"Umm, well..."
"..."
Raiha was at a complete loss. It was the night they had finally returned to the hotel after successfully resolving the sea-jack incident.
She had been alone in her room when Ryuga had paid her an entirely unexpected visit.
He stood in the doorway with an expression that was difficult to describe—somewhere between grumpy and deeply conflicted. Raiha had no idea what he wanted. Normally, she would have asked him, but she could easily imagine the sharp retort she’d receive. As she stood there in silence, feeling increasingly awkward, Ryuga abruptly reached into his pocket, pulled something out, and tossed it toward her.
"...Here. Take it."
"Eh? U-Umm, Ryuga-san!?"
Raiha caught the object as it traced a lazy arc through the air. When she realized it was a necklace crafted from beautiful coral, her eyes widened in surprise and she looked up at him. Ryuga scowled, looking back and forth between the jewelry and her face, before finally averting his gaze.
"That’s all I came for. I’m going back to my room now."
"Wait!? U-Umm! Please, wait a moment!"
Confused by his sudden and nonsensical behavior, Raiha called out to stop him even as she braced herself for whatever answer might come. He halted in his tracks, and she asked her question with a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
"W-What is this for?"
"It’s a necklace. Use your eyes. I got it from Elena’s father back on her island a little while ago. I have no use for it, and it’s too flashy for Yui, so I’m giving it to you."
"No, that’s not what I meant...! I mean, why are you giving it to me?"
To her surprise, he was actually answering her questions. Emboldened, Raiha asked the one thing she truly wanted to know. Ryuga went silent, his expression souring further before he spat out the answer.
"...It’s hush money."
"Eh...?"
The word was so far from anything she had imagined that Raiha could only manage a faint, stunned sound. After a quick glance at her, Ryuga continued scowling as he spoke.
"If—by some freak occurrence—you were to let slip what you did to me in the sea today... well, it would be incredibly troublesome, to say the least. So don't tell anyone. Forget everything that happened today. Got it?"
"...Yes. I understand."
As Ryuga spoke, the color drained from Raiha's cheeks. She nodded slowly, a self-deprecating, bitter smile touching her lips.
"Ahaha... Of course. I suppose I was just being meddlesome, wasn't I? I’m sorry. After shocking you with lightning, I went and did that, too... I’ll accept this as hush money. I’ll make sure to forget everything that happened today. Well, then—"
"..."
Ryuga gave her a brief glance as she bowed deeply, then he turned and walked out of the room.
He moved through the hallway and down the stairs toward the floor where the boys were staying, but he came to a dead stop halfway there. A look of sheer irritation and annoyance crossed his face. He let out a low, frustrated growl, then spun on his heel and marched right back the way he had come.
"...Hey."
"Eh!? Ah, yes!? Is something wrong!?"
"Don’t you dare ask me—no, damn it...!!"
Back at Raiha's door, Ryuga groaned, clearly exasperated by his own behavior. He could have just kept walking, but for some reason, the memory of Raiha’s heartbroken expression wouldn't leave his head. His frustration boiled over, and he spoke to her in a sharp, clear voice.
"...I’m taking that back."
"Y-Yes...?"
"What I said about the necklace being hush money... I’m taking it back."
Raiha stared at him, her eyes rounding in shock. Seeing her face, Ryuga felt even more irritated with himself for doing this, but he forced the words out anyway.
"I could have beaten that Magic Armor Beast even without your help. But that’s beside the point... for trying to save me, and for stopping me from making a grave mistake back on that island... I’m grateful."
"Ah...!!"
"So... this is a thank-you gift. Let's just leave it at that. Understand?"
"Y-Yes!"
Raiha’s face instantly lit up. A joyous smile bloomed on her lips and the color rushed back into her cheeks as she tightly clutched the necklace to her chest.
"Thank you so much, Ryuga-san! I’ll treasure it forever!"
"...Do whatever you want. Just don't go blabbering about it."
"I won't!"
With that, Ryuga finally left for good. Once outside, he leaned his back against the closed door and let out a long, heavy sigh. He struck his forehead with his fist a few times, looking thoroughly annoyed as he muttered to himself.
"...What is there to be so happy about? For her... or for me!"
When he had seen Raiha’s radiant smile, his heart had undeniably skipped a beat. Cursing his own reaction, Ryuga finally retreated toward his room. He tried his best to shake off the memory of her smile and the lingering sensation of her lips, but even as he did, he knew it would be a long time before he could truly move past this strange mix of irritation and exhilaration.