Inside the incredibly spacious, lavishly decorated penthouse suite, a heavy, suffocating silence hung in the air. The room was currently occupied by two absolute queen-level beauties, both of whom were montarily stunned into absolute stillness.
The soft, ambient lighting of the crystal chandelier cast long shadows across the polished mahogany floor.
After what felt like an eternity, the elegant chairwoman of the Kōyō Academy Group finally broke the silence.
Sōryūin Shion swallowed hard, her usually composed and authoritative deanor completely shattering. She leaned forward over her expensive desk, her fingers trembling slightly as she nervously asked, "Did... did Ren say anything else to you?"
Sōryūin Akemi stood before the desk, blinking her bright eyes innocently. "Nothing much, really, we just reminisced a bit about the past. Then he took us to work out at the gym."
Akemi placed a hand on her cheek, a dreamy smile spreading across her face. "After we finished sweating it out, we went to a fantastic barbecue place. Brother Ren even took over the grill and cooked the at himself!"
"It was incredibly delicious... But, um, Brother Ren did ask one specific question while we were eating..."
Shion's heart skipped a beat. Beside her, resting casually on a plush leather sofa, the terrifyingly powerful martial artist Amou Kirukiru slightly tilted her head in curiosity.
Both won turned their full attention to the muscle-obsessed high schooler. Their voices overlapped in a synchronized gasp of apprehension as they asked what he had said.
Akemi shifted her weight nervously. She looked left and right, as if making sure Ren wasn't secretly hiding in the room.
Finally, she looked directly into Sōryūin Shion's eyes and whispered the devastating truth. "Brother Ren's exact words were... 'Is that idiot Shion still smoking?'"
The temperature in the room seed to plumt instantly.
Upon hearing this precise phrasing, Amou Kirukiru leaned back into the sofa cushions. The transcendent "Empress" of the martial arts world propped her chin on her hand, looking at Sōryūin Shion with a deeply amused expression. She clearly intended to enjoy this dramatic show from the front row.
Cold sweat imdiately broke out across Sōryūin Shion's flawless forehead. The sheer panic welling up inside her chest was entirely disproportionate for a woman of her imnse wealth and social standing.
Yet, the thought of Ren looking at her with disappointnt was utterly terrifying.
She shot up from her high-backed leather chair, her hands slamming flat against the desk. "Akemi! What did you say to him?!" she demanded, her voice shrill and laced with absolute desperation. "Please tell you covered for !"
Akemi flinched slightly but offered a reassuring, albeit strained, smile. "I told him the truth, mostly. I said it's been a very long ti since I saw you smoking, Sister..."
Shion collapsed back into her chair, all the tension draining from her body in one massive, trembling exhale. She slumped over the armrest, pressing a hand against her chest to soothe her racing heart.
"Phew..." Shion muttered, closing her eyes in sheer relief. "Well said, Akemi! Fantastic job!"
Despite the praise, Sōryūin Akemi looked sowhat helpless. She crossed her arms, a troubled expression crossing her youthful features.
"Sister... I really feel like if you don't quit smoking for good, Brother Ren will find out sooner or later," Akemi warned softly. "And considering how much he hates the sll of cigarettes... it seems no one in this world will be able to save you from his lecture if he catches you."
Shion stared blankly at the ceiling, biting her lower lip. The lingering scent of tobacco in her private office suddenly felt like a ticking ti bomb.
"Alright," Shion finally sighed, a look of profound defeat washing over her beautiful face. "It seems I really have to quit this ti. I can't risk it anymore."
She suddenly sat up straight, a hopeful gleam returning to her eyes as she turned her gaze toward the sofa. "It's a good thing Kirukiru is staying here with ! You can supervise my nicotine withdrawals!"
Amou Kirukiru's amused smile instantly vanished, replaced by a chilling, deadpan glare.
"Hm?" Kirukiru raised an elegant, perfectly sculpted eyebrow, the air around her distorting with a terrifying aura of martial intent. "Do you really think I'm your personal bodyguard? Do you honestly believe I wouldn't just give you a lethal throat-chop the second you annoy ?"
Shion gulped, sinking slightly lower into her chair. She suddenly realized that asking the Empress for help might be far more dangerous than smoking a pack a day.
While the elite, wealthy won of the Kōyō Group were having an existential crisis over nicotine, the atmosphere over on Ren's side of the city was infinitely more normal and dostic.
After finishing all his prep work in the kitchen, Ren wiped his hands on a pristine white towel and stepped out into the dining area. He leaned against the archway, patiently waiting for the main course to be fully ready.
Sitting at the dining table, bathed in the warm, inviting glow of the hanging pendant lights, were Sakura Hibiki, Gina, and Lucifer. The girls were thoroughly exhausted from their intense workout, but the promise of more food had miraculously revived their spirits.
Sakura Hibiki leaned forward over the table, her golden eyes sparkling with intense, unbridled curiosity.
"Hey, Brother Ren!" Hibiki chirped, waving her hands animatedly. "I've been aning to ask... how exactly did you get to know the President of Kōyō Academy?! That's so amazing, she's the literal owner of the entire Kōyō Academy Group and basically royalty to us!"
Hearing this sudden question, Ren answered almost automatically, without filtering his thoughts. "How did I et Shion? Oh, that was just a ga of Truth or Dare."
Hibiki and Gina's jaws dropped simultaneously, their eyes widening in shock. "Eh?!"
Realizing what he had just blurted out, Ren uncharacteristically faltered. A faint, visible blush crept up his neck, and he quickly averted his gaze. He scratched the back of his head with an incredibly awkward expression.
"Ah... well, that specific question isn't really that important," Ren quickly deflected, waving his hand to dismiss the topic. "In short, the way we t was quite magical, and maybe a little chaotic, so let's just leave it at that."
He imdiately pivoted the conversation, looking toward the Russian blonde. "But speaking of the Kōyō Group, Gina, if that idiot Shion genuinely reimburses your workout expenses like she promised, your round-trip airfare back ho to Russia won't be a problem anymore, right?"
Gina vigorously nodded her head, her silver-blonde twin-tails bouncing with her enthusiasm. "Exactly! And I actually want to try applying for a full scholarship here!"
She glanced over at Hibiki with a fond, competitive grin. "Last ti, I originally wanted to win against Hibiki in an arm-wrestling match to get enough prize money for a ticket ho. But I unexpectedly lost to her, so I decided to just stay and study abroad instead."
Ren smiled warmly, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'd say it's a very fortunate coincidence. After all, you found yourself here, and Hibiki and Akemi are both very suitable, wonderful friends to have around."
Gina nodded repeatedly, completely agreeing with Ren's sentint.
However, sitting quietly at the end of the table, Lucifer elegantly swirled a glass of red wine. Her crimson eyes narrowed slightly, locking onto Ren with predatory precision.
The Queen of Hell hadn't missed the sudden spike in Ren's heart rate. She hadn't missed the faint flush of embarrassnt on his cheeks, nor the way his scent had subtly shifted when he ntioned that "ga."
Lucifer took a slow sip of her wine, a knowing, devilish smirk playing on her lips. She was absolutely certain that Ren's initial encounter with Sōryūin Shion was definitely not a simple, innocent ga of Truth or Dare.
Given his reaction, sothing incredibly intimate—and likely highly inappropriate—had definitely happened between the two of them.
And Lucifer's demonic intuition was entirely correct.
Of course, Ren did not et Sōryūin Shion in a normal, formal setting that day. They hadn't t in a boardroom or a café.
Because that fateful day had taken place at a sprawling, sun-drenched water park.
Even now, Ren violently pushed the mory down before it could fully surface. The vivid image of Shion in a dangerously revealing swimsuit, her skin slick with water, her face flushed crimson as she lost a high-stakes dare.
The mory of her pulling him into a secluded, shadowed alcove beneath the water slides, pressing her soft, trembling curves against his chest as she whispered the penalty into his ear...
Ren coughed into his fist, forcibly dragging his mind back to the present reality of the dining room before his thoughts strayed into uncensored territory.
Far across the city, the chaotic hustle and bustle of the international airport terminal was in full swing.
"Mmm... We're finally here. Flying for that long is so incredibly tiring..."
Nakiri Mana, accompanied by a small entourage of elite won, finally stepped off the private WGO jet and walked into the VIP arrivals lounge.
At this mont, Nakiri Mana's breathtakingly beautiful face was still slightly flushed. Her eyes were glazed over, clearly lost in deep, wandering thoughts that had completely detached her from her physical surroundings.
Walking slightly behind her, Decora, Anne, and Courage exchanged confused glances. They looked at their usually composed, authoritative Book Master with utter bewildernt, wondering why the entire atmosphere surrounding her felt so strange and intensely lancholic.
Decora groaned, stretching her arms high above her head to pop her stiff shoulders. Her sleek, tailored WGO uniform clung tightly to her impressive curves.
"Mmm, I don't know why, but I don't feel any sense of familiarity or comfort coming back here," Decora complained, pouting her lips. "Instead, I feel like I really didn't want to co back at all. I miss the food, and I miss the atmosphere!"
Decora suddenly kicked an imaginary pebble on the polished floor, her frustration bubbling over. "Damn it, why did we have to settle it with rock-paper-scissors in the end?! Courage just got completely lucky!"
Anne pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, letting out a long, exasperated sigh. "Decora, please. You really look like you're going completely crazy from being single."
"It's not that bad. You're a First Executive Officer of the World Gourt Organization, after all, so maintain so dignity."
Decora turned to Anne, giving her a deeply cynical look, speaking with the heavy, exhausted tone of soone with far too much life experience.
"Anne, you're still young, so you have absolutely no idea how so things in life can slowly go from 'not caring at all' to being completely, utterly unavoidable."
"You're still too young to understand the sheer panic of an aging maiden!"
Anne's brow twitched in annoyance. "I'm only a little over twenty, alright! Stop treating like a child!"
"And exactly how many 'twenties' do you think a woman has in her life?!" Decora shot back dramatically, placing a hand over her heart.
Anne opened her mouth to argue, then slowly closed it, her shoulders slumping. "...I actually can't refute you on that."
Ignoring the codic bickering of her subordinates, Nakiri Mana walked forward, her heels clicking softly against the marble tiles.
She turned her head slightly. "Anne, did you notify Histoire to send a car for us?"
Anne instantly snapped back into her professional persona, tapping the tablet in her hands. "Yes, I've already notified her. The car is waiting at the VIP exit right now."
"Lady Mana, would you like to grab so late-night snacks on the way back to the headquarters?"
Nakiri Mana paused, her gaze drifting toward the massive glass windows overlooking the glittering city skyline.
She thought for a long mont, a sad, longing smile touching her lips. "Sigh... Anyway, nothing in this entire world tastes as good as what Mr. Ren makes."
"It truly doesn't matter what I eat if it isn't from his kitchen... Wait."
Mana blinked, a sudden, specific craving hitting her palate. "Actually... I feel like eating so Tangyuan."
[Akarin's Note: Tangyuan (汤圆) is a traditional Chinese dessert made of glutinous rice flour wrapped around a sweet filling, usually black sesa or peanut paste, served in a hot, sweet broth. It symbolizes harmony and family reunion.]
Anne looked up from her tablet, entirely surprised. "Tangyuan? That's quite specific, why would you want to eat that all of a sudden?"
Mana wrapped her shawl tighter around her shoulders, her eyes softening. "Because my heart feels heavy. And among all the sweet, sticky, and comforting things in the culinary world, a warm bowl of Tangyuan is probably what I want to eat the most right now."
Anne smiled softly, understanding the emotional weight behind the request. "Alright, I'll notify Char to prepare the kitchen imdiately. Lady Mana, by the ti you arrive at the estate, you should be able to eat the absolute best Tangyuan currently available in the city."
Nakiri Mana nodded graciously.
When the elegant group finally exited the terminal and got into the waiting luxury black stretch limousine, they were greeted by Histoire. The bespectacled Executive Officer who had co to pick them up looked positively radiant.
She had already learned about Nakiri Mana's miraculous situation—that her debilitating condition, the curse of the Divine Tongue, had finally found a cure in Ren's cooking. Histoire was practically vibrating with excitent for her leader.
However, as the car drove through the neon-lit streets and approached the towering, imposing structure of the WGO headquarters—the place she had called ho for so many lonely, agonizing years—Mana felt an inexplicable, heavy resistance in her chest.
Despite her healing, she still hesitated to walk through those doors. Decora and the others, sensing her shift in mood, completely shared this solemn feeling.
At the exact mont the WGO group's limousine entered the underground parking garage, a lone figure stepped out of the international arrivals terminal of the sa airport.
It was a tall man dressed in an immaculately tailored, expensive black suit. His dium-length black hair was slicked back flawlessly, framing a sharp, aristocratic face.
He looked relatively young, handso in a cold, statuesque way, but his mature, oppressive deanor suggested he was a man in his late thirties.
[Akarin's Note: Nakiri Azami is Erina's father and Mana's estranged husband. He is infamous for his abusive, dictatorial approach to cooking and his obsession with 'true gourt' perfection, which heavily traumatized Erina in her childhood.]
The man adjusted his cufflinks, stepping out into the cool night air. He looked up at the vast, starless sky, a sinister, arrogant smile spreading across his lips.
"Phew... Finally back in this country," Nakiri Azami muttered, his voice smooth and laced with venomous intent. "Well then, Mana. Wait for , because I'm coming..."
Almost at that exact, terrifying instant, miles away inside the moving limousine, Nakiri Mana suddenly gasped.
She clutched her chest, her stomach churning violently as a sudden, intense wave of nausea washed over her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and a cold shiver ran down her spine.
It felt as if sothing utterly vile, sothing deeply disgusting and toxic, was staring directly at her from the shadows.
What is this feeling? Mana thought, her breathing turning shallow. Why am I suddenly so agitated and sick?
She closed her eyes, forcing her heart rate to slow down. She took a deep, steadying breath, intentionally pushing the dark, creeping dread out of her mind.
Forget it, Mana told herself firmly. After completely dealing with the lingering matters here, it's finally ti to step out of the darkness and live my own life... a life where I can actually be happy.
Her thoughts drifted away from the chilling premonition and fluttered back to a warm, brightly lit kitchen. She pictured a young man with a gentle smile, confidently wielding a chef's knife.
I wonder... Mana's cheeks flushed slightly in the darkened car. I hope he doesn't mind soone a little older than him, but surely my age isn't an issue? Hmm...
Lost in her deeply romantic, embarrassing thoughts, Nakiri Mana simply sat there in the plush leather seat. She stared blankly at the highly classified WGO docunts resting in her lap, not actually reading a single word.
But the gentle, genuine smile that blood on her face indicated that whatever—or whoever—she was thinking about was sothing that made her incredibly, undeniably happy.
anwhile, back at Ren's apartnt, the culinary magic was about to begin.
"Eh? Brother Ren, what exactly is this?" Gina asked, leaning over the table to inspect a small porcelain bowl. "The liquid inside is entirely black!"
Hearing the Russian girl's confused words, Ren chuckled softly and walked over, carrying a stack of small dipping plates.
"This is the dipping sauce," Ren explained with a warm smile, placing a plate in front of each girl. "I've specially prepared it as an essential part of the dish for all of you, so just dip the at into it and eat it later."
"I'm going to bring out the main event now, so please wait just one more mont."
Sakura Hibiki sat at the table, bouncing her knees in absolute anticipation. She stared at the portable induction stove sitting empty in the center of the table, her stomach rumbling loudly.
"This is so great!" Hibiki cheered, clapping her hands together. "I honestly didn't expect to have a full-blown hotpot made entirely by Brother Ren right after eating a massive barbecue! Best post-workout al ever!"
Ren returned from the kitchen, carrying a large, heavy ceramic pot with a glass lid. He carefully placed it onto the induction stove and turned the heat up to maximum.
Almost imdiately, as the liquid inside began to boil, a faint, incredibly pure, and sweet aroma began to seep out from the edges of the glass lid. The sll was clean, refreshing, and carried a distinct tropical sweetness that made the girls involuntarily swoon, their mouths watering instantly.
Ren looked at their eager, hungry faces. He reached out, grabbed the handle of the lid, and lifted it with a theatrical flourish.
"Then... as a special reward for surviving your intense workout," Ren smiled brightly, gesturing to the bubbling masterpiece. "Here is your Coconut Chicken Hotpot, please enjoy."
[Akarin's Note: Coconut Chicken Hotpot (椰子鸡) is a famous specialty from Hainan and Shenzhen. The broth is made entirely of fresh, sweet coconut water. The chicken is boiled in this pure water, resulting in an incredibly tender, sweet at that is then dipped in a special sauce made of soy sauce, calamansi li, chili, and sand ginger.]
A massive burst of fragrant steam wafted out, instantly enveloping the entire dining room.
The broth inside the pot was crystal clear, completely devoid of heavy oils or artificial seasonings. It was made entirely from the pure, unadulterated water of freshly cracked coconuts.
Subrged within this boiling, sweet nectar were pristine cuts of premium, free-range chicken, their skins turning a beautiful, translucent yellow as they cooked. Long, tender strips of fresh, white coconut at floated gently alongside the chicken, infusing the broth with even more rich, natural sweetness.
Hibiki aggressively grabbed her chopsticks, her eyes wide with unadulterated gluttony. She fished out a plump, perfectly cooked piece of chicken breast. Steam radiated from the white at.
Following Ren's instructions, she dunked the steaming chicken entirely into the black dipping sauce.
The sauce was a masterclass in balance: high-quality premium dark soy sauce, mixed with the sharp, acidic bite of freshly squeezed calamansi li juice. It was heavily fortified with minced fiery bird's eye chilies, and the incredibly unique, earthy, aromatic punch of freshly grated sand ginger.
Hibiki shoved the entire piece of at into her mouth.
Her golden eyes snapped wide open, her pupils dilating as a literal explosion of flavor detonated on her tongue.
The initial impact was the savory, umami richness of the soy sauce, imdiately followed by the bright, zesty acidity of the calamansi li, which perfectly cut through the natural fats of the at. Then ca the creeping, fiery heat of the chilies, warming her throat.
But the true star was the chicken itself—boiled purely in coconut water, the at was impossibly tender, carrying a profound, natural sweetness that locked all the savory and spicy flavors together in perfect harmony.
At this exact mont, as Sakura Hibiki chewed with tears of absolute joy pricking the corners of her eyes, she truly understood how a dish praised by a WGO First Executive Officer could be so impossibly delicious. It wasn't just food; it was a transcendent experience.
After a long day of diligent effort and exhausting exercise, sitting around a steaming hotpot is always your best companion. It is the ultimate reward at night.
In these rhythmic, bubbling, and gurgling sounds of the boiling broth, the day's heavy fatigue and toil were entirely washed away. The girls leaned in, chopsticks clashing playfully, fully enjoying the decadent rewards they so rightly deserved.
There are many sounds in the stillness of the night. The rustling wind, the distant hum of traffic, the quiet breathing of the sleeping city.
But for those sitting around this table, laughing and eating together, this scorching, rhythmic gurgle of the Coconut Chicken hotpot was, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful sounds in the world.
[Akarin's Note:
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