Ryan arrived at the entrance of the aquarium, ten minutes earlier than planned.
He stood in the shade of a nearby tree, scrolling idly through his phone.
Soon, he spotted a girl walking toward him, a stunning young woman with a beret hat, twin ponytails, and the kind of calm beauty that could freeze anyone mid-stride.
Ryan grinned and stepped forward, deliberately playing dumb.
"Hey, gorgeous. Mind if I get your contact info?"
Without missing a beat, she replied coolly,
"Sorry, no. I already have a boyfriend."
Ryan smirked. "Aw, come on. A beauty like you shouldn't turn down a guy this handsome. Right, Yukino?"
She crossed her arms, glaring. "Oh? So Mr. Hoshino has a girlfriend already, and still goes around hitting on girls?"
Ryan laughed and casually draped an arm around her shoulders.
"Can you blame me? You're just too pretty. Besides, you look exactly like my girlfriend."
"Do you say that to every girl you meet?" she shot back.
"Never. You're the only one I've ever said it to."
Ryan turned to face her fully, tilting her chin upward with a teasing smile. His face inched closer, lips almost touching hers.
Yukino's breath hitched she instinctively closed her eyes.
But after a few seconds… nothing happened.
She opened them again to find Ryan grinning mischievously.
"What's wrong? Why'd you close your eyes? Got something in them?"
Her porcelain-white cheeks instantly flushed crimson. Without a word, she spun around and stormed off.
Ryan jogged after her. "Hey, wait! Don't be mad!"
He reached out, but she slipped from his grasp so he caught both her shoulders and gently stopped her.
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry, my sweet Yukino. I shouldn't have teased you like that."
She turned her head away stubbornly.
Ryan leaned in, voice low.
"Still mad?"
Silence.
"Okay, but if you don't answer, I'll assume you're fine with me kissing you."
Before she could protest, Ryan closed the distance and pressed his lips softly against hers.
When they finally parted, Yukino's knees felt weak; she leaned against him for balance.
Ryan smiled. "Still angry?"
"Hmph. You deserve it. You shouldn't tease me like that."
"I couldn't help it, you were just too cute. The way your face turns red, your little pout… it makes me want to kiss you again. You'd tease a cute kitten, wouldn't you?"
"Even so," she muttered, "you can't just tease me because you think I'm cute. Otherwise… no more kisses next time."
Ryan gasped dramatically. "Nooo! Don't say that! I can't survive without Yukino-kisses anymore. You'd really be that cruel?"
"…Fine. I'll forgive you, just this once," she said, lips twitching in a tiny smile.
"Thank you, my merciful queen! To show my gratitude, how about some milk tea? You like it half-sweet with pearls and light ice, right?"
Her eyes widened a little he remembered.
"Mhm."
Ryan went to get their drinks while Yukino waited beneath the trees.
A Familiar Hero
By the time Ryan returned with two cups, he froze mid-step.
Two blond punks had cornered Yukino, leaning in too close.
"C'mon, beautiful, you're too pretty to be alone. Hang out with us."
"Yeah, we'll buy you a drink."
Yukino ignored them, eyes fixed on her phone, silently praying Ryan, where are you…
And then his voice cut through the air.
"Move. You're blocking my view."
The punks turned, scowling only to see a tall, broad-shouldered guy glaring down at them with cold eyes.
When they didn't back off, Ryan stepped forward and casually elbow-checked both of them aside, grabbed Yukino's hand, and walked off without looking back.
He led her to a bench, handed her the milk tea, and sat beside her.
Yukino calmly unwrapped her straw, took a sip, and said nothing.
Ryan raised an eyebrow. "No comment?"
"About what?"
"Like, I dunno 'Wow, Ryan, that was so cool and manly, I should totally repay you with my eternal love' or something like that."
She smirked faintly. "It was cool. And yes, you made me feel safe. But 'eternal love' that's a stretch."
"What, Yukino doesn't want to marry me? Don't want to have cute little Hoshino babies?"
Her face turned bright red.
"Marriage?! That's way too soon! And how did you even go from 'eternal love' to marriage?"
"Then what about the 'repay with your body' part?"
Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Didn't… didn't we already do that?"
Ryan blinked. "What was that?"
"Nothing!" she squeaked, cheeks glowing pink.
He poked her flushed cheek with his finger. "Boop."
She jumped. "H-hey! What was that for?"
"It looked so soft. Couldn't resist."
Then he gently rubbed her cheek with his palm. She didn't fight it, just leaned into his touch like a content kitten.
After a moment, Ryan chuckled. "So… I was pretty heroic back there, huh?"
Yukino nodded shyly. "Yeah. You're always like that showing up right when I need you."
"Always? What do you mean?"
She blinked. "You really forgot?"
He scratched his head. "Probably?"
Yukino sighed. "I have no idea how someone with your memory ever ranked first in our class."
She looked at him with an almost nostalgic expression.
"You remember we were classmates in elementary school, right?"
"Of course. You were the quiet pretty girl everyone liked. But I was too busy with soccer to think about stuff like that."
Yukino smiled faintly. "I wasn't as liked as you think. I was different, smarter, more serious and the other girls didn't like that. They isolated me.
But you… you noticed. You'd always talk to me, sit with me at lunch even when I told you not to. Later, you found out the others were bullying me and you threatened to beat them all up if they didn't stop."
"Oh. That sounds like me."
"I didn't need saving… but you saved me anyway," she said softly. "You were my hero, Ryan Hoshino. From that day on, I… liked you."
Ryan smiled. "So you've liked me since back then, huh? And here I thought I won you over in high school with my charm. Guess I've been harassing your club for nothing."
"I used to wonder why you didn't confess earlier," she muttered. "Then we could've been together sooner."
Ryan laughed. "Hey, better late than never."
A Day at the Aquarium
Inside the aquarium, Yukino held Ryan's hand tightly, eyes wide as she admired the glowing tanks and colorful fish.
Ryan smiled. "You're acting like a cat seeing fish for the first time."
"I am not! I'm just… happy. It's my first time going to an aquarium with you."
They took dozens of pictures, Ryan snapping selfies, Yukino trying to pose naturally.
At one of the giant glass walls filled with swirling schools of fish, they took a photo together.
"Why are you standing so far from the camera?" he asked.
"It makes my face look smaller."
"Your face is already tiny. Come closer."
She reluctantly stepped in, and the picture turned out perfect so perfect she immediately set it as her phone wallpaper.
They spent the entire afternoon there, watching jellyfish glow and sharks glide past. When they finally stepped outside, the sky had turned gold.
"What do you want for dinner?" she asked.
"Hmm… I'm craving spicy food."
"Alright."
They found a restaurant nearby and ordered.
Between bites, Yukino asked quietly, "When you go back… how long before you can come out again?"
Ryan shrugged. "Not sure. Maybe two or three months."
"That long…" she murmured.
He reached out and patted her head.
"Hey, I'll still text you. If you miss me too much, just call, okay?"
After dinner, they stood by the roadside.
"See you tonight, Yukino."
"Mhm. Be good to Utaha too, okay?"
Ryan smirked. "Got it. Bye."
They shared a final glance, and then parted ways
Yukino heading home, and Ryan moving on to his next date.
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