Re:Zero - Reincarnated on a Co-op Route

Two days later, the third day at Roswaal Manor.

--[Subaru Pov]--

The sound of a knife clattering against a cutting board echoed in the mansion's spacious kitchen. Subaru, with an expression of fatigue and sweat on his forehead, struggled to peel a potato with precision. The damn 10-kilogram weights on his wrists and ankles were still clinging to his body as a cruel reminder of his decision to train. For the past two days, she hadn't had a break: he cleaned, studied, and worked in the kitchen, all while feeling like her muscles were going to explode.

"Ouch!" groaned Subaru, dropping the knife and bringing his fingers to his mouth. A thin red line decorated his index finger.

Rem, who was busy cooking with precise and calm movements, cast a cold glance towards Subaru. "It seems that, excluding sewing, you are worse than mediocre in all other activities."

Ram, who stood beside him, sighed disdainfully as he held a perfectly peeled potato between his hands. "Poor potatoes grown by some farmer with dedication only for you to smash them."

"Hey! I'm trying my best—I'm getting the hang of it!" replied Subaru with a defensive tone, though his stooped posture and shaking arms betrayed his weariness.

Ram watched him out of the corner of his eye and, with a snort, walked over to Subaru. "You must roll the potato while holding the knife steady. Watch." Gracefully and effortlessly, Ram took another potato and peeled it with fluid motions, leaving only a perfect peel that spiraled down onto the table.

Subaru tried to replicate his movements, but fatigue and pain in his limbs made him clumsy. Still, he gave it a determined try. "You're right... Thank you, Ram."

"Clearly," Ram replied in a haughty tone, crossing his arms and turning his head smugly.

Subaru smiled weakly as he continued to work, though his mind wouldn't stop complaining. Damn weights... Kaoru, you'll pay for this... he thought as he continued to struggle with the potatoes.

After a few minutes, Subaru looked up and looked at Ram, who was still peeling with impeccable precision. "Also, thanks for helping me study. I think I'm already learning how to write i-glyphs."

Ram looks at him for a moment, and a small smile forms on his face. "It was a pain in the ass that you couldn't even read a kids book." 

Subaru let out a nervous chuckle and scratched the back of his neck, momentarily forgetting the pain in his muscles. "Yeah, but I can now... at least partially. Hehe."

Ram looked at him with a raised eyebrow and a hint of mockery. "Just because you can write basic words doesn't mean you're smart. It just means you're not completely useless."

Subaru puffed out his cheeks in frustration but couldn't help but smile. Despite his stern attitude, he felt that the sisters, in their own strange way, were helping him. The third day was just beginning, and though his body felt on the verge of collapse, Subaru had something he hadn't felt in a long time: progress.

As Rem and Ram returned to their chores, Subaru took up the knife with a renewed sense of determination. "Come on, potatoes, get ready to be peeled by the great Natsuki Subaru!"

--[Time Skip]--

After several hours of work, Subaru sinks into the mansion's luxurious hot tub, the hot steam enveloping his naked, tired body. His workout weights are stacked in a corner, as if biding their time to torture him again.

"God, what a day...I'm exhausted. And carrying those damn weights around all day doesn't help either... I feel numb..." he complained, letting out a snort, letting the warmth of the water relax his muscles.

The sound of soft footsteps broke through the silence of the bathroom, and Subaru sensed a presence behind him. With a frown, he turned slightly.

"May I join you~?" Roswaal said, with his usual playful smile and sing-songy tone.

"Of course not," Subaru replied flatly.

"This is part of my mansion, so it's my property. I can do whatever I want~" replies Roswaal, wagging his cock playfully behind Subaru.

"Then come in if you want; don't ask me. I'm not the owner," Subaru replied with annoyance.

"Yes... this bathroom is my property. But as my staff... so are you," Roswaal says, leaning towards Subaru and gently lifting his chin, his face so close that Subaru can feel his breath.

"Yum."

Without a second thought, Subaru bites his hand.

Subaru is taken aback for a moment by his playful and provocative attitude, feeling that the situation has become more awkward than he had anticipated.

Roswaal smiles, though a flash of surprise crosses his gaze. "You don't waver, do you?."

Roswaal leans back in the tub, letting the hot steam envelop him as he watches Subaru with a mischievous grin. "And tell me, do you think you and Kaoru-kun will be able to get along with Rem and Ram?"

Subaru shrugs, deep in thought. "I haven't talked much with Rem, but I get along well with Ram. She's friendly, a little too much. I can't believe a servant girl would be like that; she's helped me study these past 2 days writing and reading glyphs."

"Well, Rem covers what Ram can't, and as sisters they must support each other. In that sense, I think they both do a splendid job," Roswaal replies in his melodious tone.

Subaru frowns, his expression becoming more serious as he snorts. "Ram is an inferior version, and Rem does nothing but cover for it. Yet they insist that Ram is better because she's the older one. The nerve."

Roswaal smiles, enjoying the moment. "Speaking of chutzpah, you have a lot of it too, don't you, Subaru-kun~? So, could I say that you're an inferior version of Kaoru-kun, and that he does nothing but cover up what you can't do?"

Subaru falls silent, reflecting on how Kaoru has been his unwavering support ever since he came into this world. "He's right. Kaoru is smarter than me. He's the one who asked for help that turned out to be very effective in saving Emilia and getting her badge back, and he's even saved my leg from Elsa amputating it. He's the one who tells me what to say. He even..."

"Agh...," Subaru closed his eyes in frustration, clenching his fists underwater. The warmth of the bath no longer felt so soothing.

"I'm right, aren't I, Subaru-kun~?" asks Roswaal, his voice playful as always.

Subaru clicks his tongue, pondering. "Tsk, you're right. I'm too cheeky to say that." He is overwhelmed by the reality that he has behaved arrogantly, while Kaoru has been steady and calculating.

Suddenly, Subaru's eyes sparkle with determination. "Thank you, Roswaal. You made me see my hypocrisy."

Roswaal looks at him curiously. "Did I do that?" 

Subaru sighs as he steps out of the shower, picking up his training weights and placing them on his wrists and ankles. "You made me see that I've been an arrogant hothead. I should be more like Kaoru-san."

Roswaal laughs, a cheerful sound cutting through the tension. "I see you like the gifts I gave you and Kaoru-kun."

Subaru grimaces, feeling heavy from the weights. "It's torture wearing these all the time. And on top of that, you only gave me an hour off, which is also study time."

Roswaal laughs again, amused. "But it's beneficial to learn to read and write, don't you think?"

Subaru nods slowly, feeling more motivated. "Yes, I think you're right. I have to try harder and stop being a burden to him." 

Subaru peeks out the bathroom door, feeling dizzy from the steam and heat. "This bath is making me dizzy. I guess Roswaal cleared my eyes the fuck out," he mutters to himself as he walks out, trying to clear his mind and avoid thinking about what just happened.

On his way out, he meets Ram in the hallway, who is carrying a pile of towels and a thin brief on top of the pile.

"I guess you don't need growth down there," Ram mentions, her gaze fixed on Subaru with a mixture of disapproval and curiosity. "Cover that thing from my sight."

Subaru immediately covers his genitals in embarrassment, feeling his face flush. "What are you doing here!" he asks, desperately trying to make sure he doesn't get a glimpse of the 'piece of meat' that seems to defy his attempt to cover it.

"I was hoping to help Roswaal put on his clean clothes," Ram replies calmly, as if the situation doesn't cause her the slightest discomfort.

"I'm sorry to tell you that I'm done with my bath, so I won't be changing," she adds, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"You think I was thinking about that!?" exclaims Subaru, feeling even more embarrassed and self-conscious about his own situation.

"Then why does your thing keep growing?" asks Ram, watching Subaru's piece of meat getting bigger and making it impossible to cover with both hands.

"Stop looking there!" shouts Subaru, feeling embarrassment consume him.

"And why do you have to change his clothes?! Let him change himself," Subaru says, trying to deflect attention from the awkward situation, but Ram simply raises an eyebrow.

"I will not tolerate disrespect to Roswaal-sama," Ram replies with an expression that could freeze water, her implacable gaze making it clear that she is not willing to negotiate.

"By the way, do you have plans after this?" asks Ram, returning to his neutral expression, as if the earlier tension had not been there.

"Oh... ah, yes, I'll go to Arlam village together with Rem to help her load the groceries. Just that," Subaru says, with embarrassment and a deep blush, feeling that the situation is still embarrassing but grateful for the distraction.

--[Time Skip]--

"I can't believe a girl saw me have an erection on her face. God, how shameful," Subaru mutters to himself, covering his face with both hands as he walks down the wooded path towards the village of Arlam. His face burns, and every step reminds him of the uncomfortable situation he just experienced.

"Did something happen, Subaru?" asks Rem, in his usual tone. His gaze is fixed on the road, as if Subaru's embarrassment doesn't affect him in the least.

"It's nothing," Subaru replies, still with his face covered, trying to keep his nervousness from giving him away.

"Onee-sama told me that you look at her with lustful eyes every time you're with her," Rem comments, his voice calm and direct. There's no trace of mockery, just an objective comment.

"And that you showed her your member and wanted to do things to her," she adds, her expression unchanging, as if she's talking about the weather.

"No! It wasn't like that," Subaru exclaims, feeling even more embarrassed as the blush intensifies on his cheeks. The idea that Ram shared that with Rem makes him feel even more exposed.

"Swallow me earth. Don't think about Ram, don't think about kinky things with her..." he repeats to himself, trying to concentrate on anything else.

However, his mind begins to wander. He remembers times when Ram slept in his bed while he studied. Those soft lips, the cute shape of her body, her sleeping figure so nonchalantly in his bed... Alone in a room with a man...

"Ugh! My heart only has one woman, and it's Emilia!" Subaru tries to shake off those thoughts, struggling to calm his mind and focus on the only person he really cares about.

After a while of walking, they finally reach the village of Arlam. The fresh air and hustle and bustle of the village provide him with temporary relief.

"Good. I must see places to take Emilia-tan on a date. I haven't proposed to her yet, but I will tonight. I must look for nice places to take her," Subaru thinks as he watches Rem heading to the market stalls, his expression unchanging and his gait determined.

While Rem busies himself with shopping, Subaru allows himself to daydream, imagining what that perfect date with Emilia would be like, searching his mind for the most beautiful and romantic places they could visit together.

_____________________________________________

After exploring the town in search of the perfect place for a date with Emilia, Subaru finally arrives at a beautiful field of flowers. The colorful flowers spread out before him.

"Bingo! I'll take her here and we'll have a picnic. I have to make everything perfect," he says to himself, feeling his heart pound with excitement. "I wonder if Kaoru will know how to plan dates... I don't think so. I'm sure his looks are enough," Subaru snorts, feeling a slight resentment towards good-looking dudes. "I really hate handsome guys... minus Kaoru, of course."

However, his thoughts begin to change. "Anyway, it wouldn't hurt to ask him," Subaru muses, deciding that it might be useful to get some advice. He turns around and walks back to the center of town, full of determination.

Suddenly, a group of children approaches him curiously, glowering at him. Before Subaru can react, they start playing around him.

"Oi! Wait!" exclaims Subaru, surprised but amused as the children rush over to play with him.

"Are you a servant of that clown-faced man?" asks a snot-nosed boy, climbing on his back and wiping his nose with his suit.

"No! I'm not a clown servant! I'm the great Natsuki Subaru!" he shouts, gesturing dramatically. "And this suit is my treasure!" The children burst out laughing.

"What are those things?" One boy points to the weights on his wrists and ankles under his sleeves.

"Oh, these are training weights. Since I don't have time to train, I wear these all the time, although I'm getting a little used to it now, especially the fatigue," Subaru laughs, feeling the weight of his worries lighten a little amidst the laughter and games.

"Subaru, Subaru! Look, look! We have a puppy!" they shout, pointing to Meili, who is holding a small puppy with a bald spot on its head.

Subaru reaches over and pets the puppy, but suddenly, the little guy playfully bites it.

"Ouch!" exclaims Subaru, surprised. "This puppy has more energy than me!"

"I guess he doesn't like you, Subaru," says Lucas, watching the scene with a mixture of amusement and compassion.

"It's because I don't have a clown costume!" replies Subaru, laughing as he shakes his hand. "I need a costume to impress the dogs too!"

After a while of playing and laughing with the kids, Subaru feels exhausted but happy. Just then, Rem returns from shopping, carrying several bags. Subaru offers to help her.

"Let me help you with that," Subaru says, smiling as he takes some of the groceries, feeling satisfied with the time he has spent with the children and excited about his upcoming date with Emilia. Together, they begin the walk back to the mansion.

--[Time Skip]--

Ram is helping Kaoru write tonight, and Rem is busy, so Emilia offers to help with Subaru's studies. "I can't do much," she says with a soft smile, but Subaru feels his heart beating at a thousand beats per minute.

With a deep blush, Subaru tries to concentrate on his studies but finds it almost impossible with the girl of his dreams right behind him. Emilia is wearing a cute purple evening dress that just makes him want to rip it off right then and there. 

"W-well, now I'm writing down the basic I-Glyphs until I memorize them," Subaru stammers, feeling his voice tremble.

"You're more meticulous than I expected," Emilia says, leaning closer. Subaru can't help but look sideways at her breasts as she leans in to see her work.

"God, what are you waiting for? Just tell her already!" cries an inner voice in Subaru, increasing his anxiety.

"Whatever... uh..." he takes a breath, trying to gather his courage. "Emilia, I have a favor to ask. Can you hear me out?"

"Tomorrow I'll keep studying and keep working hard," Subaru says, preparing to make his proposal.

"Go on a date with me," Subaru tries to sound as confident as possible.

"What's a date?" asks Emilia, with a genuinely curious expression.

"A date is when a guy and a girl go out together alone, and only the goddess of love knows what will happen next," Subaru replies, feeling his heart beat even faster.

"Ah, so you went on a date with Rem," Emilia replies, with a slight tone of surprise.

"No, no, wait! That doesn't count," Subaru says, trying to quickly correct himself. 

"I understand about going out together, but... where do you want to go?" 

"There's a cute dog in the village near here, and I want to take you to a field of flowers," Subaru proposes, feeling more excited about the idea.

"Uh... the village, huh?" hesitates Emilia, her gaze wavering.

"The dog is very cute. Come on!" insists Subaru, trying to convey his enthusiasm.

"But it could cause you trouble... and the villagers..." Emilia is still hesitant, worried about possible complications.

"The flower field is wonderful! Come on!" Subaru tries to convince her, putting all his energy into his voice.

"Well... I guess I'll go," Emilia says, giving in a little to Subaru's excitement.

"You'll really come?" Subaru feels elated.

"If it motivates you to work starting tomorrow, I will," Emilia replies, smiling.

"Yes!" Subaru gets excited, finally getting to go on a date with the girl of his dreams.

Without thinking, Subaru hugs Emilia tightly, making her let out a groan of surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm so excited. Hehe," Subaru says, grinning from ear to ear.

"It's okay," Emilia replies, a little blushing as she walks away. "Well, butler Subaru, remember to work hard."

"That I will," Subaru says, returning the smile as he watches Emilia leave the room, his heart still pounding.