A Date…. Kinda? (1)

Reiji stirred the coffee in front him, his mind swirling the same way the ice cold liquid was. Across from him sat the psychotic villainess, who was sipping her Frappuccino with a satisfied smile.

Her eyes crescented into pure joy as she bit into a macaron, which she had unpacked for this 'special' occasion.

"Mmmm, this is really good! You should try one, didn't you say you loved them?" she asked while pushing the box towards Reiji.

He sighed resignedly and took a brown one, the sweet and soft interior harmonizing really well with the slightly bitter and crunchy shell.

"...It's not bad, but they used too much sugar," he nodded with appreciation.

"Really? I thought it tasted pretty good.... Do you know a place that makes better ones?" She asked, her initial disappointment turning into excitement.

'She really likes sweets doesn't she?'

"They are good, it's just that they could be better. I haven't really been to a place with better macarons, but I can make you better ones myself," Reiji chuckled at her twinkling eyes.

"Huh? You can bake???? I knew I chose the right boyfriend!"

Yui practically started bouncing in her seat, her blood-red eyes turning even more intense than before.

"Woah, woah! Calm down, we aren't dating!"

"Nah, we're dating," she snorted in response.

Reiji rubbed his head which started aching again. He looked at Yui with slight exasperation and took another bite out of the macaron.

"Miss, we don't even know each other's names yet. And I'm sure when you find out about my background you'll agree with me."

"Oh right, names! My name is Tachibana Yui, you can call me Yu- no... Call me Honey!" She clapped her hands decisively.

Reiji's lips twitched at her crazy demeanor.

Just looking at how she was reacting, one would think that she was truly infatuated with Reiji and sincerely wanted to date him.

He himself had considered that fact because she had never shown any interest in men in the game. But the more he studied her reactions, he was coming to understand what was happening.

There was no 'liking' in her eyes.

Instead, there was a superficial interest in his looks.

There was a twisted possessiveness that sharpened her intentions.

There was a desire for comfort, for something that she could control and overwhelm.

And there was a hint of fear. Of being rejected, of being unwanted, of being despised.

Yui was the type of person who, when decided on something, would pursue it till the end of time. Her conflict with Riku and Hina started off as something minor, but she latched onto it as if a knife had been thrust into her back and she had to do anything to avenge herself.

So when she showed a little interest in Reiji because of his looks, she latched onto it. And when he showed signs of rejecting, that possessiveness, pride, and fear was maximized and she became determined to 'own' him.

Reiji/Alex prided himself on his ability to read people. It was why he never got too close with anyone in his previous life, because he could tell that their intentions, mindset, and personalities weren't great.

Now combine that with the sheer amount of information he knew about Yui, he could tell that his 'detective work' wasn't too far off the mark.

So what should he do?

"Tachibana-san, have you heard of the Yagami Syndicate?"

He would show her that she couldn't own him. That she held no power in this 'relationship'.

This could lead to her losing interest.

"Yagami Syndicate? Isn't that the Yakuza group that pretty much controls the underworld?" She asked quizzically.

She didn't understand why he randomly brought up such an odd topic.

"Yep. Well, my name is Yagami Reiji. My father is the leader of the syndicate and I am the next-in-line to inherit his position. So.... I really don't think we'd be compatible," he said softly.

But there was an underlying sternness and finality in his voice.

Just as he expected, the light in Yui's eyes dimmed considerably as she leaned back into her chair at the revelation.

With how insanely cruel her family already was..... Dating a Yakuza Heir would be akin to tightening the preexisting noose around her own neck.

She looked up and met Reiji's icy blue eyes, which were as cold as the color suggested.

"I'm sure you wouldn't want to date someone like me, so let's just forget any of this happened. I'll go pay for the coffee," he said as he got up.

Yui didn't reply, just watched his back as he stepped up to the cashier. Her brain was overloading with various thoughts, considering everything that had happened so far.

And then her eyes narrowed darkly.

As Reiji sat back down after paying for the drinks, their eyes locked onto each other again.

After a few seconds, she opened her mouth.

"....No, we're dating."

***

At the food court inside the mall, just 3 restaurants down from the cafe where the two villains were meeting, Riku and Hina took the ice cream that they had just bought from the vendor's hands.

"What flavor did you get, Riku?"

"Vanilla, good ol' reliable. What about you, what's that green thing?" he asked, staring at the strangely colored ice cream in Hina's hands.

"Mint Chocolate! Do you want to try some?" Hina held out the cone to offer a taste.

Riku's face contorted in disgust as he pulled away with a laugh.

"Ewwww, how do you have such weird tastes Hina? Don't you feel like you're eating toothpaste?" he teased.

"It's nothing like toothpaste, you just have numb tastebuds," Hina defended herself.

She licked the ice cream and her eyes twinkled with pure joy at the unique and refreshing flavor. Riku just looked at her as is she had grown a second head.

"Man, watching you eat something like that makes me lose my appetite," he frowned in frustration.

They both walked away from the food court, passing by the very cafe that Reiji and Yui were in.

The time for the event was getting closer and closer.

***

Reiji stared blankly at the red-haired woman who was pouting cutely, her arms crossed over her chest.

"...What?" he finally asked, breaking the silence.

"I don't care about your background," she snapped with a little anger.

'Now she's just being stubborn...'

Reiji had a complicated look on his face. She very clearly knew that he was the worst possible match for someone like her, a choice that would hasten her ruin and lead to significant issues.

If this was OG Reiji sitting in front of her, she would be completely screwed.

Her stubbornness was quite impressive, to be honest.

"....Listen, do you maybe not understand what the Yagami Syndicate is?"

"I know very well, you don't have to explain. But I can defend myself against you perfectly fine. Not to brag, but I'm a red belt in Taekwondo, so you should be careful" she warned, as if she was considering the possibility of him 'attacking' her.

Reiji already knew this fact. She was extremely strong, she had to be as the main Villainess in the game. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to properly control her underlings with just her financial power.

They would probably cross paths at their club activities, since Taekwondo also shared the same hall as MMA. As a second-year student, she led the female division and had an undefeated record, so she had the right to be arrogant about this.

"It's not like I'm going to attack you, that's not what I'm worried about. The rumors are going to haunt you, my reputation is pretty bad you know?" Reiji chuckled wryly.

Since his background didn't seem to scare her, there's no way he was going to keep threatening her with physical inferences.

"Do you think my reputation is something admirable?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

She leaned forward with a glint in her eye.

"The one who should be worried is you." She said in a low tone.

"....Ok, I'm worried. So let's not date," Reiji replied.

"Nope, not possible," Yui grinned triumphantly.

Reiji flopped onto the table, smacking his head on the wooden surface. Yui's eyes softened at the sight.

"....Do you really not want to date me that bad?" She asked, a tremble in her voice.

Reiji looked up, resting his head on his hand.

"Yui, it's not about you, it's about this entire process. I'm simply worried that you're being stubborn and don't actually like me. That'll just hurt both of us in the long-run," he reassured her warmly.

Yui fell silent at his comforting words, her head drooping in contemplation.

'He called me Yui...' She thought.

Her eyes closed, sighing as she made a choice.

"...Fine," she finally said.

"Hm? Fine what?"

"Fine, let's take our time. We'll hang out first and then decide, ok?"

Reiji's eyes widened in surprise.

'Holy shit, that's a big step! Did I get through to her???'

He started to get excited internally, just this simple act of backing down showed that she wasn't beyond redemption.

He had a chance.

A real chance to help her.

A chance he would not let go off.

He straightened his back, meeting her conflicted eyes that showed the difficulty of the decision she had made. He held out his hand to her and smiled.

"Let's start over. Hi, I'm Yagami Reiji!"

The Villainess blinked at the hand in front of her, and she slowly lifted her own to hold it.

"Um... My name is Tachibana Yui, p-pleased to meet you?"