Chapter 7: Ep 7 - Mornings
Morning light crept through the blinds of Akira Kitagawa's small room, landing softly on the sleeping figure beside him. Sera Rymer, still dozing in his bed, had one leg tangled in the sheets and the other exposed, her tail swaying gently with each breath. The oversized shirt she wore had ridden up dangerously high.
Akira stared at the ceiling, heart pounding.
Did that really happen?
They had fought a Rift Beast together. The Cresettla Stone had activated. He had wielded fire like a warrior from some fantasy tale. And now... a beautiful cat-eared girl from another world lay beside him.
He stood up carefully, stepping over her tail.
Today was a school day.
Kurumi Ogino was waiting outside the apartment. Dressed in their standard uniform—skirt, blazer, thigh-high socks—she gave him a sharp glance as he locked his door.
"You're late."
"Rough night," he muttered.
"Don't give me that. You missed the morning messages, and your curtains were still closed when I walked by. You sick or hiding something?"
"Just tired, Kurumi," he said, forcing a smile. "Maybe I studied too much."