warm.

Beatrice looked at him, still blushing, her lips pressed together as she tried to keep her composure. "You really like saying sweet things to girls, don't you? Are you looking to make them fall in love with you or something, kashira? she asked, trying to sound judgmental, though her tone held a slight hint of insecurity.

Kaoru shrugged, smiling. "I can't help it. Girls like you deserve to hear sweet things once in a while," he replied before walking out of the archive.

Beatrice watched him as he walked out, her face still red. "Silly... Why does he have to be so... irritating?" She thought, though she couldn't stop a small smile from crossing her face.

Kaoru walked down the halls with a pleased smile on his face.

"I definitely have to spend more time teasing her. It's too much fun."

As he made his way to the dining room, his stomach growled softly, reminding him that he hadn't eaten anything yet. "I should eat breakfast now. Rem probably left something in my guest room."

--[Time Skip]--

It was evening. Kaoru was sitting on one of the sofas in the living room, cross-legged with a cup of hot herbal tea in his hand, courtesy of Rem. The soothing aroma of the tea filled the room as he flipped through a book he had borrowed from Beatrice's archive. He couldn't train his body or practice his magic right now, so he decided to relax a bit and read to pass the time.

"It's better than beating around the bush", Kaoru thought, immersed in the pages of the book, until a familiar voice suddenly interrupted him.

"Kaoru! We escaped the loop at last!" exclaimed Subaru, approaching from behind in his usual loud, energetic tone.

Kaoru closed his eyes for a moment, sighing before responding with a dry tone. "...Yeah, that's good. No more death for a while, I guess."

Subaru frowned, turning around to face Kaoru. "What's with that attitude, you should be glad!"

"I am, believe me," Kaoru replied, rolling his eyes as he set the teacup down on the table. "Things went well this time, and I'm glad for it."

"Boring," Subaru replied, crossing his arms with a smirk.

Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "Do you want something, or did you just come to annoy me?" he asked sarcastically.

Subaru ignored the comment and plopped down on the couch in front of him. "Hey, Kaoru, do you miss anything from our previous world?" he asked suddenly, changing the subject.

Kaoru looked up from the book for a moment, pondering. 'Tranquility,' he thought, but instead of saying it, he answered aloud, "The ketchup and the mayo. The pizza, the burgers, and the fucking empanadas. Definitely."

Subaru laughed, surprised. "How specific!"

Kaoru rolled his eyes and returned his question. "Don't you miss them?"

"Of course I do," Subaru said, nodding quickly. "Especially the mayonnaise. I used it for a lot of things."

"We should make some mayo sometime," suggested Kaoru, putting the book aside.

"Really?" asked Subaru, leaning forward curiously.

"I don't see why not," Kaoru replied. "We can visit the village to get the ingredients and, while we're at it, talk to the people. Some must be worried and others grateful for what we did, saving the children from that Mabeast puppy that caused so much trouble."

Subaru smiled broadly, encouraged by the idea. "That sounds great! I want to see the kids again. Besides, we could do aerobics with the townspeople when we get back."

Kaoru let out a small laugh as he took a sip of his tea. "When I get some blood back, sure. With my current skin tone, I rival Roswaal."

Subaru burst out laughing. "You're right! For a moment there I thought you were his long-lost cousin."

Kaoru allowed himself a smile before adding, "Who knows? Maybe we can become rich using our knowledge of the other world."

Subaru shook his head, still laughing. "Well, I don't want to disappoint you, but I have no idea how to build a printing press or anything that will make us rich."

Kaoru leaned back on the couch, crossing his arms. "Considering what we saw in the city, the mansion, and the surrounding area, I'd say this world is at a stage equivalent to the early to mid-Renaissance. Roughly the 1500s or 1600s in our world."

"But," Kaoru continued, "they have magic here, which alters technological progress. There are things that don't fit the era, like Roswaal's magic lamps. Simply amazing, don't you think?"

Subaru nodded. "Yes, they're very practical."

"Anyway," Kaoru said, shrugging, "Don't break your head trying to remember something you don't know. Besides, I don't want this world to advance technologically. What's the joke of a magical world if we end up in a modern era?"

Subaru looked at him with a smirk. "Boy, you sure like to talk, huh?"

Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "Did you even listen to me?"

"Part of it," Subaru admitted with a nervous laugh.

Kaoru clicked his tongue, annoyed. "Why am I bothering to explain things to you, then?"

"Come on, don't get mad. I did listen to you, I swear," Subaru said, raising his hands in surrender.

"In short," Kaoru said in a drier tone, "we could get rich by introducing dishes from our world into this one."

"That sounds great!" replied Subaru, excited.

Suddenly, Subaru changed the subject, leaning towards Kaoru with a mischievous smile. "Hey, by the way... I was planning to ask Emilia out on a date tonight. I'm kind of nervous, hehe."

Kaoru raised an eyebrow, setting the book down on his lap. "That's great, bro. You've got it all figured out already?"

Subaru nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! I even made a list of date activities, the food and drink, tissues, and everything else."

Kaoru put a hand to his forehead, sighing. "My God... Well, I guess in this world, that could work."

"Don't tease," Subaru said, frowning. "I'm being thorough!"

Kaoru smiled slightly. "I see. Good luck then."

"Hey, say it with more pep! Your tone sounds so subdued it sounds passive-aggressive."

"I'm not being," Kaoru replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"I only have to see your face to know that!" insisted Subaru.

"It's because I'm low on blood," Kaoru retorted sarcastically.

"So when do you plan to take her out?" asked Kaoru, changing the subject.

"Mmmm... I think in two days. I need everything to be perfect to claim Emilia-tan's heart," Subaru said excitedly.

Kaoru couldn't stop a nervous smile from crossing his face. "I hope he never knows that I claimed Emilia's mouth last night. I don't want to take away the fantasy of your first kiss with her. "

Subaru got up from the couch, stretching. "Well, I'm off to the garden. Emilia must be there. wish me luck with encouragement this time!"

Kaoru put her fingers to his forehead, feigning enthusiasm. "Good luck, Subaru."

When Subaru left the room, Kaoru let out a long sigh, leaning against the back of the sofa.

"I guess I'm a bastard," he muttered to himself, trying to ignore the guilt that haunted him.

With another sigh, he settled back on the couch, picked up his book, and continued his reading, letting the silence of the night fill the room.