“Listen, this is just my own personal opinion, but... I don't think Ryuga would ever want you to give up on the idea of falling in love.”
“She’s right. Lord Ryuga wouldn't want you to spend your entire life in solitude, keeping your head bowed in shame, Raiha.”
“...That may be true. However, if he knew that the very person who upended his life harbored feelings for him, he would surely find it a burden. After all, it should be impossible for him to love the daughter of his father's killer...”
Raiha let out a soft, heavy sigh as she spoke.
She took a sip of the tea sitting before her, and once she had regained some of her composure, she continued.
“Besides, my atonement has only just begun. If he found out I was being distracted by romance in such a state, Ryuga would surely be disappointed in me.”
“Hmm... I don't think he’d be disappointed, exactly, but I can understand why you feel that way.”
“When one thinks on it deeply, Lord Ryuga is a man whose thoughts are quite difficult to discern... which is a tad frightening, I must say.”
“He isn't a scary person. If Ryuga were that kind of man, I wouldn't even be here right now.”
Raiha quietly countered Sakura's murmur.
As the others collectively thought, That’s exactly the problem, Melt offered her own perspective.
“I agree with Raiha. If Ryuga were actually a jerk, Yugo would never trust him as much as he does. He’s just a bit clumsy when it comes to how he treats you.”
“True. Also... perhaps it's because he’s currently in the middle of a major internal shift?”
“Right now, Ryuga is struggling desperately to change the person he used to be—the one who lived only for hatred and anger. Since learning the truth behind that incident, he’s been trying to sort out his heart so he can forgive you. That’s why his attitude toward you feels so delicate and awkward.”
“Hmph... Come to think of it, when he first arrived as an exchange student, he hid his true feelings and acted quite naturally around us. Now, conversely, he is showing us his true heart... I suppose this is a sign that things are heading in a positive direction?”
“I believe so. I’ve watched my brother all my life, and he looks happier now than he ever has before.”
Yui joined the conversation, nodding along with her seniors. Thinking of her brother, she shared her observations with Melt and the others.
“Until now, my brother never allowed himself to make friends he could truly trust. People envied his talent, and he was constantly being challenged to duels. He tried to hide that side of his life from me... but to him, it was normal to feel like the entire world was his enemy. But things are different now. He has all of you.”
By coming to Luminous Academy and meeting Yugo, Ryuga had gained something irreplaceable.
Furthermore, through his bond with them, he had uncovered the truth of the Five Years Ago Incident, giving him the chance to finally restart the clock that had been frozen for so long.
Now, Ryuga was in the midst of trying to break free from his past. His primary support in that journey was undoubtedly the new bonds he had formed.
As a younger sister watching her brother finally try to move forward, Yui felt a sense of gratitude toward Raiha as well. She chose her words carefully to reach the troubled, hesitant girl.
“As I’ve said before, I think my brother is being saved by you in his own way, Raiha. He sees you trying to overcome your past and change, and he probably feels like he can’t afford to let himself be outdone by your resolve.”
“I see. So Lord Ryuga feels sym... sym... wait, what was it?”
“You mean he feels 'sympathy,' right?”
“Yes, that! Exactly that!!”
Setsuna, who had stepped in to correct Sakura’s persistent struggle with foreign loanwords, gave a wry smile at the girl's enthusiastic reaction.
Yui giggled along with them before picking up the thread of the conversation.
“Our talk was cut off earlier, but my brother is absolutely oblivious to your feelings, Raiha. Somewhere deep down, he’s rooted in the belief that no one could ever fall in love with someone like him, and besides—”
“And besides... what?”
“—He is more dense about his own feelings than anyone else’s. But in reality, he is definitely conscious of you.”
Yui wore a mischievous smile, clearly enjoying the chance to poke fun at her brother’s stupidity. As Raiha stared at her in shock, Melt and the others began chiming in one after another.
“Does that mean... there is actually a chance? You’ve done it, Raiha!”
“If that’s the case, there’s no reason to just sit around and watch. Let's go on the offensive.”
“For starters, you should make a move during the Exchange Student Trip. You’ve got a great figure; if you show him your swimsuit, even a blockhead like Ryuga is bound to have some kind of reaction.”
“If that's the plan, we have to buy Raiha a cute swimsuit too! We’re going back to the shop right now! It’s decided!”
“I’ll help too! Let’s make my brother feel completely flustered!”
“Eh? Wait! P-Please wait! I—I’m not that confident in my body, and it’s embarrassi... Ah, ah, ah?! Wait for me!”
Before she could process what was happening, Raiha was swept away by her friends. Her bewildered protests echoed down the street as they dragged her back toward the shop.
And so, the girls continued their delightful shopping trip, while Raiha suffered the prolonged embarrassment of being a live mannequin for her friends' relentless swimsuit scrutiny.