The Degree
Meaning of a Warmth

The morning brings joy and freshness like mountains. Ray opens his window to find a dark sky that is increasingly driven away by the sun that slowly appears.

To start his day Ray will do a routine that he has not done so far.

“Whatever the circumstances I have to take care of my physique as best I can.”

Because the previous tasks did not allow him to do it.

Although his left hand and the wound on his shoulder had not completely healed yet it was not Ray's reason for not practicing.

“Let's do something that won't harm this wound.”

Ray started his sport. After some time and when he started sweating, the door of the room was knocked and opened.

“Darling, I brought you breakfast and bandages for luka—, Ara~, early in the morning like this I've seen something hot.” Erina blushed and held her lips in a strange gurgle.

Ray had read the article that the woman was weak with male muscles especially when sweating as if emitting a certain aura. Ray could not believe that it was true.

“It just so happens that I also brought a towel.” Erina took the white towel and threw it.

Ray did not reject it and immediately used it to clear the sweat on his body.

For some reason Erina's gaze at him made my hair goosebumps. Ray turned his head towards him but at once Erina turned her eyes away as if she had not noticed in the first place.

His behavior may be funny, especially the part where his ears look red. If only the woman had not tried to use it, perhaps Ray would have taken her into his arms immediately.

After a while Ray ate the breakfast Erina had brought while the woman took care of the wound she had.

“It looks like your mood is much better right now. Your body is also so stocky and even though it runs out of sweat why does it smell so comfortable on the nose?” Erina immediately sniffed near Ray's neck.

“Stop that. That's quite ludicrous.”

“Fufu, not only women. It seems that the neck section is also a sensitive place for men.” Erina nosily blew it.

Ray is still a normal guy. He could have that kind of urge all of a sudden, especially in the morning. There is a private object belonging to a man who will wake up straight and crow every morning.

“I'll apply alcohol to your wounds. It's gonna hurt a little, so hold it. You can hug me if you can't hold it.”

“Do not worry. Pain is a friend to me.”

After so many things Ray had been through in his life, the pain could no longer make him cry.

No one can get used to pain.

It's just that Ray is tired of him until the pain he no longer considers suffering.

“I don't know what you did before coming to this place. With the intelligence and abilities you have, it seems that the environment you live in is quite special. It's okay not to say it. If you may know, in what kind of environment did you grow up?”

Either he tried fishing or just guessed. If the goal is to guess then it is by no means missed.

More specifically in another sense.

“If you have to say, place stay is special and different from most people.”

Erina smiled happily as well as enviously as she continued to take care of the wounds Ray had.

“So, it looks like it's a really special place, yes.”

“Yes, considering that there is no humanity going on there, everything is very special.”

Not that Ray wanted to reveal his origins blatantly.

It's just that for some reason Ray wanted to say a little bit about himself.

“There is no humanity? I'm afraid I'm wrong to conclude, what does it mean ...”

“That's exactly what you had in mind. In my life I have felt absolutely nothing but the coldness of the human heart.”

The memories of those painful days will continue to imprint on Ray's heart and mind as an incurable wound.

Even when he managed to escape from those days in fact thanks to that place everything in the world made Ray uninterested and so bored.

It was as if the world Ray had was different from most people. For that reason also Ray accepts Secret's invitation and ends up entering a large cage.

Even so different from places in the past, Ray prefers the environment created by Secret.

Ray widened his eyes in surprise. It was because Erina hugged him gently for no apparent reason. Ray was able to feel something warm and soft enveloping his back.

“Fufu, you are lucky to be able to meet me. If our condition wasn't like this, I'd really like to get to know you. I want to teach you the meaning of a warmth.”

Had Ray and Erina not met at the place provided by Secret, then Erina would not have done such a troublesome thing as trying to control Ray with her Degree.

Erina's wish was that she was close to normal. Even so, the environment created by Degree encourages him to do so for his own safety as well.

“By touching each other's lives, you will learn the meaning of the warmth of sentient beings, the warmth of the human heart. The warmth you will never find or learn from a cold book that has no life. To learn it, doing this kind of touch will help you.”

Ray understood a little about what Erina was trying to convey.

He may be right. Had they met in a better way, Ray might have learned to accept someone in his life.

“You're the only guy that interested me. I'll help you learn it any way you want.”

Erina put her hand around Ray's neck as she whispered.

Ray might be a little flattered by those words but if only Erina had not done those things ...

“That's a nice sentence to hear if you don't bite my neck.”

Ray tries to keep her away but Erina fights back and continues to bite him for some time. Ray discovers that there is a red mark on his neck due to Erina's actions.

It's a scar that won't disappear anytime soon. Ray stared intently at Erina who stuck out her tongue with a seductive look.

“Fufu, with this I have calmed down. For you ladies, the sign is a sign of ownership.”

“I've never understood such a silly way.”

“We women are indeed complicated creatures. Especially matters of heart and man, you are very sensitive.”

After she finished putting in a new bandage for Ray, Erina intended to leave.

“For your recovery, it's best to rest. Call the waiter if you need anything. In addition, I will make sure that you do not receive any bonus duties because your name is not currently registered into the union.”

There was a shocking thing that Ray wanted to ask but Erina quickly closed the door and left.

His demeanor was quite irritating but for some reason Ray was quite comfortable being nearby.

“If you don't have any troublesome Degree try to control me. You will probably end up being as you want.”

It is unfortunate that the future is uncertain for now.

...[***]...

**Name: Mein Stanford.

Origin: Australia.

Age: 19 years.

Degree: Actress.

Information revealed at this time. His ability is able to change the characteristics of his body to suit the role he wants to play. Even so, he could not artificially create anything. Part of the ability he could do was to change his body to certain things.

There is another part of his ability that has not been revealed**.