...
Sunlight hit Ren's face, forcing him to squint at the alarm clock. 7:42 AM. He tried to roll over, but his lower back immediately protested. He groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. Keeping up with Maki had consequences.
The mattress beside him was empty. The sheets were cool.
He pushed himself up. The apartment was quiet, except for the faint sound of a spatula scraping a pan in the kitchen. He looked around the bedroom. The wrapper from last night was gone from the trash can. His clothes were folded into a neat stack on his desk. Maki's new skirt and sweater were draped carefully over the back of the chair. She had cleaned up while he was completely passed out.
The door opened. Maki walked in carrying a tray with two bowls of rice, soup, and rolled omelets. She was already in her Jujutsu High uniform. The dark collar was zipped all the way up, completely hiding her neck.
She stopped at the foot of the bed. Ren was sitting up, the blanket pooled around his waist, hair a mess. Maki looked at him, then quickly looked away. A bright red flush crept up her neck and over her ears. She set the tray down hard on the nightstand. The bowls rattled against the wood.
"Get dressed," she said, her voice tight. She grabbed the stack of his clothes from the desk and threw them at him. The shirt hit him in the chest. "Eat before it gets cold. I have a train to catch."
Ren caught the shirt. He watched her as she stood with her back to him, arms crossed. Anyone else would be laid out in bed all day after last night. But she was up, dressed, and making breakfast.
Then she shifted her weight. It was a tiny movement, but Ren noticed it. Her stance was just a little stiff. She favored her left leg a fraction of an inch when she turned back around. She was tough, but last night had still taken a toll.
Ren smiled to himself. "Yeah, I'm up," he said, pulling the shirt over his head.
They ate at the small table in the living room. Maki chewed her food in silence, staring intently at the wall. The redness hadn't completely left her ears. Every time Ren shifted in his seat on the floor cushions, her shoulders tensed.
Once they finished, he grabbed his jacket and they walked to the station. Maki walked a little ahead of him, her heavy weapon case slung over her shoulder. She was back in work mode.
The platform was busy. A robotic voice announced her train just as it pulled in, the brakes hissing loudly. The doors slid open. Maki stopped before the yellow line and adjusted her glasses. She wouldn't look him in the eye.
"I'm going," she said gruffly. "I have weapon maintenance, and Panda probably broke something while I was out. I'll text you."
She turned toward the open doors. But she didn't step forward immediately. She shifted her grip on her bag, hesitating just for a second.
Ren reached out and grabbed her wrist.
Maki let out a short gasp as he pulled her back. He stepped behind a wide concrete pillar, pulling her with him, out of sight of the boarding crowd. Before she could complain, he pushed her lightly against the concrete and kissed her.
Maki went completely stiff. Her hand came up and grabbed his jacket, gripping the fabric tight. For a second, she closed her eyes and kissed him back.
Then she pushed him away, her hands flat on his chest. Her face was bright red again.
"What are you doing?!" she hissed, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She darted a look around the pillar to see if anyone was watching. "We're in public! Are you crazy?"
She glared at him, but her breathing was heavy and her hands were nervously fidgeting with her bag strap.
Ren leaned against the pillar, hands in his pockets. He smiled. "Just seeing you off. Have a good trip. Don't miss me too much."
"Die," she muttered.
The departure chime rang over the speakers. Maki spun around and practically ran for the train, slipping through the doors right before they closed.
Ren watched through the window. She stomped down the aisle, dropped into a seat, and covered her red face with both hands. She didn't look back out the window as the train pulled away.
...
Walking the short distance back to the apartment, the crisp morning air did little to shake the exhaustion. Legs heavy on the stairs, a dull ache settled into Ren's lower back with every step.
Inside, the deadbolt clicked shut, sealing in the quiet. Keys clattered onto the kitchen counter, followed by a jacket tossed carelessly onto the sofa. Pausing in the middle of the living room, his gaze drifted to the floor where dinner with Maki had taken place just yesterday.
Letting out a long breath, Ren spoke to the empty room. "System."
Nothing happened for a second. Then, a faint static hum vibrated at the base of his skull as the natural sunlight coming through the window dimmed just a fraction.
Right in the center of his vision, a sharp, translucent blue panel materialized out of thin air. Instead of the usual status screen, a backlog of unread notifications immediately began scrolling.
[CONDITION FULFILLED]
[Entity: Maki Zen'in]
[Intimacy Threshold: Maximum]
[Initiating Extraction and Assimilation...]
[Assimilation Complete.]
[REWARD ACQUIRED: Heavenly Restriction - Physical Gift (Incomplete)]
"So it actually worked," Ren muttered, staring at the glowing text.