The day dragged on in suffocating boredom, but Ryan's mind was far from any monotony. There was something he simply couldn't forget. Something that made him sigh almost melancholically.
With some difficulty, but already regaining control over his movements, he got up from the bed, feeling his muscles protest with a dull ache. Ignoring the discomfort, he walked to the bathroom. He urgently needed a shower. His body carried the intense and unmistakable smell of sex, something that, as pleasurable as it had been, now made him want to wash himself completely.
In front of the mirror, Ryan stopped. His gaze met his own reflection, his eyes half-closed as if trying to find something beyond the surface. Slowly, he ran his hand over his lips, and without realizing it, he murmured almost in an unconscious whisper:
"I... I think I'm going to hyperfocus on Yuno's breasts for a while..."
A corner smile appeared as his mind was taken over by the memory of the touch, the soft texture against his lips, the pulsating warmth on his skin.
"Damn... I just wanted them a little more..."
He let out a long sigh, a melody of frustration and desire intertwined. But giving in to that now wasn't an option. Instead, he turned and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water slide over his exhausted body. The heat helped ease the accumulated tension, but fatigue still dominated him.
If it were any other human, they probably wouldn't even have the strength to get up after what he had been through. But Ryan wasn't just anyone. And, at the moment, his mind was too occupied with Yuno's breasts to care about the pain.
After washing up, he felt his body weaken. He decided to return to the room before he collapsed right there. He grabbed the bento Yuno had left for him and settled back into bed. With some laziness, he opened the packaging and let the smell Lukewarm of food fill the room. Perfect. He hated hot food. Weird? Maybe. Especially considering he loved pepper. Hypocrisy? Better not think about that now.
As he ate, sleep began to weigh on him, making his blinks increasingly slower. He left the remains of the bento on the desk, not bothering to tidy it up. At the moment, his mind turned to something much more urgent:
Toji.
Reliving battles wasn't new to him. Since his old life, Ryan had the habit of reimagining every confrontation, analyzing strategies, flaws, points of improvement. Now was no different. He mentally reviewed every detail, from his initial approach to the moment he realized his physical limitation.
"I can't slip up... If someone like that guy managed to exhaust me like this... How the hell am I going to deal with that Goddess of Hinamizawa when she comes back?"
His eyelids grew heavier and heavier. His reasoning was slowly dissolving. Before his consciousness completely faded, a loose thought wandered in his mind:
"When I'm better, I think I'll go to that city Arona mentioned... She said there was a divine spark there, and I didn't even have time to analyze it..."
And then, silence took over.
Or at least that's what should have happened.
A voice emerged in the midst of his unconsciousness, soft as a morning breeze, calling him gently:
"Kuze-kun... It's time to wake up..."
His eyes moved under his closed eyelids. The voice was sweet, carrying a touch of tenderness that made his mind awaken in a mix of surprise and curiosity.
"What a cute way to wake someone up... I'm sure it's not Yuno... And Yuki... Well, she would wake me up in a more... feisty way..."
The light in the room slowly took shape in his blurred vision. Blinking a few times, he adjusted his focus until the silhouette in front of him became clear.
Alya.
She was there, slender and graceful, her long silver hair falling softly over her shoulders. Her blue eyes shone with a mix of sweetness and concern. With a delicate gesture, she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, and her tender voice broke the silence:
"Are you feeling better?"
Ryan couldn't help but smile slightly. His voice still hoarse and heavy with sleep as he replied:
"Alya... Heh... Waking up to you makes me feel better..."
She blushed slightly, averting her gaze before responding:
"E-Eh... Yuki told me you had a little accident... And said you could barely move, so..."
Ryan ran his hand over his face, stretching slowly as he murmured:
"Yuki... Always so worried..."
His eyes met Alya's again, and he noticed the hesitation in her gaze, a shyness that blended with genuine concern.
"Thanks for coming. But... How did you get in? Did I forget to lock the door?"
Alya reached into her pocket and pulled something out, holding it delicately as she replied:
"Yuki gave me a copy of the key... She said she has one because... You're close..."
Ryan raised his eyebrows slightly, letting out a corner smile.
"And how we are..."
Alya seemed to hesitate for a moment, biting her lower lip slightly before asking with a curious, almost hesitant tone:
"Kuze-kun... What exactly is your relationship with Yuki-san...?"
He became thoughtful for a moment, letting the silence stretch for a few seconds. Then, with naturalness, he replied:
"As she told you, we're very close... Almost like... Brothers."
Alya looked away, as if processing the answer. Her expression was contemplative, as if she didn't quite know how to feel about it. Finally, she murmured softly:
"I see..."
The silver moonlight spilled through the window, tinting the room with a pale, soft glow. The silence of the night was almost absolute, interrupted only by the gentle rustling of the curtains in the breeze. Ryan blinked a few times, his eyes still heavy with sleep, before finally murmuring, his voice laden with fatigue:
"Wow... I ended up sleeping the whole day..." He sighed, rubbing his eyes, trying to shake off the grogginess. "And the worst part is, I still feel exhausted..."
Alya, who was standing beside him, averted her gaze, hesitant. Her face flushed slightly, and she fidgeted with her fingers before speaking, her voice tinged with sweet shyness:
"I... I just got out of school and came straight here..." She hesitated for a moment, as if gathering courage to continue. "I'll make something for you to eat before I head home..."
Ryan raised an eyebrow, surprised, before smirking. His playful tone brought a bit of lightness to the moment:
"My savior, Alya! You really read my mind, I was just thinking about how I'd manage to eat in this state..." He chuckled softly, but the gesture quickly faded as he noticed the concern in her eyes.
Alya spoke quickly, as if she had been holding those words in for too long:
"B-Besides, I heard you fell down an escalator and got really hurt! Did you see a doctor to check if anything was broken?"
For a brief moment, Ryan fell silent, furrowing his brow. "Fell down an escalator?" The phrase echoed in his mind, and then it clicked. "What on earth did Yuki tell Alya to make her believe that?" He stifled a laugh at his sister's effort to cover up the truth.
As he pondered this, the blanket slipped slightly to the side, revealing his chest. Alya's eyes widened in an instant, and her expression turned into a mix of surprise and embarrassment. Her cheeks flushed a deep scarlet as she quickly brought her hands to her face.
"W-Why aren't you wearing a shirt?!" she exclaimed, her voice wavering.
Ryan gave her a smug look, a half-smile playing on his lips.
"Well... It's more comfortable this way, don't you think?"
Alya, still trying to maintain her composure, replied hurriedly:
"O-Oh! I see! You must have hurt your chest in the fall, right? So lying down with a shirt on would be uncomfortable... That makes sense!"
Ryan looked away, suppressing another smile. "That escalator hit really hard...", he thought sarcastically, but in reality, he was simply too exhausted to put on a shirt by himself.
Alya tried to recompose herself, straightening her shoulders before stepping closer.
"O-Okay, I'll help you to the living room!"
She spoke quickly, stumbling over her words, as she took his hand with determination. Ryan opened his mouth to say that, despite his weakness, he could still get up on his own, but the moment Alya pulled his arm, something changed.
He felt a delicate softness against him. The warmth of her touch, the rapid pulse that seemed to echo through their proximity... And suddenly, he decided to change his mind.
"Thanks, Alya..." He sighed theatrically, leaning on her more than necessary. "I can't feel my legs, so I'll need to hold onto you to walk..." He lied as naturally as he breathed.
She gulped but nodded quickly.
"O-Okay! Just try to help me a little, because I can't carry you all by myself!"
She pulled Ryan with a bit more force, expecting more resistance, but strangely, he felt light. His weight was perfectly balanced so she didn't have to strain too much.
"W-Wow! I didn't expect i'm to be so strong!" she exclaimed, surprised, a naive spark of excitement in her eyes.
Ryan, with a touch of sarcasm, replied:
"You're really strong, Alya!" But internally, he thought, "She's so much smaller than me... I'm practically holding myself up here."
Still, he took advantage of the moment. Her delicate body was slender, and the closeness allowed him to feel her rapid heartbeat, the subtle press of her chest against him... When he glanced at her face, he found it completely flushed.
Carefully, she led him to the living room and helped him sit on the couch. After making sure he was comfortable, Alya smiled, seeming a bit more confident.
"Now just wait a bit, because I'm going to make something delicious for both of us!"
Ryan leaned back on the couch, watching her with an amused glint in his eyes.
"I won't lie, I'm curious to see what you're planning to make."
Alya raised a finger, blinking adorably before turning toward the kitchen.
"You'll have to wait and see!"
Ryan could still see her from where he was sitting, and he watched as she carefully searched for the ingredients. Then, she picked up an apron and put it on. The fabric, a bit oversized, draped over her slim figure, creating an unexpectedly adorable sight.
Ryan tilted his head, a silly smile forming on his lips before he finally murmured, his voice carrying a smug tone:
"You'd make a really beautiful wife..."
Alya jumped slightly, nearly dropping a tomato. She turned to face him, her eyes wide with surprise.
"W-W-What?!"
His smile widened at her reaction. Alya pursed her lips, trying to contain her flustered expression, and then murmured, turning back to the counter:
"D-Don't say things like that while I'm focused! I might mess up the recipe... Mooou~"
The little pout she made at the end of the sentence only made her even cuter. Ryan let out a low laugh, crossing his arms as he continued to watch her.
"She's so cute..." he thought, resting his head on the back of the couch, simply enjoying the scene while thinking, "I hope nothing ruins this moment with her..."
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