77

Chapter 77: The Clueless, Lovesick Kanzaki Ryoma

"Miss Kamishiro, is this boy your friend? I don't think I've seen him before," Tsukiyama Shuu said with a smile, feigning innocence.

"Not a so-called friend. He's my man. Is there something wrong with that, Tsukiyama-kun?" Rize replied with a smirk.

Her tone was light, but her eyes gleamed with a teasing sharpness.

"Of course not," Tsukiyama replied, forcing a smile while cursing Rize in his head.

He could tell Kanzaki Ryoma was human. He knew Rize well enough to assume she was trying to keep this rare delicacy for herself. That kind of selfishness disgusted him.

Rize's reputation as the infamous Binge Eater made her words hard to believe. No one in the café believed she genuinely saw Ryoma as anything more than her next meal — not Touka, not Irimi, not Koma. Even Ryoma himself remained wary.

"My name is Tsukiyama Shuu. Here's my card. Perhaps we can have a drink together sometime," Tsukiyama offered, extending a business card to Ryoma with exaggerated politeness.

[Ding! The host has activated a God-Level Choice!]

[Choice 1: Refuse Tsukiyama Shuu's card but allow him to continue pursuing you. Reward: 1 Fusion Point.]

[Choice 2: Accept the card and infiltrate the Gourmet Society's Ghoul Restaurant. Reward: 50 Fusion Points.]

[Choice 3: Accept Tsukiyama Shuu's card and find an opportunity to capture him. Reward: 20 Fusion Points.]

Ryoma calmly accepted the card and smiled.

"My name is Kanzaki Ryoma," he replied.

"Then I look forward to our next meeting, Kanzaki-kun," Tsukiyama said smoothly before flashing a sly grin and leaving the café.

Kirishima Touka, watching from behind the counter, scowled.

"What's his deal?" she muttered to herself.

She knew exactly what Tsukiyama Shuu was after. The man's predatory nature wasn't a secret, and now that he'd set his sights on Ryoma, she knew trouble was coming. Still, Touka figured Ryoma could handle himself — after all, he had taken down Gecko.

---

The following day, Tsukiyama Shuu returned to the café.

Touka was already irritated when she saw him walk in again. It was rare for Tsukiyama to visit so frequently, and now it was obvious why.

Ignoring Touka's glare, Tsukiyama went straight to Ryoma's table and sat down without waiting for an invitation.

"Kanzaki-kun, what a coincidence," Tsukiyama said with a grin. "I enjoy meeting new friends, though I hope my excitement didn't seem too abrupt yesterday."

"It's fine," Ryoma answered casually.

"That's a relief." Tsukiyama's smile never faltered. "By the way, Miss Kamishiro mentioned yesterday that you're... her man? Is that true?"

Ryoma paused briefly, then smiled awkwardly.

"Honestly, I'm not too sure myself," he said with a chuckle.

"Oh, I see," Tsukiyama said with feigned sympathy. "I shouldn't have asked such a personal question."

His tone seemed apologetic, but in his mind, Tsukiyama had already made his judgment.

He was convinced now — Ryoma was Rize's next intended victim. Since Rize was nowhere in sight today, Tsukiyama decided this was the perfect chance to steal her prey for himself.

Better yet, this boy's scent was unlike anything he'd ever encountered. Even if this wasn't about revenge on Rize, Ryoma was far too precious a delicacy to pass up.

"By the way, Kanzaki-kun, I'm hosting a grand banquet soon. There will be plenty of charming guests — beautiful women, handsome men, the works. Would you be interested in attending?"

Tsukiyama's smile widened. "Of course, if you're interested in Miss Kamishiro, I can share a few... interesting details about her at the party. After all, Miss Kamishiro and I go way back."

Tsukiyama deliberately played up his connection to Rize, knowing Ryoma might be drawn in by curiosity.

He was convinced Ryoma was another one of Rize's lovesick fools — a young man dazzled by her beauty and charm. Using that to lure Ryoma into his trap was too easy.

Ryoma's expression lit up just as Tsukiyama hoped.

"Really? That sounds interesting. I'd definitely like to know more about her," Ryoma said with an innocent smile.

He played his role perfectly — the clueless boy hopelessly infatuated with Rize, easy to manipulate.

Tsukiyama's grin widened.

Perfect.