NOVEL WEB Chapter 107: Are you up for anything tonight?
They dashed through the school halls, their footsteps echoing in the building's hushed silence. Kuroi struggled to keep up, her breath already ragged, and Ryan, impatient, practically dragged her along.
"She has music class now," she said between gasps. "So... either in the music room... or the chapel."
Gojo, even while running, raised an eyebrow, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Chapel?"
Ryan shot him a sidelong glance, his tone heavy with obviousness. "It's pretty obvious it's a religious school, dude. Didn't you see the clothes she was wearing?"
Before the discussion could continue, Geto took control, his firm voice cutting through the chatter. "Ryan, check the chapel. Kuroi, go to the music room. Satoru and I will take care of the unknowns."
He didn't wait for a response before separating from the group, followed by Gojo, who adjusted his glasses while letting out an exaggerated sigh.
Ryan and Kuroi continued running together, Ryan visibly irritated. "Damn it, Riko... It would be so much easier if she hadn't told us to stay away!"
Kuroi lowered her head, her voice soft, almost embarrassed. "I apologize for that..."
Ryan sighed, but quickly shook his head and clicked his tongue. "Alright... Time to step on it."
He channeled his energy into his legs and, in the blink of an eye, darted forward, leaving only a blur in his place. Kuroi's eyes widened, stopping abruptly.
"My goodness! How is he so fast!"
In seconds, Ryan reached the chapel. He pushed the doors open with force, causing a loud bang as he entered. "Riko!"
All the girls inside the room turned immediately, eyes wide with surprise. He needed to act fast.
"A-ah, excuse me, my love," he improvised with a calm and seductive voice. "I need you for a moment..."
Silence filled the room for a second.
"WHAAAAAAT!?" The girls' collective scream filled the space, echoing off the walls.
Riko let out a frightened squeak, her eyes blinking rapidly as she jumped up in surprise. "W-what are you doing here!?"
The other girls, however, were in an absolute frenzy.
"KYAAAAA!" Some screamed just because of his looks, while others turned to Riko, hysterical.
"Who is he!?"
"You're dating a guy like that and you never said anything!?"
Riko's face immediately flushed. She tried to compose herself, took a deep breath and, puffing out her chest, said with as much presumption as she could muster:
"H-he's my..." She hesitated for a second, but then firmly completed: "He's my boyfriend!"
That only made the situation worse.
"RIKO, YOU ASTUTE CAT!" One of the girls turned indignantly. "How dare you snag a rich heartthrob all to yourself!?"
"He's so cutie!" Another exclaimed, her hands clasped together as she sighed dramatically.
Ryan just laughed, running his hand through his hair in a presumptuous gesture, soaking up the compliments coming from all sides.
The teacher then stood up, walking over to him with an air of authority. "Silence, girls."
She took a small agenda from her pocket, scribbled something quickly, tore out the page and, discreetly, handed it to Ryan, covering her mouth as she whispered:
"In case you prefer more mature women..."
Riko jumped off the bench, her arms waving in the air. "Sensei! I told you he's my BOYFRIEND!"
The teacher just closed her eyes, her expression calm. "Ahem, ahem. I didn't do anything wrong, I just gave my number as a precaution."
She then pretended to regain her composure. "This is not appropriate. Even if he's Riko's boyfriend, you can't just come in without permission."
Ryan tilted his head, his expression smooth and courteous. "I beg your pardon. It's just that I need to discuss something very important with her. Could you grant us a minute of her time, please?"
His smile was so gentle, so naturally charming, that some girls in the back sighed in unison.
The teacher, still blushing, tried to maintain her superior appearance, but hesitated before answering. "I understand that relationships between young people can cause distractions, but-"
"Please..." Ryan interrupted gently, his eyes fixed on her, conveying an irresistible confidence.
The teacher swallowed hard.
"...Alright. Just a few minutes."
Convinced, she allowed him to take Riko. As soon as they left the chapel, Ryan pulled the girl by the wrist and quickened his pace.
"I told you not to show up during class, moou~" Riko grumbled, blushing slightly while pouting.
Ryan chuckled, looking around carefully. "Sorry, darling... But some bad guys showed up, and the rest is a mess..."
"D-do you need to be so cheesy when we're in these moments!?" Riko protested, her voice trembling with embarrassment.
Ryan raised an eyebrow and gave her a playful smile, winking at her. "If we're going to pretend to be in a relationship, we have to do it right."
Before Riko could react, Gojo's voice echoed from above.
"Hey! Up here!"
Ryan didn't waste any time. In an agile movement, he lifted Riko into his arms, carrying her as if she were a princess. "Hold on tight."
Riko let out a surprised squeak the moment Ryan jumped, until they landed smoothly on the roof, where Gojo was waiting for them.
"Look at that, someone's been working on their leg muscles," Gojo commented, sporting a smug grin. "I could very well carry her using my powers, but I'll let your chivalry shine for a bit."
He turned away nonchalantly, already starting to run. "Let's go to Jujutsu School! I imagine Riko doesn't want to involve her friends in this mess."
Without hesitation, Ryan followed Gojo, leaping between buildings with ease. But, in the middle of the journey, something interrupted the group's tranquility.
A bizarre figure appeared before them. The man wore a shopping bag over his head, with a poorly cut hole in the eye region. On the fabric, a distorted smile and a grotesquely stitched eye were drawn.
Gojo sighed, annoyed. "Oh, how annoying... Looks like we have company."
The man wore a white suit combined with dark green pants and, upon seeing Riko in Ryan's arms, a cruel glint appeared in his eyes.
"How lucky I am," he murmured, his voice overflowing with malice. "Thirty million to kill a powerless girl..."
At that moment, Gojo's cell phone rang. With the same nonchalance as always, he answered. "Oh, Geto... Is there really a 30 million bounty on Amanai?"
On the other side of the line, Geto replied in the same casual tone. "There is. It was posted on an underworld website, one of those that only curse masters access..."
Ryan raised an eyebrow and gave Riko a playful look. "Not bad, huh, sweetie? You're worth a fortune."
Riko blushed instantly, her eyes widening. "T-that's not good at all!"
Ryan ignored her panic and turned to Gojo. "By the way... What the heck is a curse master?"
Gojo glanced at him sideways, a smile playing on his lips. "A bit uninformed, huh, buddy? Studying is good for you, you know?"
Ryan frowned, his tone laced with sarcasm. "It's just that I prefer to spend my time on... other things." He winked at Riko, who looked away, blushing even more.
Gojo, always cheerful, began to explain while keeping an eye on the enemy, who was now multiplying around them. "Curse masters are sorcerers without affiliation. Basically, mercenaries who sell their services to the highest bidder."
Ryan shrugged. "Oh... I guess I can understand with this short explanation...."
Gojo cracked his shoulder, a glint of challenge appearing in his eyes. "Leave this one to me. You landed a hard blow on my ego back at the building... So I guess I'll have to show off a bit."
He opened his arms in an exaggerated gesture, as if he were about to put on a show.
Riko, still in Ryan's arms, began to count the enemies around them. "Two, three, four... They're all identical. Are they shikigami?"
Gojo grinned, shaking his head. "No... They're clones!"
At the same moment, two of them lunged at him. But before they could attack, Gojo pulled both of them towards him and made them collide brutally against each other.
Ryan had to duck quickly to avoid being hit by the flying bodies. "Damn it, pay attention!"
Gojo, however, just smiled. "I think you're the one who should be paying attention."
The real enemy took advantage of the distraction to order his clones to attack Gojo, but the blows simply... stopped before touching him. It was as if there was an invisible barrier preventing any contact.
Gojo shot a smug look over his shoulder at Ryan. "See? That's how it's supposed to work!"
The enemy yelled, frustrated. "What the hell?! Is there some kind of barrier around him?!"
Gojo sighed, taking off his glasses and grinning arrogantly. "It's the Mugen... Seems like people have been skipping classes lately."
He then began to explain his technique in detail, as if he were giving a lecture to a group of students.
Ryan narrowed his eyes, his tone laced with mockery. "Why is this idiot explaining how his power works like that, out of the blue?"
Riko put her hand on her chin, thoughtful. "From what I know, when a sorcerer explains their ability, it ends up getting stronger. It's called a binding vow."
Ryan sighed, bored. "What a convenient concept... And convenient for the author of the novel too."
"Novel?" Riko blinked, confused.
"Nothing, just talking to myself."
Meanwhile, Gojo continued to play with the enemy, like a cat toying with a mouse.
Riko, on the other hand, twirled her hair around her fingers, her voice a little hesitant. "C-changing the subject... Hm..."
Ryan turned his face to her, waiting.
She took a deep breath, mustering courage. "Are you up for anything tonight?"
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