Ryo's Cousin

While drinking his iced tea, Tanaka Ryo can't help but sneak some worried glances over Nakano Yuna, who still acts like a retarded teenager who had just seen her crush a while ago in her seat.

Wait a minute...

Ryo's hand froze as he was about to make a second gulp of his iced tea when he realized something out of the context from what he had thought just now.

Could it be that…

Ryo's other hand under the table clenched as soon as he finally had an idea what was really going on with his technically bride-to-be in the future.

Damn that jerk! I thought that guy enrolled in a different university and I won't have to see him now! I was wrong! How dare he switch schools in his third year in college?

As Ryo lifted his gaze to the girl beside him, something caught Yuna's eye, leading her attention to the other guy fast approaching in their table with that natural swag Ryo hates seeing so much since their childhood.

Yuna's senses were like a magnet to this guy. When he was around, she would go from being savage toward Ryo to being prim and proper in front of him.

Ryo's murderous look was beyond obvious when Yuna started to switch her savage attitude to being like that.

"Tanaka-senpai!" Nakano Yuna even dared to mention this guy's name in the cutest way possible that even Hayashi Sakura and Yamaguchi Alan were shocked with that total transformation on Yuna's usual feisty character.

"What are you doing here?"

Ryo's breath even hitched when he saw Yuna tucking one hair strand on her ear like a proper girl she should be in front of him as his fiancee!

Yamaguchi Alan, on the other hand, cannot help but be curious upon hearing Yuna refer to this tall, good-looking guy with a strong aura all around him as Tanaka-senpai and called Sakura's attention beside him with his right shoulder.

"Did Nakano-san just call this guy Tanaka-senpai?" Alan asked, whispering.

"Yeah. It seems so," Sakura replied, also unsure of what she heard just now.

Ryo, who completely heard what these two are whispering about, answered them within their earshot only.

"That is my obnoxious cousin, Tanaka Akio…"

Both Alan and Sakura's mouth formed an 'O' after hearing Alan's words just now. And as if on cue, they also turned their gaze to the guy who had just entered with the same hair color as Ryo's, but who was bigger, stronger, more manly than Ryo, and more intimidating to look at due to his perfectly chiseled jawline.

Judging by the way Yuna looked at this guy, who is now standing in front of her, it is already no surprise to them if their friend has fallen for this guy than with her own fiance whom she always cursed and had a quarrel with.

Alan tried to assess the cousins as he squinted his eyes and rubbed his chin in a detective-like manner, "Judging by your looks, I think your cousin has more advantage compared to you."

"Yeah, I agree," Sakura seconded.

Tanaka Ryo gritted his teeth and quietly reprimanded his friends, "Whose side are you really on! Mine or this guy?"

Before Alan and Sakura can even answer his question, it was then that his cousin finally took notice of Ryo and smiled a secretly obnoxious grin at him.

"Oh wow, if it isn't for my cousin here, Tanaka Ryo!" Akio eyed Ryo with all that superiority that he doesn't miss to show off in front of him and carried on with his statement. "Why hello there, cousin."

"Akio-san, my great, great cousin…" Tanaka Ryo made sure to enunciate every word with obvious sarcasm before he continued. "I didn't know you'll be continuing your studies here. What a surprise to see you right now."

Akio's right eyebrow was slightly raised and said, "Why? Do you think you're the only one who can study in a prestigious university such as Hirosaki University?"

Ryo wanted to snicker, but he resisted the urge. So... just as I thought. His competitive cousin came here because Akio-san has always been threatened by his achievements ever since they were children even if his cousin here is two years older than him.

For many years, Hirosaki University was ranked first in the global list of the best universities to go to. Tanaka Akio previously attended Haruki University, which ranked third on the global list of the best universities in Asia.

It was no secret to Ryo here that his cousin Akio has a back subject during his junior years and should now be in his senior year, but his parents were supportive enough to pay the school with enough sum of money just to let him pass that particular subject.

How did he know all of that? Well, of course, this particular issue has immediately spread throughout the family and even been thoroughly discussed during one of their family gatherings.

{"Why don't you be like Ryo over here who always achieves well in all of his classes?" Their grandmother, Ms. Tanaka Keiko, would always say to Akio whenever he does something mischievous with his studies.

And that would even raise Akio's hate for his cousin even more. Thus, for him, it has always been a competition between the two of them.}

I bet his parents even paid his way inside here! Talk about being pathetic!

Ryo made sure to erase that smug look off his face as soon as possible and said, "You're here because of your school issue with Haruki University? Is that it?"

After seeing that defeated look on Akio's face just now, Ryo secretly smirked at the back of his head, feeling that he already won this conversation.

"Why you little punk---" Akio was just about to lose his patience but seeing Yuna looking at him curiously made him stop and ignore his cousin.

So, do you want to fight with me huh? I'll fight you with poison to poison!

"Actually…" Akio began talking as he stared intently at Yuna and smiled brightly in her direction. "I heard that Yuna-chan enrolled in this school, so I have no choice but to follow my heart and enroll here as well."

Even that paragraph alone was enough to make his other four spectators on this table stare at him with dumbstruck looks on their faces.