Just Look into It

30. Sour Note

Ryo spent the rest of the afternoon helping to entertain the girls as the hosts found themselves becoming more focused on scaring Haruhi. They were all rather friendly and had no problem carrying the conversation. 

It began to get later into the evening, which meant the girls were slowly heading home. 

She broke off from the large group to go looking for her brother, a bit worried since she hadn't seen him in a while. Since everyone pointed her in the same direction, she made her way down the beach, enjoying the fresh air. She hadn't been to the beach for a long time. 

Taking a deep breath of the salty air, she paused as her phone went off from inside her purse. She took it out, all air instantly vanishing from her lungs. Gathering herself, she instantly called Kyouya and started to move faster down the beach. 

"Yes?" he answered, sounding confused since she had just been with him a few minutes prior.

"The system caught signs of someone entering the area," she stated, cursing under her breath. "It isn't fully operational yet so I don't know how many or where. Damn it-"

Ryo forced herself to take a breath, directing any girls she found back towards the hosts. 

"Alright. I'll let the hosts know to try and gather everyone together."

"I'm sending girls back your way."

"You shouldn't be alone-" he started to say before she cut him off. 

"Thank you for the concern, but I do have a taser on me. I'm no expert but I can hold my own," she argued. "I won't go looking for a fight. If I find someone, I'll call you instantly and stall for time."

He sighed, clearly not okay with her words. 

"I have to find Yuu," she explained. "I'm not leaving him out there."

"I understand. Be careful."

The brunette let out a sigh and ended the call. 

Up ahead, she could see a large outcrop of rocks that overlooked the ocean. With the way the sun was setting, she instantly knew that her brother would have climbed up there. As quick as she could, she raced up the path to the top, noticing the two girls with him. 

"There you are!" she called out, seeing her brother. Relief hit her for a moment before she reminded herself that things weren't quite over. "I hate to cut your time up here short, but everyone is gathering up now."

The girls turned around, confused looks melting away at the sight of her.

"Ah, isn't the view pretty?"

"Yes, but we need to meet up with everyone else," she urged. Meeting her eyes, Yuu instantly stood up and closed his sketchbook. 

"Let's go then," he said, clearly seeing her panic. 

"Whoa, there are chicks here!" 

Ryo cursed her luck. 

"Stay behind me." She sucked in a breath, drawing herself up to her full height. She reached up to tighten her ponytail only to feel the elastic snap. Her hair fell to her shoulders, but she quickly brushed it back. "Yuu, call Kyouya."

He nodded, phone already open and dialing. 

Two guys appeared from the path, one dropping a can to the ground. Ryo took a step forward, the siblings putting a space between the men and the guests. 

"Excuse me, you can't be here," she spoke up, drawing their attention. "This beach and the respective property is private land. Since you are not a guest of the owners, you are therefore trespassing. Please leave now before we are forced to call the authorities."