Chapter 210: Life is Meant to be Enjoyed
The gentle, rhythmic ticking of the vintage wall clock echoed softly through the quiet expanse of the restaurant.
Outside, the midnight sky draped a heavy, velvet cloak over the city, leaving only the luminescent glow of the streetlamps to pierce the dark. Yet, inside this particular dining establishment, a warm, golden radiance bathed the polished wooden floors, offering an inviting sanctuary from the brisk night air.
The brass bell above the entrance door chimed with a sudden, crisp clarity, shattering the tranquil silence.
The person who stepped over the threshold immediately commanded the room's attention. She was dressed in a stunning, crimson-red cheongsam, the luxurious silk fabric clinging perfectly to her form and meticulously outlining her graceful, athletic figure.
Intricate gold embroidery shaped into elegant phoenix motifs cascaded down the sides of the traditional dress, catching the warm overhead lighting. The high collar accentuated the proud line of her neck, while the modest yet striking slit along the side allowed for the fluid, confident strides of a martial artist.
Her short, vibrant purple hair framed her face perfectly, conveying the young girl's highly capable, refreshing, and no-nonsense aura.
The late-night visitor was none other than Hojo Miyoko, the pride of Yokohama's Chinatown. She was a fiery young chef who had marched into the restaurant earlier that day, adamantly insisting on becoming an apprentice.
Ren sat leisurely behind the main counter, his posture relaxed as he bathed in the soft, blue glow of his computer monitor.
He glanced away from the screen, his eyes drifting toward the bottom right corner of the taskbar to check the time. It was well past midnight, creeping toward the early hours of the morning.
Ren looked up, his expression painted with a mixture of fond amusement and gentle doubt. "While you are always very welcome here, Hojo..."
Before he could even finish the sentence, the purple-haired girl puffed out her cheeks, planting both hands firmly on her hips.
"Shopkeeper Ren! I told you this afternoon!" she interjected, her voice echoing with a vibrant, demanding energy. "Call me Miyoko! Just Miyoko!"
A faint blush dusted her cheeks as she said it, her fingers nervously curling into the red silk of her dress. Despite her tomboyish strength and unyielding exterior, there was a maiden's earnestness hidden just beneath the surface.
Ren let out a soft, melodious sigh, a warm smile gracing his features. He leaned back in his chair, folding his hands together on his lap.
"Alright, Miyoko, then," Ren conceded gently, letting the familiar syllables roll off his tongue. "But why are you here at this hour? Do you not have classes tomorrow morning?"
He gestured vaguely toward the dark windows. "The trains have stopped running, and the night is deep. Why did you come running to me at this time?"
Miyoko shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her sturdy combat boots—a stark but stylish contrast to her traditional cheongsam—squeaking slightly against the hardwood floor.
She looked away, suddenly finding the restaurant's decorative plants incredibly fascinating. "Well... actually, I took sick leave earlier today, didn't I?" she whispered, her voice dropping an octave in slight embarrassment.
Ren raised an eyebrow, silently encouraging her to continue.
"Then, when my roommate came back to the dorms tonight, she told me that there are absolutely no exams or practical assessments scheduled for tomorrow or the day after," Miyoko explained, her words tumbling out in a hurried rush. "So, I figured... if I don't want to go to class, I really don't have to. I already have an approved sick leave on file anyway..."
Ren absorbed her explanation, his smile slowly widening into a look of genuine approval. He nodded slowly, the soft light casting gentle shadows across his handsome features.
"So, if you skip your classes tomorrow, you essentially gain a massive, extended holiday," Ren summarized, his tone completely devoid of judgment.
He rested his chin on his hand, looking at her with a profound, calming warmth. "That is actually a really nice outcome. If I remember the calendar correctly, taking two consecutive days off right now bridges directly into the weekend, doesn't it?"
Miyoko blinked, her purple eyes widening in visible surprise. She nodded her head repeatedly, confirming his timeline, but her expression remained thoroughly bewildered.
She took a cautious step closer to the counter, leaning forward slightly. "Shopkeeper Ren... normally, shouldn't an adult tell me to sit down for a few minutes, drink some hot water, and then immediately hurry back to my dorms?"
She furrowed her brow, searching his relaxed face for any sign of disappointment. "You are supposed to tell me not to skip class. Yet, you don't seem to object to my truancy in the slightest."
Ren chuckled, a rich, resonant sound that instantly eased the lingering tension in the young chef's shoulders.
"What students truly desire during their youth boils down to three simple things," Ren began, his voice taking on a melodic, storytelling cadence. "Rest, entertainment, and the drive to become more excellent at what they do."
He stood up from his chair, walking around the counter to stand fully in the warm light of the dining area.
"However, the path to becoming truly excellent is an incredibly grueling, tiring journey," Ren continued, his gaze softening as he looked at the hardworking girl before him. "Because of that exhaustion, it is only natural that human nature tends to lean heavily toward rest and entertainment."
Ren paused, closing the distance between them just enough to offer a comforting presence without being overbearing.
"I know your strength, Miyoko," Ren said, his tone ringing with absolute, unshakeable certainty. "You possess a foundational skill level that far surpasses your peers. You won't learn much of value from the regular, mass-produced curriculum of those standard classes."
He gestured toward the open kitchen behind him. "Because of that, it is vastly better for you to use that precious time for genuine rest, and for solitary, focused practice."
Suddenly, a dry, highly amused voice drifted from a booth tucked away in the corner of the room.
"Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth?"
[Akarin's Note: "Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth" is a famous philosophical and political slogan from 1978 China, marking the beginning of the country's economic reforms. It is frequently referenced in Chinese web novels as an inside joke when discussing the importance of practical application over pure, untested theory.]
Ren turned his head, his smile brightening. Sitting at the table, casually sipping from a steaming cup of dark coffee, was Lucifer.
The Queen of Hell looked immaculately sharp in her tailored, crimson-collared suit, her crisp white hair cascading perfectly down her shoulders. Her crimson eyes gleamed with a mixture of playful mockery and deep, unspoken affection.
Ren walked over to the booth, chuckling warmly at her perfectly timed philosophical quip. He reached out, his hand gently landing on top of Lucifer's head.
He patted her soft, white hair with affectionate familiarity. Lucifer let out a quiet, indignantly cute huff, her cheeks dusting with a faint pink hue, but she made absolutely no effort to pull away from his touch. Instead, she subtly leaned into the warmth of his palm.
"That is pretty much exactly what it means," Ren agreed, looking back toward the young chef in the cheongsam.
He leaned against the edge of Lucifer's table, crossing his arms loosely. "And seeing the way you passionately play basketball during your breaks, Miyoko, I know exactly what kind of person you are."
Ren's eyes locked onto hers, seeing right through the armor she wore for the world. "You are someone who genuinely prefers the vibrancy of life over the cold rigidity of academics. You love life itself."
Hearing those words, an invisible weight seemed to lift from Hojo Miyoko's shoulders. She breathed a long, trembling sigh of relief, her rigid posture finally softening.
The cutthroat, relentlessly competitive environment of the Totsuki Culinary Academy demanded absolute perfection. It forced its students to view cooking as a battlefield, a bloody warzone where only the strong survived.
To hear someone praise her love for life over her academic standing was a foreign, intoxicating comfort.
"As expected of Shopkeeper Ren," Miyoko murmured, her eyes shimmering with a renewed, fiery determination. She clenched her fists, raising them to her chest. "But even in this life, I will strive to be the absolute strongest and proudly prove my strength to the world!"
Her mind briefly flashed with the mocking sneers of the conservative old men in her father's kitchen, the ones who claimed a woman lacked the physical stamina to master the heavy woks of Chinese cuisine. She thought of Kuga Terunori, the arrogant Eighth Seat of the Elite Ten, who looked down on her traditional methods.
Ren observed the brief, storm-tossed emotions swirling in her purple eyes. He smiled gently, but this time, he slowly shook his head.
"If you force yourself to become stronger purely to prove yourself to others, your mindset will inevitably warp and change after you've finally achieved that proof," Ren warned, his voice taking on a profound, deeply serious timbre. "This is an unavoidable trap of the human ego."
He pushed himself off the table, walking slowly back toward the young girl.
"So, Miyoko, I sincerely hope you strive to make yourself stronger for your own sake. Do it to reach new culinary heights, not to blindly show off to those who doubt you."
Ren's gaze was like a calm, fathomless ocean, washing away her burning anxieties. "After all, even if you successfully prove your worth to them, it ultimately amounts to nothing more than a fleeting word of affirmation. The world continues spinning, and fundamentally, nothing changes."
Miyoko parted her lips, ready to passionately defend her ambitions, but she quickly fell silent as Ren raised a single, silencing finger.
"As for life," Ren said gently, his voice almost a whisper in the quiet restaurant. "Life is meant to be actively enjoyed, not to be treated as a perpetual struggle. Life is life, and struggle is struggle."
He pointed a finger toward the gleaming, stainless-steel expanse of his kitchen. "You can rigorously train yourself during your peaceful life in order to guarantee victory when those inevitable struggles arrive."
Ren lowered his hand, placing it over his heart. "But you must never, ever confuse the two; you cannot try to 'enjoy life' while actively existing within a struggle. If you bring the battlefield into your everyday existence, your life will completely lose its sense of ease, and you will eventually burn out."
Miyoko stood perfectly still, absorbing the heavy, philosophical weight of his words. She nodded slowly, her purple hair bouncing with the motion.
Ren had spoken similar words to her during the bustling afternoon rush, but hearing them again now, in the quiet intimacy of the midnight hour, struck a deeply resonant chord within her soul. The wisdom felt infinitely useful, enriching her mind in ways Totsuki's fierce lectures never could.
She looked up at him, her expression shifting into one of pure, unadulterated reverence.
"Shopkeeper Ren," Miyoko pleaded, her voice thick with emotion. "Do you really, truly not want an apprentice? I swear I will work harder than anyone else!"
Ren laughed, waving his hand dismissively. "I don't formally teach people, as you've seen me work today. I am simply a humble restaurant owner, nothing more."
From the corner booth, Lucifer shot Ren an incredibly exasperated, deadpan look.
Her crimson eyes narrowed into sharp slits as she aggressively stirred her coffee. She had recently spent hours reading through the chaotic, sprawling chat logs in their dimensional group chat, gathering a terrifying amount of information about the man standing before her.
The absolute, most ridiculously classic recurring theme in those logs was Ren's infuriating habit of claiming his god-tier, reality-bending talents were completely "weak" or "average."
For example, Lucifer had read numerous instances where Ren casually insisted that his cooking "wasn't very tasty," despite the fact that his meals routinely caused transcendent, mind-shattering foodgasms that brought immortals to their knees.
He frequently downplayed his combat prowess, stating with a straight face that he "only threw basic punches and kicks" when fighting. Yet, those "basic punches" possessed enough raw, kinetic devastation to level entire mountain ranges and shatter spatial dimensions.
When discussing his hobbies, he claimed he "only bounced and shot a ball" when playing basketball, completely ignoring the fact that his athletic capabilities vastly outshone the most superhuman prodigies of any sports universe. He routinely insisted he had no special skills or hobbies worth mentioning.
Lucifer stared at the back of Ren's head as he confidently declared he couldn't teach students because he was just a simple cook. She felt utterly, profoundly helpless.
Why, Lucifer thought, mentally screaming into the void, why does this unfathomable monster of a man always genuinely believe he is so incredibly weak?
Oblivious to the Queen of Hell's internal mental breakdown, Ren returned his attention to the purple-haired chef.
Miyoko let out a dramatic, slightly defeated sigh, realizing he wasn't going to budge on the apprenticeship issue tonight.
Ren smiled warmly, clapping his hands together once to shift the atmosphere. "So, now it's time to talk about the real reason you're standing in my dining room. Why did you come over so late... or rather, so early in the morning?"
He gestured up and down her immaculate outfit. "And judging purely from your appearance and that gorgeous dress, I take it you are not planning to go back to your school dorms anytime soon?"
Upon hearing this prompt, Miyoko's posture instantly straightened. Her eyes sparked to life, and she suddenly became a localized hurricane of excitement.
"It's like this, Shopkeeper Ren!" she exclaimed, her tone overflowing with a strong, infectious enthusiasm. "I originally planned to go straight back to my kitchen and carefully improve all of my traditional dishes exactly according to the methods you explained to me today."
She practically bounced on the tips of her combat boots. "But, after successfully improving the first recipe and smelling how incredible it turned out, my stomach betrayed me. I got incredibly hungry!"
Ren leaned against the counter, highly amused by her boundless energy. "And then?"
"Then, I originally planned to just plate the food and make something quick for myself," Miyoko continued, waving her hands animatedly. "But right as I grabbed a plate, I remembered the four-day holiday my roommate mentioned."
She flashed a brilliant, unrestrained grin. "So, I dropped everything and just ran straight over here, deciding that instead of eating amateur cooking in a lonely kitchen, I should come directly to Shopkeeper Ren's restaurant! I am absolutely sure I can learn something profoundly new just by tasting your food."
Ren nodded slowly, a knowing glint sparkling in his eyes. He crossed his arms, assuming a posture of absolute culinary supremacy.
"In that case, I don't even need to guess what you want to eat tonight," Ren stated confidently. "You want Chinese Cuisine, right?"
He didn't wait for her to answer, his voice dropping into a smooth, rhythmic cadence as he painted a picture with his words.
"And if I am not entirely mistaken, you plan to order a plate of Sweet and Sour Pork with Pineapple, accompanied by a fiery bowl of Mapo Tofu."
The moment the words left his lips, the restaurant descended into a stunned, pin-drop silence.
Hojo Miyoko froze in place. She stared blankly at Ren for what felt like an eternity, her jaw slightly slack. The vibrant energy drained from her expression, replaced instantly by a look of profound, Earth-shattering shock.
"As... as expected of Shopkeeper Ren!" Miyoko finally stammered out, her voice pitching an octave higher in disbelief. "That's exactly right! I really, truly wanted to order those exact two dishes, so how on earth did you guess that?!"
From her booth, Lucifer set her coffee cup down with a sharp clink, her own expression mirroring the young chef's confusion.
"Yes, exactly how did you pull off that deduction?" Lucifer asked, leaning forward with immense curiosity. "There are thousands upon thousands of distinct, complex dishes within the vast repertoire of Chinese Cuisine."
"How did you magically pinpoint those specific two out of thin air?"
Ren chuckled, thoroughly enjoying the bewildered expressions on both of their beautiful faces.
"It wasn't magic. Miyoko's train of thought is actually very simple and straightforward," Ren explained, his tone taking on a Sherlock-esque analytical edge.
He held up a single finger. "First, the dinner she so proudly prepared for us earlier this evening was her signature Sweet and Sour Pork with Pineapple."
He gestured toward the kitchen. "After taking my advice to heart and supposedly improving her recipe tonight, her culinary pride demands a direct comparison. She naturally wants to order a Sweet and Sour Pork with Pineapple crafted by my hands, specifically to act as the ultimate benchmark to learn from."
Even as he spoke the name of the dish, the mere concept of it seemed to manifest in the air. One could almost envision the glistening, golden-ruby chunks of perfectly fried pork, coated in a tantalizingly sticky, sweet-and-tart glaze that practically danced on the palate, contrasted sharply by the bright, juicy burst of fresh pineapple.
Miyoko blushed fiercely, a soft, embarrassed "Hehe..." escaping her lips as she rubbed the back of her neck. Her true motives had been laid bare in seconds. She desperately wanted to witness a flawless execution of the dish she had staked her pride on.
Lucifer nodded in understanding, deeply impressed by the logical deduction before raising a perfectly manicured eyebrow. "Alright, that explains the pork, but what about the Mapo Tofu?"
Hearing the question, Miyoko chuckled nervously, furiously scratching her purple hair.
She had indeed desperately wanted to learn how to make a truly transcendent, perfect Sweet and Sour Pork with Pineapple. However, even she was completely bewildered as to how Ren had accurately predicted the second, seemingly unrelated dish.
[Akarin's Note: Kuga Terunori is a character from Food Wars! (Shokugeki no Soma) and the 8th Seat of the Elite Ten Council. He specializes exclusively in Sichuan Cuisine, particularly Mapo Tofu, and has a rivalry with Hojo Miyoko, who specializes in a broader range of traditional Chinese cuisines.]
"This second deduction is even simpler to make," Ren said smoothly, his eyes locking onto Miyoko's flustered face. "Because even though Miyoko has officially been guided and taught by me today, she still harbors a massive, burning dissatisfaction in her heart regarding Kuga Terunori, right?"
Miyoko flinched slightly, her eyes widening as Ren effortlessly pierced the veil of her deepest culinary grudge.
"Therefore," Ren continued, his voice echoing with absolute authority. "She wants to try and discover which dish represents the absolute pinnacle of flavor: the perfect Sweet and Sour Pork, or the perfect Mapo Tofu."
He smiled knowingly. "She wants to use my cooking to strengthen her wavering resolve, hoping to taste a Mapo Tofu so divinely perfect that she can figure out the exact flaws in Kuga's highly praised Sichuan cooking. This will give her the ultimate ammunition to finally shut that arrogant senior up, am I right?"
The mere mention of Mapo Tofu invoked a visceral, phantom sensory overload. The mental image of silken, perfectly cubed tofu trembling violently in a bubbling, lava-red pool of chili oil and heavily spiced minced meat was intoxicating. The anticipated, electrifying numbness of high-grade Sichuan peppercorns practically radiated from the concept alone.
Hojo Miyoko vigorously scratched her head, a sheepish but brilliant smile breaking across her face.
"Yes... Shopkeeper Ren is entirely right, and that is exactly what I was thinking down to the very last detail," she admitted, bowing her head slightly in immense respect.
She clenched her fists again, her voice steadying. "Although Senior Kuga is undeniably very good at Sichuan Cuisine, and his Mapo Tofu is practically legendary at the academy... I desperately want him to know that the culinary world isn't just about the numbing spice of Sichuan Cuisine! The broader spectrum of traditional Chinese cooking, along with other regional cuisines, is just as excellent, if not better!"
Ren nodded slowly, a look of profound satisfaction settling on his features. He smiled warmly.
"Hmm, that is a very good, passionate resolution to have," Ren praised her gently. "But, Miyoko, before I step into that kitchen, let us make a little deal... or rather, let's play a game."
Miyoko blinked, her curiosity instantly piqued. She nodded firmly, eager to accept whatever challenge he had prepared for her.
Shopkeeper Ren tapped his chin thoughtfully for a brief moment before locking eyes with the fierce young chef.
"For these two specific dishes, I will pour my heart into them and try my absolute best to make them utterly, flawlessly perfect for you," Ren declared, his tone brimming with an unshakeable, quiet confidence.
He leaned forward, a playful, challenging glint in his eye. "Then, I bet that you absolutely will not be able to guess the true, hidden meaning behind these two dishes."
He let the heavy silence hang in the air for a second to emphasize his point. "In other words, after you eat them, besides being completely overwhelmed by their deliciousness, you will absolutely fail to understand the deeper, philosophical significance of Chinese Cuisine that they represent."
Miyoko's breath hitched. A culinary challenge from a chef of his unfathomable caliber was something a student of Totsuki could only dream of.
"And if I win this bet," Ren concluded smoothly, "Miyoko, you are no longer allowed to keep worrying about Kuga Terunori. You must completely drop your obsession with beating him, and instead, focus entirely on walking your own unique path in cooking."
Miyoko didn't hesitate for even a fraction of a second. Her purple eyes blazed with competitive fire.
"Okay! I accept!" she shouted, her voice ringing clear and true across the empty dining room.
Ren smiled brightly, pleased with her unwavering fighting spirit. He turned away from the counter, finally making his way toward the swinging doors of his pristine kitchen.
Before he stepped inside, he paused, glancing back over his shoulder toward the booth.
"Then, Lucifer, please keep Miyoko company and chat with her while I prep the ingredients," Ren instructed casually.
He flashed a wicked, teasing grin. "Also, Miyoko, since you're both waiting, please do me a favor and teach Lucifer how to properly wear a traditional cheongsam."
"Okay! I'd love to!" Miyoko agreed instantly, her eyes lighting up as she turned toward the impeccably dressed Queen of Hell, clearly sizing her up for a fitting.
Lucifer froze, her crimson eyes widening in absolute, unadulterated panic. The image of herself squeezed tightly into a form-fitting, high-slit silk dress violently flashed through her mind, causing a furious, dark red blush to explode across her pale cheeks.
She gripped the edges of her table, her composed, regal demeanor entirely shattered.
"I... I..." Lucifer stammered wildly, her voice cracking as she desperately tried to shrink back into the plush leather of the booth. "I absolutely won't wear it!"
[Akarin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/AkarinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/AkarinTL
🔗 All My Links: linktr[.]ee/AkarinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]