Tomorrow doesn't have to be your last day

Hot steam danced through the bathroom, creating a soft mist that enveloped Riko as the water cascaded over her shoulders. Her long hair, heavy with water, stuck to her back as she stared at the uninterrupted flow of the shower, her eyes lost in the hypnotic movement of the drops running down the floor.

With a deep sigh, she leaned against the cold wall and slowly slid down until she crouched, hugging her own knees. Her voice sounded low, almost a whisper muffled by the noise of the water:

"Today went by so fast..."

The echoes of the afternoon still resonated in her mind like fragments of a dream. The carefree laughter, Gojo's mocking eccentricity, Geto's observant and calm gaze, Kuroi's ever-protective presence... And Ryan. The light and charming way he treated her, always provocative, always making her heart race.

She chuckled softly, a gentle blush tinting her cheeks as she ran her wet fingers through her dark strands of hair.

"Ah, Ryan... You're such a fool..." she murmured to herself, a silly smile appearing on her lips before softening. "The girl who ends up by your side... She'll be very lucky."

Her eyes gleamed with a melancholic hue, a trembling smile lingering there before she lowered her head, murmuring to herself:

"Too bad our summer lie is nearing its end..."

Her voice faltered. For an instant, she hesitated, her fingers gently tightening around her own arms in a hug.

"Riko..." she spoke to herself, trying to convince herself. "You've spent your whole life waiting for this moment. So... why are you getting sad now?"

Meanwhile, in the living room, the conversation was much less sentimental. Ryan and Gojo were exchanging taunts like two children testing each other's limits.

"Even without my Mugen, I'd still beat you," Gojo declared confidently, arms crossed and a smug smile on his lips.

Ryan, sprawled on the sofa, raised an eyebrow and replied in a voice laden with mocking superiority:

"Look, not to brag... But a brat like you could never beat me, you know?"

Geto, lying lazily on the floor, cast a bored glance at the two and sighed.

"Ryan, getting through Mugen is already impressive, but this damn lucky guy was blessed with a ridiculous number of techniques."

He threw his head back, staring at the ceiling. "And besides... You shouldn't even be sitting there, covered in sand and salt. Go take a shower, damn it."

Ryan just sank further into the sofa, closing his eyes with a carefree smile.

"Look, it's not my fault. You saw Riko saying she'd take forever in that shower, right? And she really is taking forever."

Gojo leaned forward, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Don't change the subject, Ryan. You know you'd lose."

Ryan half-opened his eyes and smirked, resting his hands behind his head.

"Nah. I'd win." His voice was casual, but in his mind, the certainty sounded like a promise.

"Even if I need to try a thousand times... a win is still a win."

Before the argument could continue, Riko appeared in the hallway, her hair still slightly damp, the dark strands loose and gleaming under the light. Her simple but adorable pajamas brought an air of cozy innocence—loose pink pants and a white long-sleeved blouse with pink details.

She stopped at the door, her cheeks tinged with a light shade of pink.

"Okay, I'm done with my shower. You can go now, Ryan." Her voice was sweet, but there was a veiled shyness there, almost as if she were avoiding his gaze.

Ryan raised his head and watched her for a moment before breaking into a lazy smile.

"Thought you'd never come out of there." Then, his smile gained a mischievous touch. "It would have been much faster if we had gone in together."

Kuroi, on the other side of the room, cursed, her gaze as sharp as a blade.

"Go take your shower already, Ryan! And Miss Riko, come here so I can fix your hair."

Ryan got up with an amused smile and winked at Kuroi.

"You really have a knack for being a controlling mom, huh?"

When he was about to pass Riko in the hallway, he felt a slight tug on his shirt. Looking to the side, he saw the girl holding the fabric with her fingertips, her head down and her cheeks even more flushed.

"Ryan..." Her voice was soft, almost hesitant. "Could you... come to my room later?"

Ryan frowned for a moment, observing her blushing face.

"What is this girl planning?" he thought, but soon sighed and nodded.

Before he left, Gojo stretched and yawned exaggeratedly.

"Well, I'm already dead tired, so I'm heading out."

Geto got up too, adjusting his shoulders with a slight crack in his neck.

"Yeah... Really good idea, Satoru. We need to leave early tomorrow."

Kuroi crossed her arms, still holding the hairbrush.

"I'm just going to finish taking care of Miss Riko's hair and then I'm going to rest too."

Ryan was already walking away, waving dismissively.

"Good rest to you all, then."

He disappeared down the hallway towards the bathroom, while Kuroi began to comb Riko's dark strands. The girl remained silent for a few seconds, just observing her reflection in the mirror.

Her gaze seemed distant, but a small smile played on her lips.

The hot steam from the shower still lingered on Ryan's skin when he left the bathroom, letting out a satisfied sigh. The scalding water had helped relax his muscles, but his mind remained restless. For a moment, he thought about calling Yuki and telling her about his day, sharing the moments, the taunts, and perhaps even the hidden melancholy he had felt in Riko's eyes. But a quick glance at the clock on the wall made him hesitate.

"Damn, time goes by too fast... it's almost ten at night."

He ran the towel through his damp hair, tousling it carelessly. "I hope Riko hasn't fallen asleep yet..." he murmured to himself before starting to walk through the silent hallways of the house. The lights were dimmer now, creating soft shadows that danced on the walls. The silence made everything more intimate, almost solemn.

In front of Riko's bedroom door, he knocked lightly, his voice sounding calm. "Riko? Still awake?"

For a moment, only silence. Then, he heard the sound of movement inside, as if she were hastily adjusting something.

"R-Ryan!... You can open..." The answer came hesitant, almost faltering.

Ryan raised an eyebrow, feeling a slight shiver run down his spine. There was something different in her tone, but he just nodded to himself before turning the doorknob.

"If you'll excuse me..."

He opened the door slowly, his eyes adjusting to the dimmer lighting of the room. The soft scent of lavender hung in the air, and Riko was sitting on the bed, her legs folded to the side in a relaxed position, but her expression carried an unexpected seriousness. She looked at him directly, without looking away.

"Could you... close the door, please?"

It was at that instant that something inside Ryan ignited like lightning cutting through the sky. His instinct screamed. His heart beat once harder, as if alerting him to something imminent.

"Wait... Riko is..."

Swallowing hard, he did as she asked, leaning his back against the door as he closed it, keeping his eyes fixed on her. A sigh escaped his lips, laden with an invisible weight.

"What do you intend to do, Riko?"

She lowered her gaze for a moment, her fingers lightly sliding through her own hair. Her face gradually flushed, as if the words she carried were too difficult to hold back.

"You know... today was a very good day... Maybe one of the happiest I've ever had in my life."

Her eyes sparkled with a mixture of nostalgia and something deeper, something that seemed about to overflow. The blush on her cheeks intensified, and her voice came out lower, but firm.

"...And to be honest, the feeling of being your girlfriend, even if just pretend... it felt very good."

Ryan felt his throat dry, but remained silent, allowing her to continue.

"You know... Tomorrow..."

The weight in those words made him want to interrupt her. He felt a knot forming in his stomach, a bitter premonition that made him want to say something, anything, before it was too late.

"About that—"

But Riko didn't allow it. Her eyes met his, full of a firmness that almost masked the pain behind them.

"Ryan... I've think too much about this while I was in the shower."

She clenched her fists, as if gathering courage to speak was an internal battle.

"You know... I've lived my whole life for this moment..."

Her voice trembled, betraying the strength she was trying to build. Ryan saw her shoulders shrink slightly, as if bearing that weight was becoming unbearable.

"I feel like everything I've lived until now was only for tomorrow to arrive..."

Her eyes glazed over for an instant, and her breathing quickened.

"I feel like even my parents were taken to facilitate my acceptance with assimilation with Master Tengen..."

Ryan felt his chest tighten as he heard that. There was a raw pain in every word she let slip. He saw the discreet tremor in Riko's lips, the way she squeezed her own arms as if seeking to hold onto something.

"But... I still accept my destiny."

Her eyes met his once more, and for a moment, Ryan saw not the strong and determined girl, but someone who was desperately fighting against the tide.

"If this is what I was born for..."

She took a deep breath, trying to steady her voice before completing:

"But I have my last request for you, Ryan..."

The air in the room seemed to thicken. Ryan's breathing slowed, as if his own body sensed the gravity of what was to come.

Riko closed her eyes for an instant, then opened them, determined.

"Ryan... I want you to make me a woman."

The silence that followed seemed to last an eternity.

Ryan stood still, his expression frozen, as if his mind needed time to process those words. His gaze met hers and, for a brief instant, he saw fear. Fear of his response. Fear that he would reject her. Fear of what it meant.

"So, finally," he spoke, his voice coming out low, but laden with a deep weight.

"Riko... Was this the destiny you wished for, or the only destiny they gave you?"

She felt her heart race. His words hit her like a gust of cold wind, bringing to the surface something she had been trying to ignore. Her gaze wavered.

"Ryan... I never had a choice..."

And then, the tears fell.

They silently streamed down her cheeks, beyond her control. She tried to speak, but her voice failed. Then, between muffled sobs, she continued:

"...I know that... I need to do the assimilation with Tengen-sama... I have to do it for the good of the world and..."

She ran a hand over her eyes, trying to wipe away the tears, but they kept falling, treacherous, exposing everything she was trying to bury.

"...I lie to myself... saying that I will still be myself after all..."

Ryan took a step forward, his expression now more serious, but with a contained tenderness.

"Riko... you don't need to force yourself into this."

His face carried something rare: a genuine sadness, a weight he didn't want to see on her shoulders.

He knelt before her, looking her in the eyes, his voice soft, but firm.

"Listen to me, you stubborn little goofball..."

He took a deep breath before releasing, with complete conviction:

"Tomorrow doesn't have to be your last day."

________________________________________

Special Challenge!!! ✨🎉

Dear readers, I bring you a challenge! If we manage to finish the week in the top 10 on Webnovel or reach 25 paid subscribers on Patreon, I will drop TEN CHAPTERS ALL AT ONCE here on Webnovel and Patreon! 😱💖

I've been putting so much love and effort into the story, and I've prepared sooo many exciting arcs with the characters! Ehehe~ 💕 This will also help me focus even more on the story, and I'm counting on you all!

Remember: Top 10 on Webnovel or 25 paid members on Patreon = TEN EXTRA CHAPTERS IN ONE GO! 🎁🎊 The challenge is on until we hit one of these goals! Let's do this together! 💪✨

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