Tsuna and Ryuu continued to be dragged around by Syr's relentless teasing. Fortunately, the mouth-to-mouth feeding was never executed, and Syr's master plan ultimately ended in failure just before the point of no return.
"Alright then. This time, Tsuna-san, you should feed Ryuu."
""Wha—!?""
But Syr was not the type of woman to give up after a single setback. Her relentless follow-up attack caused their faces to burn brightly once again.
"Ryuu served you devotedly as your maid, didn't she? It's only natural for the Master to return the favor to a maid who worked so hard for him."
"I don't recall ever becoming Ryuu's master in the first place!?"
"But if you don't, rumors might spread all over Orario that you dressed Ryuu up in a maid outfit and forced her to serve you, you know?"
"You'll definitely be certified as absolute scum, nya!!"
"It'd be a real shame if you couldn't live peacefully in Orario anymore, nya~"
Why am I being blackmailed two days in a row!? Syr casually threatened to spread baseless rumors, while Chloe and Anya piled on with sadistic grins. Tsuna was utterly bewildered to find himself being blackmailed twice in two days despite doing absolutely nothing wrong.
"Just do what she says, Tsuna... Syr has connections, and she's incredibly popular with the Gods. Even if the rumors are proven false, those bored deities will definitely jump on the bandwagon just like these two idiot cats. You only have one choice," Lunoire whispered discreetly.
"Ugh…"
Lunoire wanted to save Tsuna, but she knew she couldn't take on Syr alone. She quietly outlined the disastrous consequences of refusing the 'service'. Hearing her logic, Tsuna realized he had been completely checkmated.
"A-Alright… I'll do it."
"!?"
Left with no other options, Tsuna steeled his resolve. Ryuu, understanding his predicament perfectly, couldn't bring herself to protest, but knowing that Tsuna was about to feed her made her heart race uncontrollably.
"It's Ryuu's turn now, nya~"
"Running away is futile, nya~"
"L-Let go of me!!"
To ensure Ryuu didn't bolt—and to prevent her from reflexively punching Tsuna across the room out of sheer embarrassment—Chloe secured her arms while Anya locked down her ankles. Ryuu struggled, but she was completely immobilized.
"Now is your chance, Tsuna-san."
This feeling… it's exactly like dealing with Reborn… Throughout his life with his Spartan tutor, Tsuna had grown painfully accustomed to being dragged into chaotic situations against his will. While Syr didn't resort to physical violence like Reborn did, Tsuna couldn't help but feel they were cut from the exact same cloth.
Picking up a sandwich, Tsuna slowly approached the immobilized elf.
"O-Open your mouth, Ryuu…"
"Y-Yes…!!"
Ryuu replied meekly, her face burning a brilliant scarlet as she parted her lips. Timing it carefully, Tsuna gently brought the sandwich to her mouth.
I-I can't taste anything…!! Ryuu chewed mechanically, but just like Tsuna moments prior, her taste buds were completely overridden by the overwhelming pounding in her chest.
"There we go. Very well done."
It's finally over… With Syr's satisfied praise, Tsuna stepped back, and Ryuu was released from her feline restraints. The psychological ordeal left them both far more exhausted than their physical training.
"U-Umm…"
"Ah, you're…"
"Eh!?"
Tsuna suddenly noticed a figure peeking through the swinging saloon doors at the tavern's entrance. It was Anna, the girl they had rescued from the casino the previous day. Seeing Tsuna standing right there, her eyes widened in profound shock.
"E-Excuse me!! I heard the person who saved me was here, so I came to say thank you!!"
"It's fine. Please, come inside."
Although it was before opening hours, Syr, who knew the details of Anna's situation, cheerfully invited her in. Anna stepped into the tavern hesitantly.
"Thank you so much for saving me yesterday."
"Oh, don't worry about it. Besides, Ryuu was the one who insisted on saving you. You should be thanking her."
"Eh…!?"
Syr gestured toward Ryuu, leaving Anna blinking in utter bewilderment.
"Actually, the person sitting next to me yesterday was Ryuu. The casino invitations required a male-female pair, so I had Ryuu crossdress as a man for the evening."
"Ehhh!?"
Anna let out a cry of sheer disbelief. She hadn't suspected for a second that the dashing "husband" from yesterday was actually a woman.
"I-I am so sorry for the trouble I caused you… I don't know how I can ever repay you…"
"Please, don't worry about it. I'm just glad you are safe."
"More importantly, what is with that outfit…?"
"N-No!! This is merely something I was forced into wearing! It is absolutely not my personal preference!!"
"I thought so… It really surprised me…"
T-Thank goodness… Elves were known for their strict and serious nature, so Anna had understandably felt a massive disconnect seeing Ryuu in a maid uniform. Ryuu frantically corrected the misunderstanding, letting out a heavy sigh of relief when Anna accepted her excuse without suspicion.
"A-And… thank you so much for rescuing me from that dangerous situation yesterday…"
"I really didn't do much. It was mostly thanks to Syr and Ryuu."
Anna turned back to Tsuna, bowing deeply to the boy who had stepped in when she was about to be taken hostage. True to his nature, Tsuna humbly downplayed his involvement.
"U-Umm!! May I ask for your name!?"
"Eh? It's Sawada Tsunayoshi."
"Tsunayoshi-sama… Actually, if I managed to find you, there was something I needed to tell you…!!"
"Tell me something?"
"I… I think I've fallen in love with you…!!"
""""Huh…!?""""
Anna squeezed her eyes shut, her face flushed red as she gathered every ounce of her courage to confess. The sudden, explosive declaration caused everyone in the room to completely freeze.
"Eeeehhhhh!?"
A few seconds later, Tsuna's brain finally processed what had just happened, and he let out a screech that was an equal mix of shock and sheer panic.
"You were so incredible…!! You stepped right in to protect me when I was about to be attacked…!! My heart hasn't stopped pounding since then… I think I've completely fallen for you, Tsunayoshi-sama…!!"
She sounds exactly like Haru right now!? Listening to Anna's impassioned speech, the image of Miura Haru immediately flashed across Tsuna's mind.
Haru was a normal civilian, but she was one of the few people who knew Tsuna was the Vongola boss candidate. After Tsuna had saved her from drowning in the river while in Dying Will Mode, she had fallen head over heels in love with him. She was a tomboy and a massive troublemaker, but she was also the emotional anchor who helped him complete his signature technique, the X-Burner, during a desperate battle.
"W-Wait!! I'm really happy to hear that, but I have to return to my homeland eventually!!"
"Then I'll just follow you!"
This is bad—!! That completely backfired!! Trying to let her down gently without hurting her feelings, Tsuna chose his words carefully, but it only seemed to pour gasoline on the fire of her determination.
"C-Calm down!! You have parents, right!? You finally got your freedom back, so wouldn't doing something like that just make them worry!?"
"I don't care!! I'm fully prepared to elope with you!!"
"E-Elope!?"
Tsuna hadn't expected her to be that committed to the bit. His face flushed a deep red as he flailed in panic.
"T-This is unacceptable, Anna-san!! You can't just jump straight to elopement based on a fleeting emotion!!" Ryuu interjected, trying to be the voice of reason.
"C-Could it be that you…!? Is that why you're wearing that outfit!?"
"N-N-No!! I-I would never do something so shameless!!"
Seeing Ryuu's panicked reaction, Anna accurately deduced that the elf also harbored feelings for Tsuna. She realized that the only reason a serious elf would wear a maid uniform was because she was acutely conscious of him. Ryuu desperately tried to deny it, but standing there in her frilly apron, her words carried absolutely zero weight.
"Tsunayoshi-sama!! So, what is your answer!?"
"E-Err…!?"
"Don't tell me… is there already someone else you like?"
"!?"
"Wha—!?"
Anna's sharp intuition hit the bullseye. Tsuna's throat completely seized up, and his face burned crimson, unable to deny it. Ryuu, who had absolutely no idea Tsuna already had someone he liked, felt her breath hitch in shock.
Just as Anna guessed, there was someone Tsuna cared for deeply. Her name was Sasagawa Kyoko. She was the idol of his school, a girl with an incredibly kind heart and a beautiful smile. Back when he was known as "No-Good Tsuna" and practically refused to go to class, Kyoko was the sole reason he kept attending. She was also the one who helped him figure out how to properly connect with Natsu. Marrying Kyoko was Tsuna's greatest, most cherished dream.
"There is someone, isn't there…"
"N-No!! I mean, w-well!!"
Realizing that her crush already liked someone else, Anna's voice dropped, and a dark shadow fell over her expression. Seeing her so deeply hurt, Tsuna tried to scramble for an excuse, but because it was the absolute truth, the words died in his throat.
T-Tsuna having someone he cares for… it's only natural if you think about it for even a moment… If that is the case, as his friend, I should support his romance… Ryuu desperately repeated the logical conclusion in her head, but her heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice, and her mood plummeted just as sharply as Anna's.
"Are you… dating this person…?"
"Eh…!?"
"Are you!?"
"W-We're not dating, but…"
Anna pressed the issue, desperate to know the exact nature of their relationship. Overwhelmed by her sheer intensity, Tsuna caved and gave her an honest answer.
"Then I'll just have to make you fall in love with me more than you love her!!"
"Ehhh!?"
Instead of giving up, Anna's eyes burned with a newfound, terrifying resolve. Tsuna let out a bewildered screech at the wildly unexpected turn of events.
"And I won't lose to you, either!!"
"N-No! I-I am not!!"
Of course, Kyoko wasn't her only rival. Anna boldly declared war on Ryuu right in front of Tsuna. Ryuu's face went up in flames as she stammered incoherently.
Having issued her declaration of war, Anna gave a polite bow and marched proudly out of the Hostess of Fertility.
W-W-W-W-What do I do!! "Pull yourself together, Tsuna!!"
Never in his wildest nightmares had he expected things to escalate like this. Tsuna's brain completely short-circuited, literal steam rising from his ears. Lunoire grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him violently, but his soul had already left his body.
"A rival in love has appeared for Ryuu, nya!! And that spiky-haired guy actually has another girl he likes!! At this rate, Ryuu is going to lose, nya!!"
"This is a grave emergency, nya!! We have no choice but to slip Boy Number Two a love potion, make him fall madly in love with Ryuu, and seal the deal, nya!!"
"Then I'll prepare an outfit that will completely captivate Tsuna-san!! Something with way more skin!!"
"W-W-Wait a minute!! Why are you all advancing this plot without my permission!? I absolutely refuse to wear anything of the sort!?"
"Now is our chance while spiky-hair is immobilized, nya!!"
"It's now or never, nya!!"
"Just wait, Ryuu. We're going to make sure you get your happy ending."
"Listen to what I am saaaayyyyiiiinnnngggg!!"
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