Once a mobster, now Masachika Kuze

The atmosphere grew tense for a few seconds. Yuno stared at Ryan with cold eyes, while he scratched his head with his usual sarcastic smile. When he opened his mouth to speak, his tone was, as always, playful:

"You know, I—"

"Shut the hell up, Ryan." Yuno cut him off, her voice laden with irritation. A faint blush colored her face, but her fists were still clenched.

Ryan raised his hands in a calming gesture, trying to stifle a laugh. "Relax, I didn't even say anything bad... yet."

Yuno huffed, crossing her arms, but Ryan ignored the tension and continued:

"I was just going to say that I didn't expect your family to be so... you know, peaceful."

Yuno averted her gaze, bending down to pick up a few stuffed animals that had fallen to the floor. Her voice came out low, with a hint of disdain: "I'm just using them to achieve my goals."

Ryan picked up the stuffed bunny Arona had been holding and placed it on the bed. His tone was lighter now. "Funny... it didn't seem like you were acting when you checked to see if your sister was okay."

Yuno's body froze for a brief moment. Her eyes glanced at Ryan over her shoulder, but she quickly returned to tidying the room. When she replied, her voice was even colder: "It wouldn't be convincing if I didn't act well. And, by the way, I don't owe you any explanations."

Ryan stepped closer with calm strides, his voice tranquil and, this time, almost compassionate: "You have them too, don't you?"

Yuno turned around suddenly, her gaze serious and fierce. But she quickly stepped back upon realizing how close Ryan's face was. Her expression grew even more irritated as she placed a hand on his shoulder, pushing him lightly: "Get away from me, creep."

Still, he didn't retreat entirely and continued, his voice now carrying a more introspective tone: "Those memories... of how our lives were in this world."

Ryan's eyes had a glimmer she didn't recognize. It was something that made her hesitate, freezing her for a single second. Just one second.

Yuno pushed him harder this time, turning her back to him while responding with renewed irritation: "Like I said, I don't owe you any explanation."

Ryan glanced at Arona, who was watching the scene with a sweet smile. He ruffled her hair, grinning slightly. "I'm happy for you... really, Pinky."

Yuno shot him a sideways glare, still fuming, but her voice came out loaded with skepticism. "Happy? Don't give me that, Ryan."

"I'm happy you have a family that loves you here." This time, his smile was genuine, rare enough to catch Yuno off guard for a few moments.

Of course, it was only for a moment. Ryan waved his hand, breaking the mood with his typical sharp tongue: "And damn, your mom and your sister are just as hot as you!"

The blush on Yuno's face returned with a vengeance, now accompanied by pure rage. Without a second thought, she grabbed the nearest object—a heavy book—and hurled it straight at Ryan's head.

The impact knocked him backward onto Arona, who let out a stifled giggle as he yelped clumsily: "Ow, crap!"

Yuno approached with heavy steps, grabbing Ryan by the collar with such force he could feel the weight of her anger in every movement. Her eyes burned with an almost theatrical fury, something worthy of a Yandere at her peak.

"Let's pretend you didn't say that," she growled, her voice nearly a snarl. "And focus on the blood festival in Hinamizawa tomorrow, how about that?"

Ryan merely smiled, as provocative as ever, tilting his head slightly. "You're the boss, Pinky. But let's wrap this up quickly. We've got a dinner to attend afterward, right?"

Yuno rolled her eyes and released him with disdain, letting Ryan fall backward onto Arona, who let out an adorable "Oof" as she was squished.

Ryan raised his head and looked back, his expression now slightly guilty. "Sorry, Arona-chan," he said, before picking her up and placing her on his lap. Still sitting on the floor, he turned to Yuno with a carefree smile. "Just like Subaru has Beako as his spirit, Arona's gonna be mine from now on."

Yuno glared at him with pure contempt, half her face shrouded in shadows that only enhanced her threatening aura.

Ryan ignored the grim atmosphere and continued in his usual tone: "But seriously, what we have now about Hinamizawa is a tough puzzle to solve. The Hinamizawa Syndrome is a whole mess, and that Hanyuu girl seems like an even bigger problem. Plus, there's an organization targeting Rika, but we don't even know where to start."

Yuno sighed and sat on the bed with theatrical elegance, crossing her legs before speaking: "The syndrome is a mix of disease and something supernatural. Hanyuu was once known as the demon-goddess of Onigafuchi, the village's old name. I'll spare you the details, but basically, she sacrificed her husband to protect the villagers from demons and ended up losing the ability to appear before humans. Only her daughter could see her."

She paused, her eyes closed as she continued in an almost lazy tone: "The syndrome began to spread, and Hanyuu created a cure, but it caught the attention of powerful people. Her daughter was captured, and, driven by fear and betrayal, Hanyuu became corrupted and massacred the villagers. In the end, her own daughter had to fight her, using a special sword to wound her."

When Yuno opened her eyes, she found Ryan and Arona dozing off on the floor, cuddled like two children. The scene would have been cute if it didn't make her blood boil.

Without hesitation, she grabbed a nearby book and hurled it straight at Ryan's forehead.

"OW, DAMN IT!" he shouted, clutching his forehead as he rolled away from Arona.

Yuno glared at him with fiery eyes, her voice dripping with disdain: "I can't wait to kill you, Ryan Gosting."

Arona simply laughed, covering her mouth with her hands as she watched her two senseis bicker as usual.

Ryan sighed, his eyes weary as he looked at the little girl. "This is too much trouble... Better just wing it when the time comes."

Yuno tilted her head, intrigued. "Wing it?"

He gestured with one hand while ruffling Arona's hair with the other. "You just pulled an entire summary about Hinamizawa out of nowhere. So, you handle the technical stuff. I've been trained since I was a kid to complete missions without overthinking. I'm all set."

Yuno rose from the bed, her disdain evident. "What else could I expect from someone like you?"

Before he could reply, a loud voice echoed from somewhere in the house.

"Onee-san! You can come down with your boyfriend for dinner now!"

Yuno froze in place, slowly turning to Ryan with eyes that could pierce a soul. Shadows covered her face as she loomed over him, her voice now low and dripping with menace: "You're going to go down there, have dinner, explain this misunderstanding, and leave quietly. Got it?"

Ryan looked at Arona in his lap and teased with a mischievous grin: "Looks like you'd better not show up... or Mama Yuno's gonna get mad."

Arona giggled, covering her mouth, her voice almost angelic: "Yes, she'll be furious."

In the blink of an eye, Yuno crouched down, her eyes blazing with an almost tangible rage. Her voice was a cold, sharp whisper: "That's your last joke of the day, Masachika-kun."

Taking a deep breath, she straightened up, her tone completely changing as she shouted to Maki: "Maki! We're coming down, and he's NOT my boyfriend!"

Arona vanished from Ryan's lap, leaving him alone with the situation. He ran a hand over his face, muttering to himself: "I always get into trouble...

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