Chapter 366: Shion's Past, and Her Secret History
For any person, man or woman, the years around the age of twenty are a precious, formative time. This holds true for everyone, and Sōryūin Shion was no exception.
Back then, as a student at the University of Tokyo, she was on the cusp of graduation. By all accounts, her life was quite ordinary. Her days were a simple, disciplined cycle of working out, rushing to complete papers, and preparing for her graduate studies. At the time, Sōryūin Shion was a renowned beauty on campus; she had a stunning figure, an exquisite face, and a prestigious family background. She was the very definition of a top-tier catch, the kind of woman whose hand in marriage would save a man several lifetimes of struggle.
Yet, Sōryūin Shion calmly turned them all down. Her suitors were a varied lot: wealthy young masters seeking a match between equals, handsome campus heartthrobs, and even commoners who, assuming she craved a simple life, hoped to star in their own Cinderella story. But without exception, every single one was met with a direct and unequivocal rejection.
Then, one day, everything changed. It was as if a dam had broken in her academic life; all her papers were suddenly approved with remarkable smoothness. After working so hard for so long, she naturally wanted to go home and unwind. A long, unstructured vacation stretched out before her, a welcome reprieve.
The moment she stepped through the door, however, her parents announced they were retiring to travel the world. Just like that, the entire Koyo Academy Group was being handed over to her. Before Shion could even form a response, she watched them grab their suitcases and walk out the door.
She was left alone, slumping onto the sofa like a boneless fish, the will to move completely drained from her. But despite her silent complaints, she dutifully went to work the next day. Her student status did afford her one mercy: all her remaining courses were waived. All she had left to do was submit her graduation thesis.
It was a small relief, but after a few months of running the massive corporation with absolutely no prior experience, the pressure became suffocating. She immediately thought of going on strike. Finally, seizing the opportunity of a holiday with no pressing crises on the horizon, she grabbed her long-suffering assistant—the very same one she has today—and simply ran off to play.
Heaven only knows the sheer thrill that coursed through Sōryūin Shion as she laid eyes on the sprawling water park. It was a vibrant world of handsome men and beautiful women, all with spectacular figures. To her weary eyes, it was nothing short of paradise.
But as she lost herself in the moment, on the other side of the park, another group arrived. A man in beachwear led the way, flanked by several other men. One looked young enough to be a high school student, while another was a handsome gentleman who was already drawing a great deal of attention.
This crew, having gathered a flock of beautiful women from who-knows-where, was setting up for an outdoor barbecue, drinks already flowing freely. Laughter and cheerful chatter filled the air as everyone mingled, except for one man who kept to himself, nursing a drink in solitude.
"Hey, hey, hey! Ren! These lovely ladies all want to have a word with you!"
"That's right! Mr. Ren, you're so handsome! Could we get your contact info?"
Observing the boisterous group from a short distance away, Sōryūin Shion floated lazily on an inflatable mat, sipping a cool beverage and reading a book. The commotion drew her attention, and she turned her head for a look. Her eyes immediately lit up. 'Wow,'she thought,'they're all so muscular.' Only the man in beachwear tending to the grill seemed a bit on the leaner side.
Hatsumi Sen and the others seemed to notice her as well. After a quick huddle and a hushed conversation, they broke out into a game of Truth or Dare, decided by rock-paper-scissors. As Ren was flipping skewers on the grill, the rest of them, in a blatant act of conspiracy, all threw 'paper'. Ren sighed. Truth or Dare. The dare was always more interesting.
Hatsumi Sen slung an arm around Ren's neck, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. He pointed a thumb in Shion's direction. "Ren, my friend. Go bring that beauty over there to play with us."
Ren let out another sigh but complied, walking towards her. Since he'd have to get in the water, he shrugged off his jacket, revealing a physique that sent a ripple of shrieks through the surrounding women. Shion was also taken aback, her breath catching in her throat. 'My god,'she thought,'that's a work of art.'
As she watched him approach, Sōryūin Shion felt her heart hammer against her ribs, a faint blush warming her cheeks. When he reached her, Ren offered a gentle smile, his voice soft. "Um... Miss? My friends and I were playing a game and I lost. I chose Dare, and they told me to come invite you to join us. Don't worry, we won't do anything inappropriate, and the food is on us. You can..."
"Alright," Shion cut in smoothly. "But what's your name?"
She nodded and gracefully slid off the air mat. When Hatsumi Sen and the others saw that she was actually coming over, they erupted into wild cheers. Several of the other girls shot daggers at Shion, their eyes burning with a mixture of envy, jealousy, and hatred.
After a few rounds of the game, Shion's luck finally ran out. She lost. Looking over at Ren, who was now sitting off to the side, she smiled. "I choose Dare."
Hatsumi Sen immediately piped up with a laugh. "Miss Sōryūin! There are so many fine men here. Pick one and confess your feelings, or at least say something romantic!"
"Ooh!" the crowd chorused.
A sly smile touched Sōryūin Shion's lips. She stood up and walked directly over to Ren, raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "You're Ren, right? I don't have any experience with dating, but I have to say, I really like your artistic physique, your thoughtful and gentle personality, and the food you make. We've only just met, but I feel completely captivated. I like you. Do you mind having a girlfriend?"
"Ohhh!!!" The crowd went wild again, the scene exploding with energy.
Ren just smiled calmly. "Miss Sōryūin... your chicken wings are ready."
"Mmm, they smell amazing!"
No one took the confession seriously; it was all part of the game. Finally, as the food and drinks began to dwindle, Sōryūin Shion lost again. This time, she glanced at Ren, who was now sitting beside her, and chose 'Truth'.
Hatsumi Sen, ever the seasoned playboy, leaned in with a playful smirk. "Miss Sōryūin, that confession from earlier... were you serious?"
"It was the most serious I've ever been in my entire life," she replied, her voice clear and steady. "Bar none."
"Ooh!" the group gasped, the mood shifting instantly.
Even Ren was momentarily stunned. Sōryūin Shion turned her head to face him, a confident smile playing on her lips. "It's the same question as before, Ren. Do you mind having a girlfriend?"
Ren met her gaze, a slow smile spreading across his face as he shook his head. "Relationships are consumables. But in a setting like this... I certainly won't refuse. However, until we understand each other better, let's just call it a trial period. So, allow me to reintroduce myself. Ren, a restaurant owner and part-time Combatant."
"Sōryūin Shion, President of the Koyo Academy Group," she returned, her voice laced with determination. "And I'll make you say the words 'trial period over, full-time employment' yourself. But when that happens, you can stop running your restaurant. Be my Combatant. I'll support you."
"We'll see," he said, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"Then it's settled! Mr. Boyfriend," she declared. "I'll be coming to your restaurant for dinner later!"
That night, Sōryūin Shion went straight home. Her younger sister, Sōryūin Akemi, had just returned from school and watched, bewildered, as her older sister burst in with a radiant smile, rushed into her room, and started rolling around on her bed, hugging a pillow tightly. A young Akemi stood at the doorway, having never seen her sister act this way before. "Sister... what's wrong?" she asked, her voice filled with confusion.
Shion clutched the pillow, her face flushed with joy. "Akemi! Your sister has a boyfriend! He's a wonderful man! And he's not a scumbag! It's amazing! I feel like I could be with him forever! His personality is just... incredible!"
"Eh?! Really?! Congratulations, Sister!"
"Mmm! I'll take you to his restaurant for dinner when we have time, Akemi. His cooking is absolutely delicious!"
Over the next year, Sōryūin Shion poured all her energy into two things: Ren and the Group. It was during this time that she also learned about the existence of Kobayashi Rindou and the others. For a moment, she thought she had been abandoned and ran off, a deep sense of injustice washing over her. But after Ren found her, she threw herself into his arms without a shred of her usual grace and wept, the feeling of being wronged pouring out of her in a torrent of tears.
In that year, she realized that what she felt wasn't just a simple crush; it was love. She couldn't leave him. The thought that crossed her mind wasn't that Ren was cheating, but that she was the one being cast aside.
By then, she had come to understand Ren completely. She knew that for a man like him, finding women of her caliber—or even greater—would be trivially easy. At that moment, Sōryūin Shion clung to Ren, sobbing and crying out, "I'll quit smoking! I... I'll eat lunch on time, too... I... Ren, please don't abandon me!"
She cried like that for a long time, a graceless, shuddering mess, before she finally calmed down. Afterward, that incident became what she internally referred to as her 'dark history'—a memory she never wanted to revisit. Every time it surfaced, she felt an overwhelming wave of embarrassment, the kind that made her want to smash her head against a wall. It was also then that she made a decision: she would be the 'big sister' of the group. She knew she couldn't leave him, and she knew the others couldn't either.
So she stayed. But from that day forward, she became even more demanding of herself in her professional life, relentlessly polishing her own 'hardware'to become even more qualified. Although neither she nor Ren ever spoke the words'full-time employment'again, it was a silent understanding between them. Otherwise, there never would have been a'dark history' to begin with.
It's worth mentioning that during the final stages of her graduation thesis, the sudden appearance of Momobami Kirari on the scene, combined with a mind already consumed by corporate strategy and the future of her lifelong commitment, caused her to revise and rewrite her paper more than fifty times. In the end, her assistant wrote it for her.
Sitting in the restaurant now, Sōryūin Shion looked around the small space. It was completely different from the one she first visited, yet the atmosphere was comfortingly the same. A soft smile touched her lips as she murmured to herself, "Just as Sayaka said... he truly is a master thief of hearts. And in a way... I suppose I really have to thank that guy, Hatsumi Sen..."
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