Once a mobster, now Masachika Kuze

After a few minutes, Rena returned, balancing a tray with a pitcher of water and two glasses. Her gentle smile seemed to brighten the already calm morning even more.

Before Rena could say anything, Yuno reacted quickly, almost snatching the pitcher from her hands and placing it on the low wall with barely concealed haste. Ryan watched the scene, holding back a laugh as he noticed the barely hidden desperation in the girl as she filled her glass with the precision of someone carrying liquid gold.

Taking advantage of the moment, Ryan, with his trademark theatricality, approached Rena and hugged her without warning, raising his voice dramatically:

"AAAAHHH! YOU'RE A TRUE HEROINE!"

Rena was completely surprised, her face turning slightly red as she raised her arms, unsure how to respond to Ryan's sudden enthusiasm.

"Ah... it's just water..." she murmured shyly, trying to hide her confusion.

Meanwhile, Yuno, already with a full glass in hand, watched the scene with a mixture of disdain and resignation. Her thoughts were as clear as the water she was drinking: "He's a pervert... A clever pervert, but still a pervert."

She took a slow sip, as if she needed the strength from the water to stop herself from throwing the glass at his head.

Rena, visibly embarrassed, made low, almost inaudible sounds as she tried to break free from Ryan's embrace. He, on the other hand, wore a smug smile, clearly enjoying her reaction as the girl grew more and more lost in her embarrassment.

It was then that a firm and curious adult voice interrupted the moment:

"Ah! Rena... Who is this guy?"

Ryan released Rena with a light contained laugh, and she, still dazed, quickly turned to face the man.

"It's a misunderstanding, Dad! He was just..." She seemed to search for words, but confusion overtook her expression.

As she turned to the man, Rena found him accompanied by a woman with short, pink hair, styled in a modern way with bangs falling over her face. Her deep, expressive red eyes conveyed confidence with a touch of provocation. She wore a tight yellow top, strapless, highlighting her silhouette, paired with light pink fitted pants, creating a casual yet bold look.

Rena, now visibly more serious and with a heavier tone, responded without hesitation:

"He was thanking me for bringing water to him and his friend."

She turned to Masachika and Yuno with a cold, almost impassive expression.

"I need to go now, I have to head to school." And without waiting for a response, she began to walk away, leaving the two of them behind.

Ryan watched with an amused smile as Rena's father approached, clearly curious:

"I apologize, is there anything else I can do to help?"

Ryan smiled and walked toward Yuno, who was watching everything in silence.

"Geez, Yuno-chan, you drank almost all the water!" He said playfully, filling his own glass as Yuno glared at him. However, she said nothing, relieved that at least her thirst was quenched.

Ryan finally satisfied his own thirst and, after returning the pitcher and glasses to the man, said with a courteous smile:

"Please thank Rena when she comes back, she was very kind."

The man, a bit awkward, collected the items, smiling kindly.

"Rena is a sweet girl, I'm not surprised she does things like this," he said with a smile, while the woman beside him murmured:

"I need to talk to her later..."

Ryan began to walk away, with Yuno following him in silence, until she finally spoke in a threatening tone:

"Don't add 'chan' to my name."

Ryan glanced at her for a moment, smiling smugly.

Ryan, with a mocking grin, said:

"I have something that will improve your mood..."

Yuno furrowed her brows, staring at him distrustfully, until he looked up and shouted:

"Arona-chan! I need you!"

In an instant, Arona's voice rang out beside them, filled with energy:

"Present, Sensei!" Ryan looked down and found little Arona already holding the glowing blue glass panel.

With a smug tone, Ryan continued:

"When I hugged that girl, I felt a tingling all over my body. What could that be?"

Yuno tilted her head, paying more attention to the conversation.

Arona, with a gleaming smile, showed them a chart on the vial's screen, saying:

"Look! Look!"

Both of them looked at the screen, which displayed 'Divine Level 12%'. Ryan placed his hand on his chin, thoughtful, before speaking:

"Let me guess, it's not her, but... she's probably close to the right person?"

Arona beamed with pride, nodding her head.

"That's right, Sensei! You're sooo smart!" She blushed with happiness, visibly excited.

Yuno, with a serious expression, stepped forward and spoke:

"Great, let's follow the girl and track her connections. If you want, you can start with her father." She looked directly at Ryan.

Ryan shrugged and waved his hand, disinterested:

"No, don't is the father."

Yuno tilted her head, looking at him with contempt:

"Huh? I didn't see you hug him to confirm."

Ryan smiled with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"I didn't hug him, but did you see his face?" He paused dramatically before adding:

"The guy is literally an NPC dad of a Waifu."

Ryan's comment made Yuno lose her patience. She slapped him hard across the face, and Ryan, narrowing his eyes, stared directly into hers. With a dark expression, she said in a grave tone:

"Take this seriously... idiot."

Ryan smiled perversely, unbothered, and replied:

"Of course... Captain."

Ryan kept his mocking expression while locking eyes with Yuno.

"It doesn't make sense for it to be him..."

Yuno, still with a serious look, stared at him intensely and asked bluntly:

"How can you be so sure?"

Ryan approached Arona, gently running his hand through her hair. Arona made a satisfied expression, and Ryan began to speak in a calm tone:

"Twelve percent... is really low. If it were her father, I'm sure it would be higher. Isn't that right, Arona?"

Arona, with her sweet voice, confirmed:

"He's right, Yuno-sensei."

Yuno took a deep breath, clearly frustrated, and started walking without looking back.

Ryan watched the scene, and with a provocative tone, asked:

"Where are you going?"

Yuno, without diverting her gaze, replied curtly:

"Following the girl."

Ryan shrugged and, before walking away, ruffled Arona's hair once more.

"That's it, Arona-chan. I'll call you if I find something out or, who knows, if Yuno tries to kill me." He finished with a wink toward Arona, who responded with a playful smile and a similarly mischievous wink.

He then approached Yuno while continuing, thoughtfully:

"Twelve percent... It seems like a lot, but still, it's quite low if you think about it..."

Yuno glanced over her shoulder, her tone mocking:

"Yeah, it's really low, but it surprises me that the first girl you approached in the village is connected to the Fortunio..."

Ryan made a dismissive expression, replying quickly:

"It wasn't harassment, I was just thanking her."

Yuno, uninterested, responded:

"Whatever. Let's find that girl again and track the people she's in contact with."

Ryan shrugged again but, as he turned his gaze, noticed a small shop open, selling fresh fruits. A sly smile formed on his face as he began to walk toward the store.

Yuno noticed he was deviating from the path and shouted, furious:

"Where are you going, idiot?"

Ryan made a calming gesture while answering her with a mischievous grin:

"Calm down, pinky. I'm just going to buy something to improve that mood of yours."

Yuno practically growled in frustration, but her stomach rumbled as the scent of fresh fruit reached her nose.

Ryan approached the fruit stall and, with a polite smile, asked the vendor:

"Good morning, please tell me you also have some sweets here…"

At that moment, two little girls, who were shopping, turned almost simultaneously and stared at Ryan for a few seconds. He observed them with curiosity. The first girl had long, light indigo hair styled in a hime cut, fitting the image of a miko. Her eyes were amethyst purple, slightly drooping, and she was shorter than the other girl beside her. She wore a white short-sleeved shirt with a pink bow, a navy blue skirt, blue suspenders, white stockings, and red shoes.

The other girl, standing next to the first, had short blonde hair and pink eyes, with sharp canine teeth visible. She wore a black headband, a bright green dress, a yellow sun-shaped bow, a white sailor collar, black stockings, and brown shoes.

The two stared at him for a while until the blonde girl spoke in a playful tone:

"You're not from around here, are you?"

Ryan tilted his head, responding casually:

"No, I'm definitely not from here."

Yuno approached, arms crossed, her expression visibly annoyed as she cast a look of disdain at Ryan.

The blonde girl, excited, clapped her hands and exclaimed:

"Ah! So this year we'll have visitors from other cities for the festival!"

The blue-haired girl, with a calm expression, simply observed him curiously without speaking.

The blonde girl continued, gesturing enthusiastically:

"You're lucky, you know? They sell some candies and ready-made snacks here! I was shopping with Rika."

She turned to her friend, who remained silent but seemed to nod slightly.

Ryan smiled genuinely, looking at the vendor:

"Put some sweets and..." He cast a glance at Yuno, who was still with her arms crossed and a serious expression. "...eight snacks, please."

Yuno let out a small "Humpf," enough for Ryan to notice. He smiled slyly, his smug expression returning to his face, but his attention was quickly diverted by the blonde girl again.

"You still haven't confirmed... Did you really come for the Watanagashi festival this year?"

Ryan adopted a thoughtful expression for a few seconds before responding:

"Ah, yes! You mean the traditional festival in the village, right?"

He smiled, thinking to himself: "Good thing I read a bit about this place before coming... even without pictures, the texts about the festival were helpful."

The blonde girl responded enthusiastically:

"Wow! See, Rika? This year you'll have an audience from outside!"

She laughed cutely while poking her friend, trying to cheer her up.

Curious, Ryan crossed his arms and asked:

"What do you mean, she'll have an audience?"

Satoko spread her arms, gesturing energetically:

"Well, she's the shrine maiden! She's the one who does the dance during Watanagashi."

Ryan raised an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly before speaking casually:

"Ah, I see. By the way, my name is Masachika Kuze. And this here..." He hesitated for a moment, casting a quick glance at Yuno. "...is Yuno Gasai, my friend."

The blonde girl smiled gently, bowing politely:

"I'm Hojou Satoko, and this is my friend, Furude Rika."

Ryan turned his gaze to Rika, who had remained silent for almost the entire conversation. He noticed something peculiar in her posture until she murmured something almost inaudible:

"Ni..."

Curious, Ryan furrowed his brow and leaned slightly toward her.

"What did you say, little Hatsune Miku?"

Rika murmured again, a bit more audibly:

"Ni..."

Ryan raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued, as he tilted his head. Then, suddenly, the girl broke into an angelic smile, tilting her head slightly to the side, and spoke with an incredibly sweet and sing-song voice:

"Nipaaaaa~! >⩊< ♡"

Ryan felt a sudden stab in his chest, his hand flying to his heart as he thought incredulously:

"Shit! I didn't expect a critical hit like this!"

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