"Well, I think that's all I can do for you, Kuze-kun," she said, with a mix of sympathy and light authority. But before stepping away, she raised her pinky in a gesture that was almost childish, yet carried an air of seriousness. "Look, promise me you won't cause any trouble."
Ryan raised an eyebrow, surprised by the almost maternal tone, while Mion continued.
"I got the house saying it was for a very close friend of mine. I only did this because of Kei-chan, so please, don't make me regret it, okay?"
Ryan scratched the back of his neck, glancing sideways at Keiichi. "And I literally met the guy less than a few hours ago... ah, the beauty of male friendship…" Ryan thought, holding back a laugh.
Finally, he responded with a genuine smile, something rare on his face.
"Understood, Mion-san. Thank you so much for your help."
Mion sighed in relief and gave a knowing glance to Keiichi, who seemed to be trying to hide his embarrassment. "That's all, Kei-chan. Now it's your turn to take your friend to the house." She winked mischievously and handed the house key to Keiichi before quickly walking away.
As she hurried down the path, Mion's muffled laughter floated in the air. Ryan, arms crossed, watched the scene for a moment before turning to Keiichi with a teasing smile.
"Keii, you're going to do just fine in the future…"
Keiichi immediately turned red, nervously opening and closing his hands.
"W-what do you mean by that?" he asked, almost stumbling over his words while gripping the straps of his backpack.
Ryan just gave a short smile and waved his hand in the air as if dismissing the topic with the lightness of someone keeping a secret.
"Oh, nothing much. Let's go already, I'm dying to lie down after all that biking."
Keiichi sighed, clearly confused, but chose not to press further. He grabbed his bike and got ready to continue down the path.
The walk to the house Mion had arranged for Ryan was initially enveloped in an uncomfortable silence. The only sounds were the footsteps on the gravel and the soft creak of the bike being pushed by Keiichi, breaking the monotony. Ryan, not the type to enjoy moments of awkwardness, decided to start a conversation.
"Rena, right? She was mentioned by Mion. I met her earlier today, right after I arrived in the village," Ryan said casually, keeping his hands in his pockets.
Keiichi turned his head, surprised by the revelation, and gave a curious smile.
"Really? You've met Rena?"
Ryan nodded, a brief smile appearing on his lips.
"Yes, she helped me as soon as I arrived. I was dying of thirst after an absurd walk..." He sighed remembering the effort it took to get to the village, but quickly continued. "I also met two younger girls... what were their names again? Oh, Satoko-chan and Rika-chan. Two cuties!"
Keiichi laughed upon hearing the familiar names and commented animatedly, pushing the bike with more energy.
"Wow, you've met all my close friends! That's crazy!"
Ryan gestured with one hand as if it were no big deal.
"What I found curious was that Satoko-chan told me you all study together, even though you're different ages. Is that true?"
Keiichi looked ahead, his face taking on a slightly nostalgic expression as he replied.
"Yeah, that's right. At first, I thought it was really strange. I mean, everyone in the same class, with such different ages? But over time, I actually found it fun. It's pretty unique, you know?"
Ryan smiled faintly, curiosity still evident in his voice.
"Interesting... And tell me something, Keiichi. You guys are really close, aren't you? I mean, it's obvious since you're together almost every day."
Keiichi nodded vigorously, his eyes shining with enthusiasm.
"Definitely! We're like family. And besides, we have a club where we play games after school. We always have a lot of fun!"
Ryan raised an eyebrow, pretending to be more intrigued than he actually was.
"Games, huh? Sounds interesting... What kind of things do you do in that club?"
Keiichi chuckled, but looked away.
"Ah, well, let's just say it's mostly card games..."
They continued chatting casually as they walked through the village. Ryan, with his relaxed posture, asked casual questions but carefully analyzed the answers. He was clearly probing Keiichi without the boy realizing.
When they finally arrived at the house, the old structure, partially hidden by trees, seemed more inviting than Ryan had expected. He looked at the place and let out a light laugh.
"Well, it's not a five-star hotel, but it definitely has more personality than under a bridge," he joked, looking at Keiichi with a mischievous smile.
Keiichi just laughed, shaking his head.
"Just don't cause any trouble here, okay? This house has been closed for a while."
Ryan raised his hands in surrender, chuckling softly.
"I promise. I'll even try not to get scared by the things that might creak in the middle of the night."
And so, with one last wave, Keiichi handed the keys to Ryan, while the crickets chirped in the peaceful darkness of Hinamizawa.
"Well, I'm off now. I need to prepare something to eat," Keiichi said, climbing onto his bike, quickly adjusting it before starting to pedal.
Ryan responded with a wide smile, giving a thumbs-up in approval.
"Thanks, my man Keiichi! Seriously, I don't know what I'd do without you, bro!" The excitement in his voice was almost exaggerated, but sincere.
Keiichi laughed awkwardly as he started pedaling.
"So that's it. Good night, Kuze-Kun!" His voice faded as he rode down the road, the sound of the bike soon blending into the silence of the village.
Ryan kept his arm raised in farewell, but as soon as Keiichi disappeared from sight, his smile faded slightly. He sighed, lowering his arm while murmuring to himself.
"Damn… it's true, huh? I introduced myself with my name from this world. Kuze Masachika..." He rubbed the back of his neck, reflecting on the choice, then shook his head with an ironic smile. "Well, it is still my name."
Turning toward the house, he began spinning the key between his fingers, observing the aged structure.
"I hope there aren't rats… but if there are, I hope at least one of them knows how to cook." His voice carried a touch of humor, trying to lighten the weight of the silence around him.
As he took his first step toward the door, something caught his attention across the street. A figure was walking slowly, with heavy, uneven steps. Ryan squinted, forcing his vision in the direction of the person. As they got closer, their features became familiar.
It was Rena.
He let out a sarcastic smile, still spinning the key between his fingers.
"Well, well, Rena! What a surprise! Guess what? Looks like we're going to be neighbors for tonight!"
Rena, however, didn't respond immediately. She kept walking, her eyes fixed on the ground, as if lost in thought. It wasn't until she heard Ryan's voice that she slowly looked up. But something was off. Her expression was vacant, as if an invisible mask were covering her emotions.
Ryan furrowed his brow, tilting his head as he observed her.
"Hmm… this isn't exactly what I expected," he thought, remembering how the girl had rushed off earlier with similarly strange behavior.
Finally, when she was just a few steps from the entrance to her own house, Rena put a smile on her lips, but it was forced, almost unsettling. Her voice was light and sweet, but with an odd underlying stiffness.
"Ah? You're the guy from earlier, right? Where is... your girlfriend?"
Ryan almost choked on the question but held back a laugh before responding with his usual sarcasm.
"Look, I don't know where you got that idea, but... I think she's not my girlfriend. And if she were, let's just say... I just got dumped." He chuckled lightly, trying to lighten the mood.
Rena continued to smile in a fabricated way as she reached the door of her house.
"Ah... sorry for the mistake," she said, her voice as sweet as it was uncomfortable. Without looking directly at Ryan, she turned the doorknob and stepped inside. Before closing the door, she almost mechanically wished,
"Good night."
Ryan stood still for a moment, scratching his hair while tilting his head slightly. He stared at Rena's house for a few seconds, his instincts screaming that something was wrong.
"Well... that was bizarre." He murmured to himself, stopping the motion of spinning the key between his fingers before turning back to his own door. An uncomfortable feeling settled deep in his mind, but he decided to ignore it—for now.
Ryan carefully opened the door, hearing the loud creak of the rusty hinges, a sound that betrayed how long the house had been closed. He peeked into the dark interior before stepping inside, his footsteps echoing on the dusty floor.
His hand fumbled along the nearby wall as he searched for the light switch. After a few failed attempts, he finally found the button and pressed it. A dim light illuminated the room, revealing a simple and abandoned space. The room was practically empty, except for an old sofa, covered in dust and with worn upholstery.
"Well..." Ryan murmured, looking around with a discouraged expression. "I guess this is still better than sleeping under a bridge."
He took a step toward the sofa but was interrupted by a vibration in his pants pocket.
"Huh? Who could it be now?" He stopped, frowning as he pulled out his phone. For a moment, his expression became thoughtful. "Could it be Yuki? Well, it'd be nice to chat with her before falling asleep..."
But, upon looking at the screen, his expression changed to surprise.
"Alya!?" He said, the surprise quickly replaced by an ironic laugh before he answered the call.
"Alya? Look who decided to remember me! Missed me already, huh?"
On the other side of the line, Alya's dragged, slightly teasing voice sounded with that familiar accent.
"Missed you? Don't fool yourself, Masachika."
Ryan closed the door with his foot while laughing, leaning against the wall.
"Flattering myself? Oh, please, you're the one calling me in the middle of the night. What is it? Did you get a sudden urge to hear my irresistible voice?"
Alya responded with a slightly irritated tone, but one that couldn't quite hide a note of sweetness.
"Actually, I called to say we have an important assignment next week. But, if you're not interested... goodbye."
"No, no, no! Hold on, Alya!" Ryan exclaimed, raising his hand in the air as if she could see him.
On the other end, Alya let out a soft sigh, a sound he interpreted as a mix of irritation and amusement.
"Humph. So… how's your trip going?" she asked in a gentler tone, but still carrying that familiar teasing edge.
Ryan smiled, sitting on the arm of the sofa as he thought about the best response for his beautiful Russian friend.
"Well… let's just say it's a bit of an unexpected adventure." He looked around, the old house as the backdrop to his temporarily chaotic life.
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