The reason Rei Ao, Michiru, and Kanna ended up together was the kind that's equal parts funny and awkward.
It was the weekend. As usual, she'd taken Kanna—who was staying at her place—out shopping. Passing a famous dessert shop, Kanna was instantly captivated by a window ad for the "Special Day Limited: Happy Family-of-Three Parent–Child Dessert Set." She pressed up to the glass, ice-blue eyes shining with longing, unable to take a step away.
But the set was limited, and the rules clearly required an actual "family of three" to order. A single woman like Michiru, with someone whose background she couldn't exactly explain, didn't meet the criteria. She tried explaining to the staff, even offered to pay double, but the stubborn clerk insisted on the "event rules" and "creating a warm family atmosphere."
Watching Kanna's expression dim from sparkling excitement to disappointment, Michiru's heart softened and filled with guilt. In a pinch, the only person she could think of—strong, seemingly free, and someone Kanna adored—was Rei Ao.
So she pinged him in the chat group on a "might as well try" impulse. He agreed without fuss and arrived quickly.
And that's how this slightly odd trio came to be. Michiru played "Mom," Rei Ao played "Dad," and Kanna, of course, was the "daughter." The three of them successfully ordered the limited set as a happy family of three.
Seeing Kanna hugging the gigantic parfait, eating with her eyes curved into happy crescents, Michiru finally relaxed and felt genuinely relieved.
At the same time, though, a powerful, mortifying awkwardness washed over her. She… was acting as Rei Ao's wife right now! Fake, sure—but looking across at the absurdly handsome, otherworldly man, then hearing nearby customers whisper, "What a perfectly matched family~," Michiru couldn't help flushing as her heart started racing.
Rei Ao, by contrast, seemed completely at ease, as if this were nothing at all. He smiled gently, reached out, and lightly patted Kanna's head. "It's fine. Seeing Kanna this happy is all that matters."
Feeling the gentle touch, Kanna lifted her face, a smear of whipped cream at the corner of her mouth. She glanced at the two who hadn't really touched their desserts yet, blinked her clear eyes, and asked in a soft, lilting voice, "Rei Ao, Michiru, why aren't you eating?"
As she spoke, she scooped up a big spoonful of parfait—ice cream, strawberries, and cake—and offered it first to Michiru beside her. "Ah… mm… thank you, Kanna." Michiru froze for a beat. Faced with Kanna's guileless gaze, she couldn't refuse; blushing, she leaned in and accepted the bite. "Mm… i-it's really good."
And then—Michiru's face went scarlet in an instant, like a ripe apple. Kanna used that same spoon to scoop another bite and, quite naturally, held it out to Rei Ao across the table. "Rei Ao—ahhh—"
"!!!" Wait! An indirect kiss! That's an indirect kiss!!!
Michiru's mind went blank. Her eyes behind her glasses flew wide; she froze, heart thundering in her chest. Rei Ao either didn't notice or simply didn't care. He leaned forward naturally, opened his mouth, took the bite Kanna offered, and smiled. "Mm. Very sweet. Tasty. Thanks, Kanna."
Kanna nodded, satisfied, and returned to tackling her parfait, leaving Michiru practically steaming from the head. He ate it… he actually ate it!! She twisted her fingers together, so mortified she wanted to hide her face under the table.
Right then, a smiling shop assistant with a Polaroid camera walked over. "Hello to the three of you! Congratulations on ordering our limited family set! We're running a promotion—every family who orders the set gets a free commemorative 'happy photo.' Would you like one?"
"Eh? A p-photo?" Michiru still hadn't recovered from the indirect-kiss shock and grew even more flustered at that. "…Sure," Rei Ao answered on her behalf with a pleasant smile.
"Wonderful! If you could move a little closer—Mom and Dad can put their arms around your precious daughter. Yes, just like that—bigger smiles—perfect!"
Guided by the enthusiastic staffer, Rei Ao naturally slipped an arm around Michiru's shoulders, his other hand resting lightly on Kanna's head. Michiru went rigid as a board, cheeks red enough to drip. All she could manage was an extremely awkward, painfully shy smile. Kanna, still focused on her parfait, lifted her head just a touch in cooperation.
Click! The flash popped, fixing the "happy family of three" in a single moment. The photo slid out a moment later.
The staffer handed it to Michiru. "It came out great! Ma'am, you're so young and beautiful, sir is very handsome, and your daughter is super cute! What a happy family!"
"M-Ma'am…" Michiru took the photo. Looking at the three of them pressed close together—especially her own on-the-verge-of-fainting expression next to Rei Ao's composed, gentle smile—she felt like her cheeks were hot enough to fry an egg. Th-this is mortifying!
Just then, Rei Ao's brows twitched, as if sensing something. Deep in his mind, he received a frantic cry for help from another world.
Couronne: "@Rei Ao, Rei Ao-sama, are you there? We're in huge trouble! …"