Ryo was in a mood.
Not berserk-mode.
Not angry.
Just... confrontational.
Every minor inconvenience had received a sharp response.
A first-year had bumped into him.
Ryo stared until the poor kid apologized three times.
Someone had questioned his seasoning choice in class.
Ryo immediately challenged them to taste it blind.
A classmate asked if he was having a bad day.
"No."
Which somehow sounded threatening.
By lunchtime, rumors had already spread.
"Kurokiba's looking for a fight."
"Again?"
"More than usual."
The truth was, Ryo didn't really know why.
He'd woken up restless.
Agitated.
Like he needed to challenge something.
Or someone.
And there was only one person who consistently accepted those challenges.
He spotted her in the hallway.
Alice.
Moving quickly as usual.
Notebook tucked under one arm.
Already thinking three steps ahead.
"Miss."
Nothing.
She continued walking.
Ryo frowned.
"Miss."
Still nothing.
His eye twitched.
"MISS."
Alice kept moving.
Then before she rounded the corner—
"Alice!"
That got her.
Immediately.
Alice stopped and turned.
"Hm?"
Before she could say anything else, Ryo closed the distance.
His fingers lightly caught her chin.
Tilting her head toward him.
"Ignoring me?" he asked.
Alice blinked once.
Then smirked.
"Huh? No way."
Completely unfazed.
As always.
"What do you want?"
She didn't step back.
Didn't flinch.
Didn't even seem surprised.
After ten years together, Alice had seen every version of Ryo.
Quiet Ryo.
Angry Ryo.
Sleepy Ryo.
Food-war Ryo.
The occasional dramatic Ryo.
This wasn't even in the top ten.
Ryo's smirk mirrored hers.
"Food war."
Alice's eyes immediately lit up.
"Hmm."
A dangerous gleam appeared.
"You're on."
The two stared at each other.
Both smiling.
Both entirely too excited about this.
Then—
"YOU TWO!"
The shout echoed down the hallway.
Both turned.
Erina Nakiri was marching toward them.
Looking horrified.
"Quit that!"
"Tch."
Ryo clicked his tongue.
"Huh?"
Alice blinked.
Then realization hit.
A deep blush immediately exploded across her face.
Because from Erina's angle—
Ryo was standing very close.
Holding Alice's chin.
Both smiling at each other.
Neither moving away.
It looked...
Not like a food war challenge.
At all.
"..."
"..."
Both Alice and Ryo stared at Erina.
Erina stared back.
The silence stretched.
Then Ryo finally released Alice's chin.
Slowly.
Alice immediately took half a step back.
Still blushing.
"We were discussing a food war," she said.
Far too quickly.
"Obviously."
Erina deadpanned.
"That's what that looked like."
Alice groaned.
Ryo clicked his tongue again.
"Tch."
"You two are impossible," Erina sighed.
As she walked away, she muttered something about needing stronger tea.
The second she was gone—
Alice looked at Ryo.
"...A food war?"
Ryo shrugged.
"Yeah."
Alice crossed her arms.
"You tracked me through half the school for that?"
"Yeah."
A pause.
Then Alice laughed.
Of course he did.
And somehow, that answer made perfect sense.
Story from ChatGPT
