Gourmet: Cooking for the Multiverse Chapter 356 356: Hiyama Shunka Abandoned, Shion Loses Her Wa

The journey stretched on, a monotonous passage of another twenty-seven hours. On the deck, Lucifer and his companions had ford a boisterous circle, their conversation a lively buzz of indistinct chatter. At the center of the noise, as always, were Kobayashi Rindou and Courage, their exclamations and laughter carrying on the sea breeze.

Not far from them, Sonoko Suzuki and Mouri Ran had found fast friends in Kure Karura and the others. The irrepressible energy of Jinx and Cerberus served as the perfect catalyst, turning their corner of the deck into a hub of cheerful activity, a role Sonoko herself was more than happy to fill.

anwhile, Sōryūin Shion had a different agenda. She purposefully dragged Amou Kirukiru along with her to find Momobami Kirari. When they located her room, they found the student council president fast asleep, curled up peacefully while hugging a large pillow. The two won exchanged a conspiratorial glance before decisively moving to wake her.

The expression on Kirari's face as her eyes fluttered open was one of pure, unadulterated resentnt. The air in the room seed to drop several degrees, a glacial chill emanating from her that was so intense it even drew a low chuckle from Amou Kirukiru. But Kirari was no ordinary person. The frost vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by her usual placid smile as she sat up and began to chat with them as if nothing had happened.

As for Ichihara Yuko, she had claid a sun lounger next to Ren. It was impossible to guess what was going through her mind; she looked utterly exhausted, desperate for sleep, yet she stubbornly fought to keep her eyes open. Each ti her head would nod and her eyelids would begin to drift shut, she would jolt herself awake with a small, rebellious twitch. After several failed attempts, however, she finally succumbed, her breathing evening out into a soft rhythm.

Ren glanced over at her, a faint smile on his lips. He gently brushed away a few strands of hair that the wind had swept across her face, then settled back into his own chair to quietly read a book. He didn't see the small, secret smile that graced Yuko's lips as she slept.

Elsewhere, however, the atmosphere was far from peaceful.

Kurayoshi Rino stood before the corridor leading to a private row of suites, the sound of her teeth grinding together barely audible. Her gaze was fixed on the two guards standing impassively at the entrance.

She had nearly fainted from sheer rage after the first round of the tournant, all thanks to Sōryūin Shion. Not only had Shion swooped in and snatched soone away, but she had done so in a way that left Rino utterly speechless. When Rino had tried to confront her today, Shion had simply vanished into Lucifer's group, making it impossible for Rino to even get close.

"Miss Kurayoshi Rino," one of the guards, Yodoe, said with a polite but firm smile. "While I understand you have so connection with Miss Sōryūin, please… be patient with us."

Rino's expression smoothed over in an instant. She gave Yodoe a practiced, professional smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Of course. I understand, Mr. Yodoe. Thank you for your hard work. I'll just go find Ren at his shop later."

"Please do," Yodoe replied, his posture unchanging.

Just as Kurayoshi Rino was about to turn and leave, she spotted a petite figure walking hesitantly toward them. Rino's eyes widened for a mont before her smile returned, this ti laced with a predatory curiosity. "Oh my. Isn't this President Hiyama? What brings you here?"

Hiyama Shunka flinched, worrying her lower lip. "Akoya… Akoya said he wants to leave Wakazakura Life… He…"

Kurayoshi Rino tilted her head, her expression one of feigned innocence. "And what does that have to do with you coming here? Are you here to question Ren about why he chose Akoya Seishu? Or perhaps to ask why he was so heavy-handed? If that's the case, let save you the trouble. First, you can't get in. Second, Ren's fight with Akoya Seishu wasn't even a proper warm-up for him. As for why he chose him…"

Hiyama Shunka bit her lip harder. "It's not for that reason, but… I still want to know. Why?"

A genuine, amused smile spread across Rino's face. "Because it was Kirari's idea. Anyone who knows Ren is well aware that for all his philandering, he truly dotes on his won. Kirari wanted to teach your Akoya a lesson, so Ren naturally had to fulfill her wish."

Hiyama Shunka's eyes widened in disbelief. "But… but why would she teach Akoya a lesson?! Akoya is just… he has a sense of extre justice! Why would she…?"

Kurayoshi Rino suddenly burst into laughter, a sharp, cutting sound.

Hiyama clenched her fists at her sides. "What are you laughing at?!"

Waving a dismissive hand, Rino explained, "Kirari herself is no saint. She's a madwoman. Her goodwill is reserved for her own people, and her tenderness is reserved exclusively for Ren. An outsider could commit the most heinous cri, and as long as it doesn't involve her, she wouldn't spare it a second thought. The reason she took issue with Akoya was because of his attitude toward you—his accomplice in his little sche. That's what made Ren step in."

Hiyama Shunka stood frozen, stunned into silence.

Rino's smile was sharp. "It's obvious, isn't it? Kirari found his treatnt of you disgusting. That's why she decided to teach him a lesson."

"But… but that's so subjective!" Hiyama cried out, her voice trembling. "Doesn't my opinion matter at all?!"

Kurayoshi Rino stepped forward and used a single finger to lift Hiyama's chin, forcing the smaller woman to et her gaze. "Even if you have a penchant for being mistreated, you must rember that you are not a lowly servant. Whatever happened between you two, it wasn't that kind of relationship. Besides, Ren's entire presence in this competition is absolutely subjective. Surely the Akoya Seishu you rely on so much must have told you sothing to that effect."

Hiyama's pupils trembled violently. Her eyes turned red as tears began to well. "Akoya… he said I was useless now… He told to get lost… He said he regretted ever saving back then… saving a completely useless tool…"

Even Kurayoshi Rino seed taken aback by the raw cruelty of his words. Her expression softened slightly. "So, what did you want to say to Ren?"

"I don't know…" Hiyama whispered, her voice cracking. "I just… wanted to find soone to talk to… Because Akoya was defeated by Mr. Ren, I just… I unconsciously ca here. Now Akoya is gone, and all the other fighters under my banner were defeated by the guards. It's just … I… I'm a little scared…"

Rino let out a soft sigh. "Well, I can't get in either. And I was also hoping to find soone to talk to. Co on," she said, wrapping an arm around Hiyama's shoulders. "Let's you and I have a little chat."

She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Co on, co on. If you tell a satisfying story, I'll even give you a reward."

"A reward?" Hiyama asked, confused.

"Oh, you'll be satisfied," Rino purred, already guiding her away. "Let's go, let's go."

The mont the two of them were out of sight, the door to Kirari's suite slid open. Sōryūin Shion peered out, a faint smile playing on her lips as she watched them depart. "As expected of Akoya Seishu. He really is a madman… Kirari, you should have made him the fifth challenger. Kanoh could withstand that pressure, but Akoya might have actually died on the spot."

Inside, Kirari was lounging on the bed, propped up on one elbow in a pose reminiscent of an imperial concubine. She let out a delicate yawn. "That Hiyama Shunka and Kurayoshi Rino will probably go find Ren now. As for Akoya Seishu… he didn't just offend us. His part in our ga is over, but a man like that will eventually die by his own hand."

Amou Kirukiru swirled the red wine in her glass, a playful glint in her eyes. "If you ask , directly calling that perverted doctor to poison him would be the most straightforward solution. Kirari, you really are more wicked than you let on."

"If my back didn't hurt, I'd show you what true intelligence looks like," Kirari retorted smoothly, her gaze shifting to Shion. "Speaking of which, Shion… including Hiyama Shunka just now, Kurayoshi Rino's emotional state, and the reactions of those two, you now owe three cups of coffee. Care to play another round?"

"Tch… Bring it on!" Shion shot back, undeterred. "I don't believe you have anything left to bet on!"

"Hmm…" Kirari's smile widened. "Guess what Yuko is doing right now."

"What's there to guess? She's either drinking or causing so kind of trouble."

"Oh my," Kirari purred, her eyes gleaming with certainty. "I bet she's either sunbathing or sleeping. This ti, I want a mocha."

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