HINA'S POV
The morning sunlight filtered in through the window, casting a soft glow over me and my beloved.
I had just woken up and he was still here. Not gone, not taken and didn't vanish like the others.
A small smile formed on my lips as I gently reached out, my fingers brushing through his hair.
"Rei-kun..." My voice was barely above a whisper.
To me, he was everything.
When I first realized he hadn't disappeared like the other men, I thought it was a miracle.
A reward and proof that my love for him was special and that it was strong enough to keep him here.
But then the harsh reality set in.
My fingers paused slightly in his hair.
They would find him. They would take him away from me and worse they would make him have sex with other women or make him give out his sperm to them so that their can bear his child.
My chest tightened.
"No..."
The thought alone made something dark stir inside me. I leaned closer, my grip tightening just a little.
Every part of Rei-kun is mine. His voice. His warmth. His body. Everything.
"...all mine."
I touched my lips, unable to stop myself from remembering the look on Rei-kun's face last night.
That flustered expression of his.... so cute.
It was as if I could still feel the warmth of his lips against mine.
A soft breath escaped me as I shifted slightly on the bed, my thighs pressing together unconsciously.
"Rei-kun..." My voice came out softer than I expected.
To be honest, I was a little disappointed. He didn't go any further. I glanced over at his sleeping face, my gaze lingering.
Maybe, maybe he just wanted to take things slow. A small smile formed on my lips.
"So romantic..."
My fingers curled slightly against the sheets as I held back the growing heat inside me, letting the feeling linger instead of acting on it.
Just thinking about him like this was already enough.
For now.
~Ring! ~Ring! ~Ring!
My expression immediately darkened.
"...Seriously?"
I shot an annoyed glance at my phone resting on the side table.
It was the alarm I had set.
Right.
My morning jog.
I let out a small sigh before sitting up, running a hand through my hair.
I needed to stay in shape. After all I had to be in perfect shape for Rei-kun.
My mood softened again.
Leaning forward, I placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.
"I'll be right back, Rei-kun..."
I changed into the crop top and leggings he bought for me. Technically, what I forced him to buy.
Before, I avoided wearing it. It hugged my body too tightly, drew too much attention and disgusting stares from other men. But now, there were no other man left except him. Rei-kun.
So only other guys would see me like this. Except him. The thought alone made my lips curl into a satisfied smile. Perfect
Just the way it should be.
I glanced back one last time, blowing him a soft kiss before stepping out.
***
TACHIBANA AOI'S POV
*Yawn*
A lazy yawn escaped my lips as I sat up on the bed. My hand ran through my hair while I stared at the time on my phone.
I stood up and stretched my stiff body.
"Yesterday's raid was really brutal. It was a good thing I brought that flashstone otherwise who knows what might have happened."
The scene of yesterday's battle replayed in my mind. The sudden goblin ambush and how they just kept coming.
If not for that small stone I bought on impulse, we would have been wiped out. The flash of light it created after I broke it saved us by giving us just enough time to escape.
And we didn't even have a healer.
A small sigh escaped my lips as I walked toward the window and opened the curtains.
The morning sunlight flooded the room, filling my vision for half a second. And across the street, I saw her. My neighbor's girlfriend, Morikawa Hina. She was dressed for a jog, as usual. Everything looked normal. Too normal.
"I heard that her boyfriend was the last man seen in this neighborhood before he vanished… I didn't think she would still be living here." I muttered to myself.
I noticed something different today.
She wasn't wearing her usual plain tracksuit. Instead, she had on leggings and a crop top.
The material hugged her body tightly, highlighting her every curves.
I clicked my tongue lightly.
"Figures… she really has the kind of body that would attract any man."
If there were still any left.
It wasn't like I was insecure… but compared to her, I was still a mile back.
I shook the thought away. We women don't have time for that kind of thinking now.
I needed to head to the guild. I had to meet the team and discuss plans with the guild master on how to tackle the D-rank dungeon especially with those ugly goblins everywhere.
Just as I turned to head for the shower, I froze. There was a silhouette. Inside the apartment across the street. The apartment she just stepped out from.
Though my perception wasn't as high as a C rank awakener, I could still faintly make out the structure and my eyes couldn't help but widened in disbelief.
"A man...?"
The word barely left my lips. That was impossible.
Every scan, every report, every announcement said all men were gone vanished, poof, without a trace.
Yet I was certain of what I was seeing.
A slow smile formed on her lips.
"…Interesting."
***
The sound of something frying and the faint clang of cutlery made Reiji paused on the step. 'Is she cooking?' Reiji thought in surprise.
Though this was a surprise for him as he knew that Hina from his previous world couldn't even light a stove but from the memories of this body, Hina in this world was a chef, and her food was top class. Even better than what one might get in a fancy restaurants.
That alone made his stomach react with a low growl. Without thinking, Reiji hurried down the stairs. But the moment he stepped into the kitchen, he froze and his throat went dry.
Hina had already noticed him.
A small, victorious smile appeared on her lips. 'Enjoy this moment, Rei-kun… because you'll be seeing it every single day from now on.'
Reiji's eyes instinctively followed her movement and he quickly looked away, pretending not to stare too long.
Hina was still in her jogging outfit, the fabric slightly clinging to her from the run.
"Good morning Rei-kun" Hina spoke up first.
"Morning" Reiji replied as he walked towards her.
"The food is almost ready you can.... Uhh" Hina paused mid-sentence as Reiji hugged her from behind.
Reiji's hands locked around her slim waist.
This was something the previous Reiji used to do often. Not doing it now would seem suspicious, right?
Hina's hands stilled.
Then she relaxed into him, leaning back slightly, enjoying his warmth… and his scent.
Reiji, too, found himself lingering longer than he intended. "Today you didn't wear your tracksuit and wore the one I got you...?" He asked.
"Yes," Hina replied softly. "Since there are no other men left to stare, I decided to wear it only for you."
"Don't you know that now is even worst now as there are no men?" Reiji teased.
"Hm? How?" Hina asked confused.
"Because there other women who would come after you."
~Ding! ~Dong!
The doorbell cut through the moment before Hina could reply. Hina expression instantly darkened.
Reiji released the hands from her waist and turned straight towards the door without thinking.
But before he could take another step a hand grabbed his wrist. Reiji froze. Hina stood behind him, her grip firm.
In the other hand Hina was holding the kitchen knife she had been using moments ago.
Reiji turned and the fist thing he saw was the knife in her hand. The blade gleamed faintly.
Reiji was visibily terrified and his thoughts ran like crazy. But then he noticed her eyes. Se wasn't looking at him, but signalling him to go upstairs, to hide.
Understanding hit him instantly.
She wasn't trying to kill him for letting go of her waist but signalling him to hide, because if whoever was at that door saw him, It wouldn't end well for anyone.
Reiji swallowed hard as he quickly slipped out of her grip, moving toward the stairs as quietly as possible.
He rushed into the bedroom and gently shut the door behind him.
Downstairs, Hina exhaled slowly. She placed the knife down, then walked toward the door.
She leaned in and looked through the peephole. Her expression instantly freezes.
'…What the hell is she doing here?'