Chapter 257: Be the Master of Your Own Life, Save Some Time for Yourself
Kasugano Sora was genuinely frightened now. Though her body had recovered, the mere thought of walking such a long distance made a phantom weariness settle over her. Her physical health had returned, but her mind was still conditioned to the fragility that had defined her for so long.
Lucifer sighed, a hint of exasperation in her voice. "Alright, that's enough. You're scaring Sora. Still," she mused, "it doesn't look like this place is too far from Koyo Academy. Walking there seems... feasible."
"Eh?! No!" Sora's voice was a panicked squeak. "At... at least we can take a bus!"
Ren smiled gently. "Don't worry. You can decide how you want to get there. However, if Akemi is coming tomorrow, the final decision will be up to her. Your schedule will be in her hands."
"Oh... But Ren-gege, if my body is better, can I drink..." A hopeful light flickered in her eyes.
"Yes," he confirmed.
"Yay!"
Ren chuckled, watching the small burst of excitement from Sora. In a way, she was incredibly easy to please. Not many girls her age would get so thrilled over the simple promise of a soda at his shop.
"Akemi... Akemi..."
"Hmm? Who is it... Ah!"
Soryuin Akemi, deep in a peaceful slumber, was vaguely aware of someone calling her name. She groggily cracked open her eyes, only to see a face looming directly in front of hers in the darkness. The sudden sight nearly scared her soul right out of her body.
Soryuin Shion, her older sister, was startled in turn by Akemi's shriek. "You girl," she said, her voice laced with exasperation. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"
On the verge of tears, Akemi cried out, "Sister! You're the scary one! Who just appears in front of someone's face like that!"
Shion cleared her throat, a rare hint of awkwardness in her tone. "Uh... that might have been a slight miscalculation on my part. I came to find you because there's something we need to discuss. Sit up properly."
Akemi let out a shaky breath, the adrenaline slowly receding. She pushed herself into a sitting position, her brow furrowed in confusion. "So, what is it, Sister? What are you doing here so late?"
Shion settled onto the edge of Akemi's bed, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Are you still planning to go to the gym tomorrow?"
"Yes. Didn't you already ask me that? Are you coming with us, Sister?"
Shion waved a dismissive hand. "Me? Of course not. I'm far too busy right now. I'm here because someone is transferring to our school. I want you to pick her up tomorrow and then take her to the gym with you."
Akemi blinked, processing the request. She nodded slowly, then asked, "But Sister... is this person a close friend of yours? Or the child of one of your associates?"
"Certainly not. How could I possibly have friends with children? This girl is just someone I've taken a liking to. Akemi, you're a year older than her. She's been in poor health for a long time and only made a full recovery today. For various reasons, she's transferred over to our side. She's a bit shy, a little tsundere, and more, she's quite mature for her age. I want you to take her out and help her have some fun."
Akemi's expression brightened. "Okay! Don't worry, Sister! You can count on me! Xiang and Ayaka will be there too! I'm sure we can get her to open up! We can even all work out together!"
Shion nodded. "That's a good thought, but getting her to exercise with you might prove to be a challenge."
"Eh?"
"It's not important. Just go pick her up at Ren's place tomorrow."
"Oh... Eh?! Pick her up at Ren-ge's shop?" Akemi's eyes widened. "Why would she be at his place? Could she be..."
"She's moved in with Ren," Shion stated flatly, cutting off her sister's wild speculation. "Stop letting your mind wander. Just go and get her. Once you're at school, come find me first, then go and report to your Kirukiru-jie."
"Okay! But Sister, aren't you supposed to be in the Koyo Academy university division? Why are you back in the high school section?"
"Because Kirukiru is taking over your duties there for the time being. Now, get some sleep. You have to be up early to pick up the new girl, otherwise your friends will be left waiting. Ren will also be at the gym, so you can all figure things out from there. Just make sure you take her out and show her a good time. That's all. You can go back to sleep."
Akemi nodded, watching her older sister's retreating back with a burgeoning sense of curiosity. Someone who had earned the concern of both Ren and Shion... regardless of her appearance, she had to be a kind person. And probably adorable, too. As her imagination began to spin, sleep felt very far away.
At that same moment, Tony Stark's mood was a complex blend of satisfaction and bewilderment. He was, by all accounts, completely and utterly full.
He undid a button on his cuff, rolling up his sleeves before taking a deep, appreciative sniff of the air. "Pepper," he said, a triumphant grin spreading across his face. "Do you believe me now?"
Pepper Potts sighed, a smile touching her lips. "My only regret is that I'm usually so strict with my diet. I'm a bit stuffed, but... it really was delicious, Tony. Well done."
"See? So, about that diet of yours," Tony said with a smirk. "You can probably afford to increase your intake. After all, with your current physical fitness, your cellular activity is through the roof. You need more calories."
Pepper nodded thoughtfully. "You have a point. It seems I'll have to add an extra meal to my routine when I get back. And this non-alcoholic champagne is truly excellent. I can see why you like it. However, Tony... I would really love to know how you plan on eating those garlic oysters."
Tony set down his spoon and picked up one of the shells, examining it with a critical eye. Garlic oysters. It wasn't exactly complex cuisine. Minced garlic, oysters, and... that was about it. Maybe a flourish of chopped chili and green onions on top.
He licked his lips, then picked up a steak knife, fully intending to scrape the copious amount of garlic off the top.
Pepper immediately burst into laughter. "Oh, Tony. I just discovered something new today. You're not only childish, but you can also be incredibly amusing. I know you've never eaten this before. You don't have to prove anything."
"Hey," Tony said, a touch of awkwardness creeping into his voice. "What's the problem? You're not supposed to eat the shell, are you?"
"Of course not," Pepper chuckled. "You're supposed to eat it with the minced garlic, Tony. You almost made a huge mistake."
Tony froze, his gaze fixed on the thick, fragrant layer of garlic. He swallowed hard. "I have a feeling I'm going to need some chewing gum after this... Huh? Wait, wait, wait... Why is this so damn good?"
He was right. The garlic oyster was a revelation. The dish somehow prevented the potent garlic from overshadowing the inherent, prideful flavor of the seafood.
The taste was magnificent. Holding the shell, he used his fork to scoop up the entire morsel—garlic, chili, green onion, and the plump oyster itself, all brightened with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice—and brought it to his mouth.
His senses were flooded with fragrance. The one-bite nature of the dish added a simple, satisfying pleasure to the act of eating. The pungent, savory kick of the garlic arrived first, immediately chased by the clean, briny rush of the oyster. A sharp, vibrant note from the lemon juice sliced through the richness, while the subtle heat of the chili lingered pleasantly on his tongue. It was a perfect collision of flavors, each distinct yet harmonizing flawlessly. He couldn't stop, reaching for another, and then another.
"Hey... wait... Tony! You're eating too fast! Leave one for me!"
"Damn it, Tony! Where are your table manners?!"
Watching the two of them bicker playfully over the last of the oysters, Kasugano Sora simply tilted her head. "Strange adults," she murmured to herself.
Sometimes, happiness doesn't need to be a complicated pursuit.
Life is a performance, a live broadcast for the world to see. But eventually, the cameras stop rolling, the stage lights dim, and the night grows quiet. In those moments, you must give yourself permission to set aside your so-called decorum, your carefully constructed falsehoods, and be your most authentic self. Do whatever it is that makes you happy.
Life will always have moments that are for show—in fact, most of it might be. But life is also long. Please, save some time for yourself. Time to go a little crazy, to indulge, to do everything you truly want to do.
You are the master of your own life. And sometimes, that freedom is hidden in something as simple as a garlic oyster, a glass of soda, or a game.
[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!]