That cold but comforting night passed, yet Rei got almost no sleep. His eyes stayed locked on Sera, who slept peacefully in bed, her soft breaths steady, her expression serene. Even the raging storm outside couldn't disturb her. Rei, however, was wide awake, his heart betraying him with its relentless pounding.
"She's… too cute. This is illegal. Someone arrest her."
The storm eventually faded, giving way to the first light of dawn. A gentle knock on the door broke the silence.
"Rei, Sera… wakey, wakey. Time for breakfast~," Mrs. Ishimia's voice chimed playfully.
Sera stirred, rubbing her eyes groggily. "'Kay, Mom… Good morning, Rei." She smiled at him, still half-asleep.
Rei, looking like he had just returned from a fight with death, mumbled, "Good morning… I think…"
At the dining table, Mrs. Ishimia smirked knowingly as Sera sat down. "Sera, did you have a nice sleep yesterday, or what?" she teased.
Sera choked on her food, her face heating up. "Mom!"
Mrs. Ishimia turned her attention to Rei, who was still half-conscious from sleep deprivation. "Rei, go home safe, alright? I don't want my future son-in-law getting injured."
Sera's entire body stiffened. "S-STOP THAT, MOM!"
Rei, exhausted, didn't process the words for a full five seconds. But the moment his brain caught up, his eyes widened in horror. "Future… son-in-law…?" His soul visibly left his body. "Sera, I think your mom killed me…" And with that, he collapsed, face-first onto the table.
Mrs. Ishimia giggled. "Oh my… looks like I overdid it."
She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I really wanted to plan the marriage today… but while he's unconscious, I can't do that."
Before Sera could protest, Rei suddenly twitched, groaning as he sat up. Sera sighed in relief. "Rei? Are you okay?"
Mrs. Ishimia clapped her hands together. "Ah, wonderful! Now that he's awake, we can plan the marriage!"
Rei blinked in confusion. "Marriage…?" He laughed weakly, eyes unfocused. "I… see heaven…" And then, he collapsed again.
Sera shook him violently. "MOM, STOP KILLING HIM!"
Mrs. Ishimia laughed, clearly enjoying herself. "You two would look really cute as a couple, though."
Sera, desperate to stop her mother from delivering the final blow to Rei's existence, grabbed his wrist and pulled him up. "That's enough! We're going for a walk!"
As they stepped outside, Rei still looked like he was processing his near-death experience. The cold morning air hit his face, but it did little to wake him up from the emotional trauma he had just endured.
Sera glanced at him, shaking her head with a small laugh. "At this rate, my mom is gonna be your Soul Reaper."
Rei sighed dramatically, rubbing his eyes. "More like my final boss… and I don't think I have enough HP left to survive another round."
Sera giggled but then, without thinking, said, "Well, you should get used to her. If we ever got married, you'd have to face it every day."
The words left her mouth before she could stop them.
Silence.
Rei slowly turned to her, his sleep-deprived brain struggling to reboot.
Sera's face turned completely red. "N-No, wait! I didn't mean it like that! Forget I said anything!"
Rei blinked. Then, with the most broken, tired laugh, he whispered, "…I see heaven again…"
Sera smacked his arm. "STAY WITH ME, REI… FORGET WHAT I SAID…"
Rei, still looking half-dead, muttered with a small smirk, "Nah… I think I'll remember this one."
And with that, the morning continued—one recovering from emotional damage, the other trying to undo her accidental confession.
—To be continued
~Rei