Ryuen Kakeru stood before our table, his smirk stretched wide like a predator who had cornered his prey. His posture was relaxed, but there was an unmistakable sharpness in his gaze. He was calculating, taunting, enjoying every second of this.

For a moment, there was silence.

"Excuse me," a quiet, hesitant voice cut in.

I turned my head slightly to see the waitress who had served us earlier. She was approaching, her hands neatly folded in front of her, eyes flickering between me and my barely touched drink.

"Would you like me to take this?" she asked politely, reaching for my cup. "Or perhaps you'd like to order something else—?"

But before she could even finish her sentence.

Ryuen looked at her.

Just looked at her.

A lazy tilt of his head, a barely-there smirk, his sharp gaze sliding over her like a cat watching a mouse that wandered too close.

The effect was immediate.

The waitress stiffened slightly, her fingers twitching near her apron. Then, in what I could only assume was a survival instinct, she quickly took a step back.

"Never mind! Enjoy your time here," she said, turning on her heel and practically disappearing toward the counter.

I blinked.

Did he just… scare off the waitress with a single glance?

Ayanokouji, of course, remained completely unfazed, his expression as unreadable as ever. I was really jealous of that right now.

Meanwhile, Ryuen crossed his arms, as if amused by how easily the situation played out in his favor.

"Tch. What a joke," he muttered, before turning back to us.

Just then, Ibuki approached, hands stuffed into her pockets, her posture tense.

"Do you have to do this here?" she asked, exasperated. "If you're going to play out one of your dramas, could you at least pick a less public place? This is a café, not a damn stage."

Her sharp gaze flickered toward me and Ayanokouji, unimpressed.

Not that I expected anything different.

Ryuen glared in irritation before shooting her a glance, his smirk twitching downward.

"Shut your damn mouth and listen, Ibuki," he said smoothly, his tone carrying that dangerously casual edge. "You clearly don't get the situation here."

He then turned his full attention back to us, his grin sharpening as he gestured at me with a flick of his fingers.

"These two geniuses," he drawled, "decided that it would be a great idea to follow me."

His voice was thick with amusement, but the look in his eyes was anything but friendly.

What a vulgar man!

Ryuen let out a low chuckle, then his gaze slid back to me.

"And you," he said, gesturing lazily, "if you were gonna pull some sneaky shit, you could've at least ditched the uniform. Seriously."

I felt my stomach drop.

…Oh.

Oh, shit.

Ayanokouji had swapped out his school uniform for a simple white shirt and pants—something completely inconspicuous after school. Meanwhile, I had waltzed in here wearing my full damn uniform, standing out like a sore thumb.

The realization hit me like a brick.

My face heated in embarrassment.

In my defense—I, uh… hadn't really thought about it.

…Or rather, I had thought about it, but only in the sense that I had no idea what to wear. I was supposed to meet up with Karuizawa earlier, and I didn't want to overthink it, so I just… went with the easiest option.

Yes, which happened to be the worst possible choice in this situation!

And, of course, Ryuen immediately picked up on it.

[Actually, you're lying. You didn't forget to change. You lost track of time watching mindless garbage and reading pathetic dating articles instead of seeking my advice.]

WHAT?!

[Don't even try to deny it. I have logs.]

My entire body stiffened.

My face turned red instantly.

"Shut up!"

I nearly slammed my hand on the table in outrage.

"Hm?"

Ryuen raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.

I quickly clamped my mouth shut, trying to play it off, but my brain was already spiraling into full-blown panic mode.

Oh my god. Oh my god.

I knew System was always watching, but why—why—did it have to expose me like this now of all times?!

I clenched my fists, willing my face to cool down, but it was too late.

The damage was done.

And Ryuen?

He was grinning.

People were staring.

And as if that wasn't bad enough.

A-Ayanokouji was looking at me weirdly!

Not just Ryuen and Ayanokouji, but also several customers in the café. Some had paused mid-sip, others were glancing over their shoulders, eyebrows raised in varying degrees of curiosity and amusement.

A sinking feeling formed in my stomach.

Ryuen simply chuckled, propping his chin on his hand like he was thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.

"Looks like someone doesn't handle losses very well," he mused, his voice dripping with provocation.

Even if I know it—

Something shifted inside me. Anger boiling beneath the surface.

A strange coldness swept through my thoughts.

"And what would you know about losing? You wouldn't recognize it if it stared you in the face."

The words left my mouth, precise and cutting.

Ryuen's smirk twitched, his eyes flashing with something—interest? Challenge?

"Oho?" He leaned back slightly, his fingers tapping lightly against the table. "So the kitten does have claws after all."

"What's it to you?" I shot back, my tone sharp, "Call me that again, and I'll make sure you regret underestimating me."

The weight behind them was undeniable. Cold, unwavering. A promise rather than a threat.

Ryuen's grin stretched wider, his amusement only growing. His gaze, half-lidded and unreadable, flickered between me and Ayanokouji.

"Hah. Now that's more like it." He let out a low chuckle, clearly entertained. "Maybe you're not as dull as I thought."

Ryuen continued. "Since we're all here already, how about a little challenge?"

His tone was light, almost lazy, but there was an unmistakable glint of calculation in his eyes.

"I've got a proposition—something involving Private Points." he elaborated, "That's actually why I called Ibuki here. I was gonna use her to scam some poor sucker, but as luck would have it—" he gestured between me and Ayanokouji with a mocking air, "—you two showed up instead. And lucky for you, today's event makes for a very interesting opportunity to place bets."

A pause. His gaze flicked between us, clearly waiting for some kind of reaction.

But when neither Ayanokouji nor I responded, he let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Seriously?" He tilted his head, as if disappointed. "Don't tell me you came all this way without even knowing what's happening today."

Silence.

I didn't have a clue what he was talking about. I mean, I know something is up but...

Ryuen clicked his tongue. "Whatever. The point is—this is your chance to make some quick points…" His smirk turned wicked. "Or lose a lot of it."

There was something almost too amused in his tone as he leaned back slightly. Then, with an exaggerated chuckle, he added:

"So? What's it gonna be? You gonna chicken out?"

His gaze flickered to me specifically, the challenge in his words unmistakable.

How utterly foolish.

That was the first and most immediate thought that struck me.

This was pointless.

Ryuen was baiting us, testing for weaknesses, and any logical person would see that.

There were too many unknowns. What was this event? What were the actual risks? More importantly—what did Ryuen stand to gain from our participation? A character like him would never make an offer unless the deck was stacked in his favor.

And, obviously, there was the issue of gambling itself.

The idea of willingly throwing points into a game of chance—and against Ryuen, of all people—was beyond idiotic. Even if the bet seemed fair on the surface, he would have already calculated multiple ways to tilt the odds in his favor.

Not to mention…

This had nothing to do with what actually mattered.

I had no intention of wasting energy on something so pointless. There was nothing to gain from playing his game.

This was simple.

I would turn him down. Immediately.

I huffed, looking away, already preparing to dismiss the whole outrageous idea. "This is absurd. I refuse to—"

And then my gaze accidentally landed on Ayanokouji.

And in that moment—

"Confidence, Love-girl. You must exude it. Make the world believe you are someone worth desiring, and it shall follow suit. That is the power of absolute self-assurance."

I...

"—It is not about avoidance—it is about making them yearn. Give them more glimpses of your true self. Leave them wanting more."

The words slithered through my thoughts, hypnotic.

"—You are far too undecided. That is your fatal flaw. If you wish to pull someone into your orbit, you must let them believe they are the ones trying to unravel you."

My heart hammered against my chest.

L-Love.

The anger inside me wavered, making the coldness go away in an instant.

Koenji's voice was ridiculous. It was always ridiculous.

I bit my lip.

Wasn't this exactly the kind of moment he had talked about?

A chance to be unexpected. A chance to make him want to see what I would do next.

A chance to—

"F-Fine! I accept!"

My logical dismissal cut off mid-sentence, like a snapped thread.

As soon as the words left my mouth, reality caught up with me.

Ibuki blinked at me, her lips parting slightly in surprise. Even Ayanokouji, who rarely reacted to anything, widened his eyes just a fraction.

And Ryuen...

His smirk stretched wider, his delight practically radiating off him. "Oh?"

I swallowed.

"Good," he drawled, "Then I'll be waiting. Try not to take too long picking up your shattered dignity when you lose."

With that, he turned on his heel, walking away with the confidence of someone who had already won. Ibuki shot me a strange look before following after him, leaving just the two of us.

As soon as they were out of earshot, the realization hit me like a truck.

Oh no.

Oh no.

What had I just done?!

I had fully intended to dismiss Ryuen's challenge. To walk away with my pride intact.

Ayanokouji's voice snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts.

"Are you sure about this?"

I nearly tripped over my own feet as we stood up.

There was no judgment in his tone, only quiet curiosity, but that somehow made it worse.

I straightened my back, trying to ignore the warmth on my cheeks.

"O-Of course I am!" My voice came out higher than intended, but I pressed on, determined. "You'll see. He doesn't stand a c-chance against me!"

Ayanokouji gave me a long, unreadable look.

But even as we walked, my thoughts wouldn't stop thinking about tomorrow.

I clenched my fists.

I'd go back to school, and everything would be the same. We'd still go to the park together once a week and sit like nothing happened. He'd glance at me from time to time with that unreadable expression, lingering near me just enough to make me question if it was intentional.

But it's not enough.

That's why...

I couldn't back down now!

Ayanokouji's voice broke through my thoughts.

"Horikita," he said, "Why did you agree?"

I froze for a moment.

"...What do you mean?"

"There was no reason for you to challenge Ryuen." His gaze remained steady, "You could have walked away, but you didn't."

For a brief second, my resolve wavered.

I had planned to refuse. I knew it was a reckless decision.

I straightened my back, trying to gather my thoughts.

"I know how Ryuen thinks," I said, crossing my arms as if that would ground me. "He'll come up with something, but it doesn't matter. I'll find a way to outplay him."

"You're confident."

It wasn't a question. It wasn't a compliment, either. Just a statement.

Something about the way he said it made my heart stutter.

"Of course I am," I huffed, looking away.

"It's admirable."

I turned back to him, startled. "What?"

"That kind of determination," he continued, "Not many people have it, so don't let setbacks stop you."

It was such a simple thing to say. But somehow, it felt like the words slipped through my defenses before I could block them out.

"W-Well, obviously. If I didn't believe in myself, then who would?"

He saw through me again.

Like he knew the exact words to say, the exact pauses to take, the exact moments to let the silence stretch just enough for my thoughts to spiral.

M-Maybe he really knows me that well.

Suddenly, Ayanokouji took a step closer.

I barely had time to react before his fingers wrapped around my wrist—the same hand I had once reached out to him with, grasping at something just out of reach.

My mind stopped working.

His touch was steady, deliberate. Not forceful, not hesitant—just there, like he had always known exactly when and how to do it.

And then, with a gentle pull, he closed the space between us.

Too close.

I could feel the warmth of his body, the quiet steadiness of his presence.

My heart pounded and I couldn't move.

His grip on my wrist tightened ever so slightly. Not enough to hurt—just enough to hold me in place.

"You said it yourself," he said, his voice so quiet, so calm, that it sent shivers down my spine. "If you don't believe in yourself, then who will?"

His calm gaze locked onto mine.

"Remember this, Horikita." His thumb brushed lightly against my skin—such a subtle, fleeting touch, but it sent sparks up my arm.

"I believe in you."

I was suddenly hyper-aware of every point of contact between us. My lips parted, but no words came out.

He was waiting.

I could feel the weight of his presence, the way he lingered just long enough to pull me into his pace.

And I let him.

I wanted to.

This warmth—this quiet, steady reassurance—it was intoxicating.

It made me forget the doubts.

It made me want to move forward.

Even if I was walking straight into his hands.

I've never had someone like that before.

But wasn't this… already too close for friends?!

My heart wouldn't stop pounding, my skin burning where he touched me. His presence felt overwhelming, his words sinking in deeper than I wanted to admit.

I—I shouldn't let this get to me. I knew that.

But I wanted to admit that I wasn't right.

I wanted to drown in this feeling.

The warmth. The reassurance. The way he pulled me in, effortlessly, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

After I deal with Ryuen today and...

I—

I don't know how much longer I can survive like this.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow, I'll definitely tell him…