Rito had just finished washing the dishes when Mikan walked into the kitchen, arms crossed. "By the way, Mom called earlier."
Rito blinked. "Oh? What did she say?"
"She booked us plane tickets," Mikan said casually.
He nearly dropped the plate in his hand. "Wait, what?! Why?"
"She didn't say much," Mikan shrugged. "Just that she wants us to come visit her since she's too busy to return home."
Rito frowned. Their mother, Ringo Yuuki, was a world-renowned fashion designer. It wasn't unusual for her to be caught up in work, but for her to suddenly book them a flight without discussing it first? That was new.
"Did she at least say where we're going?" he asked.
"A country famous for its art and entertainment scene," Mikan replied. "Apparently, there's a big event happening soon, and she thought it'd be a great experience for us."
Rito scratched his head. "Sounds kinda sudden, don't you think?"
"She was being weirdly insistent," Mikan admitted. "But hey, it's a free trip. I'm not complaining."
Rito sighed. His instincts told him there was more to this than just a fun vacation.
Still, a change of scenery didn't sound too bad…
After Mikan informed Rito about their sudden trip, he returned to his room, his mind still processing the unexpected change in plans.
Originally, he had planned to finish his novel submission tomorrow, but now that he had to leave in the evening, he decided to push through and complete it now.
Sitting at his desk, he opened his laptop and stared at the nearly completed manuscript. It was his recreation of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, a story he remembered from his past life.
In this world, the Global Light Novel Competition, an international event requiring English submissions, had become a major trend. Many aspiring authors participated, hoping to gain recognition on a worldwide scale. Rito had been preparing his novel for this competition, fine-tuning every detail over the past few weeks.
"This should be good enough," he muttered after a final read-through. He formatted the document, attached it to the submission page, and took a deep breath before clicking Submit.
A notification appeared:
[Submission Successful! Your entry has been received.]
Rito leaned back in his chair and stretched. "Well, that's one thing off my plate."
With his novel finally submitted, he turned his attention to the upcoming trip. Just where exactly was their mother sending them?
The next morning, Rito woke up earlier than usual. Knowing that they had a flight to catch, he stretched lazily before heading to freshen up. The reality of the trip hadn't fully sunk in yet, but with their mother's arrangements, it wasn't like they had a choice.
After getting ready, he stepped out of his room and found Mikan sitting on the floor, a half-open suitcase in front of her. She had already packed some clothes but seemed to be sorting through what else to take.
"Ah, you're finally up," Mikan glanced at him before turning back to her luggage. "Since you're just going to shove things in your bag last minute, help me pack instead."
Rito sighed. "I can pack my own stuff properly, you know."
Mikan gave him a doubtful look but didn't argue. Instead, she pointed at a pile of neatly folded clothes beside her. "Pass me those."
He crouched down and handed them over one by one, watching as Mikan organized everything meticulously. At first, it was just casual packing, but then—
"Hmm… I should take these, too." Mikan reached to the side and grabbed a few pieces of clothing.
Rito froze when he noticed what she had just picked up.
A bra.
Not just any bra—a lacy, slightly revealing one that looked a bit too mature for a middle schooler.
His mind stalled for a second, and before he could look away, Mikan suddenly noticed his gaze.
"...What are you staring at?"
Rito gulped. "Uh—I—Nothing! I just—"
Realizing the situation, Mikan's eyes narrowed dangerously. Then, instead of immediately scolding him, she smirked slightly, as if she had an idea.
"Oh? Nothing, huh?"
She casually held up the innerwear in front of him, tilting her head playfully. "Then, since you're helping me pack, why don't you fold these too?"
"W-Wha—?!" Rito's face turned red. "Why the hell would I do that?!"
Mikan shrugged. "You were staring, so I thought maybe you wanted a closer look."
"That's not—!"
"Hmm? So you won't help?" She pouted slightly, but there was clear mischief in her eyes. "What happened to being my 'reliable older brother'?"
Rito clenched his fists, trying not to fall for her teasing. "You're messing with me, aren't you?"
Mikan chuckled. "Took you long enough to notice." She then casually tossed the bra into her suitcase. "Hurry up and finish helping me. We don't have all day."
Still flustered, Rito quickly handed over the rest of the clothes while doing his best not to look at anything questionable.
'Dammit, that was dangerous,' he thought, wiping a bit of sweat from his forehead.
Little did he know, Mikan was secretly amused by his reaction.
Rito was still recovering from Mikan's teasing when he quickly handed over the last of her clothes, doing his best to not look at anything questionable.
'Dammit, that was dangerous…'
He let out a quiet sigh of relief and pushed himself up to stand—
But his foot suddenly slipped on a stray piece of clothing.
"Wha—?! Oh, shi—!!"
Before he could react, his balance was completely lost. His body tilted forward, and in the next moment—
Thud!
He crashed onto Mikan, pushing her down onto the floor with himself on top of her!
For a brief second, the world went silent. Rito's face was just inches away from Mikan's, his hands pressing down on either side of her shoulders, while her soft, warm body was trapped beneath him.
His brain short-circuited.
Mikan's scent—her warmth—everything was too close!
"...Rito," Mikan muttered, blinking in slight shock.
He gulped hard. His hands weren't just on the floor—they had landed somewhere soft.
He looked down—
His palms were firmly pressed against Mikan's chest!
"Wha—?!"
Soft. Too soft.
Even through the thin fabric of her shirt, he could feel the shape perfectly.
Panic flooded his mind as he tried to lift himself off of her, but Mikan suddenly let out a soft, breathy sound—
"...Nnh~"
Rito froze.
That noise.
That was not a normal reaction.
Mikan's face immediately turned beet red as she realized what had just escaped her lips.
"You… Y-You…"
Rito saw her expression shift from embarrassed shock to something far more terrifying.
"I-It was an accident!!" he shouted, knowing exactly what was about to happen.
Smack!
A firm, but not too painful, punch landed on his stomach, making him roll off her.
"You pervert!!"
"Ugh… I told you it was an accident!!" Rito groaned, rubbing his stomach as he sat up.
Mikan was still red-faced as she hurriedly sat up, crossing her arms over her chest protectively. "Y-You're so hopeless…" she muttered, glaring at him.
"Look, you were the one who left clothes on the floor! That's what made me slip!" Rito argued, though even he knew it wasn't going to save him.
Mikan huffed. "Excuses."
Despite her words, her face was still incredibly flushed, and she subtly avoided making direct eye contact with him.
Rito wasn't sure if it was from anger… or something else.
'Dammit, that was way too close…'
With the atmosphere now incredibly awkward, Mikan quickly turned away and continued packing while Rito sighed, knowing he probably wouldn't hear the end of this anytime soon.