Chapter 268: Ren on the Table! Two Girls Under the Table!
Yui, resting her head on the table, secretly watched them. She felt as if the door to a new world was opening before her.
Hesitating in her conflict, her elbow accidentally knocked her ballpoint pen to the floor.
"Ah, my pen fell too."
"Do you need me to help you pick it up?" Megumi asked.
Yui quickly waved her hand. "No, no, I'll get it myself."
With that, Yui also slipped under the table to look for her pen.
Ren was in an excellent mood.
Perhaps it was because his pen hadn't fallen like theirs; it was still resting safely on the table.
"…"
Dark lines etched themselves across Yukino's forehead.
Could you be any more obvious?
She endured the strange discomfort spreading through her body.
Yukino turned to face the open window, refusing to look at them or acknowledge their voices. Only the cool breeze drifting in could soothe her frayed nerves.
After a moment…
"Found it!"
"Me too!"
Yui and Megumi emerged from under the table, each holding their newly recovered pens.
Yui cautiously glanced at Yukino.
Seeing that Yukino wasn't looking her way, she patted her chest in relief.
She gulped, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead.
Yukino's mouth twitched.
Did they really think I couldn't see? Is Yui an idiot?
Megumi, on the other hand, calmly took a sip of water to rinse her mouth. She was already accustomed to this.
"Yumiko, I bought this for you."
Yumiko entered and enthusiastically handed a bottle of water to Yui.
She was so focused on Yui that she didn't even notice the bottle already in front of Megumi, a clear sign of her guilty conscience.
Yui accepted it with a dry laugh. "Ah, thank… thank you, Yumiko."
"You're welcome! I'm just glad you're okay."
Yumiko hurriedly shook her head, then her body suddenly went rigid.
She now stood between Ren and Yui, perfectly blocking Yui's line of sight.
Someone was playing tricks behind her, and it was obvious who it was.
Stop, Yui is still here! Yumiko screamed internally.
[Oh? So it's okay if Yui isn't here?] Ren asked Yumiko through their shared thoughts.
[Uh, no, of course not! I'm not that kind of person,] Yumiko haltingly refused.
A smile curved Ren's lips.
This passive, tsundere side of hers was quite amusing.
"!!!"
Yumiko's face instantly flushed crimson.
Feeling the sensation intensify, she quickly pleaded in her mind, [Okay, okay! It's fine! Just don't continue, Yui is looking!]
"Yumiko, why are you out of breath?"
Yui took a small sip of water to dilute the strong taste in her mouth, then tilted her head to look at Yumiko.
Yumiko fanned her burning cheeks. "W-well, I just ran a bit too fast buying that water for you, so I'm tired."
"Yumiko, do you want to come over to my house to play sometime?"
[Uh… okay, I'll go if I have time. Can you stop now?]
[Mm-hmm.]
Yumiko finally relaxed. Ren had stopped, which meant she no longer had to worry about Yui discovering them.
She turned back and glared at Ren with her beautiful eyes, then sullenly returned to her seat, rubbing her slightly aching, perky bottom.
Ren was thoroughly pleased by her adorable, shyly angry expression.
His body was sated, and his mind was satisfied.
He was finally free to turn his attention back to Tsunade and Kushina's situation.
He had many questions about their circumstances.
[Tsunade: Hey, who's the genjutsu user? Step forward and speak.]
[Kushina: Isn't it your genjutsu? You imposter, Lady Tsunade!]
[Silver Wolf: Tsk, stop arguing. No one used genjutsu on you two.]
Seeing that the two were about to start bickering, someone else couldn't stand it anymore.
[Seitenshi: The newcomers' reactions are a bit extreme. Perhaps it's related to the situation in their world.]
After all, a normal world wouldn't have something like genjutsu.
[Emilia: They seem to have mistaken the Chat Group for an illusion.]
[Aqua: Ren, you idiot Ren, quickly explain it to them!]
[Ren: Who are you calling an idiot?]
Being called an idiot by the idiotic Aqua felt strangely humiliating.
[Ren: Aqua, have you ever heard a saying?]
[Aqua: What saying?]
[Ren: If idiocy had a color, it would definitely be blue!]
[Aqua: What does that mean?]
[Ren: …]
A dark line appeared on Ren's forehead. She didn't even understand that?
[Exusiai: If I remember correctly, Aqua's hair is blue.]
[Aqua: That's right! There's nothing wrong with the Goddess of Water having blue hair, is there…?]
[Silver Wolf: So dense. He's saying you're an idiot.]
[Aqua: Huh? Ren, you're the idiot!]
[Ren: Ahem, don't be ridiculous. I never said that. Silver Wolf did.]
[Silver Wolf: Who do you think would believe that?]
[Emilia: Blue hair… then Rem also…]
[Ren: Emilia, stop right there!]
[Ren: There's another saying: If true love had a color, it would definitely be blue!]
Emilia's eyes lit up.
In another world, Rem and Ram were currently arranging flowers in a vase.
Emilia said to Rem, "Rem, Ren-kun is praising you."
"Ren!"
The first to speak wasn't Rem or Ram, but Betty, who suddenly appeared. She looked left and right but couldn't see Ren anywhere.
"Ren isn't here…"
Betty's eyes fixed on Emilia, who had mentioned Ren's name.
Emilia's pretty face filled with apology. "Sorry, Betty. I just wanted to relay something Ren-kun said to Rem. He didn't come."
Betty's excited expression visibly fell into disappointment.
Seeing this, Emilia regretted speaking so loudly. She pursed her lips and sent a private message to Ren.
[Emilia: Ren-kun, will you still come to my world?]
[Ren: What's wrong? Miss me?]
[Emilia: Eh?!]
[Ren: I meant Ram and Rem.]
[Emilia: Oh, oh! Ah, I misunderstood.]
Emilia's small face flushed.
[Emilia: That's right. And Betty also seems to be looking forward to you coming.]
[Ren: Betty, huh… Alright, tell them for me that I'll go see them when I have time.]
[Emilia: Okay.]
Emilia patted her cheeks and repeated Ren's words to Betty, Ram, and Rem.
After she finished, Betty's disappointed expression vanished, her eyes noticeably brighter.
But she suddenly lifted her head and snorted. "Betty doesn't care. Betty is going to rest."
With a ripple in space, Betty disappeared.
Without the constraints of a contract, Betty could now have her own room.
She was very happy, the only small imperfection being her desire to sign a new contract. She was looking forward to it.