Early the next morning, Chase, Mira, and Erza arrived at the guild.
None of the three had slept a wink all night.
Mira and Erza, lying in bed, simply couldn't fall asleep. They were happy that the Card Nerd had finally confessed, regretful over their impulsive decision to stay over, and filled with a sense of unreality about actually becoming a threesome. All kinds of complex emotions filled their bodies, and the thin blanket couldn't hide their racing hearts.
That is, until they looked at the Card Nerd sleeping like a log on the floor. All those emotions were instantly replaced by a surge of inexplicable irritation.
And so, Chase was forcibly dragged up and made to play cards with them for the rest of the night.
Since it was still early, most people hadn't arrived yet, so the guild was sparsely populated.
The two Makarovs were sitting at the bar, chatting about the topic of gravure idol photobooks. When they saw Chase, Mira, and Erza walk into the hall together, the lecherous expressions on their faces instantly vanished, replaced by different reactions.
From Future Mirajane and Future Laki, who had come in early for work, they had already learned that Mira and Erza hadn't come home all night.
"Yo, so you did show up together after all~" Future Makarov, sitting at the bar, teased with a grin.
"Wahhh! My beloved Mira and Erza have finally become true adults, haven't they?! Damn you, Chase, you brat!"
Makarov was even more over-the-top, wiping away non-existent tears and letting out an exaggerated wail.
Although the crying was clearly fake, and he had taken the opportunity to curse Chase out, you could still clearly feel the old man's barely concealed delight and sentiment. Since it was Mira and Erza's own choice, he certainly wouldn't say anything—and he felt reassured leaving them in Chase's care.
"M-M-M-M-Master! What are you talking about! It's n-n-n-not even close to that stage yet!"
Erza's face turned crimson at the phrase "true adults." Flustered beyond belief, she waved her hands frantically in explanation. "W-W-We've only just established the relationship!!"
"Huh? You didn't do anything?" The seasoned Makarov immediately stopped his fake crying, blinking in bewilderment.
"Not really. Chase, Erza, and I played cards all night," Mira said, smiling as she linked arms with her boyfriend.
Unlike Erza, whose brain would short-circuit at the slightest provocation, having truly accepted this relationship, Mira wasn't nearly as shy as one might expect. She appeared quite calm and composed—at least on the surface.
Through her arm, buried deep against his, Chase could clearly feel the rapid beating of the young woman's heart.
"Played cards all night?" Even Future Makarov was dumbfounded.
The veteran pervert turned to his counterpart and dropped a bombshell: "Over on your side, do 'butt' and 'cards' have some kind of code meaning?"
"No, just cards—literally."
Makarov covered his face with his hand, suddenly feeling a crushing sense of humiliation, and let out a deep sigh. "That guy's a Card Nerd."
"Ahaha, ahahaha. So this is the type Mira and Erza are into, huh."
Future Makarov scratched his head with an awkward laugh, secretly relieved.
He didn't know Chase, but he knew Mira and Erza far too well. Even though they came across as the gentle yet strict big-sister figures in the guild, when it came to romance, those two were even more conservative than Bisca, who had bravely proposed to Alzack. They definitely wouldn't be able to handle things moving too fast.
So, was this guy's reason for dragging them into a night of cards exactly that?
He was starting to get a sense of what kind of person Chase was.
As for Makarov, he needed no explanation—even his initial fake crying had merely been a subtle inquiry born of concern.
"Hey, you two old horses, how about you dial back those dirty thoughts a little?" Chase naturally saw through their real intentions.
"Hmph! I'm not nearly as greedy as you!" Makarov snorted coldly.
"Neither am I!"
Future Makarov was a bit bothered by the nickname "Old Horse," but still put on a righteous front.
"Oh my, Master, how were the models in the photobook from seven years later?" Mira asked with a smile.
"Whether it's the blonde on the cover, the beach beauties in the centerfold, or the bunny girls—all the kind big sisters are absolutely amazing!" both Makarovs said in unison.
Then, realizing they had fallen for it, they quickly scrambled to defend themselves: "I meant their outfit designs and the scenery choices are very well matched!" x2
Truly worthy of being counterparts with the same personality—their wavelengths were perfectly synchronized.
"Oh, is that so? And yet you have the nerve to call Chase greedy?" Mira's expression instantly turned cold. She released Chase's arm and planted her hands on her hips.
"Even if you're the Master, I'll get mad if you talk about Chase like that!" Erza immediately stood on the same side.
Only they, as Chase's girlfriends, had the right to call him greedy—not even the Master was allowed!
"Wahhh! Not only is Mira turning her back on me, even my usually well-behaved little Erza has—"
"Damn you, Chase! You heartless bastard!"
This time, Makarov was crying for real.
After breakfast and confiscating their Master's photobook, Mira sat at the bar chatting with Future Mirajane.
Future Mirajane could tell that her counterpart was no longer as restless as she had been yesterday, so she couldn't help but be curious and started grilling herself with all sorts of bizarre questions.
Like when she had started liking Chase, what she liked about him, whether they had kissed during the confession last night, whether it was a three-way kiss or separate kisses, and so on.
Mira answered calmly with a smile, without a single hitch.
The only girl in the entire Fairy Tail guild who could openly discuss such topics with herself was probably Demon Mirajane—her mental fortitude was simply remarkable!
The majestic Fairy Queen, at least, was completely incapable of doing so. Under Future Laki's relentless questioning, the heat radiating from her body was enough to rival a Fire Dragon Slayer's.
Future Erza and Future Levy hadn't arrived yet.
Chase, meanwhile, sat with Gildarts and the two Canas.
"Sigh... so boring..." Gildarts lay listlessly on the table.
Always restless by nature, he desperately wanted to go out and wander like his counterpart in this world. But Makarov had forcibly kept him in Magnolia, citing the need to avoid causing disturbances or drawing the Magic Council's attention.
"If you're that bored, how about we settle our little bet while we have the time?" Chase grinned mischievously.
"A-ah, right! The bet!" Gildarts jumped up from his seat in a panic.
He had been so busy last night asking this world's Cana about herself that he had completely forgotten about that damned bet!
"Bet?"
Future Cana raised an eyebrow. This was only the second time she had seen such a terrified expression on her old man's face. The first time had been when Acnologia appeared on Tenrou Island.
"It's nothing much, just—"
Chase was about to speak when Gildarts lunged at him, clamping a hand over his mouth and grabbing his neck in a chokehold. "The Master said we can't cause any disturbances! We'll settle that when we get back!"
Who would have thought that the very reason used to restrict him would now become a convenient excuse to avoid making a fool of himself in front of his two precious daughters. Gildarts suddenly felt that the Master's decision was absolutely right—brilliant, even!
"Huh? To make that bastard dad from the other world lose his composure like that—"
Seeing this, Future Cana became extremely curious and turned to her counterpart. "Do you know what the bet is?"
Cana chugged a barrel of booze and answered without a second thought: "Well, if it's a bet between Chase and that bastard dad, it's probably something like crossdressing or running naked through the city. Nothing serious, anyway."
She knew those two far too well.
"WHAT?!"
Gildarts, thinking he had escaped unscathed, was completely dumbfounded. He grabbed his head with both hands, squishing his face into a noodle-like shape, and shouted, "Cana, how do you know that?!!"
Future Cana let out a drunken burp, her pupils glazed over with an inexplicable sense of speechlessness.
"So it really is that..."
***
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