Chapter 215: The Embarrassing Courage and Others in the Early Morning
Since Hojo Miyoko left, no customers had come to the Shop.
The soft, golden rays of the early morning sun filtered through the pristine glass windows, casting long, warm shadows across the polished wooden floorboards. The lingering scent of Miyoko's earlier meal still hung faintly in the air, a subtle testament to the culinary magic that constantly breathed life into the restaurant.
Ren, however, felt it would be better to have a customer right about now. He currently had a very specific lady by his side named Lucifer, who had proudly claimed the title of a 'great detective' and was taking her new role entirely too seriously.
That's right, Lucifer was still aggressively pondering who the mysterious incoming customer Ren had mentioned was.
She paced back and forth behind the counter, her pristine white blouse shifting with every dramatic turn, acting as if she were unraveling a murder mystery rather than a simple reservation. Of course, Ren had already told Lucifer exactly who that person was.
But true to her prideful nature, Lucifer was far more concerned with deducing that person's exact figure, aura, and appearance based purely on her name.
The sheer, unrestrained extent of this wild imagination even made Cerberus pause her morning stretching.
In Lucifer's eyes, Gasai Yuno at this moment was a delicate, fragile girl with a perfect, curvy figure. She pictured a maiden with a heart-meltingly cute face, bouncing pink twin-tail hair, and an inherently weak, defenseless demeanor that desperately needed protecting.
Ren truly didn't know how Lucifer had managed to conjure such a horrifyingly inaccurate image.
He mentally pictured the blood-soaked, axe-wielding, obsessively psychotic yandere that was the real Gasai Yuno. A chill ran down his spine. It could safely be said that besides the cute face and the pink hair, not a single solitary detail in Lucifer's grand deduction was correct!
Lucifer stopped her pacing and looked at Ren's helpless, slightly disturbed expression.
She tapped her chin with a slender finger, thought for a moment, and let out a dramatic sigh. "I feel like such a perfectly defenseless girl shouldn't actually exist in your social circle," she mused. "Never mind, never mind~ But I'm absolutely sure she'll become a regular customer!"
"Why do you say that with such certainty?" Ren asked, arching an eyebrow as he reached for a fresh apron.
"Because I am the Queen of Hell!" Lucifer declared, puffing out her chest proudly, causing her impressive cleavage to strain against her neat collar. "My guesses are always impeccably right!"
Seeing Lucifer becoming arrogant and smug in that uniquely strange way of hers again, Ren could only let out a fond sigh.
He decided it was best not to shatter her illusions before Yuno actually arrived. He turned his attention away from the self-proclaimed detective and looked down at the demon dog trio sharing one soul.
"Cerberus," Ren called out smoothly, "what do you want for breakfast?"
"Meat!" the three girls shouted in absolute, flawless unison, their eyes sparkling with predatory hunger.
Ren thought for a moment, mentally taking stock of the fresh ingredients resting in the massive, magically cooled refrigerators.
"That's good," Ren said, a confident smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Nakiri Mana and the others are also staying upstairs. Eating some high-quality meat early in the morning can easily supplement their much-needed nutrition."
He reached for a beautifully marbled slab of Wagyu beef and a heavy butcher's knife.
"Just wait a bit," Ren continued, the rhythmic, rapid-fire sound of his knife dicing onions filling the quiet kitchen. "I believe their strict professional ethics as World Gourmet Organization Executive Officers should prevent them from oversleeping too late~"
Cerberus nodded vigorously, her three heads bobbing up and down.
Then, losing interest in the cooking process, the girls lazily lay their upper bodies across the cool surface of the dining table. They rested their chins on their crossed arms, just staring blankly out the window. Ren didn't know what they were looking at, but a dog's mind could sometimes be wonderfully bizarre.
Ren turned on the heavy iron stove, and a ring of bright blue fire roared to life.
He tossed a generous pat of golden butter into the cast-iron skillet, the fat instantly melting and foaming with a magnificent, mouth-watering sizzle. As he gently laid the thick, hand-patted hamburger steaks into the pan, the rich, intoxicating aroma of searing beef, caramelized onions, and crushed garlic instantly exploded throughout the room.
In comparison to his smooth, practiced cooking movements, Ren's mind was a bit stunned at the moment.
His phone had buzzed in his pocket just seconds ago. He had wiped his hands on a towel and checked the screen, only to find that Kirari had sent him a direct message containing the address of a high-end gym. This specific gym made Ren completely freeze in place.
The address and the stylized logo attached to the message looked very, very familiar to him.
Lucifer, noticing the sudden halt in the rhythmic sizzling of the pan, saw Ren holding his phone and staring into space, completely lost in thought.
Unable to contain her curiosity, she quietly leaned over his shoulder. Her soft, voluptuous chest pressed lightly against his upper arm, radiating a comforting warmth. The faint, alluring scent of vanilla and subtle brimstone wafted into his nose as she peeked at the bright screen.
After thoroughly reading the message on the phone, she whispered directly into his ear, her breath tickling his skin.
"I have some business to attend to this morning," Lucifer read aloud, quoting Kirari's elegant text. "You, Lucifer, and Cerberus go ahead first."
"I've already pulled some strings and gotten exclusive VIP memberships for Lucifer and Cerberus. We'll arrive around ten o'clock to meet you~"
Lucifer read up to this point, her crimson eyes blinking rapidly. She pulled her head back and asked in pure confusion, "Eh? Why didn't Kirari get a membership for you?"
She poked his cheek teasingly. "Does she finally know that you, you big pig's trotters, are actually secretly very rich?"
Ren effortlessly flipped the steaks in the pan, a gorgeous, crispy mahogany crust having formed on the meat.
He tilted his head slightly, keeping his eyes on the bubbling juices, and said, "Eh? Why can't the simple answer be that I already have a membership there?"
Lucifer crossed her arms under her chest, propping it up, and said in deep confusion, "That's highly unlikely. Because you told me before that you were busy competing in various underground tournaments when you were out of business."
She gestured broadly around the pristine kitchen.
"And after you came back, you've been tirelessly running the Shop from dawn till dusk," she continued. "You didn't even know the city's biggest basketball court opened recently, so it's perfectly normal that you wouldn't know a new gym opened nearby."
Ren smiled mysteriously, lowering the heat on the stove to let the thick steaks simmer in their own savory fats.
"A gym, huh?" Ren murmured softly. "Lucifer, what if I told you I really am already a high-ranking member?"
"Eh?!" Lucifer gasped, her eyes widening in genuine shock. "You actually went to the gym before?"
"But you shouldn't have had any free time to go to the gym! Why did a premium gym membership suddenly appear out of thin air!"
Ren thought for a moment, drizzling a rich, dark demi-glace sauce over the sizzling meat.
"Because this isn't just a local spot," Ren explained smoothly. "This is a massive, global chain gym~"
"Mm-hmm," Lucifer hummed, leaning against the counter and watching him intently. "And then?"
"And then, it's probably... because of certain, highly specific things I did in the past," Ren chuckled lightly. "I was gifted a very, very long membership period. My membership, by all accounts, shouldn't have ever expired~"
Lucifer nodded slowly, raising a hand to dramatically cover her face.
"I'm really, incredibly curious about what kind of absurd things you were doing when I wasn't around!" she groaned, a mix of genuine possessiveness and exasperation in her voice.
Ren smiled warmly, plating the gorgeous, steaming hamburger steaks alongside a bed of crisp, fresh greens and a perfectly fried, sunny-side-up egg.
"Probably a lot of dangerous things," Ren admitted casually. "For a while, I even worked as an exclusive, high-level sparring partner for some terrifying Combatants..."
"Eh?" Lucifer blinked, her demonic curiosity instantly peaking. "Who...?"
[Akarin's Note: Kaolan Wongsawat is a major character from the Kengan Ashura and Kengan Omega series. He is the Thai God of War, an undisputed heavyweight boxing champion, and a master of Muay Thai.]
"It was Kaolan and a few of the other monsters from the underground," Ren said smoothly, his eyes flashing with a hint of nostalgia. "They happened to be preparing for a massive, life-or-death tournament at that time, so I saw them for a very long time every single day."
He wiped down the edges of the plates, ensuring the presentation was flawless.
"We kept in touch privately after the dust settled," Ren added. "Kaolan and I even got a joint membership together at the exact same shop~"
"A gym?" Lucifer asked, trying to wrap her head around her domestic chef boyfriend trading blows with martial arts gods.
"A boxing gym~" Ren corrected with a playful wink.
Lucifer was completely, utterly at a loss for words.
She stared at the handsome man before her, an apron tied around his waist, cooking breakfast like a perfect househusband, yet casually admitting to brawling with heavyweight champions. Lucifer decided right then and there that no matter what happened, she absolutely, absolutely had to stay glued to Ren's side. Otherwise, who knew when this unpredictable man would run off to some shady place and have yet another bizarre, heart-stopping experience!
"Eh? Cerberus, where are you going?" Lucifer suddenly called out, breaking out of her stupor.
"To get my phone!" the three girls shouted in unison.
Without waiting for permission, Cerberus immediately abandoned her spot at the table and ran upstairs, her bare feet pattering wildly against the wooden floorboards. Ren merely shook his head, a fond smile gracing his lips. He truly didn't know why Cerberus was so bursting with hyperactive energy every single day, especially since as soon as she lay down, she could fall deeply asleep in mere seconds.
Meanwhile, on the second floor, the quiet morning peace was being thoroughly disrupted.
"Hey, hey, Courage... Is this really okay?" a nervous, hushed voice echoed in the hallway.
"Decora, don't be a coward! This is a literal once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" Courage whispered back fiercely, her face flushed with an embarrassing mix of excitement and scandalous intent. "We are standing right in front of Mr. Ren's room, you know~!"
She pressed her hands to her cheeks, her eyes practically turning into hearts. "That's the sacred room that best reflects Mr. Ren's deepest, darkest, and most intimate hobbies!"
A third voice, groggy and deeply unimpressed, chimed in from behind them. "So you two violently shook me awake just to come creep outside a man's bedroom door?"
"Lanterby!" Courage hissed, spinning around to glare at the sleepy junior investigator. "We, as First-Class Executive Officers of the WGO, are your absolute seniors!"
"But as mature women... uh... as blossoming girls! We are also your seniors in the matters of the heart!"
Decora nodded emphatically, her twin-tails bouncing. "Trust us, Lanterby! Investigating a master chef's personal living space is the completely right thing to do!"
"Oh! Just imagining his scent… it's burning up!" Courage squealed quietly, squirming in place.
Cerberus, who had just bounded up the stairs to retrieve her phone, froze in her tracks.
She stared blankly at Courage, Decora, and Lanterby, who were awkwardly clustered together, pressing their ears against the rich mahogany wood of Ren's bedroom door. A deep look of pure, unadulterated confusion painted Cerberus's three faces.
Cerberus didn't quite understand the intricate nuances of human romance, but she had a very strong, primal feeling that these three women might not be very bright.
"Courage! Good morning! What are you doing out here?" Cerberus barked out cheerfully, tilting her heads.
"Eeek!" Courage shrieked, jumping a foot into the air.
"Ahaha... Cerberus! Good morning~" Decora stammered, sweating profusely as she tried to block the door with her body.
"Damn it… we were just a little bit away! Just a little bit!" Lanterby groaned, rubbing her temples in sheer exasperation at her seniors' antics.
"Ay... Forget it, I'll just tell you the truth," Courage sighed in defeat, her shoulders slumping. "It's like this, little doggy…"
A few agonizingly awkward minutes of explanation later, Cerberus looked at the three beautiful, highly respected WGO girls.
They looked inexplicably unwilling to make eye contact, blushing furiously. After thinking for a moment, processing their strange desires through her simple, food-driven mind, Cerberus still asked in profound confusion.
"So, you just want to see Master… Ren's room?"
Courage, Decora, and Lanterby all nodded rapidly, their eyes practically begging for access to the forbidden holy land.
Cerberus shrugged nonchalantly. She reached out and grabbed the brass door handle.
"Then just look," Cerberus said casually, completely missing the heavy romantic tension the women had built up. "I come in here all the time."
"It's honestly nothing special. It's just very, very clean."
As Cerberus spoke, she effortlessly pushed open the heavy wooden door.
The hinges swung silently, revealing the private sanctuary of the master chef. Then, she watched as Courage and the others aggressively leaned forward to look inside with bated breath and feverish anticipation.
The moment their eyes landed on the interior, they all froze completely solid.
The room was bathed in the gentle, filtering morning light. A cool breeze drifted in from a slightly open window, carrying the faint, incredibly masculine yet refined scent of sandalwood, clean linen, and exotic spices.
Courage instinctively clasped her trembling hands tightly together, her face burning a brilliant shade of crimson.
"Oh my goodness…" Courage breathed out in disbelief, her voice trembling. "Mr. Ren's room is really, truly so impeccably clean!"
"And he keeps fresh, beautiful flowers by the windowsill! And he obviously loves to read!"
Decora gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "So many thick, sophisticated books?"
"Wow... He really is a rare, absolute treasure of a man! Such an elegant, high-class, and tasteful life~"
Lanterby, despite her earlier reluctance, found herself nodding along, a deep blush dusting her own cheeks as she took in the immaculate, highly attractive living space.
Just then, a sleek wooden door further down the hallway clicked open.
Nakiri Mana, the supreme Book Master of the WGO, stepped out. She had just finished washing up. Her long, luxurious hair was slightly damp, and the expensive scent of rosewater and premium shampoo trailed behind her elegant figure.
She paused, tilting her head gracefully.
Her piercing, beautiful eyes locked onto Courage, Decora, and Lanterby, who were currently making a pathetic, drooling fuss in front of Ren's open bedroom door. A deeply puzzled, thoroughly exhausted expression crossed Mana's flawless face.
She pinched the bridge of her nose, wondering to herself: Are these highly-trained, world-class professional food critics really acting like such silly, hormone-driven high school girls? Is this truly so outrageous?
"Lady Mana, good morning," Lanterby instantly squeaked, snapping to a rigid salute out of pure terror.
Mana didn't even acknowledge the salute. She merely let out a long, suffering sigh that seemed to carry the weight of her entire organization's tarnished dignity.
"Anne~" Mana called out softly over her shoulder, not breaking eye contact with the three frozen peeping toms. "Hurry up and call these idiots over to the dining room... It's frankly so embarrassing to look at them..."
A polite, heavily resigned voice echoed from inside Mana's suite.
"Yes..."
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