Chapter 8: A Defeat Without Regret

The charm of a handsome man has a far greater impact on women than that of a beautiful woman on men.

"Ryuichi Sugawara, huh? Your name sounds so lovely."

Although he was still wearing a mask, Wakaba Miyagi looked up at his handsome eyebrows and eyes, her heart unable to contain its excitement.

Before seeing Ryuichi Sugawara in person, based on her understanding of Tsuki Yamabuki and the multiple times she had dodged the topic, Wakaba had assumed this boyfriend was fabricated.

Tsuki had been single since birth. For a girl who hadn’t dated in her teens, her standards for a boyfriend would only become more selective in her twenties.

Moreover, the timing of Tsuki’s romance was suspicious, occurring shortly after Risa tried to recommend her younger brother. Various signs hinted at something dubious.

Yet upon seeing Ryuichi himself and learning his name, all her doubts were completely dispelled.

No wonder Tsuki, single all those years, suddenly found a boyfriend.

With a guy like him pursuing her so earnestly, which girl wouldn’t be tempted?

"Your name is beautiful as well, and you are truly living up to it."

In response to her compliment, Ryuichi replied just right.

Wakaba means “new life” and “vitality” in Japanese.

Though he had already heard about this girl’s personality from Tsuki, seeing her in person was truly a case of “seeing is believing.” She radiated energy.

"Hehe."

Meeting his dark eyes and receiving another compliment, Wakaba felt her heart bloom like spring flowers, yet wisely refrained from further conversation.

After all, he was Tsuki’s boyfriend; it wouldn’t do to cling to someone else’s partner.

As she restrained herself, the others kindly introduced themselves and bowed in greeting.

"Shogo Minamida."

Unlike the others, Shogo Minamida glanced at their entwined hands with a sharp sting, his attitude decidedly unfriendly.

"Nice to meet you."

Though not very friendly, Ryuichi didn’t take offense and remained polite.

Because their hair color was identical, he had already guessed this young man was attempting to court Tsuki’s younger brother through his sister’s recommendation.

"Are you an entertainer?"

Seeing his calm demeanor, Shogo couldn’t contain his anger and blurted out.

"No."

Ryuichi looked at him quietly and answered directly.

---

Though this confrontation wasn’t part of the plan, it wasn’t a major issue; Ryuichi was capable of handling such spontaneous situations.

"Shogo-kun..."

Seeing Ryuichi treated unfavorably, Tsuki felt uneasy and wanted to intervene.

But before she could say anything, she felt their joined left hands suddenly gripped tightly.

"If you’re not an entertainer, why wear a mask? Is it shameful to be with Tsuki?"

The presence of a rival made Shogo especially jealous, and with Tsuki defending him, he instantly exploded.

Risa Minamida, noticing her brother losing control, tugged at his clothes, trying to calm him down.

"Because Tsuki’s wearing one, so I wore it to fit in."

No matter how angry he was, Ryuichi remained calm and answered every question.

"..."

Shogo glanced at Tsuki and saw her masked face, immediately silenced by the explanation.

In the past, he would have rushed to see Tsuki once he knew she was coming.

But this time was different; she arrived holding a man’s hand.

Since their arrival, Shogo’s gaze had locked entirely on Ryuichi, scrutinizing from head to toe, trying to find flaws, but inadvertently causing Tsuki some discomfort.

"If you were curious about what I look like, you could have just asked."

Seeing Shogo’s awkwardness as he tripped over his own words in front of everyone, Ryuichi smiled and offered him a graceful exit.

Then he released Tsuki’s right hand and removed his mask.

Wakaba, watching nearby, was stunned when she saw his full face—he was truly striking.

Even from his brows and figure, she had sensed Tsuki’s boyfriend was an extremely handsome man.

But seeing him unveil his face still amazed her.

Ryuichi was not the typical pretty boy on television but a rare type of handsome man.

His nose was sharp and prominent, his lips sensual, his bright black eyes piercing and lively, and above all, his refined, scholarly aura.

She didn’t even know which word could fully describe him—handsome? Elegant? Cultivated? Noble? None felt adequate.

At the same time, Mai Asai and Risa gave Tsuki a secret thumbs-up.

To find such a handsome boyfriend was simply extraordinary.

[Tsuki Yamabuki’s heartbeat quickened; affection +1]

---

Tsuki had seen Ryuichi’s face before, but seeing her friends’ reactions as silent approval, she couldn’t help but tuck her hair behind her ear.

Indeed, her risky decision to have Ryuichi pose as her boyfriend was right.

Among all the people she knew, none could compare to Ryuichi as a boyfriend.

Handsome, intelligent, refined, polite, mature, considerate… and most importantly, stunningly good-looking!

"You..."

Seeing Ryuichi’s appearance, Shogo wanted to say something but didn’t know where to begin.

No matter how unwilling, he had to admit the guy was undeniably handsome.

"Shogo, don’t you have plans with your friends? It’s almost time."

At that moment, Risa patted his back, offering a polite excuse to prevent further confrontation.

They were giving him face—if he kept causing trouble, he would only embarrass himself.

"Yeah."

Though Shogo wanted to argue—saying handsome guys were unreliable, prone to attracting trouble, and unfaithful—his sister’s intervention deflated his unwilling spirit.

"Sis, Tsuki, Wakaba, Mai, I have plans with my friends, so I won’t disturb your reunion. I’ll leave first."

After nodding, Shogo said his goodbyes and turned to leave.

Though he left briskly, the older sisters saw the loneliness in his retreating figure.

"Sorry about Shogo. He doesn’t mean any harm; he just grew up tagging along behind us and wanted to see who Tsuki’s first boyfriend was. If he made you uncomfortable, please forgive him."

Watching her wayward brother walk away, Risa sighed and bowed apologetically to Ryuichi.

"No need to apologize. I wasn’t upset. I think his unfriendly attitude was simply because he misunderstood my mask earlier."

Seeing her quietly apologizing on her brother’s behalf, Ryuichi quickly stopped her and tried to help her up, but his hands hovered about a foot away.

He understood Shogo’s feelings—after all, anyone would feel uneasy if the sister they secretly admired suddenly had a boyfriend.

Noticing Ryuichi wasn’t angry and was even helping Shogo save face, Wakaba and Mai exchanged a glance.

At that moment, they reached a silent consensus.

Shogo’s defeat was well-deserved... the gap in levels was just too great.