Terrible Timing

Ryan browsed the menu with a relaxed expression, while Yuki seemed indecisive, her eyes dancing between the options. He, however, already had his choice defined.

"Mao's Pork Belly!" he announced enthusiastically, pointing to the dish on the menu.

Yuki tilted her head, curious, as she leaned closer to take a look. "Wow, that's a very specific name!"

Ryan smiled, leaning back on the sofa and gesturing with his hand as if sharing a big secret. "You know, despite loving sweets, I have a weakness for spicy food. This dish is one of the best discoveries I've made."

Yuki giggled. "Quite unexpected, considering your history."

"I discovered it on a mission in China," Ryan continued, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I had to go after some weapons for my... cartel, and I ended up making some unexpected transactions. Some things happened, and I lost my appetite for days..."

Ryan's calm tone contrasted with Yuki's expression, which now mixed curiosity and discomfort. "When you say you 'lost your appetite for days'... Do you mean you ended up having to do unthinkable things?" she began hesitantly.

Before she could finish, Ryan raised his hand, interrupting her. "Leave that for later. Trust me, it's better to talk about these things only when we're not eating."

Yuki sighed, but soon smiled faintly, resigned. "Okay, okay. I'll order the same thing as you then. Mao's Pork Belly!"

When the dishes arrived, both stared at the culinary work of art before them. The robust pieces of meat gleamed under the thick sauce, a mixture of intense red and caramelized brown that promised an explosion of flavor. The sweet and slightly smoky aroma, with spicy notes, seemed mesmerizing.

Ryan separated the chopsticks and handed a pair to Yuki, with an excited smile. "This dish brings back good memories. I first had it when a girl named Xue'er took me to a local restaurant. It was fun, despite the pain of dealing with some crazy people who kept saying strange phrases like 'You have eyes but cannot see Mount Tai?' 'You are courting death!'"

Yuki raised an eyebrow sarcastically. "You tell this as if it were something from your last summer..."

"Well," Ryan shrugged, "it happened in my past life. Going to China and courting death is not something I've done in this life yet." He sighed, resting his head in his hands. "Ah, poor Xue'er... I said I would come back, but I disappeared without explanation. I guess I wasn't the 'young master' she expected."

Yuki narrowed her eyes, clearly suspicious. "This Xue'er... was she your girlfriend?"

Ryan turned to her, and noticing the slight blush on his sister's face, let out a short laugh. "No, nothing like that."

But Yuki didn't let it go. She slowly approached, whispering in his ear with a provocative tone. "So... you died a virgin, Onii-chan?"

Ryan froze, his blood running cold for a moment. He forced a nervous smile and stammered, trying to dodge. "D-does that matter? It was another life, you know?"

Yuki laughed, placing her hand on his thigh. "Hmm... so my brother was a pure man in that regard, huh?"

Before she could continue, Ryan flicked her forehead, eliciting an adorably irritated grunt. "Uwuu"

"Eat your Mao, Yuki," Ryan said with a smirk.

As she nibbled on the first piece of succulent meat, she let out a satisfied sigh. "Hmmmm... this is amazing! You were so mean for not introducing me to this before, Onii!"

Ryan, still trapped in memories of the past, smiled as he thought. "I've been almost all over the world. I know delicacies you can't even imagine." He paused, his thoughts returning to his previous life. "Xue'er wasn't her real name. It was just a nickname, to avoid attracting too much attention... From what she said it meant snowflake... Back then things were so different..."

His expression turned melancholic for an instant, but was quickly interrupted by Yuki's cheerful voice.

"Onii! I demand that you introduce me to all these delicacies!" She pointed her chopsticks at him as if challenging him.

Ryan blinked with a playful smile. "We'll have plenty of time."

The atmosphere was relaxed as they both savored Mao's Pork Belly. Ryan finally felt relaxed...

"It seems like the morning is going to be quiet."

Until a figure came running through the restaurant door.

A panting girl, trembling and wide-eyed, was looking directly at him. She seemed desperate, as if Ryan was her last hope, her eyes screaming something like "HELP ME"

He sighed, his shoulders slumping in resignation. "Yeah, I guess I spoke too soon."

As Ryan watched the restaurant door with a weary expression, Miko walked quickly towards him, sitting down beside him abruptly and hastily.

Yuki let out a small cry of indignation, crossing her arms as she protested:

"Hey! Who are you?!"

Miko completely ignored Yuki's question. Her eyes, full of panic, went from Ryan to the entrance of the establishment. Her voice came out trembling and laden with despair, almost a cry.

"Please, help me! I beg you! .·°՞(˃ ᗝ ˂)՞°·."

Ryan kept his bored expression, as if this were just another setback in a day he expected to be quiet. Slowly, he shifted his gaze to the door. There, he noticed a dark, distorted aura stirring outside. The entity seemed eager to cross the restaurant's barrier, but was held back by something – his own energy, which would naturally repel the creature.

He took a deep breath, picking up one of the chopsticks he was using to eat. Channeling some of his energy into the utensil, Ryan shot a slightly irritated look at Miko.

"You know... You have terrible timing, girl."

Without waiting for an answer, he moved his fingers, throwing the chopstick with lethal precision. The object pierced the entity like lightning and embedded itself in the restaurant wall with a thud, like a dart hitting its target. To Miko's immediate relief, the creature exploded in a blur of dark energy, disappearing without a trace.

The sound of the impact caught the attention of all the customers in the restaurant. Confused, they turned to the wall, where the chopstick was firmly stuck, slightly cracking the coating. No one seemed to have noticed the entity, and Ryan, with an expression of absolute indifference, gave no cause for suspicion. The people, after a few glances, shrugged and went back to their meals.

With the commotion over, Ryan turned to Miko, frowning as he asked in a dry tone:

"How the hell did you attract that?"

Meanwhile, Yuki, visibly lost in the situation, shook Ryan's arm as if demanding attention.

"Are you really going to pretend I'm not here?!" She was pouting adorably irritated, looking like a spoiled child.

Miko, still panting, placed her hand on her chest, trying to catch her breath. A tear ran down her face as she stammered:

"I-I was walking to my friend's house... Then... he asked for directions to the subway." Her eyes filled with tears even faster.

"He looked like an ordinary human!" She started to cry, covering her face with the sleeves of her coat as she tried to wipe away the tears.

Ryan rolled his eyes, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Congratulations, girl. You not only have terrible timing... but also luck that would make any unlucky person envious."

Yuki, still not understanding anything, patted Ryan's shoulder irritably.

"Are you going to explain to me what's going on or are you going to continue ignoring me?!"

Ryan sighed, casting a resigned look at Yuki, then turned his attention to the sobbing girl beside him. The quiet morning, as he had hoped, had clearly come to an end.

He spoke in a low voice "I just wanted a normal date with my sister..."

Miko paused in her crying, looking at him with a confused and surprised face "Y-your sister?"

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Hello, dear readers! 💕 Sorry for the delay in posting the extra chapter! I'll be adding one more for every 100 power stones we reach! ✨ Love you all! 💖

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