It's the 27th day of my rural life, and another day of slow living in this different world is about to begin.

I got out of my futon and stretched, then, as usual, I opened the sliding doors. The weather looked beautiful today, and the air was fresh, filling me with a sense of contentment.

But then, as my eyes wandered down from the sky to the ground, I spotted something rather unusual in the courtyard.

"Hmm...?"

"....?"

"....?"

In the courtyard, two rather large beings were coiled together. Why does this feel so familiar...?

A giant white snake and a smaller one remained coiled, raising their heads to gaze at me.

"Good morning?" For some reason, my greeting came out as a question.

No matter how many times I see them, the initial sight is always heart-stopping.

"You've finally returned!" The enormous white snake said.

"Are you well? Your homecoming took quite a long time. The carnivorous beasts were getting terribly worried and running amok through the forest." Giant White Snake said, seemingly reminiscing about the situation, as it squinted its eyes and lifted the corners of its mouth with an amused expression.

I wonder if they've known about this, and they're enjoying the show. Chronos must have caught the attention of quite the notable figures.

I gazed up at the Giant White Snake with a mixture of surprise and confusion, but after snapping out of it, I managed a somewhat awkward smile.

"Did you know I returned to my original world?"

"Oh, yes, your presence disappeared entirely from the moment you left." Giant White Snake flicked its tail left and right as if it were stating the obvious.

"I see..."

Just then, a slightly bigger from that Little White Snake I remember couldn't contain its excitement and gently but playfully bumped into me.

"Rinsakura, I missed you." It said this as it lightly coiled around her, bringing its face close to her cheek.

"Little White Snake, you've grown even bigger."

"Rinsakura..." To an outsider, it might have seemed like an attack, but the two of us were overjoyed to be reunited.

For breakfast today, it was all about egg dishes. Giant White Snake, once again, assumed a human form to make it easier for me. Or perhaps it was because they preferred eating this way.

Little White Snake, who previously looked like a three-year-old, now had an adorable appearance of a young boy. He seemed to be around 10 years old, growing up quite quickly, as expected of a creature from another world.

As I observed them, I couldn't help but think they truly looked like a parent and child. Their eyes and expressions when they smiled were similar. A pair of beautiful individuals!

Watching them happily devour the egg dishes, I couldn't help but appreciate the scene.

As for today's menu... We had white rice, rolled omelets, bacon-wrapped scotch eggs, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, quick-cooked chawanmushi, and steamed sponge cake for dessert. For Little White Snake, I made omurice.

Once the dishes were ready, I was contemplating how to put the finishing touch, a special something that I had in mind, using ketchup.

"What's wrong?" Giant White Snake asked, tilting its head at my pondering.

"Oh, I'm just thinking about what to draw."

I explained that, in my world, it was a common practice to draw things on top of omurice. Some people were skilled enough to create amazing pictures.

"That's quite interesting... So, you can draw anything you want?" Giant White Snake said with a sly smile.

"Yes, you can draw just about anything." I explained, sharing stories about the versatility of the practice, including depictions of soldiers and various other things.

"Hmm... that's fascinating."Giant White Snake said, grinning.

"Is there something you'd like me to draw, Little White Snake?"

Upon hearing this, White Snake appeared to contemplate it seriously. After a moment, he blushed and looked up at me, shyly.

"What do lovers usually draw?" Little White Snake asked.

"Huh...? Um?" I was momentarily taken aback by Little White Snake's question.

"Well... Lovers often write symbols like hearts or express their feelings of love, but generally, you can write anything you like." I, too, turned red and stumbled over my words, feeling a bit flustered.

"So, how about writing 'I love Rinsakura'?" He suggested.

Despite suggesting it himself, Little White Snake blushed profusely, from the top of his head to the tips of his toes, thanks to his naturally translucent skin. I was left momentarily speechless, my eyes wide in surprise.

"Hahaha... my son really knows how to make his move." Giant White Snake laughed heartily, finding humor in the situation.

"Is that okay?" He asked, peering into my face with a worried expression.

"No... it's fine. I'm happy, and I love you too, Little White Snake." I replied, embracing him gently.

"I love you too!" His face buried in my embrace. There was a definite mischievous glint in his eyes. While watching this, Kuro-mame and Kinako felt a bit uneasy...

"For now, it's fine if you still think of me as a little brother. But I won't give up... especially not to a carnivore." But at the moment, Little White Snake was wholly absorbed in my affection.

Meanwhile, the sly little devil, was reveling in the situation, and I was swooning over how cute he was.

Afterward, I happily wrote "I love Rin Sakura" on the omurice, completely oblivious to the scheming thoughts of the little snake.

While he was all cuddly and affectionate, I couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy. His intentions remained a mystery to me, but for now, I just enjoyed the cuteness of the moment.

As White Snake delightedly devoured his meal, a thought crossed my mind.

"By the way... I realized I haven't asked for your name yet." I mentioned.

At that moment, both of them abruptly stopped eating, their eyes wide in shock.

"Ohhhhh!!!" Little White Snake's eyes sparkled as he looked up at the colossal white Snake, as if he had just heard the most incredible news.

However, the Giant White Snake had a serious expression and shook its head.

"Oh...?" I was confused by the sudden turn of events.

Giant White Snake took a sip of tea and then sighed deeply.

"Rinsakura, I apologize... It's our custom that only family members are allowed to know our true names."

"Eh? Is that so?" I was quite surprise to that.

Giant White Snake continued, "Therefore, inquiring about someone's name, especially of the opposite sex, is akin to... a confession of love or romantic interest. When the other party reveals their true name, it signifies an unbreakable bond, like marriage."

"What?!" My eyes went wide with shock. I had nearly proposed unintentionally!

I was still reeling from the revelation when the Giant White Snake teasingly added, "So, by asking for someone's name, you are essentially proposing."

I gasped in surprise, realizing the gravity of the situation. Giant White Snake then explained, "While it's not unheard of for someone to become a part of our family, it's usually a matter of timing, and I believe you two are still quite young."

My thoughts raced, and I couldn't help but think that this was quite a complex and unexpected situation to be in. I was at a loss for words as Little White Snaked asked me about the prospect of marriage. His youthful enthusiasm took me by surprise.

"Little White Snake... Well, I..."

He wore an earnest, grown-up expression, and I couldn't help but think about how this moment was reminiscent of children in kindergarten who would declare, "I'll marry my teacher when I grow up!" It was incredibly endearing.

"I love you, Rinsakura. When I grow up, will you consider marrying me?" He asked, his eyes brimming with sincerity.

I was touched by his words and his childlike innocence. I knew that, in the real world, friendships often began with these youthful promises.

"Little White Snake." I replied, my heart swelling with warmth.

"When you grow up, I'll be quite old already." It was impossible not to smile at the thought.

I reminisced about stories my friends had shared, where kindergarteners would often make annual proposals, but it seemed that proposals from peers closer to their age were far less common.

As I looked into the distance, I couldn't help but laugh.

"Fufufu... If your feelings haven't changed by then, we can think about it."

I held White Snake close, appreciating the sincerity behind his words and promising to consider the possibility. In my heart, I knew I couldn't predict the future.

In the background, the two white snakes couldn't help but feel a sense of achievement, having secured their promise.

After our conversation, they decided to return home, carrying the bento containing egg-based dishes.

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