Ryoma stared at the three choices before him, feeling slightly speechless at the third option.
Telling Kaneki Ken to "keep his eyes open and stop looking at his girlfriend" was basically psychological warfare.
Sure, it offered the most fusion points, but Ryoma didn't always pick options based on rewards alone. He had to consider the situation.
Back when he first watched Tokyo Ghoul, he had always thought Kaneki's life was tragic enough. There was no need to crush him even further.
So, he chose the second option—striking up a conversation with Kaneki about books.
But now wasn't the right time.
Kamishiro Rize was about to take him on a date.
Before leaving, Ryoma deliberately glanced at Kaneki to ensure the system didn't register that he was ignoring him.
Kaneki, who had been stealing glances at Rize, panicked the moment their eyes met. He quickly looked away, terrified that Ryoma might start trouble with him.
Rize, of course, noticed Ryoma's shift in attention.
"Hmm? What's wrong?" she asked.
Ryoma didn't answer until they had stepped outside.
"Nothing, I just noticed that guy kept sneaking looks at you."
"Really? …Ryoma-kun isn't jealous, is he?" Rize teased, her voice dripping with amusement. "You don't have to worry at all—I'm only interested in you."
She said it so sweetly that any ordinary boy would have fallen for it instantly.
But Ryoma knew better.
"Yeah, of course. I'd never doubt Rize-san's feelings," he replied with a calm smile.
If he had the ability to fake blush, he would've added that in too—just to play along.
---
As they walked together, Ryoma didn't immediately try to hold Rize's hand.
Normally, a boyfriend would.
But their relationship was fake, and Rize had never actually let a man get too close to her.
In the original timeline, she would seduce men, make them feel special—only to ruthlessly devour them before they could touch her.
Even agreeing to date Ryoma was already unprecedented for her.
Had he been just an ordinary human, he probably would've suffered the most horrific death out of all her previous victims.
Still…
What would happen if I tried to hold her hand?
Would she reject it? Act indifferent?
Would this trigger another system reward?
With that in mind, he slowly reached out—hesitating at first, just like a nervous boy on his first date.
Then, he boldly took her hand.
[Ding! Host has held hands with Kamishiro Rize. Reward: 5 Fusion Points!]
Ryoma had grown used to receiving fusion points from random interactions by now.
At that moment, a flicker of disgust flashed across Rize's eyes.
To her, Ryoma was nothing more than food.
But she didn't immediately pull away.
Instead, she smoothly retracted her hand in a natural gesture, lifting it to point at a nearby store.
"Ryoma-kun, I want to try that dessert shop!" she said cheerfully.
Ryoma smirked internally.
There it is.
As expected, she avoided his touch—just in a more subtle way.
---
Dessert Shop
Inside the shop, they each ordered a dessert.
Halfway through their meal, Rize suddenly stood up.
"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom," she said with a polite smile.
"Alright," Ryoma nodded.
He already knew the real reason she was leaving.
Ghouls couldn't eat human food.
To blend into society, some ghouls had learned the trick of pretending to eat—swallowing food without chewing it and later forcing themselves to vomit it out before it could be digested.
Rize was no exception.
---
Surprisingly, Rize didn't attack him that night.
Instead, she continued her act—using playful teasing and affectionate words to pull him deeper into her web.
At the end of the date, she turned to him with a soft expression.
"I had a great time today… I wonder if Ryoma-kun did too?" she asked sweetly.
Ryoma smiled. "Of course. Who wouldn't enjoy a date with such a beautiful girl?"
Hearing that, Rize's face seemed to flush slightly, her expression overflowing with happiness.
The atmosphere between them felt natural—romantic, even.
But in reality, neither of them was sincere.
They were both acting.
"Um… I was thinking…" Rize hesitated, glancing away shyly. "Do you want to go to the movies tomorrow? We can meet at Antique first."
She was still playing with him.
She wanted to keep the game going.
"Sounds good," Ryoma agreed without hesitation.
---
Back at Antique
After parting ways with Rize, Ryoma returned to Antique.
Just as he expected, Kaneki Ken was still there, reading.
When Ryoma walked in, Kaneki briefly met his gaze—then instantly looked away, pretending not to notice him.
Ryoma smirked and walked straight toward him.
Kaneki stiffened.
Sweat formed on his brow.
Was he in trouble? Was this guy about to start a fight over Rize?
"Isn't that book by Takatsuki Sen?" Ryoma asked casually.
Kaneki, startled, blurted out, "I-I'm sorry!"
Then, realizing what Ryoma had actually said, he panicked even more.
"Ah… wait, what?" He looked down at his book. "Oh! Yes, this is The Black Goat's Egg by Takatsuki Sen…"
His nervous reaction made Ryoma chuckle.
"It's quite the coincidence. I'm a fan of Takatsuki-sensei's works too."
[Ding! Host has completed Option 2. Reward: 10 Fusion Points!]
Kaneki's eyes widened slightly.
"Really?"
His voice carried genuine surprise.
Even though Ryoma was dating the girl Kaneki admired, the fact that they shared an interest in literature was still exciting.
After all, reading was Kaneki's greatest passion.
And meeting another book lover—especially one who appreciated Takatsuki Sen's works—was something rare.
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