Chapter 283: A Commonality of Humankind, and the Yggdrasil Server Shutdown
In the end, Kasugano Sora couldn't win the argument against Sakura Hibiki. To be more precise, it was Sakura Hibiki and the other two girls. While Akemi didn't have much of a grasp on money, the other three certainly did.
Sora slumped onto the plush carpet, supporting her small frame with both hands, her shoulders caving in as she was forced to accept her new, unwanted title of 'rich loli.' Seeing her looking so defeated, Ayaka offered a weary but fond smile. "Sora, I really don't think that title is so bad..."
Kasugano Sora waved a dismissive hand, her voice laced with a helpless sigh. "I just feel a bit... overwhelmed. To suddenly be elevated from an ordinary person to this kind of status..."
Sakura Hibiki plopped down casually on the carpet beside her. "Don't worry, we won't tell anyone," she said, patting Sora's back. "But you have to be careful, Sora. Don't let any of those strange boys trick you."
"I won't," Sora murmured, hugging her knees. "Boys are too childish compared to Ren-gege..."
"That's definitely true," Hibiki agreed with a nod. She glanced toward the window, noticing the shifting light. "Looks like it's getting dark..."
"Coconut chicken!" she declared, her eyes lighting up.
Gina sighed, shaking her head with an exasperated smile. "Hibiki... yes, the coconut chicken is delicious, but Ren-ge isn't only good at making coconut chicken! Besides," she added, turning to Ayaka, "you haven't had any of Ren-ge's cooking yet, have you?"
"Eh? No, I haven't," Ayaka admitted. "But speaking of which, has it been really lively downstairs for a while now...?"
"You can hear that?!" the other four exclaimed in unison.
Ayaka waved her hands placatingly. "No, no, I can't hear anything specific. I just saw Sister Cerberus run back up here a moment ago, grab a phone, and then sprint back downstairs..."
Akemi nodded, her expression one of deep approval. "Indeed. Sister Cerberus is as energetic as ever. Such a vigorous lifestyle, a life full of vitality—it's wonderful for the body!"
Hugging her rabbit plushie tighter, Kasugano Sora whispered, "I always get the feeling Akemi has a particular fondness for muscles... and she seems to really love fitness? Does Sister Shion know about this?"
Sōryūin Akemi puffed out her chest with pride. "Of course! This is a Sōryūin family tradition! I awakened our clan's most glorious genetic inheritance when my older sister took me to a beauty pageant!"
"Glo... glorious?!" the four girls echoed, their faces a mixture of shock and confusion.
For some reason, seeing Sōryūin Akemi so fired up left them speechless. They didn't quite understand the logic, but her declaration sounded both incredibly impressive and utterly ridiculous at the same time.
"So, what I'm trying to say is, Courage, you're not really planning to do something, are you?"
Ren eyed Courage, who was staring at her phone with a strange, fiery determination sparked by whatever chat she was having. He couldn't quite figure out what was going on in her head. Courage finally set her phone down, cleared her throat, and announced her plan. "Well, the WGO is moving its headquarters here, isn't it? That means there will be plenty of male Executive Officers around. I was thinking of arranging for them to visit the resort for some relaxation... or a vacation... and perhaps teach Mr. Dojima a lesson in the process~"
Lucifer let out a long sigh. "In a way, I can't even begin to picture what Mr. Dojima would be like with a girlfriend. What kind of woman could possibly handle him?"
Courage paused to consider it, and the corner of her mouth twitched. "To be honest... I can't imagine it either. Ren, you're a man. You should be able to picture it, right?"
The question caught Ren by surprise. He thought for a moment, stroking his chin. "If I had to guess, I'd say she would need to be either tall and statuesque, which would look harmonious next to him, or someone very petite, for that striking contrast. As for personality, she would have to be gentle. Her looks could be average, that wouldn't matter... And for her hairstyle, I think anything but curly hair would work~"
Both Courage and Lucifer silently pictured the scenarios and found themselves nodding in deep agreement. A tall, curvy woman would create a powerful image, while a petite one would offer a charming juxtaposition. When he put it that way, it actually made perfect sense.
A new thought suddenly struck Courage. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks, and her eyes glinted with a hint of anticipation. "Um... Ren, while we're on the topic, what kind of girl do you like?"
The question earned her a silent thumbs-up from Lucifer. This was, indeed, a very important line of inquiry.
Ren considered it for a moment. "I don't have any particularly strict requirements," he began slowly. "But there are certain behaviors I really dislike~"
"Like what?!" they asked in unison, leaning forward slightly.
Ren ticked the points off in his mind. "Self-righteousness, hypocrisy, lying, rudeness... people who only think about doing things but never act on them... things like that. Oh, and as for what I like," he added, a faint smile playing on his lips, "I like girls with unique characteristics~"
Courage and Lucifer both mentally filed away the information. A quick internal check confirmed that they had cleverly avoided all the negative traits he'd listed, and they both breathed a silent sigh of relief.
Courage smiled brightly. "So, Mr. Ren also enjoys finding special existences among the ordinary, just like any other man~"
She mulled it over. 'I'm a foreigner and a WGO Executive Officer,'she thought.'That should count as a special existence, right? At the very least, the profession of an Executive Officer is quite unique.'Lucifer, on the other hand, had no such worries. She was a former Archangel, the current Queen of Hell, complete with horns and a tail (though she wouldn't dare show the tail here). If that didn't qualify as'special,' then nothing in the world did.
Ren could practically read their thoughts, but he kept a neutral expression. What he'd said was merely a simple test. Men—or rather, humans in general—are creatures naturally drawn to the most distinct object in any group. Regardless of whether they like it or dislike it, their attention will always linger on it just a little bit longer.
Courage had already forwarded all the "intelligence" she'd gathered to Decora and the others. It would be some time before she learned that Ren's special treatment of her was directly linked to Decora herself, but that was a story for another time.
Ren glanced at the clock on the wall and stretched his arms overhead. "Alright, it's about time to open up. What should we have for dinner?"
"Meat!"
Ren didn't even need to guess who had shouted. Cerberus's order was always the same, but that single word was often the deciding factor for the entire menu.
He thought for a moment, then nodded. "I know what to make. One of you go upstairs and tell the girls to come down for dinner. Lucifer, you go hang up the 'open' sign~"
"Oh."
It was unclear what Lucifer had been through earlier in the day, but she was being exceptionally well-behaved. Courage found it a bit strange as well. Both Cerberus and Lucifer had disappeared twice today, and each time they returned, Lucifer seemed... very wronged?
"You girls... Wow! What a beautiful room! Sora, you really know how to live!"
In the end, it was Courage who went to call Kasugano Sora and the others down. The moment she stepped into the room, she was taken aback by the decor. It was exquisitely beautiful, sparking a sudden desire in Courage to try decorating her own room. She quickly suppressed the thought, however. She hadn't even confirmed her relationship with Ren yet; redecorating felt a bit premature.
"Hmm... Yggdrasil's servers will be shutting down in four days..."
"Tsk…"
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