The London incident was over. Ryn had a wonderful night's sleep, right up until Kiana excitedly burst into his room to wake him up.
Seeing Ryn, who was in the middle of getting dressed, Kiana happily leaped at him.
"Ryn, Ryn, Ryn!"
"Kiana, Kiana, Kiana!"
Ryn caught the flying Kiana and spun around with her in his arms twice.
They hadn't seen each other in over a month, and the moment they saw one another, they were filled with a joy that words couldn't describe.
"Mmm..." Kiana, in Ryn's embrace, greedily inhaled his scent.
After being thoroughly disgusted by Hare, the moment Ryn saw Kiana, he felt all his fatigue instantly vanish.
What in this world could be more healing than looking at the ultimate, invincible, super-duper cute Kiana?
"Ahem, ahem."
Leaning against the door and quietly watching the two of them, Kika cleared her throat, interrupting Ryn and Kiana's tender moment.
"That's enough, you two. It's only been a month and thirteen days. Is all this really necessary..." Kika turned her head, pouting, her face a mask of envy, jealousy, and hate.
"Hehe, I can smell your jealousy from a mile away," Mei chuckled, taking Kika's hand and leading her over to Ryn and Kiana.
"Long time no see. I'm relieved to see you're alright."
"Seeing that you're all safe and sound, I'm relieved too."
Ryn opened his arms to Mei and Kika, embracing all three of the girls.
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The group sat in a circle, listening to Ryn's scattered accounts of his mission over the past month.
"So... is that Misteln person really that much trouble?" Kiana propped her cheek up with one hand, while the other continuously stuffed chocolates that Ryn had brought back into her mouth.
"She was alright. A bit of a hassle, but no match for me. With a little trickery, yours truly easily took care of that person," Ryn said, flicking his hair back proudly.
"According to Ryn, Misteln can alter space, turn dreams into reality and reality into dreams, and can constantly revive. She does indeed sound like a very tricky opponent. Ryn, how exactly did you defeat her?"
Mei's pen paused over her notebook. Based on Ryn's description, Mei had recorded all of Hare's abilities, but she was extremely curious how Ryn had defeated someone with such overpowered abilities.
Ryn scratched his head awkwardly. He couldn't just tell Kiana and the others that he had fed himself to Hare and disgusted her to death...
"Um... first I did this... then I did that... and then I beat her... Oh, right, don't you guys have class? You should go to class first! I'll tell you when you get back."
Ryn glanced at the time and immediately changed the subject, avoiding Mei's question. After all, it was too graphic; Ryn felt it could go down as a dark chapter in his personal history.
"Alright then."
Mei put away her notebook. Since Ryn was unwilling to talk about it, the battle must have been a tragic and arduous duel that left an indelible scar on Ryn's heart.
But judging from the outcome, at least Ryn was still in one piece.
"Then get some good rest. We'll come find you after class." Mei stood up, gently kissed Ryn on the cheek, then covered her face and jogged out of the room.
Mei's bold action left the other three stunned. Ryn numbly touched his cheek. Was this what they meant by 'absence makes the heart grow fonder'? Not bad at all...
"Mei is so sly..." Kiana's chocolate-eating paused for a moment, then she also turned and gave Ryn a kiss.
"Hmph, I'm the main wife." Kiana looked at the chocolate lip-print she had left on Ryn's face from all the chocolate she'd been eating and nodded in satisfaction.
"See you tonight." Kiana hugged a large box of chocolates and also left Ryn's room.
Leaving Kika and Ryn staring at each other.
Ryn looked expectantly at the hesitant Kika. "Do you want one too?"
"In your dreams."
Kika instinctively refused, then her face immediately turned red, and she frantically waved her small hands.
"I didn't mean it like that! I just... I just... Mmmph..."
Ryn leaned down and kissed the hopeless tsundere, silencing the lips that couldn't form a coherent sentence.
A moment later, Ryn looked gently at the steaming Kika.
"Did you mean it like this?"
"I-I-I-I-I'm leaving..."
Kika's ears were completely red. Dazed and confused, she walked out of the room with her arms and legs moving in unison, then walked straight into the hallway wall.
"Kika, are you okay?!"
"I'm... I'm fine..." Kika covered her face, stumbling and bumping into things as she hurriedly fled the scene.
Outside the door, Kiana and Mei, who had been waiting for Kika, watched her clumsy behavior with amusement.
Mei covered her mouth, giggling, and pointed at Kika, who was leaning against the wall, her legs too weak to walk. "Kiana, look. This is what you call someone who talks a big game but gets knocked out with a single touch in a real fight."
"Hahaha—" Kiana roared with laughter until her stomach hurt. "Let me think, who was it that stood on a chair and yelled domineeringly, 'Watch me pin Ryn to the wall and kiss him until he can't breathe'? Oh, it's our own Mushoku Kika, who's all talk and no game~"
"Shut up! This time was an accident!" Kika shouted in frustration, but her tone quickly weakened. "Come help me up... I feel a little weak in the knees whenever I think about what just happened..."
"Hahaha..." Mei and Kiana laughed as they helped Kika up, dragging her towards the academic building.
Downstairs, Kallen and Yae Sakura waved goodbye to the giggling and playful trio of Kiana, Mei, and Kika.
Kallen glanced enviously up at Ryn's room, then turned to meet Yae Sakura's slightly annoyed gaze.
"Haha... Sakura, what's wrong? Is there something on my face?" Kallen laughed awkwardly. Yae Sakura must have seen her envious expression.
"What, are you tired of having just me? Of course... I'm just an old woman now, how could I possibly compare to those tender young girls!" Yae Sakura said to Kallen, her voice full of resentment and sarcasm.
Kallen took Yae Sakura's hands and looked at her affectionately.
"How could that be! Sakura, my heart will always belong to you! My love for you is witnessed by heaven and earth!"
"But even so. Weren't you just envying Ryn for having three beautiful wives? Kallen, there's no need to deceive me... If you really want other women, I can compromise and let you have your way."
"Really? There are a few super pretty girls at the school I've had my eye on for a while." Kallen rubbed her hands together. Since Yae Sakura had said so, she wouldn't pretend to be a gentleman anymore.
"Wait, Sakura, why are you drawing your sword? Listen to my explanation, that was just a joke, a joke!"
"Go explain it in hell!"