The trade began.
Rei Ao took Chiharu's cool hand in his own.
"A wise decision.
"Now—let's carry out our deal."
He led her toward the bathroom. Water started to run, and billows of steam soon blurred the glass door.
"I‑I have no experience…"
Chiharu stood beside the tub, her spirit form flickering with tension.
"Should I… bathe first…?"
"Of course—together."
Rei Ao's voice held a smile as he slipped off his robe.
"It's part of the deal."
Chiharu's cheeks flamed scarlet; she turned away, not daring to look at him.
But when Rei Ao drew her into the warm water and droplets slid over the flesh her spirit had become, she had nowhere to flee. Eyes shut tight, she could only let events unfold.
…
Dawn
Sunlight spilled through a crack in the curtains onto the soft bed.
Amagami Chiharu lay curled in Rei Ao's arms. Her spirit form was far denser than the night before; a faint blush warmed her face, and an unmistakable mature allure rested between her brows.
She awoke to find Rei Ao watching her with obvious interest.
"Awake?" he asked, brushing the hair from her forehead. "How do you feel?"
Heat rose in Chiharu's cheeks. Memories rushed back; she tried to pull away, but his embrace only tightened. After the first flush of panic she grew calm, though her shyness remained impossible to hide.
"I‑I feel… real," she whispered. She could truly sense the warmth of his body and the weight of her own—and had never felt it so vividly. The rush of water, their mingled breaths, her first tentative moans…
Rei Ao's actions had shown her that "the right to use her body" was not degrading possession but a strange journey of rediscovering existence. As her spirit took on substance—until she felt her own heartbeat—Chiharu knew her choice might not have been wrong.
"This is only the beginning."
Rei Ao kissed her brow. "Come—time to see your home again."
"Home…"
Chiharu's eyes shone and she sat up—too quickly, the sheet falling away in a sudden flare of skin. Rei Ao's gaze sharpened; belatedly she blushed to her ears.
"W‑what is it?"
Pinching his chin as he admired the view, Rei Ao answered in all seriousness: "Chiharu, let me become the girls' father. I want to give them a family."
"Eh?"
"So—if you agree, don't struggle. Let's rest a little longer."
"Ah…?"
…
Noon
Downstairs, the three sisters waited in the living‑room, dark circles under their eyes—none of them had slept, afraid they would wake to find their mother gone and the whole night a dream.
When Miura Yumiko came in from the beach to change, Yae asked timidly, "Um… do you know where Rei Ao-san is?"
"Him?" Yumiko shrugged. Everyone in the chat group had seen the trade notice, so no one had gone looking for him; they were all doing their own thing. Seeing the girls' anxious faces, she patted Yae's shoulder. "Don't wait. He's probably busy. Go enjoy the beach for a while."
"Eh…?"
…
After what felt like ages, Rei Ao and Chiharu finally appeared.
"Mom!"
The sisters rushed over, carefully touching her arms. This time the contact was not the cold illusion of spirit, but warmth—real warmth.
"She's warm!"
"Mom, you're really here!" Asaki cried.
Yae exhaled in relief. "Thank goodness… it wasn't a dream!"
"M‑Mommy's still here, yes."
Chiharu shot Rei Ao a shy glance; her heart raced at the memory of his "bad" behavior—and at his earlier words about giving her daughters a home.
Yoru noticed the soft flush on her mother's face, then the small smile tugging at Rei Ao's lips. Questions piled up in her mind, but she held them in, saying only: "Rei Ao-san, you said you wanted to visit Amagami Shrine?"
"I did." He nodded. "Since fate has brought us together, I should pay my respects. As for your mother's situation—let her explain once we reach the shrine."
With mixed feelings the sisters followed Rei Ao and Chiharu out of the villa. Rei Ao used no space magic; he chose to walk through the forest. Morning mist still hung among the trees, the familiar scent of leaves and earth all around—exactly as the sisters remembered, yet different because of Rei Ao at their side and their resurrected mother.
When the shrine's vermilion torii came into view, Chiharu stopped. She gazed at the familiar gateway and the main hall just visible beyond, tears glimmering in her eyes. This was the place she had guarded for so many years, the bond she had never been able to leave.
"Come—let's go in," Rei Ao said, taking her hand and stepping beneath the torii first.
"?"
The sisters exchanged baffled looks. Was their mother perhaps… a little too close to this boy not much older than themselves?
Inside, the shrine was quiet; only wind chimes tinkled softly. Rei Ao looked around with interest at the rustic buildings and the giant cherry tree in the courtyard—out of season yet still exuding a gentle aura. The sisters, by habit, began tidying the grounds, as though yesterday's seaside excursion had been only a brief interlude.
Chiharu stood before the main hall, watching her daughters bustle about, emotions surging within her. She knew that from the moment she accepted the trade last night, her fate had been bound to this man. What the future would bring—she had no idea.
But for now, she could stand at her daughters' side in the sun and feel its warmth. And for the moment, that was enough.
~~~
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