Once a mobster, now Masachika Kuze

"Y'know... Am I really satisfied with how all of this ended?" Ryan pondered as he strolled leisurely through the school cafeteria, balancing a tray of food in his hands. His steps were steady, but his gaze wandered, picking up on the small details of the scene around him—laughter, scattered conversations, the clinking of utensils. Yet, the world felt distant, muffled by the weight of his own thoughts.

"Like, don't get me wrong. I didn't leave anything valuable behind. But living like this..." He sighed, almost without realizing it, as his eyes briefly landed on a group of girls laughing near the entrance. A sly grin played on his lips as unorthodox ideas flitted through his mind.

"Time control... man, what a broken ability. I could just grab that girl's chest over there and rewind it all like nothing happened." He suppressed a laugh, more at himself than at the absurdity of the thought. "Who's gonna judge me? God?" The word escaped his lips in a sarcastic whisper, accompanied by a grin that mixed cynicism with amusement.

As he weaved through the tables, his mind darted unpredictably, like a river suddenly changing course. He glanced briefly at the knife on his tray and couldn't help but let his mind wander to a darker past.

"Knives... They used to serve another purpose. A different kind of use. But now? Now I don't even have to worry about that. I'm pretty chill with life. No major responsibilities... even have a circle of friends."

He paused for a moment, tilting his head slightly as he observed his classmates gathered at a table from afar. His smile grew more skewed, almost ironic.

"Sure, they're a bit weird... but maybe I fit right in. I mean, normal was never exactly my forte."

Ryan shrugged, resuming his walk while balancing the tray with an air of nonchalance. Despite his apparent calm, his thoughts flowed like a chaotic stream, shifting from deep reflections to absurd musings—just the way he liked it.

"Now that I think about it... the way I activate this power…" Ryan murmured to himself, resting his chin on his hand as his gaze drifted off to nowhere in particular. A crooked smile curled his lips, laced with irony. "I figured it out in the most useless way possible. Like, seriously, a whistle? That's it? Just because it was a random habit of mine..."

He let out a sigh, fingers tapping rhythmically on the table as his mind wandered further than he intended.

"Man, it's frustrating. Like, what if I whistled an entire song? Would it max out my 'save slots'? Or worse, would it break something?"

The thought made him chuckle softly—a mix of amusement and disdain. He knew it was pointless to dwell on it, but his mind stubbornly kept circling back to the possibilities.

"But then again, right? Who's gonna judge me? I've only been here for three days... I mean, as myself. Because before... it wasn't me."

He paused, the smile fading briefly as he reflected on the words he had just spoken. A flicker of something deeper passed through his eyes, but he brushed it aside with a quick shake of his head, as if swatting away an annoying insect.

"Ah, screw it. I'm not going down another existential rabbit hole. Waste of time."

Ryan lifted his gaze, watching the hustle and bustle around him, but his mind had already skipped to another concern.

"Besides, there are more important things to focus on. Like… does anyone else remember the loops? Or is it just me? Because if someone else does, that could get... messy."

He bit his lip, pondering. Even with a faint smirk on his face, the tension behind the thought was palpable. After all, if there was one thing he knew, it was that not being alone with this power could turn the fun into a dangerous game—and he hated losing.

"AAAAAAHHHH! I WANT TO BE POPULAR WITH GIRLS!"

The sudden outburst snapped Ryan out of his thoughts like a knife cutting through the fog, yanking him back to reality without warning. He blinked, momentarily confused, before realizing the culprit was Takeshi Maruyama, one of his classmates, now gesticulating wildly at a nearby table.

It was then that Ryan noticed something curious: he was already sitting down. He hadn't even realized.

"Man… am I that relaxed?" he thought, propping his chin on his hand while casting a half-bored glance at Takeshi, who was still dramatically ranting.

"What are you eating, Masachika?"

The calm, polite voice of Hikaru Kiyomiya cut through Takeshi's uproar like a refreshing breeze, completely ignoring the dramatic display. Hikaru gazed at Ryan with a curious expression, as if the choice of food held some profound significance.

Ryan lifted his eyes from the tray, pausing mid-motion with his chopsticks. "Oh, uh... Super spicy mapo ramen." His voice was casual, but as he spoke, he quickly averted his gaze, a flicker of alertness crossing his mind. "Crap, almost forgot my name here is Masachika," he thought, trying to maintain his relaxed demeanor as he shoved more ramen into his mouth.

Meanwhile, Takeshi let out a dramatic groan.

"Don't ignore me!" he practically begged, waving his arms like his indignation was the greatest tragedy of the day.

Hikaru kept his usual gentle smile, but his tone carried a subtle tease.

"I thought it was just another one of your typical crises…"

The pity in his voice was the cherry on top, and Takeshi slumped forward, visibly wounded.

"That's why I hate popular people!" he declared with exaggerated sorrow, which, if not comedic, might almost have been pitiful.

Ryan—or rather, Masachika—just rolled his eyes, resting his face in his free hand. His thoughts flowed quickly and sarcastically, as usual.

"How did I go from guns, bullets, and blood to dealing with these two?"

He glanced briefly at Takeshi, who was now pretending to be emotionally devastated, and then at Hikaru, who seemed genuinely amused by the situation.

Takeshi abruptly turned his head, his eyes shining with surprise and a hint of fascination lighting up his face. He leaned slightly forward and discreetly pointed.

"Look, it's the student council members!" His voice came out in an almost-whisper, as though he was trying not to draw too much attention—which, for someone as flamboyant as him, was at least curious.

Ryan followed his friend's gaze with a slight tilt of his head and soon spotted the trio of girls who had just entered the cafeteria. There was Alya—or rather, Alisa Mikhailovna Kujo—radiating that frosty royal aura that seemed like an intrinsic part of her being. Beside her stood her sister Maria, better known as Masha, sporting a warmer but equally elegant smile. Completing the trio was Yuki Suou, whose mere glance made Ryan let out a quiet sigh of irritation.

"The Kujo sisters are truly beautiful," Hikaru commented in his calm and always-gentle voice.

Takeshi, on the other hand, couldn't hide the blush that quickly spread across his cheeks. He stumbled over his words, looking every bit the foolish boy confronted with his first crush.

"Kujo-senpai is so… so gorgeous! I'd love to get close to her!"

Ryan watched the scene with a bored expression, his thoughts swirling around a single concept: 'A bunch of hopeless losers.'

It was Hikaru who brought Takeshi back to reality—and not in a gentle manner. In the same tranquil tone as always, but now tinged with a nearly cruel honesty, he spoke:

"But I've heard she has a boyfriend."

"Really?" Ryan asked, more out of social obligation than genuine interest, as he took another bite of his spicy ramen.

Hikaru, however, continued, his eyes still fixed on the Kujo sisters.

"Yes. They say she always turns down guys by claiming she's already dating someone."

Ryan lowered his chopsticks onto the tray, a crooked smile forming on his face. He raised his hand casually, gesturing as if explaining something obvious to a group of children.

"Look, Takeshi, let's be honest here. Boyfriend or not, anyone with two brain cells can tell she'd never go out with you. Not even if you were the last man on Earth."

The words were accompanied by a dry, harsh laugh that sounded even crueler due to its casual tone. Takeshi turned red as a tomato, unable to respond immediately, while Hikaru looked away, suppressing a small, amused smile.

Ryan, meanwhile, leaned back in his chair, satisfied with his observation, before resuming his meal as though nothing had happened. "That's the thing, Takeshi. Some truths in life are just inescapable realities. Accept it and move on, my friend."

Takeshi slammed his hand on the table with such force that the trays rattled slightly, drawing the attention of a few nearby students. Pointing his chopsticks like a weapon, he glared at Masachika with all the indignation he could muster.

"Shut up!" His voice was almost like that of a moralistic preacher, full of false authority. "Don't act all high and mighty just because you're friends with Princess Alya!" He closed his eyes dramatically, raising a clenched fist as if preparing to deliver a revolutionary speech. "Man, I'm so jealous of you! Why do you get to address that ice queen by her nickname? That's just unfair!"

Ryan—or rather, Masachika—kept eating his ramen with the calm demeanor of someone watching a boring TV program. When he finally replied, his voice carried a tone of pure disdain, as though he were enjoying mocking his friend.

"Ah, Takeshi… it's obvious you've never felt the softness of a woman's chest, huh?"

The explosion was instantaneous. Takeshi banged on the table again, harder this time, his face blazing with indignation.

"And you're gonna tell me you have, you arrogant jerk!?"

Ryan tilted his head slightly, unhurried, as he brought another bite of ramen to his mouth. He chewed leisurely, letting a calculated silence stretch out for a few seconds before answering.

"Look, buddy, I've been sitting next to Alya for over a year. What do you think I am? Some generic anime protagonist? Of course, I have."

Takeshi's expression fluctuated between disbelief and pure envy, while Hikaru hid a smile behind his hand, clearly entertained by the exchange.

Masachika, for his part, remained relaxed, but a fleeting thought crossed his mind: "If I were the 'me' from before, maybe this answer would've been different. But honestly, who cares? Life's more interesting now."

He shrugged internally and refocused on his ramen, leaving Takeshi sputtering incoherent protests while Hikaru shook his head, half resigned, half amused. "What a peculiar group..." Ryan mused, letting a faint smile escape.

Ryan cast a casual glance over his shoulder, only to inevitably lock eyes with Yuki Suou. She was looking at him with a subtly playful smile, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush. It was the kind of expression that probably made most guys lose their composure—but for him, it only brought a small pang of weariness. He sighed softly, already anticipating the conversation to come.

Yuki walked gracefully toward him, her movements almost rehearsed. When she reached his side, her voice came out soft and polite, yet carried that touch of familiarity only she could pull off.

"May I sit here, Masachika-kun?"

Ryan—or Masachika—looked up to see Yuki and Alya together, his expression as tired as ever. His voice, somewhat indifferent, made it clear he wasn't particularly thrilled.

"Go ahead, knock yourself out."

Yuki Suou then turned her attention to the others at the table, tilting her head slightly as she asked in a tone so sweet it bordered on manipulative:

"Is that okay with you all?"

Takeshi, of course, was completely disarmed. His attempt to respond was so clumsy that he almost bit his own tongue.

"Y-Y-Yes! Of course!" he stammered, his face turning crimson almost instantly.

Hikaru, maintaining his usual composure, responded calmly with a gentle smile.

"Of course, feel free."

Yuki pulled out the chair next to Masachika with almost theatrical precision, while Alya took a seat near his friends. Yuki sat beside him, her voice carrying a subtle edge of mischief as she spoke.

"I see you ordered the same thing, Masachika-kun."

Ryan met her gaze for a brief moment, his eyes scrutinizing every nuance of her seemingly innocent comment. Yuki had a peculiar way of speaking, always laced with an undertone that suggested she was probing boundaries. Meanwhile, he couldn't help but notice Alya, who, though silent, was carefully observing the two of them.

Inside, however, his mind was a whirlwind: "This world has thrown me plenty of surprises, but nothing tops this. I mean, I have... a damn little sister here! Or at least it feels like she's Masachika's sister... but I am Masachika. So, technically... no, wait. Ugh. You know what? Screw it. Who am I to pretend I have principles? If it were up to me, I'd..."

He abruptly cut off his train of thought before it could spiral further, turning his attention back to Yuki as he picked up his chopsticks. Outwardly, he appeared unfazed, his usual indifferent demeanor intact. Internally, however, Ryan Gosting/Masachika was enjoying the moment far more than he would ever admit.

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