Once a mobster, now Masachika Kuze

Ryan took a deep breath before directing an inquisitive look at Rika. "Rena... Are you talking about that cute little girl with the short top that sometimes shows her belly and has this habit of wanting to take everything she finds adorable home?"

Rika, slightly surprised by the description, nodded in confirmation.

Ryan immediately punched his palm as if solving a great mystery. "I always suspected."

Ryan's ironic comment made Rika avert her gaze, clearly frustrated, though her expression remained serious.

"I'm frustrated…" she began, clenching her fists as she spoke. "The Hinamizawa Syndrome progressed too quickly in her in this world…"

Ryan scratched his chin, pondering some solution to the situation, but was interrupted by Yuno's cold and calculating voice.

"And what's the problem with the idiot killing her father's mistress?" Yuno spoke with disdain, arms crossed. "If it's that bitch we saw yesterday, I even understand Rena."

Rika's jaw tightened for a moment, but her voice remained calm as she replied, "Hah? The problem is that Rena will become paranoid trying to hide the crime. The guilt and pressure will only accelerate the process, making her even more insane because of the syndrome."

Yuno, however, interrupted abruptly, "Hinamizawa Syndrome. She must be in the second stage. I didn't see deep marks on her neck, but they're already slightly red."

Ryan turned to Yuno with a surprised expression, hands on his hips. "Damn, what's this, Pinky? Turned into a nerd all of a sudden? And where did you get all that information?"

Yuno cast him a disdainful glance, arms crossed. "Unlike you, you l0lic0n, I spent the night gathering information. I used Arona strategically. Or do you think she's only good for your tasteless jokes?"

Ryan snorted in response, while Yuno glared at him with disgust. Rika, observing the exchange with confusion, focused on Yuno.

"Yuno, right? How much do you know about the Hinamizawa Syndrome?" she asked seriously, her eyes fixed on the girl.

Yuno looked down, staring at Rika with an air of superiority, then casually pointed at Hanyuu. "Enough to understand how this disease works. Oh, and also about your 'flawed goddess' there beside you."

Rika and Hanyuu widened their eyes in surprise. Hanyuu, frustrated, waved her arms in protest.

"A-auauau~! I do my best to help Rika-chan!"

Yuno made a dismissive gesture as if brushing off something unimportant. "Sure, a pity your efficiency is... questionable."

Ryan, observing the interaction, made a disappointed expression as he pointed at Yuno. "Ah, unfair! Why can you see and hear her, and I can't, you sneaky pink brat?"

Yuno turned to him with an irritated expression, pointing her finger at his face. "Shut up and start thinking of something useful for the situation! Weren't you the one who wanted to play the hero and interfere to help this kid? Then do us a favor and act like you would on a mission, you idiot!"

Ryan kept his eyes on Yuno, and the tension between them began to rise. Before it escalated, Rika intervened with a serious voice, breaking the silence.

"I assume you're also aware of my current situation, correct, Yuno Gasai?" she said, her eyes once again displaying that peculiar reddish glow.

Yuno remained firm, her own eyes taking on a faint pink glow as she replied in the same tone, "Yes, you're being treated like a lab rat. Connecting the dots, it's clear you live with a knife at your throat all the time."

Ryan observed the exchange of glances between the two, tilting his head and reflecting with a slight smirk. "Yuno… makes sense you beat me at the game. Besides being a hottie, you're a damned strategist."

He brushed the thought aside with a sigh and approached Rika, crouching to her level. His eyes, now softer, sought hers. "Rika, this 'girlfriend' of Rena's dad… is she important?"

Rika responded directly, her voice tinged with confusion. "Depends on what you mean by important. To me, she's just an ordinary woman. I've tried talking to her in other worlds to prevent Rena from killing her, but... she was just a con artist. The problem isn't her death but the impact it has on Rena."

Ryan flashed a mischievous smile at her words, his eyes locked on hers. "Great. Then we can still help Rena."

Rika tilted her head slightly, curious about his statement. "And how do you plan to do that?"

Ryan shrugged with a confident grin. "I'll convince the crazy girl that no one will find out what she did. No police, no consequences. Maybe I'll even find a way to make her forget about it."

Yuno crossed her arms, casting him a skeptical look. "Oh, sure, superhero. And how exactly do you plan to do that?"

Ryan didn't bother looking at her, replying in a sarcastic, dismissive tone. "My family has some influence, in case you didn't know."

Yuno's curiosity was piqued, but she responded with sarcasm. "Oh, really? Enough to control the police and the government? It'll be interesting to watch you mess this up."

Ryan sighed, already tired of the provocation, before turning back to Rika. "Alright, mini Miku. What's next?"

Rika adopted a firm posture, though her voice took on a darker tone. "I… don't know for sure. But tomorrow will be a crucial day. After all, it's Watanagashi."

Ryan squinted, processing the information. "Watanagashi... Oh, the festival, right?"

Rika nodded, explaining calmly. "Tomorrow, someone will use the legend as an excuse to commit two murders. Usually, the victims are a photographer named Tomitake Jirou and a nurse named Takano Miyo."

Ryan tilted his head. "Are they important?"

Rika shook her head but added in a heavier tone, "Tomorrow is also the day my chances of dying increase."

Ryan noticed the growing tension in Rika, but before the conversation could continue, a calm, drawn-out voice interrupted, breaking the moment:

"Oya? Rika-chan, are these two new students? It seems Hinamizawa Village has been getting a lot of visitors lately…"

The three turned simultaneously, and both Ryan and Yuno had the same unsettling thought. "A cop? Has Rena already been discovered?"

The man, older and with a sturdy build, wore a black shirt paired with suspenders and a red tie. His beige pants and white shoes completed the peculiar look. Without waiting for a response, he began speaking in the same slow, tranquil tone:

"Rika-chan, do you know if Ryuugu Rena is around here?"

Ryan's eyes widened slightly, his brain already firing warning signals. He recognized the risk and knew he had to act quickly.

"Think fast, Ryan, think fast, dammit!"

Taking a deep breath, he relaxed his shoulders and adopted a nonchalant expression before stepping between Rika and the officer with a friendly yet calculated smile.

"Hi there, sir... Uh, we didn't catch your name. Sorry, but do you have something urgent with Rena? Can I help with anything?"

He threw out the bait naturally, while Yuno stood by, arms crossed, staring coldly at the officer and analyzing his every move.

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Oopsie! I accidentally posted the wrong chapter—so sorry about that! (✿◕‿◕)

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