Chisato was definitely not the type to be dense or emotionally oblivious. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to charm Utaha, Eriri, and Hitori all in quick succession.
And yet, seeing that familiar look in Ryo's eyes left him momentarily speechless.
After all… she was usually a lazy oddball who said weird things, did weirder things, and often stole snacks from her bandmates.
Despite having the cool looks of someone like Touma Kazusa, Chisato had never once thought of her as a woman.
If anything, he'd always seen Ryo as a partner he could talk to freely, someone he didn't need to tiptoe around, a trusted comrade in music who gave sincere feedback on his new songs.
But now—standing right in front of him—was Ryo, no longer radiating her usual bizarre energy. Instead, she was exuding an unmistakably gentle, feminine allure.
And the moment her entire aura shifted, there was no need for words. The truth beneath the surface was obvious.
Only then did Chisato realize how many signs he had ignored because of his assumptions.
She wore a pale blue high-end French-style blouse, paired with a white A-line high-waisted skirt. She looked slim, elegant, and impossible to overlook.
So different from her usual carefree, casual outfits—she had clearly put thought into how she looked today. The delicate elegance she exuded was impossible to miss.
Absolutely stunning.
"…"
Chisato's throat bobbed. He forgot what he was going to say and turned his gaze away.
Ryo seemed to notice. Her eyes softened and narrowed slightly—but instead of pressing further, she simply apologized.
"Sorry. You looked so defenseless, President… I couldn't help myself. Just a little prank."
Chisato, still feeling unsettled, turned back to the fridge and pulled out a bundle of dried noodles.
"…It's fine. I know you're hungry. I'll cook some noodles—it won't take long. Just wait in the living room."
"The living room's boring. I'd rather stay here. Is there anything I can help with?"
"That doesn't sound like something your character would say."
"Character settings are nothing more than flexible variables that can change whenever the person feels like it."
"…Whatever. If you want to stay here, then stay. Just don't get too close to the stove. It'll be a pain if you get your clothes dirty."
"Got it."
Until the noodles were finished, Ryo obediently stayed off to the side without doing anything outrageous.
Chisato placed a simple bowl of noodles on the table and called her over to eat.
Perishable food had already been used up before his week-long trip, so there were no vegetables—just a fried egg and a few slices of bacon.
Still, the presentation wasn't too bad.
At least Ryo thought so. She didn't show any signs of dissatisfaction. In fact, she wasn't a picky eater at all.
Recently, thanks to Chisato paying her regularly, she wasn't short on money.
But before meeting him, she had constantly overdrawn her allowance and lived on the brink—sometimes quite literally eating grass.
"Thanks for the meal."
Ryo pressed her hands together and softly recited the traditional phrase before she began eating in small, slow bites.
Meanwhile, Chisato went about his own tasks—opening the tightly drawn curtains around the apartment and cracking the windows to let in some fresh air.
But even as he did that, he kept stealing glances at her.
Whether it was because he had become aware of something during their earlier exchange, he wasn't sure, but he felt that even the way Ryo ate seemed more elegant than usual—more like a girl.
After she finished, Ryo took the initiative to carry her bowl and chopsticks to the kitchen sink, cleaned them, and returned them to the cupboard.
When she turned back, she found Chisato standing at the doorway, staring at her.
She smiled slightly.
"Are you planning to get back at me for that little prank earlier?"
"I'm not as childish as you."
The kettle he had filled earlier while cooking had now come to a boil.
He walked over, poured hot water into two cups, handed one to her, and they both returned to the sofa in the living room.
"Are you full?"
"Barely. I could probably eat a bit more, but I'm a proper lady and I need to watch my figure, so I'll leave it at that."
"Alright then. Let's get to the real topic—your future with the band and all that…"
"Would you consider things from my perspective, President?"
The sudden interruption caught Chisato off guard, just as he was finally starting to collect his thoughts again.
"…Of course I would."
He answered immediately. That much, at least, was undeniably true.
Not just for Ryo—he always considered things from the perspective of every member of Kesshoku Band.
Ryo nodded, as if she had expected that.
"In that case, I'll just follow your lead from now on, President. That's all. No need to discuss it further."
"…Hold on."
The chaos in Chisato's mind only deepened. He rubbed his temples.
"If it was really that simple, you could've just called me and said all this, and… it would've been… done…"
As he looked at her, something dawned on him, and his words trailed off.
Ryo held her cup with both hands, her fingers gently rubbing the rim.
"Mhm. I'm pretty sure you know already, President—I didn't come here just to talk about that."
After she said that, Chisato's expression became a bit complicated.
"…Yamada."
He raised an eyebrow and paused before speaking again.
"What are you trying to say?"
He had a guess—but wasn't quite ready to confirm it.
Ryo carefully studied his expression and then spoke her truth.
"About what happened a few days ago during the trip—I thought it was interesting. What about you, President?"
"If you mean what happened between everyone during the trip—"
"No."
Ryo cut him off, striking directly.
"Not everyone. Just the two of us. Those two nights."
"…"
"I don't even know when it started—maybe even before the trip, maybe after. But lately, my feelings toward you, Chisato… have started to get a little weird."
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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