Chapter 568: Sayaka's Open Affection, Karura's Sigh
After swapping his sweat-dampened fighting gear for his usual casual clothes, Ren checked the glowing screen of his phone. A new express delivery notification sat in his inbox. He let out a quiet breath, swiping the message away. For some reason, every single time he finished a match, a package would arrive at his doorstep. It was as if the courier service was using his fight schedule as a synchronized timer.
He slung his bag over his shoulder and pushed open the heavy doors of the competitor's exit. Before he could even step fully into the corridor, a small entourage blocked his path.
Ren paused, his gaze sweeping over the group. "Are you here to hire me, or are you here to avenge that lunatic from earlier?"
An old man at the front of the group threw his head back and roared with laughter. "Hahahaha! What an interesting kid! Do you even know who I am?"
"Definitely not my neighbor," Ren replied dryly.
The old man blinked, momentarily stunned, before bursting into another fit of booming laughter. The beautiful young woman standing beside him giggled behind her hand. However, the tall man in the dark suit standing behind them did not share their amusement. Yodoe scowled, stepping forward with a sudden, aggressive burst of speed.
Ren did not even shift his stance. "Sir, you need to practice your strength more."
Yodoe's eyes widened in shock. His incoming fist was completely immobilized, caught effortlessly in Ren's single, relaxed grip. Ren applied a fraction of pressure. Bone ground against bone, and Yodoe immediately let out a sharp cry of pain, his knees buckling.
Ren released his grip, letting the man stumble back. "That punch of yours was a test. If you were a real assassin, your fist would already be shattered."
The old man clapped his hands together. "Hahaha! Interesting, very interesting! This is Yodoe, my personal bodyguard. Kid, your name is Ren, right?"
"Yes. Is there something I can help you with?"
The old man puffed out his chest, exuding an aura of absolute authority. "My name is Katahara Metsudo! I am the owner of the largest bank in Japan, and the Chairman of the Kengan Association!"
Ren gave a polite, minimal nod. "Good afternoon, Chairman Katahara."
"Hahaha! You are a very interesting young man. How about it? Would you like to become my affiliated fighter? With my backing, you would be the absolute strongest existence in the matches!"
Ren shook his head. "Not interested."
"I will pay you an astronomical amount of money!"
Ren tilted his head slightly, his expression unchanging. "Still not very interested. It is best for people to be content with what they have. Biting off more than you can chew only leads to indigestion."
Standing a few paces away, Kure Erioh nodded quietly to himself. The boy had a solid character, grounded and unswayed by greed. Beside him, Kure Henzo narrowed his eyes in silent agreement; a young man with such a calm temperament was truly rare in the underground world.
Meanwhile, Sayaka and Kure Karura exchanged a rapid, silent glance. In that single fraction of a second, an entire conversation occurred through their eyes, their thoughts instantly aligning. A fierce, unspoken women's friendship—and rivalry—was established right then and there.
"Alright then, I won't force you," Metsudo said, waving a hand dismissively. "But making friends is never a bad thing. Hatsumi Sen mentioned that you are a restaurant owner?"
Ren offered a faint smile. "That is right. The taste should be pretty good. You can come and try it if you have the time."
Sayaka immediately stepped forward, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Mr. Ren! What is the name of the restaurant you run?"
"It has no name."
"No name?!" the group echoed in unison.
Even Henzo looked visibly surprised. Ren kept his relaxed smile. "Because my shop does not have a sign, and I only operate at night. The type of customers does not matter; they simply come as fate allows."
Erioh crossed his arms, his tone laced with skepticism. "If you run a shop like that, do people even show up?"
"Yes. The ones who come are all very interesting customers."
Metsudo was genuinely beginning to like this young man. He liked him so much that the thought of marrying his daughter off to him had already crossed his mind. He had not missed Sayaka's eager little gestures. Metsudo leaned in, curious. "For example, what kind of interesting customers?"
Ren thought for a moment. "There is an old gentleman named Senzaemon Nakiri. He is a regular. And also..."
"Senzaemon?!" Metsudo and Erioh blurted out together.
Both patriarchs were completely stunned. They had assumed Ren ran some small, ordinary hole-in-the-wall diner. To think that the legendary King of Cuisine was a regular patron meant this kid was definitely not short on money, and his culinary skills had to be absolutely monstrous.
Just as Ren was about to continue, Karura darted past her grandfather and stopped right in front of Ren. "Ren! You are amazing! You can even cook! I... I am Kure Karura!"
Ren nodded politely. Karura stared at him, her face flushed, suddenly entirely out of words.
Seeing the situation rapidly spiraling in a direction he despised, Erioh lunged forward and yanked Karura back by her collar. He glared at Ren with the intense, defensive fury of a farmer watching a wild pig approach his prized cabbage.
Ren simply stood there in silence. Seeing Karura still staring intently at the young man, Erioh felt a sudden surge of protective anger, even though a logical part of his brain admitted that Ren was a pretty good kid.
Erioh cleared his throat loudly to regain control of the conversation. "That last knee strike you used in the arena... what was that? How did it generate such devastating power just by making contact?"
"That was a charging knee," Ren explained casually. "The principle is roughly similar to a one-inch punch, combined with the mechanics of an Iai draw. You can think of it as a zero-distance explosive strike delivered with the sudden acceleration of drawing a blade. Do not worry, I held back. I did not directly kick him to death."
Erioh stared at him in sheer disbelief. "You held back?! Then what is the true power of that move?"
"Ah? The full power is meant to completely shatter all the internal organs and bones upon impact, reducing the target to a state where they absolutely cannot be saved."
Erioh found himself entirely at a loss for words.
Metsudo, recovering from his shock, clapped his hands again. "Oh! That must be your absolute strongest secret technique, right!"
"I suppose you could say that," Ren replied. "Mainly because I have eleven other moves exactly like it."
Metsudo froze, his jaw slightly slack.
The tension dissipated into casual chatter. Ren had a good impression of the two eccentric old gentlemen, so he did not mind exchanging a few more words with them. In the middle of the conversation, Sayaka treated the encounter like an impromptu blind date, excitedly introducing her hobbies and smoothly securing Ren's contact information. Karura stood nearby, her dark eyes tracking every digit and memorizing the number instantly.
Eventually, Ren excused himself, citing the package he needed to pick up. The two old patriarchs could only watch him go, momentarily speechless.
Metsudo suddenly cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted down the hallway. "Hey! Kid Ren! Where exactly is this shop of yours?"
Ren paused and looked back over his shoulder. "On the quietest street next to the most bustling district in Tokyo. There is only one shop like it, but it is currently closed for renovations. See you all later."
With that, he turned the corner and disappeared.
Metsudo chuckled, stroking his chin. "I wonder how that old monster Senzaemon managed to find this kid's shop. Erioh, what do you think of him?"
Erioh's expression turned entirely serious. "I cannot imagine anyone who could actually fight him and win."
Karura pumped her fists in the air. "Ren is amazing!"
Sayaka nodded repeatedly, her cheeks flushed. Metsudo glanced sideways at his daughter, a teasing smile playing on his lips. "Sayaka, are you interested in that kid?"
"Love at first sight!" she declared without a shred of hesitation.
"Hahaha! That kid is pretty good! If you have the time, go to his shop and test his skills. If his cooking is really that delicious, then go right ahead and pursue him!"
Karura watched the exchange, practically dying of envy. Erioh caught Metsudo's teasing look and immediately understood the old chairman's game. He let out a loud, dismissive snort. "Hmph! I would like to see exactly what kind of standard this kid's restaurant is actually at!"
After making his declaration, Erioh turned on his heel and marched toward the exit. Karura drooped, looking helpless, but then a bright realization hit her. She had Ren's phone number and social media account memorized now! She could just message him!
Henzo walked past Karura, pausing just long enough to speak in a low, deep voice. "The old man is giving you a chance."
Karura blinked, stunned, and looked up at Henzo. The tall assassin simply nodded once before continuing on his way.
A massive cheer erupted from Karura's lips as she sprinted after her grandfather. "Grandpa!"
Hearing her cheerful voice and seeing her radiant smile, Erioh felt his heart instantly melt. He sighed inwardly. If it was that kid Ren, it might not be entirely impossible to consider him as a candidate... but he would definitely have to investigate the boy thoroughly first.
...
Karura rested her chin on her hand, a dreamy smile plastered across her face as she reminisced about that day in the corridor.
Suddenly, a hand waved back and forth in front of her eyes, breaking her trance.
Cerberus leaned in, looking at her with pure curiosity. "Karura, Karura, Karura, what is wrong with you?"
Karura blinked, coming back to her senses, and offered a bright, airy smile. "Nothing at all. I just feel so incredibly lucky that that day happened to be a weekend, so I did not have to go to school!"
"Eh?" the rest of the group uttered in unison, completely lost.
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