Once a mobster, now Masachika Kuze

Ryan approached Yuki with a gentle smile, his voice light:

"Were you waiting for me here this whole time?" He chuckled before continuing, "I thought you'd avoid me after everything..."

Yuki tossed her hair to the side, letting the wind play with the strands while displaying a confident, almost theatrical expression:

"I'm much stronger than you think, my brother. Hihi."

Ryan closed his eyes, the corner of his mouth curving into a sarcastic smile:

"Ah, of course... I know."

Ignoring the provocation, Yuki raised her index finger as if about to present a thesis:

"Anyway, the reason I'm here, planted, waiting for you since the bell rang..."

Ryan interrupted her, his tone playful:

"Sorry for the delay..."

She rolled her eyes dramatically and gestured with her hand, almost theatrically:

"I'll forgive you after you hear me out."

He crossed his arms and tilted his head, as if to say, "Go ahead."

Yuki put her hands behind her back, assuming a deliberately cute posture, her eyes sparkling with a touch of mischief:

"Tomorrow I'm going out shopping, and it would be great if you came with me..."

Ryan brought his hand to his chin, the smile returning with a hint of teasing:

"This looks like a date."

She smiled faintly and shrugged, keeping her tone casual:

"Is it?"

Ryan played along, his voice laced with irony:

"Hmm, will I have time?"

Without missing a beat, Yuki took a step forward, blinking playfully as she got close enough for him to feel the softness of her breasts. The softness made Ryan gulp, but he tried to maintain his composure:

"Well... I don't think I have anything too important tomorrow... Are you going to sleep at my house?"

Yuki turned away, spinning on her heels, raising her finger in a provocative gesture of denial:

"Unfortunately for you, I have to go home today. But! I'll be waiting for you at the station at 10 am."

She turned again, sticking her tongue out playfully:

"And I don't tolerate lateness, understood?"

Ryan gave a thumbs up, trying to appear relaxed but feeling his composure waver. He murmured in an amused tone:

"I'll try to get there by 11..."

Yuki was already starting to walk away, responding with a wave and a voice full of amusement:

"Nananinanão! You wouldn't make a pretty girl like me wait, would you?"

Ryan was silent, watching her disappear on the horizon, while his thoughts screamed:

"Think with your right head Ryan, Not with the dick."

The silence of the school finally caught his attention. He sighed, lowering his hand with a frustrated expression:

"Damn... I wish I could teleport like Yuno."

Without many options, he started walking before laziness overcame him. The streets were bustling, filled with the sounds of horns and the chatter of people enjoying their Friday. It was a stark contrast to the calm he had felt minutes ago.

Ryan stopped at a market to buy some sweets and something salty to eat. This time, he had money in his pocket and didn't have to grumble about the absurd price of Snickers. As he walked through the aisles, his eyes were drawn to a display case with the new generation console. He couldn't resist and went to take a look.

The bright screen displayed a game running on the PS5, and Ryan let out a resigned sigh as he faced the price tag:

"Why is the price of happiness so high..."

His thoughts took him back to the past, a fragmented memory of another world:

"Damn, when I died I only had God of War 3... This new one looks amazing."

He opened his wallet, analyzing the contents as he muttered to himself:

"I guess I can eat less this month..."

A few minutes later, he was standing at the train station, holding a bag with a newly purchased PS5, staring into space and declaring in an exasperated tone:

"I already regret it."

As he pondered the disarray he had just caused in his own finances, his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He put the bag on the floor, took a deep breath and answered after seeing the name on the screen.

"Hello, old man. You don't forget, do you?" Ryan said, his voice heavy with exhaustion and disdain.

On the other side, Gensei Suou's serious voice replied:

"You know very well the debt you have incurred. I need you tomorrow, at 10 am, to fulfill your part of the agreement."

Ryan rolled his eyes, looking up as if the sky could give him patience, and replied with contempt:

"10 am doesn't work. Schedule another time."

There was a tense silence before Gensei spoke again, this time in an irritated tone:

"What? And what could be more important than paying the debt you owe? Don't forget that-"

Ryan cut him off, his voice dripping with sarcasm:

"At 10 am I have a date with Yuki."

On the other end of the line, the silence dragged on for a few seconds until Gensei finally replied, intrigued:

"Yuki... Which Yuki?"

Ryan raised an eyebrow and let out the answer provocatively:

"Hey, old man, are you forgetting your own granddaughter? Regrettable..."

There was another pause before Gensei let out a low chuckle, as if he had just connected the dots:

"Ahhh... I understand..."

Ryan frowned, suspicious, as he waited for him to continue.

"I was young once like you," Gensei continued, in an unexpectedly casual tone. "That's good on the one hand... Keeping the family blood pure is important."

Ryan's eyes widened, and he responded with an incredulous laugh:

"Damn! From scumbag to scumbag, we understand each other well!"

For the first time, Gensei seemed to speak like a friend:

"Just be smart. Not everyone will take this as well as I do."

Still stunned, Ryan retorted in an amused tone:

"Damn! You're even giving advice now? Grandpa, is that really you?"

Gensei, returning to his serious tone, resumed the main subject:

"At 6 pm, at the Suou mansion. Not a second late."

Ryan smiled, replying dismissively:

"You were so firm just now that I'll arrive at 5:30 pm!"

Before hanging up, he adjusted his tone, becoming more serious:

"I hope you're keeping your end of the bargain. Both with Takano and that Satoko girl. They're the most important part of the deal, and they've already arrested someone in Rena's place..."

On the other side, Gensei replied firmly:

"I always keep my agreements, boy. That's why the Suou family is respected."

Ryan shrugged, adding:

"Just remember that I promised to take over the family. So avoid putting too much weight on Yuki's shoulders."

There was another moment of silence, followed by a short, meaningful snort of confirmation. Then Gensei hung up.

Ryan stared at his cell phone, incredulous, and laughed to himself as he said:

"Damn... I didn't expect the old man to support it. Now, who can judge me, huh!?"

The subway arrived soon after, finally taking Ryan back home. The walk to his house wouldn't take more than a few minutes, and he was already starting to feel the tranquility of home as he walked up the street.

When he opened the door, he did so casually, dropping the groceries on the table as he muttered:

"Rika said she's going to have dinner before she comes over... But I bought some sweets anyway."

He smiled slightly as he remembered how much she loved sweets as much as he did.

Among the groceries was also an extra controller for the PS5, something he bought with her in mind. He held it for a moment, analyzing it, as he commented to himself with a sly smile:

"I doubt she's ever even touched a video game..."

He scratched his head, still smiling, already imagining the scene of having to teach her how to play, with her probably fumbling with the controls. The idea amused him and gave him an unexpected feeling of lightness.

"I need to start with an easy game, something that teaches the basics well, doesn't irritate too much and has a simple story to follow..." He scratched his chin, lost in thought as he analyzed his options.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up as if struck by a bolt of inspiration.

"I know!" Ryan punched the air with the excitement of someone who had just discovered the solution to all problems. With a calm and genuine smile, he declared with conviction:

"Dark Souls!"

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"Hello, dear reader-kun! 💕 I'm so happy with how our fanfic is doing! What do you guys think so far? Hihi~ From this chapter onward, some interesting things are about to happen, so... I wanted to ask for your support with your lovely power stones! And if you'd like to help me out on Patreon, that would be amazing! ✨

I really want to focus completely on writing, but my job gets in the way a little... If I could get a bit of extra income, maybe I could even start posting two chapters a day! But that would only be possible if we reach 20 subscribers on Patreon... So here's my promise! If we hit that goal, I will increase the daily chapters to 2!

Also, I'm gradually uploading the extra chapters on Patreon, increasing them from 25 to 30 very soon! 💖

That said, I love you all sooo much, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for following the story! <3"

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Here's the link to my Patreon! ✨ Just a little reminder that I currently have 25 chapters ahead, and soon I'll be increasing it to 30! (And if I go totally wild… who knows, maybe 40?! 🤭💖)

patreon.com/ErisNoSeraph