Ryo lay comfortably, his head resting on the shrine maiden's lap as she gently stroked his hair, a small smile playing on her lips as her fingers combed through his dark locks. She gazed down at him with a mixture of fondness and worry, her eyes betraying the usual nonchalant behaviour she always had. The other shrine maidens walked by without a second glance—they had long since gotten used to this unusual bond between their mistress and this man, the one who'd unexpectedly changed her life.
Ryo closed his eyes, letting out a deep, almost relaxed sigh. He always felt strangely at peace here. "You know," he murmured, his voice a blend of charm and nonchalance, "I've been getting these new… targets in the system. Two women, to be precise. And I keep experiencing the pain. Then constant conflict with Kurosaki and Harada family, things have been rather hard for me these days."
