"Yuno is too crazy for my taste... convincing that lunatic to wait until tomorrow was a task worthy of a miracle," Ryan thought, leaning on his hand as he watched the girl sitting in front of him. Although she wasn't facing him, the hatred radiating from her was almost palpable.
He twirled the pencil between his fingers, lost in his own thoughts. The vague information they had about Hinamizawa and the imminent problems lingered in his mind. "An isolated town, and all I found online was a generic photo of a nearby city... This smells like Resident Evil 4. Am I going to find my Ashley there?" He chuckled to himself, his mind wandering as the class continued.
On the other side of the room, Alya watched him from the corner of her eye, still trying to control the embarrassment she had been feeling since the day before. Despite her effort to maintain a tough exterior, her cheeks were slightly flushed. "Masachika... What is he thinking after that?" She narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms to hide the faint blush that kept appearing.
"Beautiful Russian..." The memory of Ryan's playful comment returned to her mind, and her heart skipped a beat. She started tapping her foot nervously, trying to control her anxiety.
"He's so full of himself... Wait, does he even understand when I flirt in Russian?" The doubt struck her, and she shook her head, dismissing the thought. But her mind kept drifting back to him. "Why am I so restless about this?"
Her gaze shifted back to Masachika, who, oblivious to it all, seemed completely lost in thought.
She took a deep breath, letting the memories take shape in her mind. "It was about a year ago..." A soft smile appeared on her lips as she relived that special moment. "At that time, I was completely focused on giving my best for the upcoming festival. But at the same time, I couldn't shake off a certain sadness..." She sighed, her eyes distant. "I thought no one would care as much as I did, like it happened when I was a child."
Her gaze returned to Masachika, this time warmer, almost protective. "I'll admit, at first, I had a bad impression of him. I thought he was just another lazy guy who didn't care about anything." She laughed softly at the memory. "But he… he surprised me. He decided to help me and cared about something that was so important to me."
Her face flushed slightly, but the smile remained. "And that night, he asked me to dance... and started calling me Alya." The memory made her cheeks flush deeper, but also gave her eyes a special sparkle.
Alya continued lost in her thoughts, her gaze distant as she stared at the empty space in the classroom. "What does this feeling… really mean?"
The sound of the bell signaling the end of class brought her back to reality, snapping her out of her reflections. She blinked a few times, trying to organize her thoughts. "Damn… I judged him so much, but in the end, I ended up acting exactly like him." A soft sigh escaped her as she checked the time.
On the other side of the room, Masachika remained calm, almost carefree. He unlocked his phone with a quick swipe, wearing a smug expression. Navigating to a specific chat, the name caught his attention: "Incredibly, My Sister." Without wasting any time, he typed:
"Special mission: I need to speak with Agent Yuki."
The response came almost instantly. "At your service, my beloved brother ❤❤❤." The message was followed by a flood of heart stickers.
Masachika raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Impossible, no one replies this fast…" he thought as he stared at the screen with a mix of exasperation and fascination.
Masachika continued typing, deliberately ignoring Yuki's exaggerated reply.
"I need to talk to you, preferably face to face."
The reply came so quickly that he barely had time to breathe:
"Kyaaa! Does my dear brother want to declare his immense love for me? ❤" Followed by a sticker of a bunny sticking its tongue out.
He let out a short laugh and started typing again:
"Actually, I want to take advantage of your contacts. ^^"
But Yuki, as always, didn't miss a chance to provoke:
"Don't worry, my brother! I won't hit you if you ask us to run away together in a forbidden love! ❤❤❤" And before he could respond, another message appeared:
"I'll meet you at your HQ!"
Masachika sighed heavily as he locked his phone, shaking his head with a resigned smile. "Does she always write this fast? This girl is insane… but she's kind of entertaining."
The class proceeded normally, but the atmosphere between Ryan and Yuno was tense. She remained silent throughout the day, interacting minimally with anyone, while he observed her like a hunter assessing its prey. Despite his apparent indifference, Ryan's watchful posture indicated he was ready to react to any suspicious move.
When the day finally came to an end, Ryan followed Alya to the exit, addressing her with his usual sarcastic tone:
"Looks like you're mad at me... Didn't talk to me all day." He flashed a sly grin, almost as if provoking her to see her reaction.
Upon hearing his voice, Alya jumped slightly, letting out a small sigh she quickly tried to cover. Regaining her composure, she turned to Masachika, her cheeks faintly flushed:
"N-no, it's not that, Masachika. It's just..." Her voice came out hesitantly, filled with shyness.
He took a step forward, closing the distance between them. "I wanted to talk to you before I take care of something..."
Alya tilted her head, curious, her eyes fixed on him. Masachika then casually dropped the news:
"I'm going to need to be away for maybe a week... or two."
Alya's eyes widened, and she clenched her fist in surprise:
"But… why? And the classes? Are you just going to leave everything behind?" Her voice sounded worried, almost alarmed.
Masachika, with his typical gentle smile, raised his hands in a relaxed gesture:
"I've already taken care of that. Don't worry, the classes won't be a problem."
"If you say so..." She replied, her voice dropping to almost a whisper. She averted her gaze, nibbling on her lower lip before asking uncertainly: "But what exactly did you want to talk to me about?"
He started walking slowly, passing by her as if to build some suspense:
"I thought it would be interesting to let you know before I disappear for a while. After all..." He stopped, turning to face her with a smug smile. "...Maybe you could write down the activity for me." He ended with a light laugh.
Alya puffed out her cheeks, trying to appear annoyed, crossing her arms:
"Humpf! I think you better catch up on lost time when you come back! This trip must be really important to justify so much time away."
Masachika stifled a laugh. Her mannerisms, especially the way her cheeks puffed up slightly when she was upset, were irresistibly charming.
Suddenly, Alya lowered her face, holding her backpack with both hands as if gathering the courage to say something. With a soft, embarrassed voice, she murmured in Russian:
"Geez... after yesterday, I was expecting at least a goodbye hug..."
Masachika stood still for a few seconds, debating whether or not to reveal that he understood Russian. The dilemma played in his mind, but he decided not to spoil the moment. With a mischievous smile, he turned around and casually waved:
"I didn't understand what you said, but I hope you'll miss me when I get back."
As he walked away, Alya remained there, speechless, watching him as the heat in her cheeks increased. "Masachika..." She whispered to herself, feeling a mix of irritation and tenderness that only he could provoke.
Ryan entered the house with slow steps, still pondering the best way to approach Yuki about what he needed. As he opened the door, he murmured tiredly:
"I'm home..."
Silence was the only response. He frowned but soon noticed Yuki's shoes discarded by the entrance.
"Hmm... strange."
He continued carelessly down the hall to the bathroom. Without thinking much, he opened the door to wash his face and... came face to face with Yuki.
She had just gotten out of the shower, her hair wet, and her body still damp. The two froze, staring at each other for a few seconds as if evaluating the severity of the situation.
"Kyaaaaa! Onii-chan, ecchi!" Yuki screamed, dramatically turning around and pressing the towel against her hair.
Ryan averted his gaze from the bathroom door with an annoyingly calculated calm.
"You planned this, didn't you?"
Yuki, still with the towel on her hair, flashed a mischievous smile. "You figured it out, huh?"
He let out a short laugh, responding in the same provocative tone:
"Pretty obvious. You heard me when I arrived."
Already turning to leave, thinking the theater was over, Ryan was stopped by Yuki, who grabbed the collar of his shirt with the same determination as a detective revealing the culprit.
"Hold on, Onii-chan. Aren't you curious why I did this?" she said, wearing that smug smile that seemed to be her trademark.
Ryan, still facing away, sighed:
"First, put on some clothes. I'm not responsible for... incidents."
Yuki laughed, walking back to the bathroom while wrapping the towel around her body. Leaning on the sink, she proclaimed as if she had just discovered a universal secret:
"You know, brother... we've been living together for years, but..." She paused dramatically, raising her fist. "...We've NEVER had the classic 'walked into the bathroom while the other was changing' scene! Unacceptable!"
Ryan placed his hands on his hips, shaking his head as if he were confronted with an absurd revelation:
"Ahhh, I get it. Of course... it's practically impossible for it not to happen between siblings who've lived together for so long, right?"
"EXACTLY!" Yuki answered, hopping up in excitement. "You're finally getting the spirit of things, Onii!"
But Ryan, still with his provoking tone, turned back to her, crossing his arms:
"But there's something I need to teach you, Yuki. Pay attention..." He paused to create some effect. "Showing a little at a time is always better than revealing everything all at once."
Yuki blinked, as if struck by an epiphany. Her body shivered, and she raised her finger as if she had just received a life lesson:
"Ahh, I get it... I hadn't thought of that!" With a snap of her fingers, she added with a bright smile: "Good tip, Onii-chan!"
Ryan shook his head and prepared to leave, but before he could take a step, Yuki grabbed him again.
"Wait, my brother." She squinted, pointing her finger as if accusing a criminal. "Don't think you can leave like that without answering? I know you checked me out. Didn't you?"
Ryan sighed deeply, but a smug smile appeared on his face. "Saved every pixel in my memory."
"Aaaah!" Yuki let out a dramatic scream, covering her face with her hands. "I knew it! Onii-chan, you perv!"
Ryan simply walked out, a sly grin on his face, not looking back. "Yeah... it was a good gift..." he muttered to himself.
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