(Rem x Reader) Re:Reader - Starting YOUR New Life in Another World

Chapter 7: An Unexpected Serenade

YN wandered back to his room. It took some convincing, but Subaru agreed.

Getting ready for bed, YN had another idea slip into his mind. His phone was probably charged just enough for him to listen to some music while he fell asleep. Something he hadn't done in a long time.

YN checked his phone's battery, and it read a good thirty one percent.

This should get me a few hours of tunes, I'll just set a playlist and get my headphones and—

Stopping his thought, YN had remembered most of his belongings were still in his car that had remained in the Capitol.

YN: Huh, I know I probably don't have my headphones, but I wonder if I still have my earbuds.

Walking over to the cabinet, YN rifled through the pockets of his jacket, looking for the spare set of cheap earbuds he kept.

YN: Ah, there we go.

Finding exactly what he was looking for, he untangled the cord and plugged it into the phone. Crawling into bed and finding a comfy spot, YN let his music carry his thoughts away.

Hopefully Rem will be pleasantly surprised, provided Subaru remembers to carry through on his end of the deal.

***

It was morning, roughly the time YN would normally wake up as the first light of the day made its way through the gap in the curtains.

However, considering he was told his duties were limited to later afternoon tasks today, he took the opportunity to sleep in a little longer, his first time he was able to since arriving to this new world.

But Rem had other plans. She was curious as to why she was in the situation she was in, and strongly believed YN might know something about it. For some reason, Rem had found most of her tasks she had needed to complete before leaving were already complete, and by Subaru no less.

With a knock on the door failing to get YN up, Rem decided to ever so quietly open the door. Entering in her graceful, quiet fashion, she lightly stepped across the room to reach YN while he still laid asleep.
Normally Rem would not wake someone up when they had nothing to do that morning, but she was overly suspect of two things, how, and more importantly, why did YN convince Subaru to wake up so early to do her morning tasks?

Rem approached the sleeping YN and had gotten right to his bedside before she saw something that perplexed her. From both of YN's ears, two black strings descended his head and joined to one string, leading to his hand under his pillow.

Letting her curiosity get the better of herself, Rem every so gently lifted the side of the pillow to see what the string led to. Being careful as to not wake YN, she peered onto what he held in his hand.

In her surprise, the string led to the same black rectangle he had connected to the sun power device.

While YN had professed the devices harmlessness, Rem still had her suspicions. Again using her gracefully gentle hand skills, she maneuvered the rectangle from YNs hand.

As soon as she touched it's smooth, glass like surface, the rectangle lit up. Rem was so surprised she had almost dropped it. She immediately moved her fingers away from the light. To her, she guessed "light" might meant "heat", and not wanting to be possibly burned, she recoiled her fingers.

Timidly, Rem touched the lit up surface of the rectangle, and the light reacted to her touch, almost like the water on a still pond.

She analyzed the lights, some where symbols not unlike what YN had wrote the day before.

Rem knows this captures memories in an instant, and can even record voice and motion, but why does YN-kun have it attached to his head?

Rem couldn't figure out what purpose it would have being attached to YN. But what perplexed her the most, was the bright white triangle on the illuminated side of the rectangle. Something about it called out to be touched.

Against her better judgment, and at the almost primal call of curiosity, Rem laid her finger on the bright white triangle.

Immediately, the triangle turned into two white lines, parallel to each other, and she heard what sounded like popping, or maybe hissing? Like voices far away. All that emanating from the split ends of the string coming from the rectangle. Right next to YNs ears.

The sounds had only been playing for less then a split second before YN bolted up right in bed, tearing the strings from his ears.

The sudden awakening that YN had even surprised Rem, who thought she was certain YN would be fast asleep. Rem dropped the rectangle, it falling and taking the string with it.

YN looked around the room, now slightly bright from the sun coming through the curtains, with eyes wide open.

The very first thing he noticed of course, was Rem crouched down off to the side of his bed, a rather surprised look on her face, a look also coupled with embarrassment.

YN: Goodness gracious Rem, you'll give someone a heart attack, trying to scare someone like that.

He looked down at his earphone cable leading off the bed to where his phone was.

Still trying to shake the grogginess off, YN was trying to make sense of just what woke him up. Was it Rem? Or was it him bumping his phone causing it to play his music he fell asleep to.

Still crouching in a slightly recoiled state, Rem still had her same expression, waiting for YN to put two and two together.

YN yawned and scratched his face before turning back to Rem.

YN: Speaking of which, what are you doing in here?

Rem: Rem was just uhhhh, making sure you were feeling okay! It is past the time YN-kun usually wakes up.

YN: Oh? I was just sleeping in a little because you said my only duty today was going with *yawn* to the village.

Rem: Yes that is correct.

YN furrowed his brows as part of a poker face, in an effort to hide his involvement in his next question, and to make sure Subaru made good on his side of the deal.

YN: And didn't you have other things to do this morning before leaving?

Rem's face turned to one of relief as the conversation had safely moved past the rectangle and it's glowing lights.

Putting a fist to her chest and shaking her head, Rem explained, as she finally got the opportunity to ask her question.

Rem: It seems as if Subaru-kun got a wild hair and decided to do Rem's share of the morning chores.

With a sense of relief that Subaru had followed his end of the deal, YN answered.

YN: Oh good, that means you must have some time to yourself then.

Hoping for a cheerful response, Rem instead replied with a question of her own using his own words.

Rem: 'Good'?

YN: -Hk!

Waiting for her response, Rem tilted her head.

YN: I-I-uhhh, meant good for you!

YN stumbled more and more on his words. Rem only continued to keep her look up, as if prompting YN that she knew he had more to say.

This time, speaking with honesty and clearing his throat, his words were more genuine. YN shrugged while he spoke.

YN: It's just you work hard, a lot harder then anyone else here, and I haven't seen you really get a break despite the labor pool here doubling. I can't imagine what you and your sister's workload must have been before.

Rem smiled at YNs words. It wasn't the ones she was looking for, but she knew that Subaru wouldn't go off and do such things without being coerced, and that if YN felt so passionately about it, he would have just done it himself.

YN-kun must have traded or done something, or promised something to Subaru-kun in exchange for this, the intention must be good since he isn't admitting to it, but Rem has already caught YN-kun in his own words once.

Rem thought as she continued to smile.

It's just like out in the gardens on the walk, but the other way around. YN-kun was considerate to Rem's feelings on when Rem misspoke, so the same should be done for YN-kun. Rem won't pressure him, perhaps an opportunity to get out of his words is in order.

Rem turned her smiling face to the curtains and walked over to open them, letting in all the light, and opening the window enough for a light breeze.

Doing this, Rem used the scene change as way to also change the subject, her way of letting YN out of his words.

Rem: Then if YN-kun and Rem are not doing anything till we must leave, should we pass the time together?

Rem stood there, waiting for YNs answer, but he was to awestruck by how her smile shined in the bright early morning sun, and how beautiful her eyes were as her bangs swung from the breeze coming through the window.

YN: Yeah. Yeah I'd very much like too.