Since being named by Reina, Mio slowly started to feel more comfortable around her and began getting used to this kind of normal life.
Before, she thought this world only had people who chased and hunted her. But it turned out there was someone like Reina - someone kind, someone who helped her without trying to hurt her.
After a few days living together, Reina started to notice something strange.
Mio didn't just lack experience - she lacked basic understanding.
She didn't know simple things. She didn't understand how money worked. She didn't know why people locked doors. Even reading was difficult for her. She could recognize some letters from the TV shows she watched, but she couldn't properly read a sentence.
At first, Reina thought maybe Mio just didn't have much education.
But the more she observed her, the more one thought kept coming back.
It really felt like Mio had just been born into this world.
The way she stared at everyday objects.
The way she asked about things most people would consider obvious.
The way she copied Reina's actions instead of acting on her own understanding.
It wasn't ignorance.
It was inexperience.
So Reina decided to teach her.
They started with simple things - reading basic words, understanding numbers, common sense about daily life. Reina even explained small things like why people cook food, why they sleep at night, why they greet each other in the morning.
At first it felt like teaching a kindergartener.
But what shocked Reina wasn't Mio's lack of knowledge.
It was how fast she learned.
Things that should take weeks, Mio understood in days.
Things explained once, she rarely forgot.
After only a short time, the gap closed quickly. If a few days ago she felt like a child just starting school, now her understanding was already closer to someone in middle school.
Reina could only stare at her sometimes, half impressed, half confused.
"...You're not normal," she muttered once.
Mio just tilted her head, not understanding what she meant.
And somehow, that made Reina smile.
"Well, technically everyone i know of is not normal anyway~"
Currently both of them were sitting near the window with the afternoon light coming in, the notebook still open on the table between them.
Reina had been teaching her since morning now, starting from reading and writing to simple math and basic science. At first it really felt like teaching a child who didn't know anything, but now it was different.
"Alright," Reina said while tapping the pencil lightly against the table. "If water boils at one hundred degrees, what happens if you keep heating it?"
"It turns into steam," Mio answered without hesitation. "The water changes into gas."
Reina nodded, satisfied. "Good. Then what about this - why do we wash our hands before eating?"
Mio paused for a second. "Because our hands carry dirt and bacteria," she replied. "If we don't wash them, we might get sick."
Reina couldn't help smiling at that. She flipped the page again.
"If someone lends you something, what should you do after you're done with it?"
"Return it," Mio answered. "And say thank you."
That one made Reina laugh softly.
"Correct."
She looked at Mio for a moment longer than usual. Just a few days ago, Mio couldn't even read a full sentence properly. Now she was answering like this calmly, without struggling, without confusion.
"You're really smart," Reina said honestly, reaching out and patting her head. "You learn way too fast."
Mio blinked at her. "Is that good?"
"Of course it's good," Reina replied, smiling. "I'm proud of you."
The word proud made Mio quiet for a second. She didn't completely understand why hearing it made her chest feel warm, but she didn't dislike it.
A small smile slowly appeared on her face.
Reina noticed and gently patted her head again, softer this time.
And Mio didn't move away. She just stayed there, letting Reina praise her like that.
In the late afternoon after Reina finished teaching Mio for the day, both of them ended up on the couch that had already been unfolded into a bed. The sunlight coming from the window was softer now, not as bright as earlier, and the room felt quieter even though the television was still on.
Well, it was mostly Mio sitting there, staring deeply at the TV that was showing the cartoon that usually aired at this time.
Beside her, Reina wasn't paying attention to the TV at all. She leaned forward slightly, one arm resting on her knee while faint particles of light gathered and scattered in front of her fingers. The glow was subtle, almost unnoticeable unless someone was looking closely, forming small structures that only lasted a few seconds before breaking apart again.
Because she couldn't use her own power to leave this world, the only thing she could do was create a permanent gate that would fulfill that purpose.
By creating a Primal Beast that held the authority of traveling between worlds. Something that didn't depend on her limited state here. If she constructed it properly, it could act as the core of a permanent gate, supplying what she lacked.
In the middle of doing her work, Reina felt something tug at her clothes from the left.
"What's wrong, Mio?" she asked, keeping her eyes on the structure core she was working on.
Mio didn't answer. She kept tugging at Reina's sleeve, insistent but silent. Reina was at a critical part of her task, so she had to focus for just a little longer.
"I'm sorry, Mio, but let me finish this first," she said softly.
Even with them already getting closer, Mio rarely spoke unless Reina asked her something. She tugged a few more times, then, when Reina still didn't respond, she pouted, clearly frustrated at being ignored.
After saying that, Reina didn't feel Mio tugging anymore. She thought Mio had finally given up.
Reina felt a little bad for ignoring her, but she really needed concentration right now. If she lost focus even for a second, she'd have to start the core over from scratch.
So she kept working, eyes fixed on the floating particles.
But Mio hadn't given up.
Suddenly Reina felt something crawling up from below her leg.
Before she could look down, a small weight settled on her lap-Mio had climbed up and was now sitting right on top of her thighs, blocking the view of the structure.
"Mio!?"
Reina jolted in surprise. The glowing core wobbled, then collapsed instantly, particles scattering and disappearing into nothing.
She stared down at Mio, who was sitting there calmly, legs crossed, looking up at her with big innocent eyes.
Reina blinked twice, then let out a small, helpless laugh. "You really don't give up, huh..."
Mio just tilted her head, as if saying "What did I do wrong?" without saying a word.
Mio tilted her head, still staring at the TV family cuddling and reading together.
"Parents?" Reina repeated gently, setting the glowing core aside completely so she could give Mio her full attention.
She thought for a second, then smiled and pulled Mio a little closer on her lap.
"Parents are the people who guide you," Reina started, voice soft. "They teach you what's good and what's wrong, so you grow up strong and kind. They take care of you when you're hurt or scared, make sure you have food and a safe place to sleep. And most important... they make memories with you. Like reading bedtime stories, laughing together, holding you when you cry, celebrating when you're happy. They're the ones who love you every single day, no matter what."
Reina gently brushed a strand of pale blue hair behind Mio's ear.
"That's what parents do."
Mio listened quietly until she looked back at the TV for a second, then at Reina again.
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More time had passed, and now it had been a month since Reina appeared in this world.
So far, their daily life stayed pretty much the same. Mio already knew everything she needed to get by, and her knowledge had grown to the level of a normal person.
But there was one problem and that is Reina couldn't teach Mio what emotions were.
Emotions weren't something you could explain with words or books. Mio had to experience them herself. And the only way to do that was by going outside and meeting the world.
So Reina decided it was finally time for both of them to greet their neighbors-the only other house living in the middle of the mountain where they currently stayed.
"Make sure you wear it properly, Mio. The sun is really bright outside," Reina said as she checked Mio's clothes one last time before they left their cabin home.
Since Mio had become comfortable with Reina, she let her spirit dress disappear. After that, she had been wearing the normal clothes Reina gave her.
"Alright, everything ready?"
Mio nodded. She wore a beach hat that protected her from the sun and a light dress that wouldn't make her too hot.
"Now let's go on our first outing together!" Reina said happily.
She gently held Mio's hand, and both of them stepped out of the cabin together.
Both Reina and Mio walked together hand in hand, Mio's small fingers wrapped tightly around Reina's.
Mio kept looking around with wide eyes, taking in the mountain scenery-the tall trees, the soft rustle of leaves in the breeze, the sunlight filtering through the branches in warm patches. Every few steps she stopped to stare at a flower or a bird, tugging Reina's hand gently to point.
Reina had built their cabin at a nice distance from the only other house on the mountain-not too far, not too close. She knew they'd have to greet the neighbors sooner or later anyway.
It only took them about fifteen minutes of walking before the other house came into view in the distance.
"Look, Mio, we're here~" Reina said happily, squeezing Mio's hand a little.
She was curious how Mio would interact with people other than her.
The closer they got, the more Reina could hear voices coming from inside the house-two people arguing.
One was a girl, the other a man. From the way the girl kept calling him, they sounded like siblings.
Their voices carried on the quiet mountain air, sharp and annoyed, but not really angry just the kind of bickering family members do.
Reina slowed her steps a bit, glancing down at Mio to see if she noticed the noise.
Mio just kept staring ahead at the house, head tilted slightly, like she was trying to figure out what the voices meant.
Both of them continued walking and arrived in front of the house.
The house looked like a classic Japanese one—traditional wooden structure, dark beams, tiled roof, and the front door was a sliding one, just like the ones Reina sometimes saw in anime.
"Excuse me," Reina said as she knocked gently on the sliding door. The loud voice arguing inside suddenly disappeared the moment she did.
"We're neighbors that just moved to this mountain," Reina added, her voice clear and polite.
Not long after, the door slid open with a soft wooden sound.
A young, handsome man stood there—blue hair, brown eyes, pretty tall but still slightly shorter than Reina. He looked confused, blinking at the two visitors on his doorstep.
"Hello, excuse us. We're here to greet you since we just moved here," Reina said politely as he appeared.
"Huh? Moved here?" The man tilted his head, clearly puzzled. They lived in the middle of a mountain—how could anyone just move in?
"Hehe, yeah. Me and… my younger sister moved to a house nearby," Reina said with a small laugh. "My name is Reina Zero, and this is Mio Zero."
She turned to look beside her as she introduced Mio.
But… Mio wasn't there.
Reina blinked. She had been holding Mio's hand the whole walk, hadn't she?
"Uhh… seems like you came by yourself?" the man said, scratching his cheek. "I didn't see anyone beside you either."
"Wait, what?" Reina spun around quickly, scanning the area.
After a second, she sensed a small presence hiding behind a nearby tree—Mio peeking out just enough for Reina to see one wide eye and a tuft of pale blue hair.
"Mio, what are you doing there?" Reina asked before she walked toward her.
Mio was still hiding behind the tree when Reina arrived beside her.
"Are you still embarrassed?" Reina asked warmly, knowing this would be the first time Mio met other people besides her.
"Hmm… Is he gonna attack me?" Mio asked, nodding while peeking at the man.
"No, of course not. Not everyone is gonna attack you, Mio. And if you still feel uncomfortable, we can leave immediately after I give him our gift," Reina said while patting her head gently.
Hearing that made Mio start relaxing a little. Reina took her hand again, and both of them started walking toward the man once more.
"Sorry about that," Reina said to him. "My younger sister is… really shy when she meets other people."
After Reina introduced Mio, the man didn't say anything at all.
He just stood there, staring straight ahead at them… no, more like he was staring directly at Mio with wide eyes, as if he was seeing someone like her before.
Reina tilted her head slightly, confused by his sudden silence and frozen expression.
Then she noticed it.
In the man's eyes, there was a small spark of emotion she recognized right away—something soft, warm, and a little stunned.
It was the look of first love at first sight.
He kept staring at Mio, completely unaware of how obvious it was, while Mio hid half her face behind Reina's arm, peeking out curiously.
Reina blinked once, then a tiny smile tugged at her lips.
She gently squeezed Mio's hand, keeping her voice light.
"...Well, maybe Mio's gonna get attacked after all..." she murmured under her breath.