Once a mobster, now Masachika Kuze

"Oya? Looks like you're quite active, aren't you? Hmm, what's your name, huh?"

The mocking tone of the policeman, paired with a vaguely malicious smile, revealed that he was studying Ryan meticulously with his eyes.

Ryan returned the smile but opted for a gentle and polite tone. "A pleasure to meet you, I'm Masachika Kuze. I'm from Tokyo and came to Hinamizawa to learn more about the town and the festival."

Wasting no time, he cast a subtle glance at Yuno, a silent message she understood immediately.

"Good morning, I'm Yuno Gasai, a friend of Masachika. We came together to explore the village," she said with an angelic smile that radiated purity. Her performance was so impeccable that Ryan, for a brief moment, lost focus.

"Damn, she's pretty... hope she never hears that." He quickly pushed the thought aside, turning back to the policeman.

"And you, sir, what's your name? You seem to be a man of the law. How can we help?" His tone remained overly polite, drawing a suspicious sideways glance from Yuno.

The man maintained his ironic smile but responded in his signature drawling tone. "Oya, oya, my name is Ooishi. I'm a detective with the Okinomiya Police Department."

"Detective? Oh, like the ones on TV shows? Have you ever watched Lucifer on Netflix?" Ryan asked with calculated enthusiasm, seeking any way to divert attention from Rena.

Ooishi chuckled, but his expression retained its analytical edge. "I don't follow those modern shows. By the way, are you also friends with Ryuuguu Rena?"

Ryan was silent for a moment, carefully weighing each word he would say next. He knew that any slip could complicate the situation.

"Yes, I know Rena-chan. But... why would a detective be interested in her?" He paused, feigning genuine concern. "Oh my God! Has something happened to someone close to her?"

Ooishi narrowed his eyes, as if trying to decipher the young man in front of him. "Oya? You seem to be closer to Rena than I imagined..."

Ryan shrugged with a carefree smile. "Actually, I just met her yesterday. But, you know, she seems like a very sweet girl."

Before Ooishi could continue, Rika intervened with her calm and charming voice. "I'll go call Rena. Masachika, would you come with me?"

Ryan glanced sideways at Rika, pondering quickly, before replying in a light and sweet tone. "Of course, Rika-chan."

He exchanged a look with Yuno, who remained neutral. Before he could say anything, she preempted him: "I'll stay here with Mr. Ooishi."

Ryan nodded, trusting Yuno's ability to keep the detective occupied, as he followed Rika toward the classroom.

As they walked down the corridor, Ryan asked Rika a question in a cautious and curious tone:

"Is it a good idea to let Rena talk to the detective?"

Rika hesitated before answering, her voice heavy with uncertainty. "Ooishi is complicated... He's been investigating Oyashiro-sama's curse for years, along with the murders tied to the legends. Either way, he'll keep Rena under surveillance."

Ryan clicked his tongue in irritation as he pondered his next move. He didn't have much time to think, as the school was small, and they quickly reached the classroom.

Stopping at the door, Rika caught Rena's attention with a sweet tone: "Mii~."

Rena, along with the other students, turned toward the entrance, where Rika and Ryan waited. Rika made a soft hand gesture, beckoning her.

Confused, Rena pointed to herself as if silently asking if they meant her. Rika smiled gently, confirming with a slight nod.

Slowly rising, Rena excused herself from the teacher. "Excuse me, Sensei."

The teacher nodded, simply asking them not to take too long.

In the corridor, Rika, Rena, and Ryan gathered. It was Rena who broke the silence, her curiosity evident. "What happened?"

Rika responded sweetly, almost childlike. "A man from Okinomiya wants to talk to you, so we came to get you."

For a brief moment, Rena adopted a thoughtful expression, but Ryan sensed something else—a subtle change in the girl's aura.

"Ah, I see." Rena's response sounded darker, and she began walking without hesitation.

Ryan and Rika exchanged a look of concern before following the girl.

As they exited into the courtyard, they found Yuno and Ooishi in the middle of a conversation brimming with veiled tension. As the trio approached, the conversation was interrupted by Rena's arrival.

"Good morning, sir. How can I help you?" Her voice was firm and direct.

Ooishi turned to her with a smug smile plastered on his face. "Oya, you must be Ryuuguu Rena... I just have a few questions for you, nothing major."

Rena kept her serious expression. "Yes, go ahead."

Ooishi narrowed his gaze, still smiling, and pointed to the side. "You know, my car has air conditioning. What do you say we talk in there?"

Ryan couldn't help but smirk as he thought: "Ah, you motherfucker... Want to isolate the girl to dig deeper, huh?"

As he considered intervening, he was stopped by Yuno, who placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

When he looked at her, Yuno didn't need to say anything. Her gaze was clear: "Let things play out."

Ryan took a deep breath and stepped back, watching Rena as she responded in a cold tone: "Alright."

Rika spoke in a serious and somber tone, her long blue hair swaying in the wind.

"It will be tomorrow..."

Ryan gestured lightly with his hand, breaking the silence. "The festival, right?"

Rika merely nodded, but the melancholic atmosphere was abruptly interrupted by Yuno.

"I don't have the patience for these games. Tomorrow, we'll keep an eye on you and kill anyone who tries to kill you."

Ryan started clapping theatrically, a sarcastic smile lighting up his face. "Brilliant, Yuno! I'll just grab my invisible gun and face a possible army on my own. Oh, wait... I don't have a gun."

Yuno glared at him with aggression, her voice dripping with impatience. "Stop spouting nonsense. With the powers we have now, no army can take us down."

Ryan let out a dry laugh, crossing his arms and tilting his head at her. "Oh, sure. Maybe you haven't noticed, you crazy yandere, but our abilities are just slightly above normal humans. Bullets still kill, you know?"

"Kill?" Yuno stepped closer, dangerously near. "You idiot, we don't die! You rewind time every time it happens!"

The two were about to start a fight but were unexpectedly interrupted by Rika, who let out a sweet yet unsettling "Mii~. The kittens don't need to fight now..."

Ryan shot a sideways glance at Rika before responding. "Yuno is right about me and her. We don't need to fear death, that's a fact. But my concern is for the people around us."

Rika tilted her head slightly, averting her gaze with a melancholic expression. "I know it's selfish to ask you to save others too... But living in cycles, as I have, and losing any chance of a perfect ending is..."

Before she could finish, Ryan reached out and gently placed his hand on top of Rika's head, lightly messing up her blue hair.

"I'll make it work, mini Miku." His voice, though laden with irony, carried a warmth that surprised Rika.

She looked at him with shining eyes, a newfound hope growing within her, while Yuno clicked her tongue in the background, clearly annoyed.

The moment was interrupted when Rena reappeared, her voice cutting through the air with an icy sharpness.

"I've finished talking to Ooishi. Rika, let's go back to class."

Rika blinked, visibly surprised, but responded almost automatically: "Yes."

Ryan shot a relaxed look at Yuno and spoke in a playful tone: "How about a little countryside lesson, huh? I bet we can learn some new things."

Yuno, however, didn't react to his light tone. With a cold and indifferent look, she simply turned her back and began to follow Rena in silence.

The classroom, now quieter and more tranquil, welcomed Ryan and Yuno as they sat through the lesson alongside Arona, who, as expected, became the center of attention with her curious questions and adorable demeanor. When the class ended, the group of friends began saying their goodbyes. Keiichi mentioned he would help set up the stalls for the festival, while Mion said she needed to handle family matters. Rena, meanwhile, left quietly, mumbling something about digging up a Kenta-kun doll in the junkyard.

"Looks like it's just us..." Ryan remarked, glancing at Rika, Satoko, and Yuno.

However, before anyone could respond, Satoko intervened hesitantly. "I have to go now... I need to buy some things for my uncle..." She left, carrying her backpack, her melancholic posture leaving a weight in the air.

Watching her walk away, Ryan murmured with understanding: "She's another problem that needs solving, isn't she, Rika?"

Rika simply nodded, letting out a resigned "Mii~."

Ryan then shifted his focus, his expression turning serious. "Tonight... is it safe for you?"

Rika lowered her gaze to the ground, her voice taking on a mature and somber tone. "Until the day after the festival, it's relatively safe for me..."

"Alright," Ryan responded calmly. "Then we still have time to come up with a good plan."

As he spoke, he noticed Yuno quietly leaving the classroom, clearly trying to avoid him. He quickly said goodbye to Rika: "Well, if anything comes up, Mini Miku Ann..." He pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it to her. "Here, no password. If you need to, call Yuno. Oh, and if someone named Yuki or Alya texts... reply in a cute way, okay?"

Before Rika could say anything, he was already hurrying off, leaving her staring at the phone like it was an alien artifact. "I... I don't know how to use a phone..." she murmured, utterly confused.

Ryan caught up with Yuno in the hallway, calling out to her. "Wait, Yuno! Don't teleport yet!"

She glanced over her shoulder with disdain but kept walking. Ryan pressed on: "We need to talk and plan. You know that!"

"Send me a message with your plan," she replied coldly, without even stopping.

"That would be a great idea," he retorted lightly, "but I left my phone with Rika. You know, just in case."

Yuno paused for a moment, her expression turning pensive. Before she could say anything, Ryan added, "Let's head home. Mion found us a place—"

"I'm not spending the night in that pigsty," she interrupted sharply, her disdain clear in her expression.

Ryan raised an eyebrow and responded with sarcasm: "Alright, Your Majesty. Then teleport us to London, it's beautiful there."

Yuno grabbed him by the collar, her serious expression enough to silence any jokes. "You're coming to my house. But if you pull any stunts, I'll leave you here, got it?"

Ryan's eyes widened in surprise. "Your house!?"

Yuno's passive-aggressive smile was almost a warning. "Yes, and if you crack any stupid jokes, you'll be back in Hinamizawa in no time."

Making an exaggerated gesture of zipping his lips, Ryan decided to comply. Before he knew it, the scenery around him changed in the blink of an eye.

He blinked, incredulous. "I don't believe it..."

Yuno, serious, shot him a warning look, making it clear he shouldn't say a word. But he couldn't resist.

"Yuno has a cute pink room!"

Yuno's patience ran out, and she grabbed his arm, visibly ready to toss him out the window. But before she could act, a soft, sweet voice came from outside the room.

"Yuno nee-san? Is someone with you in there?"

Ryan froze for a second, but a huge grin quickly spread across his face. He looked at Yuno, almost bursting with laughter. "AND SHE HAS A LITTLE SISTERRRR!"

"SHUT UP, YOU IDIOT!" Yuno exploded, shouting as she gripped Ryan so tightly it seemed she might actually throw him.

_____________________

If you wish to see the advanced chapters, you can check the link below:

patreon.com/ErisNoSeraph