[POV - Yuuki Rito] [Yuuki House - Morning]
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
The alarm went off at six in the morning, as always.
I stretched my arm to turn it off, but...
CLICK.
Someone had already turned it off.
I opened my eyes slowly.
And found Ophis and Lilith sitting on the floor beside my bed, eating cookies in silence.
MUNCH. MUNCH. MUNCH.
— Good morning, Rito — Ophis said, voice monotone as always.
— Lilith also says good morning — the one in white added, still chewing.
Of course.
I sighed, not with irritation. More with... amused resignation.
— Good morning to you too — I replied, sitting up in bed. — How long have you been there?
— Ophis arrived at five — she responded factually.
— Lilith arrived at five-oh-five — the other completed.
One hour.
They stayed watching me eat cookies for an hour.
And the strangest part? This wasn't even close to the strangest thing that had happened lately.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
Gentle knock on the door.
— Onii-chan? — Mikan's voice from the other side. — Are you awake?
— I am — I replied, already getting up. — You can come in.
SLIDE.
The door opened.
Mikan entered, still in pajamas, hair slightly messy from sleep. She looked at me, then at the two Infinity Dragons on the floor, and just sighed.
— You two — she said, tone half mom, half exasperated sister — can't keep invading Onii-chan's room every morning.
— Lilith didn't invade — the one in white protested. — Lilith... visited.
— Ophis too — the one in black agreed.
Mikan looked at me, seeking support.
And I just smiled. Small. Tired.
— Let them — I said softly. — They're not bothering anyone.
Something passed across Mikan's face. Not irritation. But... hesitation?
As if she wanted to say something but didn't know how.
Distance.
I noticed suddenly. Not physical. But emotional.
Since we returned from the summit, some people... didn't know how to act around me.
Not with fear. But with... uncertainty.
As if the distance between us had somehow increased, and they didn't know how to cross it.
Mikan shook her head, smile returning.
— Okay — she said, returning to normal. — But if you show up in the kitchen before breakfast is ready, I'm kicking you both out.
— Lilith understands.
— Ophis too.
STEP. STEP. STEP.
Mikan left, leaving the door ajar.
And I stayed there, looking at the empty space where she had been.
She feels it too, I realized.
Even Mikan. My little sister who had always been so natural with me.
Even she hesitated now. As if she didn't know if she could treat me the same way.
WHOOSH.
I got up, heading to the bathroom.
Time to start another day trying to be... normal.
[Breakfast - Fifteen Minutes Later]
SIZZLE. SIZZLE.
The smell of fried eggs and rice filled the house.
I went downstairs, already in uniform, hair still slightly damp from the shower.
The kitchen was... crowded.
Very crowded.
Mikan in front of the stove, apron tied, stirring pans with the efficiency of a professional chef.
Lala sitting at the table, smiling animatedly, some bright invention in her hands.
And outside, on the veranda...
SHIMMER.
Gabriel. Floating slightly above the ground, looking at the awakening city.
Not guarding. Just... there.
— Onii-chan! — Mikan saw me first. — Sit. Breakfast is almost ready.
— Rito! — Lala jumped from her chair, practically running to me. — Look! Look!
She shoved the invention in my face.
A small device, the size of a watch, glowing in pink and yellow.
— It's the Portable Interdimensional Communicator™! — she declared proudly. — Now you can call me from any dimension!
Why would I need this? I almost asked.
But her excitement was so genuine that I just smiled.
— Cool — I said, taking the device. — Thanks, Lala.
She beamed. Literally. A smile so radiant it seemed to light up the kitchen.
And then she hugged me.
SQUEEZE.
Tight. Warm. Without hesitation.
Yes.
Lala had no distance with me. Never had. Probably never would.
She just... accepted me. Completely. Without questioning. Without hesitating.
As if the divine part of me made no difference at all.
— Lala — Mikan said, not turning from the stove — if you don't let go of Onii-chan, breakfast will get cold.
— Ah! — Lala let go of me quickly. — Sorry!
But she was still smiling.
STEP.
I sat at the table.
And Gabriel entered silently through the veranda, wings retracting.
— Good morning, Rito — she said softly.
— Good morning, Gabriel.
She sat on the other side of the table. Not too close. Not too far.
Calculated distance.
I could see it in her eyes. That hesitation. As if she wanted to get closer but didn't know how.
Not from fear. But from... respect? Reverence?
Ironic, I thought. I'm the one who should have reverence for her. Not the other way around.
But I said nothing.
— Ready! — Mikan announced, bringing plates.
CLACK. CLACK. CLACK.
Fried eggs. Rice. Miso soup. Grilled fish. Tsukemono.
Perfect Japanese breakfast.
— Itadakimasu — everyone said together.
MUNCH. MUNCH.
We ate in comfortable silence.
Or almost comfortable.
Because I could feel it.
Gabriel looking at me from time to time. Then looking away when I noticed.
Mikan serving more tea, but hesitating before filling my cup. As if she wasn't sure if it was appropriate.
Even Lala, who normally talked non-stop, was quieter than usual.
Shit, I thought.
This can't continue like this.
— Hey — I said suddenly.
Everyone stopped, looking at me.
— I know — I began, choosing words carefully — that things have changed. That you... saw things. Understood things about me.
Pause.
— But I'm still just... me — I continued, voice becoming softer. — Still the same idiot who trips over his own feet. Who doesn't know how to confess to the girl he likes. Who burns omelets when he tries to cook.
Mikan laughed. Small. But genuine.
— So... — I finished, smiling — you don't need to walk on eggshells around me. Okay?
SILENCE.
Silence for a moment.
Then Lala smiled. That big, bright smile.
— Rito is Rito! — she declared cheerfully. — It doesn't matter if you're a god or an alien or anything! You're Rito!
And then she took another piece of fish from my plate without asking permission.
CHOMP.
— Hey! — I protested, but without real irritation.
— Lala was hungry! — she said with her mouth full.
Mikan laughed again. This time more relaxed.
— You never change, Lala-san.
And the tension... broke.
Just a little. But it broke.
Gabriel still hesitated. But less.
Mikan still had that distance. But smaller.
Progress, I thought.
Slow. But progress.
[Getting Ready to Leave - Ten Minutes Later]
ZIP.
I closed my backpack, checking if I had everything.
Notebooks. Pens. Homework that I miraculously remembered to do.
Normal student life.
As if "normal" still existed, I thought with irony.
— Rito! — Lala called from the living room. — Don't forget the Communicator!
— Already got it! — I replied, putting the pink device in my pocket.
STEP. STEP.
I went downstairs again.
Mikan was already at the door, backpack on her back, hair perfectly arranged.
— Onii-chan, are you ready? — she asked, and this time... no hesitation in her voice.
Better.
— I am — I confirmed.
Lala appeared, still in pajamas (because of course she was).
— Have a good class! — she said, hugging me quickly. — If you need help with homework, just call!
— You'd probably blow up the school — I murmured.
— Probably! — she agreed cheerfully.
SLIDE.
I opened the door.
And outside...
WAIT.
Haruna was in front of the house.
Waiting.
Hair tied in her usual ponytail. Impeccable uniform. Shoulder bag.
And when she saw me...
BLUSH.
She turned red.
— G-good morning, Yuuki-kun — she said, voice soft.
— Good morning, Sairenji-san — I replied, heart slightly accelerating.
Even after everything.
Even after fighting Super Devils. Even after sealing Trihexa.
Haruna Sairenji still made my heart beat faster.
Pathetic, I thought with affectionate self-deprecation.
— I... thought we could go together — she said, still blushing. — If you don't mind...
— Of course not — I replied quickly. Maybe too quickly.
Mikan passed by me, whispering:
— Onii-chan is an idiot.
Yes. Yes I am.
STEP. STEP. STEP.
We started walking.
Me. Haruna. Mikan a few steps ahead.
And behind...
FLOAT.
Gabriel followed us. Discreetly. At a distance.
Protective without being invasive.
— Yuuki-kun — Haruna said after a few minutes of silence.
— Hm?
— You... seem different — she continued, not looking at me. Looking ahead. — Since you came back from that... meeting.
Shit. She noticed.
— Different how? — I asked, trying to sound casual.
— I don't know — she admitted. — More... mature? More confident? Like you suddenly grew up.
Pause.
— But at the same time — she added, finally looking at me, smiling slightly — you're still you. Still the Yuuki-kun I know.
And there was something in her eyes.
Acceptance.
Not complete. Not like Lala.
But... growing.
As if she had decided that it didn't matter what changed. She still wanted to be close.
Even if she didn't know exactly how.
— Thank you — I said simply.
Because I didn't know what else to say.
WHOOSH.
A gentle breeze blew, carrying the smell of spring flowers.
And in that moment, walking to school with Haruna beside me, Mikan ahead, Gabriel guarding from afar...
It felt normal.
Even knowing it would never be completely normal again.
Even knowing distances still existed.
But bridges existed too.
And bridges could be crossed.
Slowly.
But crossed.
— Yuuki-kun? — Haruna said suddenly.
— Yes?
— Would you... like to have lunch together today? — she asked, blushing again. — On the rooftop? Just the two of us?
THUMP.
My heart jumped.
— I... yes — I managed to say. — I'd love to.
She smiled.
And that smile...
Made it all worth it.
Worth the battles. The difficulties. The distances.
Because moments like this...
Were what made being human worthwhile.
Even being God.
RING. RING.
The school bell rang in the distance.
— We're going to be late! — Mikan shouted from afar.
— Shit! — I murmured.
And we started running.
Me. Haruna. Laughing while running.
Like normal students.
Like normal teenagers.
As if for those few minutes...
We were exactly that.
And it was perfect.
(A/N: Now let's focus more on the To Love Ru story. In a way. Basically, Rito alone ended an organization. But since everyone knows that Rizevim was crazy, he called people from another universe to attack Earth, declaring war. Thus we begin EXE.
Apollo, out of fear, will not try to rebel. With this, it gives time for about 6 months in the To Love Ru story to progress. This way we'll also be able to see some of Issei's suffering. Unlike the normal timeline where he dates almost all the girls, now he's only with Irina. Possibly one more. Maybe.)