It had been over thirty minutes since Rudy and Rebecca started making dinner. Although Rebeccahadn't done much, she was helping Rudy and watching him cook to learn the recipe.
Meanwhile, Rias had gotten bored, so she went to the kitchen and started talking with Rudy to pass the time. Elena, on the other hand, was helping Jessica with her homework and watching over her.
However, Elena's attention was on Rudy and Rias.
"Miss, am I doing this right?" Jessica asked while pointing her finger at her book.
"..."
"Miss Elena," Jessica called her out again.
"..."
Jessica tapped on Elena's leg and said, "Why are you glaring at Rudy like that?"
"Hmm? Oh, no. What's wrong?" Jessica tried to act normal, but her actions and expressions said otherwise.
"Is this correct?" Jessica asked.
Elena looked at Jessica's book and nodded, "Yes, it's correct."
A few more minutes passed, and Rudy was still happily chatting with Rias in the kitchen while making dinner.
'Stupid Rudy!'
Elena got up from the couch and said, "Oh, I received a call. I will be right back."
Elena left the house while talking on her phone.
"..." Rudy, who was already aware of Elena's glare, raised his brow and muttered, "Strange. I didn't sense any incoming signals, which means she was lying."
A few seconds later, Rudy's phone rang, and he knew that it was from Elena. But he still answered the call.
[Come out of the house!] Elena demanded.
Rudy hung up the call and turned to Rebecca, saying, "Can you watch the food? I will be right back."
Rudy left the house and found Elena standing at the door with her hands folded below her bosom. She was glaring at him like never before, clearly acting jealous.
"What's up?" Rudy asked.
"What was that?"
"What do you mean?"
"You were flirting with the red hair in the kitchen," Elena remarked.
"Okay. First of all, her name is Rias, and I know you know that. And secondly, I wasn't flirting."
"No, you were. You were talking with her with a wide smile on your face. It's obvious that you enjoy talking with her. You even look at her like you look at me."
"Yeah, you are right. But I am sure I wasn't flirting." Rudy tickled Elena's ear and said, "You know how I flirt."
Elena shrugged Rudy's hand and said, "I know I said, 'I don't care if you see other girls,' but I didn't expect you to do it."
"I am not doing that because you allowed me to."
Elena squinted her eyes and said, "Okay, then tell me. Do you love her?"
"I do, yes," Rudy nodded.
"You cheater."
"But I haven't done anything to her. Well, I kissed her earlier, but aside from that, nothing."
"You did what?!" Elena exclaimed with a surprised look on her face.
"I was going to tell you when we were supposed to leave for the picnic, but I guess now is not a bad time either." Rudy pulled Elena close and said, "This might confuse you, but everything you will see is the truth."
Rudy kissed Elena on the lips and shared his memories with Elena.
"...!" Elena's eyes widened as foreign memories filled her mind.
The kiss lasted for a few minutes, and Elena had seen the important parts of Rudy's memories, mostly about his life and his harem.
"I… don't understand. So you are telling me that you are from the future and haven't even been born yet?" Elena asked with a baffled look on her face.
"Yes."
"So… you… you are not real?"
"Why would you think that?"
"You will eventually return where you belong, so doesn't that mean you never existed?"
"That's not true. I am standing right in front of you, touching you, talking with you. Everything is real."
"I have so many questions about your relationship with Rebecca, but… Jessica…" Elena covered her mouth as her eyes got teary. "She is… dead?"
"Yes, and no. She has become a ghost."
"Wait… that perverted ghost is… Jessica? What happened to her?"
"That would be my fault."
"You killed her?!" Elena exclaimed.
"No, I was talking about the perverted part. She was already a ghost when I met her."
"But… how do you know she is Jessica?" Elena asked curiously.
"I realized it the moment I laid my eyes on her. Hence, I became so emotional all of a sudden. The resemblance was uncanny. But of course, I couldn't just admit that, as I could have been wrong. But after spending a few weeks with her, I was sure." Rudy answered with a distant smile on her face.
"And Rias is a… vampire? An actual vampire?"
"Yup."
"Is it okay to tell me all that? I am scared."
"Yeah, it's okay. I didn't tell you everything. Just how I got my powers and how I met my harem members. So it's not that big of a deal. However, as you know, I haven't met you in 2008, but I am sure that the you from 2008 remembers everything.
This time travel is not under my control, and I could return to 2008 at any time. But I wanted you to know that I didn't run away or leave you behind. In case I disappear, please take care of Rebecca and Jessica for me.
And please, save Jessica from dying. She gets killed in the tunnel, so don't let her go near it." Rudy smiled at Elena and asked, "Is there anything else you would like to ask?"
Elena nodded and quietly asked, "What do you think happened to me in 2008?"
"I haven't the slightest clue. But there are chances that you moved on, or you couldn't wait for me. However, I just told you everything, so let's hope that doesn't happen."
Elena hugged Rudy tightly and said, "I won't! I will never forget you! And I will wait for you, even if it takes forever!"
"Thank you." He patted Elena on the back and said, "Now, shall we go back inside. The dinner is ready."
After saying that, Rudy entered the house.
Elena, however, smiled wryly after looking at the sky and inwardly uttered, "But we have already met in 2008, Rudy."
