"Alright, Maki," Ren said, raising his hands in a lazy surrender. "But if Shoko's asking for me right now, it's probably important. I won't take long."
He stepped away from the concrete pillar, rolling his shoulders to work out the stiffness. "Just head to the tomb entrance. I'll meet you there. Promise I won't be late."
Across the map table, Yuji and Megumi were staring at them. Both first-years wore identical, completely flat expressions, their faces screaming a silent What the hell are these guys doing? Yuji blinked, looking back and forth between Ren and Maki like he was trying to solve a math problem in his head. Megumi just pinched the bridge of his nose, looking too exhausted to even begin questioning the bizarrely domestic dynamic.
Maki frowned, her grip tightening on Playful Cloud. She clearly hated the idea of splitting up, but before she could argue, another voice cut in.
"Wait," Mai said, stepping right into Ren's path.
She looked him up and down, her expression suddenly very serious. "Let me check on your injury first. You took a hit to your ribs yesterday when that Grade 2 blindsided you. Come here."
Before Ren could point out that his Heavenly Restriction had healed that bruise about ten seconds after it happened, Mai grabbed him by the wrist. With surprising strength, she hauled him away from the map table and dragged him toward a shadowed alcove near the defunct ticket booths, completely out of sight from the rest of the group.
Behind them, Maki let out a loud, aggressive huff of annoyance. She crossed her arms and glared at the floor, muttering something under her breath about 'unbelievable', but she didn't try to stop them.
Once they were safely cloaked in the shadows, the dull hum of the generator masking their voices, Mai dropped the concerned medic act entirely.
She backed Ren up until his shoulders hit the cool, tiled wall. Her hands slid smoothly up his chest, her fingers curling lightly into the lapels of his jacket. The grime and exhaustion of the last eight days hadn't dulled the sharp, teasing glint in her dark eyes.
She looked up at him, a slow, affectionate smirk spreading across her lips.
"So," Mai murmured, her voice dropping into a soft, private purr. "My man is really about to leave and run an errand without even giving me a goodbye kiss?"
Ren chuckled, the sound low in his chest. He reached down, his hands settling naturally on her waist, pulling her flush against him. "Is that your medical assessment, Dr. Zen'in?"
"It's a mandatory prescription," Mai whispered back, not missing a beat. "If you're going to keep us waiting, you have to pay the toll."
Rising up on her toes, Mai closed the distance and kissed him hard.
It was a slow, heavy, lingering kiss that swallowed the space between them.
Her fingers tangled deep into the hair at the nape of his neck, pressing her body completely against him. But Ren wasn't about to just let her have all the control.
His hands, previously resting casually on her waist, began to trail lower, tracing the curve of her hips. With deliberate slowness, he slipped his hands beneath the pleated hem of her dark uniform skirt.
Mai let out a sudden, breathy gasp against his lips as his fingers found the firm curve of her ass. Breaking the kiss just enough to look her in the eyes, Ren gave a heavy, possessive squeeze.
"Ah—!" Mai's eyes snapped wide open, a fresh, vivid flush rapidly climbing up her neck. Her grip on his jacket tightened instinctively, her teasing completely derailed by the sudden heat pooling in her stomach.
"Is this part of the medical checkup too?" Ren murmured, his voice laced with a wicked, teasing drawl. He didn't move his hands, his fingers lightly gripping her in a way that made her shiver despite the stifling air of the subway terminal. "Or are you just taking advantage of a patient, Dr. Zen'in?"
Mai glared at him, though it completely lacked any real heat. Her chest heaved as she fought to steady her breathing, but notably, she didn't make a single move to push his hands away from under her skirt.
"You're an absolute menace," she whispered, forcing her smug smirk back into place, even if it was a little shaky. She smoothed down the collar of his jacket, taking a reluctant step back so her skirt fell back into place.
Ren just smiled, the wicked glint in his eyes softening into something much warmer. He leaned back in, capturing her lips for one last, quick kiss before pressing his mouth softly against her forehead, lingering there for a second.
"I won't take long," he murmured against her skin. "Promise."
Mai let out a soft huff, finally stepping out of his personal space and crossing her arms to regain some of her usual attitude. "You better not."
With that, Ren turned and slipped out of the alcove, bypassing the main platform and heading straight down the darkened maintenance tunnel toward Jujutsu High.
As the heavy silence of the ruined subway tunnels swallowed him, Ren let out a slow, steady breath. His boots crunched softly against the scattered debris, but his mind was entirely elsewhere. Specifically, on the surreal, exhausting, and incredibly demanding reality of his nights over the last eight days.
The world above them was literally crumbling to ash, but the nights? The nights had been a completely different kind of battlefield.
Neither Maki nor Mai had left him alone for a single night since they claimed that master bedroom back in Shibuya. And honestly, the contrast between the twins was enough to give anyone whiplash.
Maki was exactly what you'd expect—fierce, competitive, and determined to take charge. She always wanted to be on top, setting the pace and taking absolute control. The biggest perk was that thanks to her Complete Heavenly Restriction, Ren didn't have to hold back even a fraction of his strength with her.
He could go full throttle, matching her raw, physical intensity perfectly. Her only tell was her stubborn pride; she would bite her lip raw trying to suppress her moans, refusing to give in to the noise no matter how hard he pushed her.