Ryan was slumped in his chair, gaze fixed on the ceiling, lost in his own thoughts.
"After that moment worthy of a romance anime… Mai just opened the door and walked out like nothing happened. No goodbye, no look back… Just left as if I were some random extra. That crazy bunny girl has a few screws loose, for sure."
The thought had barely finished forming when a cheerful voice invaded his ears.
"Ryaaaan! You're spacing out again!"
Before he could react, his body was swayed from side to side.
"Ugh, calm down, walking earthquake!"
His eyes met Rika's, who giggled softly as she shook him, her blue hair swaying gently with the movement.
Ryan arched his eyebrows, blinking a few times. Ah, right… He looked around, finally getting his bearings. I ran into Rika in the hallway on my way to the classroom…
A smirk appeared on his lips.
"Well, as I was saying before I went off on a tangent..." He straightened his posture, his eyes shining with mischievous fun. "I'm going to start a games club. And you, my dear, will be the official pet. No room for refusal, just meet me during break so we can sign the papers confirming your attendance."
He said it as if he already knew her answer—as if the possibility of a "no" didn't even exist.
Rika brought her hand to her mouth, letting out a melodious giggle.
"Hihihi~ Well, since you insist soooo much that I participate…" Her eyes sparkled, and a smirk appeared. "But…"
Ryan narrowed his eyes. Here it comes.
"I'll just sign my attendance… But I won't be able to participate for a little while."
Ryan felt his shoulders slump instantly.
"What?"
And before he could question her, another voice cut through the air, loaded with impatience.
"We won't be able to participate now because we have a lot of family trips to take, idiot."
Ryan turned his head slightly, his eyes landing on Yuno's figure as he thought.
"We? I didn't even invite you, pinkie."
She stood with her arms crossed, legs crossed too, wearing a bored expression.
"And besides, why the hell do you want to start a games club so badly, huh?"
Before Ryan could answer, Rika, with her gentle smile, tilted her head slightly.
"Mii~ Will it be like the games club I used to be in back in Hinamizawa?"
"Actually, no..." Ryan replied, gesturing with his hand, excitement returning to his voice. "I want to create a game from scratch with this club, like those ones we played before, remember?"
Yuno sighed heavily.
"Ahh… Right, now I remember. You want to remake that Blue Archive, don't you…" She rolled her eyes. "Seriously, what a stupid idea."
Ryan gave a crooked smile.
"Stupid, but you're dying to join the club, aren't you?"
Yuno huffed and turned her face away, her nose slightly upturned.
"Hmph! Who wants to join that stupid club?"
Ryan felt his eyebrow twitch, still thinking, "I'm sure this crazy tsundere will be there when it's time to sign the papers…"
He sighed and turned his attention back to Rika again.
"Ah, speaking of Hinamizawa, I wonder how things are going over there?"
He tilted his head, running a hand through Rika's hair distractedly.
"I keep wondering if that blonde bitch Takano Mio is doing her job… And also how everyone else is doing. To be honest, I always get a bad feeling when it comes to that damn woman. We should have thrown her into the swamp, chopped into pieces!"
Yuno, still with her arms crossed, let out a snort before replying in a playful tone.
"Congratulations, Ryan. First time you've said something intelligent that I agree with."
Rika made an adorable pout, puffing her cheeks.
"Ryan! Yuno!"
Yuno remained unfazed and continued, her voice tinged with dark amusement.
"Sometimes I feel like teleporting over there, tying a rock to her feet, and throwing her into the swamp while she's still alive. All for touching my little sister."
"Y-you guys are scary, auauau~"
The tearful voice came from Hanyuu, who watched the scene with an air of pure desperation.
Ryan let out a heavy sigh, arms crossed as he observed Hanyuu floating beside them, her expression betraying the nervousness she always carried.
"You're supposed to be a Goddess, Hanyuu… Not act like a frightened puppy."
Hanyuu trembled slightly upon hearing this, her small eyes flickering.
"Auauau~ B-but I can't help it…!"
Before Ryan could retort, a soft voice, laden with rehearsed sweetness, cut through the air.
"I think… It's better if we don't talk about these things in the classroom."
Rika, still holding a smile that didn't reach her eyes, guided Ryan's hand away from her hair, holding it gently for a moment before letting go.
"And… About Hinamizawa…" She hesitated, looking away slightly. "I still don't want to go back there… At least not for now."
Her words silenced Ryan and Yuno instantly. The shift in Rika's tone was subtle, but it carried a weight that didn't go unnoticed.
Her smile turned slightly melancholic as her voice continued, a little lower.
"You know… I still want to better enjoy the life you guys gave me. My family, the trips, school… All of this is part of a dream I thought I'd never have."
She took a deep breath, her hand resting on her chest as if trying to soothe an internal tightness.
"Going back to Hinamizawa… It scares me a little."
The room fell into an awkward silence.
It was Yuno who moved first. Without a word, she simply stood up and hugged Rika, pulling her against her chest in a sudden gesture.
Ryan's eyes widened, and he immediately grumbled.
"Hey, pinkie! I was going to do that!"
"Silence, idiot." Yuno retorted without even looking at him, holding Rika as if she were a precious jewel. "Hmph!"
The few students already in the classroom stopped everything they were doing, watching the scene as if witnessing a sacred moment.
"AAAAAH! I WANT TO HUG RIKA TOO!"
The collective thoughts were almost palpable in the air.
Hanyuu, floating nearby, looked ready to burst into tears.
"Auauau~! W-we're drawing too much attention! Auuu~!"
Ryan let out a short laugh, shaking his head.
"Got it." His voice, now softer and more comforting, carried genuine understanding. "So we'll go back to visit Hinamizawa when you feel better about the idea. After all…" He watched her with a calm gaze. "You lived through a very long nightmare there."
Rika remained silent for a moment, as if savoring the tranquility of those words. Then, she tilted her head to the side, placing a finger on her chin as her gaze gained a mischievous glint.
"By the way…" A sly smile formed on her lips. "Just so you know… Mion seemed quite disappointed with your abrupt departure."
Ryan blinked a few times, arching an eyebrow.
"Mion?" He repeated, searching his memory until the image surfaced: a girl with greenish hair, always cheerful, possessing overwhelming energy… and who, for some reason, carried a pistol in a holster.
"Aaahh! The girl who got me that house, right?" Ryan snapped his fingers as he remembered. "I recall she had… interesting attributes."
Yuno didn't waste time.
"Pervert," she shot back immediately, without hesitation.
Ryan solemnly ignored the comment, continuing his train of thought.
"But, honestly… We barely interacted. I only spent a few days in Hinamizawa." He narrowed his eyes at Rika, clearly suspicious. "Why would she be disappointed?"
Rika, with the look of a patient teacher, sighed dramatically before answering.
"Don't underestimate a girl's heart."
She pointed a finger at him, as if giving a lesson.
"Perhaps… Your manly aura impressed her."
Yuno, listening with half-closed eyes, just snorted.
"Highly doubt it." She crossed her arms, her tone laced with sarcasm. "Who would fall for a pervert like him, huh?"
There was a brief silence.
Then, without hesitation, Rika answered simply and directly:
"Me."
Yuno's expression froze instantly.
"...Silence, Rika."
And, unceremoniously, she pinched the girl's cheeks as punishment, causing Rika to let out a drawn-out, adorable "Miiii~" as she tried, futilely, to pull away.
Ryan just watched the scene, trying to hold back his laughter.
"Eh…"
Ryan scratched his cheek, looking away as if trying to find the best way to respond without sounding strange.
"Anyway, I'm not enough of a scumbag to steal a friend's waifu. Keiichi's a good guy, you know?"
Rika let out a low chuckle, crossing her arms on the desk before sighing theatrically.
"Sometimes I worry about Mion's future…" Her feline eyes shone with a touch of restrained malice. "If it depends on Keiichi's attitude, she might just die a virgin."
Ryan gave a half-smile, about to reply, but was cut off by an indignant mumble.
"Ahem! Are you really going to ignore me? Auuu~!"
Hanyuu waved her little arms as if trying to get attention, her expression bordering on childish frustration.
Ryan glanced sideways at the spectral entity and put his hand to his mouth as if telling a secret.
"Sorry, Hanyuu, but they'll call me crazy if I talk to the wind in the middle of class…"
Her purple eyes shimmered with a melancholic glint before she let out a pitiful "Auauuu…," her little ears drooping slightly.
Ryan chuckled lightly, but the next moment, a hesitant female voice echoed right behind him, carrying an adorable accent.
"G-good morning… Ma-Masachika-kun…"
Ryan's heart gave a small jolt.
His body reacted before his mind fully processed. He turned around almost mechanically, blinking a few times.
"A-Alya?"
There, standing before him, was her, the beautiful ice princess, her silver hair reflecting the classroom light. She looked nervous—one hand subtly running through her strands, while her eyes danced across the floor, as if searching for the courage for what came next.
Then, she took a deep breath and, in a moment of decision, took a step forward.
Muack!
The soft sound echoed near Ryan's mouth.
The world seemed to stop.
Ryan blinked, heat rising to his ears.
Alya… Alya had just kissed him.
Not on the lips, but close enough to completely mess up his operating system.
She lifted her gaze only for a brief moment, the blue of her eyes meeting his before a mischievous little smile appeared on her lips.
"Have you told them yet, Masachika?"
The provocative tone came in Russian, a detail that sent a shiver down Ryan's spine.
And then, before he could say anything, Alya spun on her heel and hurried to her seat, burying her face in her hands as she turned completely red.
Silence.
A deathly silence.
Ryan blinked, trying to process what the hell had just happened.
His eyes instinctively moved to the side, where he found Yuno, Rika, and Hanyuu… all completely paralyzed, staring at the scene with expressions of pure disbelief.
And it wasn't just them.
Looking around, Ryan noticed the entire classroom was frozen.
"Holy shit… EVERYONE FROZE!" He thought.
It was as if someone had pressed the pause button on the universe. The students were static, some holding pens in the air, others with mouths slightly open, unable to process what they had just witnessed.
And then…
"Ryan… What was that?"
Yuno's voice surfaced directly in his mind, cold and sharp as a blade.
Ryan felt a chill run up the back of his neck.
With a dragged-out and somewhat lost voice, he responded mentally:
"Well… I kinda forgot to mention, but… I asked Alya to be my girlfriend, and she said yes.…"
The sharp sound of something breaking made Ryan flinch.
He looked to the side and saw Yuno holding the remnants of a broken pen between her fingers, her expression dark and dangerous.
"You… what?"
The implied threat in her voice made Ryan swallow hard.
"Ah… Fuck."
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