Once a mobster, now Masachika Kuze

"Yupiiiiii!" Riko made a joyful little jump, raising her arms high like a child who had just received an unexpected gift. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and her energy was contagious.

Ryan frowned, crossing his arms as he observed her with a curious look. "Why are you so excited?"

Riko, as if caught red-handed, blushed instantly. She averted her gaze, crossed her fingers behind her back, and lightly kicked the ground with the tip of her shoe. "W-Well, to be honest with you..." She let out a nervous giggle. "I'm just happy I got to enjoy a mini-romance before the assimilation... Even if it's just pretend, tehehe..." Her smile was small but genuine.

Ryan tilted his head slightly, placing one hand on his waist while running the other through his hair nonchalantly. "The way you're talking... It sounds like you were afraid you'd die without ever having kissed anyone."

Riko's eyes widened as she stomped her foot on the ground, visibly embarrassed. Her words came out jumbled, almost tripping over themselves. "Come on! I'm being cute here! Yes! I wanted to experience what it's like to be in a couple, even if just once..." She pouted adorably, twisting a strand of hair around her finger. "And... My friends are always talking about their boyfriends..." Her voice trailed off at the end, as if admitting a shameful secret.

Ryan let out a light, teasing laugh. "Ahh... I see..." He winked, exaggeratedly fixing his hair as if playing a role. "So, until your assimilation, I'm Ryan Gosting, Riko Amanai's boyfriend. We love each other so much and are already planning a vacation in the Bahamas."

Riko's eyes widened before she covered her mouth with her hand, laughing. "You don't have to go that far, silly!"

Before they could continue, a familiar voice interrupted them.

"Hey, Riko! Class is about to start!"

The unexpected presence made Riko jump in place, clearly surprised. "H-Hey! I'm on my way to class, hehe..."

Riko's friend stopped beside her, but her eyes quickly shifted to Ryan, analyzing him from head to toe. "W-Wow!" Her voice carried a mix of curiosity and awe. "Who is he? He doesn't look old enough to be a teacher... But he's dressed too differently to be a student..."

Ryan remained silent, observing with a slight smirk, his hands comfortably in his coat pockets. His analytical gaze evaluated the situation, but before he could say anything, Riko made her move.

With a mischievous glint in her eyes, she clung to Ryan's arm, squeezing it lightly as she raised her chin with a smug expression.

"Oops, I forgot to mention him to you, my bad!" Her voice took on a deliberately melodramatic tone as she threw a mischievous glance at Ryan. "He's my B O Y F R I E N D!"

The reaction was immediate. Her friend froze, blinking repeatedly as if trying to process the information. Then, like a sudden explosion—

"RIKO, YOU SLY GIRL! SINCE WHEN DO YOU DATE A HUNK LIKE THAT?!"

Ryan stifled a laugh but, without missing a beat, lowered his voice and assumed a more seductive expression. With a smooth and confident movement, he slid an arm around Riko's waist, pulling her slightly closer as he spoke with a husky, provocative tone:

"Pleasure to meet you." He paused deliberately, leaning a bit closer to Riko's friend. "I came to personally escort my dear Riko today... You know how busy Tokyo is." His eyes shifted to Riko with a teasing gleam. "And I don't like the idea of my beautiful Riko wandering around alone..."

Riko felt her heart race so hard that she feared others might hear it. Her body tensed for a brief moment, and only one thought echoed desperately in her mind:

"D-Damn! Don't do that! I live in Fairy tales!"

But trying to maintain her composure, she took a deep breath and responded confidently, "Thank you, Ryan." She stepped back slightly, regaining her composure. "I need to go now; I can't be late!"

Ryan seized the moment to add a final touch. Before she could completely slip away, he pulled Riko slightly closer, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on the top of her head. Then, holding her chin delicately between two fingers, he added in an almost hypnotic tone:

"I'll be around too. My father wants me to handle international imports, but..." His eyes locked onto hers, intense. "If you need me, I'll drop everything and come flying."

With a final wave to Riko's friend, he released the girl and got into the car, driving off without looking back.

Riko's friend remained frozen, watching the car fade into the distance with eyes practically gleaming. "Y-You are ridiculously lucky, Riko..." Her voice carried pure admiration.

Riko, on the other hand, was still paralyzed, wide-eyed, with her hand pressed against her chest. Her heart seemed completely out of control.

"And... I am, aren't I..." she murmured, her voice dragging under the weight of the moment.

Meanwhile, inside the car, Ryan looked in the rearview mirror with a satisfied smirk.

"Damn... I nailed that performance. Pretty sure Riko's going to be the talk of the day."

He laughed to himself, turning the corner to park near the school. His plan was to keep an eye on Riko's safety without drawing attention, staying within the perimeter.

As he searched for a parking spot, he continued talking to himself, analyzing his performance.

"I've always had good seduction skills... But I think I'm getting even better! Have I reached the level to seduse a girl like Mai Sakurajima?"

For a moment, he was thoughtful until something suddenly clicked in his mind.

"Wait..." His eyes widened slightly. "Mai... Sakura..."

And then, like a lightning bolt striking his brain—

He slapped the steering wheel, accidentally honking the horn.

"HOW DID I JUST REALIZE THIS NOW?!"

As the realization dawned on him, Ryan felt a shock run down his spine.

"Hold on..." he muttered to himself, his eyes wide with disbelief and frustration. "I just DIDN'T remember that Mai Sakurajima was THE Mai Sakurajima!"

Without hesitation, he reached into his pocket, yanked out his phone, and scrolled through his contacts. Her name was already saved there. With a quick tap, he brought the phone to his ear, barely noticing his heart racing.

In another part of the city, Mai Sakurajima stood in the supermarket line, holding a grocery bag against her hip. Her foot tapped impatiently on the floor as she clicked her tongue in frustration.

"Hey! I want to pay! Can't you see me?!" Her voice sounded somewhat whiny at the end, filled with irritation and fatigue.

No response. Not even a glance. It was as if she didn't exist.

She let out a heavy sigh, her shoulders dropping. "It had to happen now... Is no one going to—"

The vibration of her phone interrupted her rant, making her jump slightly in surprise.

"W-Who the hell is calling me now?" she muttered, pulling out the device with a furrowed brow.

Upon seeing the name on the screen, she was momentarily surprised. "Ryan, the Crazy Guy Who Can See Me When No One Else Can."

She tilted her head slightly, glancing sideways at the cashier, who continued to stare into space, completely oblivious to her presence.

Taking a deep breath, she answered the call with a slightly irritated tone:

"Why are you calling me out of nowhere?"

On the other end, Ryan spoke quickly, as if he were about to solve a life-or-death mystery.

"Hey, are you Mai? Mai Sakurajima? The actress?"

Mai blinked, pulling the phone away from her ear for a brief second before staring at it incredulously.

"...Huh?"

"Are you or aren't you?!" He sounded almost like a relentless investigator pressing a witness.

Mai rolled her eyes, sighing.

"You called just to ask me that?"

She glanced sideways at the cashier, who still wasn't noticing her.

"Tsk, yes, it's me. You just realized that now?"

Before she could continue her complaint, she risked another glance at the cashier—and suddenly noticed something different.

"Hello! You can place your items on the conveyor belt!" The cashier's polite voice sounded completely unexpected.

The world seemed to stop for a second.

Mai's eyes widened slightly, her mouth parting in a mix of shock and confusion.

"What...?" Her thought echoed in her mind. "She can see me now...?"

She blinked a few times, as if trying to confirm that it was real.

"Are you grocery shopping?" Ryan asked, his tone now more curious than urgent.

Still stunned, Mai placed the basket on the counter, feeling the cashier's gaze on her as her thoughts echoed.

"Just by talking to him... did my presence return to normal?"

"Mai?" Ryan's voice pulled her back to reality.

Without hesitation, her words escaped before she could think twice:

"Can we meet?" Her voice was softer, almost like a restrained request.

On the other end of the line, Ryan scratched his head, pretending to hesitate while secretly feeling amused.

"Look... I'm kind of in high demand today..." He paused dramatically, a sly smile forming. "But maybe tomorrow?"

"Mm-Hmm." Mai murmured in agreement, her tone gaining a hint of sweetness as she finished checking out.

"What time?" Ryan asked, scanning his surroundings, alert for any sign of Gojo or Geto.

This time, Mai's response was firmer, more direct:

"Time doesn't matter. Just call me, and I'll come."

Ryan raised an eyebrow, impressed as his thoughts whispered.

"...Yeah. My charm game is definitely on point."

With a smirk and a serious tone, he replied:

"All right. Morning sounds good."

"Deal." Her voice held no hesitation. "Please, don't keep me waiting."

And then, she hung up.

Ryan let out a sigh, putting his phone back in his pocket.

"Well..." he murmured to himself, crossing his arms. "That was... interesting."

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