Chapter 25: The Price of Love
Erina, Hisako, and Akanegakubo Momo all looked at the flying figure of Raian with expressions of horror.
Crack. Thud.
The sound of him hitting the wall was visceral. Could a person really still be alive after making such a sound? His body had dented the trash cans.
But the next moment, they saw Raian stand up as if nothing had happened. He dusted off his white suit, cracked his neck with a sickening pop, and walked back into the shop with a grin that was more terrifying than the fall.
Kobayashi Rindou looked at the three terrified girls clinging to each other. She sighed, putting her hands on her hips.
"Raian! That's the seventeenth time this month! You're going to break the wall eventually!"
Raian spat on the ground outside before entering. "Shut up! It's training!"
Kobayashi Rindou smiled, shaking her head, then pulled the three girls into the warm interior.
As soon as they entered, they saw Karura and Fusui, who were already seated, leaning on their hands and smiling at the chaos.
Their faces lit up. Rindou ran over, waving. "Karura-chi~ Fusui-chan! Long time no see! I thought you were on a mission!"
"Rindou! Long time no see!" Karura waved back energetically.
"Long time no see, Rindou," Fusui added with a smirk. "Have you been very happy spending time alone with Ren recently? We heard rumors."
[Akarin's Note: Kure Karura, Kure Fusui, and Kure Raian are members of the Kure Clan, a family of assassins from Kengan Ashura. Karura is obsessed with strong men (specifically the protagonist Ohma in canon, but here Ren).]
"Of course!" Rindou boasted, puffing out her chest. "I practically live here now."
She paused, realizing something. "No, wait... shouldn't he be happy to have me? Ah! Ouch!"
Ren walked by and lightly chopped the top of her head.
"If you talk nonsense, I won't feed you."
"Ren! You hit my head again! I'll become stupid!"
Ren looked at these three completely out-of-sync girls—the Kure assassins and the Totsuki elite—exasperatedly. He didn't know what to say. All his words finally condensed into a sigh.
He pulled Kobayashi Rindou to her usual seat by the counter and pushed her down gently. "Sit. Behave."
He rubbed his temples. The shop was fuller than usual tonight.
Raian sat alone at a table in the corner, laughing maniacally. "Hahaha! You scoundrel! You finally know the consequences of attracting too many women, right! Hahahahaha! It's a harem hell!"
Ren rolled his eyes. He walked over to Raian's table.
"What do you want to eat? If you don't say, I'll give you Deep-Sea Fish Oil mixed with Rice~ And I'll force-feed you."
Upon hearing this, everyone, including the fearless Raian, shivered. Clearly, that item sounded terrifying—a punishment dish from the past.
Raian stopped laughing instantly. He cleared his throat, thinking for a moment.
"Fine. Give me Brazilian Barbecue (Churrasco) - heavy on the picanha, Water Boiled Beef (extra spicy), a Steak Salad, a Grilled Skirt Steak, and six bowls of white rice! And keep the beer coming!"
[Akarin's Note: Brazilian Barbecue (Churrasco) involves grilling various cuts of meat, often on skewers. Picanha is the prime cut of the top sirloin cap.]
After he finished speaking, Erina and the other two, as well as Lucifer and Cerberus, were all stunned.
Six bowls of rice? Plus four meat dishes?
He ate way too much! That was enough food for a family of five.
Kobayashi Rindou and her two Kure companions, however, had completely normal expressions.
Erina whispered, leaning close to Rindou, "Kobayashi-senpai... don't you think it's strange? Is he human?"
Kobayashi Rindou was startled, then smiled and waved her hand dismissively. "You mean his appetite? It's quite normal for the Kure Clan. This is actually considered a light snack for him. He's probably just in a bad mood after being kicked out by Ren~ He needs comfort food."
Erina and the others were all stunned. A light snack?!
Then they looked at Raian's muscular physique. His veins bulged under his suit. He looked like a predator barely contained in human clothing. And his eyes... black sclera and white irises. It was somewhat unsettling.
Looking at it this way, Ren—with his normal eyes and gentlemanly demeanor—really did look more and more handsome and safe by comparison.
Kobayashi Rindou suddenly thought of something. She slammed her hands on the table, standing up abruptly.
"Ren! Explain yourself properly! Who are these two?!" She pointed an accusing finger at Lucifer and Cerberus. "Are they living here?! Why is there a woman in a suit and a girl with dog ears?!"
Ren rolled his eyes, not stopping his prep work. "Hmm~"
"Ren! You big pig's trotters! Answer me! I..."
"Do you want spicy food today?" Ren interrupted calmly.
"Yes! I mean—Don't interrupt me! I'm very angry! I demand an explanation!"
"Do you want more oranges?"
"Yes! Wait—You're doing it on purpose! Don't interrupt me, I'm telling you I..."
"Hmm~ Nakiri-san, do you three want anything to eat? Or just drinks?"
"Ah!!! Ren! You're bullying me again! Stop ignoring my interrogation!"
Karura and Fusui were laughing exceptionally happily at the scene. Lucifer and Cerberus also realized that Rindou was jealous, but it wasn't a serious, malicious kind of jealousy; it was more like pouting. A lover's quarrel.
"Alright. That's everything, right? Please wait a moment. Rindou, I bought something for you earlier and put it in your room~ It's on your pillow."
After saying that, Ren went into the kitchen to escape the noise.
Kobayashi Rindou snorted, her face flushing pink. She sat down ungracefully, crossing her arms.
"Hmph~ Don't think you can appease me like this! Naive! Big pig's trotters! You're making me so angry! ...What did he buy?"
Although Kobayashi Rindou spoke angrily, her expression looked very happy. A gift was a gift.
After a long while, having calmed down, Kobayashi Rindou turned to Lucifer and the others. Her gaze sharpened.
"Who are you all? Really."
Lucifer held back Cerberus, who was about to speak (and probably say something about being a guard dog), and said elegantly, "I am Lucifer. This is Cerberus. We are currently living here as... tenants. And as Ren puts it, we are 'family'."
Cerberus was startled. She sniffed the air. She seemed to smell sourness (vinegar) and gunpowder. She didn't know if it was her imagination, but she always felt as if Lucifer had just dropped a bomb.
Family?
Erina glanced at Kobayashi Rindou nervously. She had never seen Kobayashi Rindou like this before—territorial.
But Kobayashi Rindou, upon hearing the word 'family' instead of 'girlfriend' or 'lover', calmed down instantly. The tension left her shoulders.
She nodded, extending a hand. "Kobayashi Rindou. Ren's first acquaintance and the Second Seat of Totsuki!"
Lucifer was startled by the sudden shift. She shook the hand, nodding. She said nothing more, because Kobayashi Rindou, who was the most jealous a moment ago, had suddenly become friendly.
Karura and Fusui on the side also exchanged smiles and said nothing. They knew the drill.
Akanegakubo Momo whispered, tugging Rindou's sleeve, "Rindou-senpai, you seem to have suddenly stopped being angry? Why?"
What was the strength of Lucifer and Cerberus? They were supernatural entities. They could hear a hair drop in a noisy market if they wanted to. Hearing Akanegakubo Momo's whisper, both of them listened quietly, feigning disinterest. They were also curious about the dynamics of Ren's harem.
Kobayashi Rindou played with the orange Ren had given her earlier. She peeled it, the citrus scent filling the air.
She showed a hint of a confident smile and said, "There are too many girls who like Ren. He attracts them like a magnet. Although there are no restrictions in the rules, everyone really wants to conquer Ren first because that's what makes you the so-called 'Main Wife'~"
The three Totsuki girls were stunned. Lucifer and the dog nodded slowly. Main Wife?
Kobayashi Rindou continued, popping a segment into her mouth. "Ren is not a vegetarian; he eats meat. He's a man. Plus, he's kind, so he won't refuse friendship. So we can accept all girls acknowledged by Ren for healthy competition—like Karura here. But we absolutely will not accept home-wreckers who pester, deceive, or try to hurt him! Those, we crush."
The three nodded, understanding now. It was a weird sort of alliance.
Lucifer and Cerberus exchanged glances. So, they only wouldn't reject those acknowledged by Ren?
Lucifer seemed to understand a little about what it meant to give, to give for love.... It wasn't about possession, but about acceptance.
Hisako pursed her lips and asked tentatively, "So, Kobayashi-senpai, is this considered... giving for love?"
"Of course! That's why I'm so eager to graduate! It's driving me crazy being stuck at school! But this kind of healthy competition is also good. It's not about competing for the only spot. It's about competing for the position of the 'Big Sister' or the 'Favorite'. So everyone has a very good relationship privately."
[Akarin's Note: The shop has been open for over three years in this timeline, allowing these relationships to develop over time, which differs from the fast pace of the original raw.]
"What bad things are you saying about me again, you girl?"
Just as Kobayashi Rindou was speaking, she heard a gentle voice behind her.
She looked up and saw Ren pushing a dining cart full of colorful drinks.
"I'm saying you're popular!" Rindou chirped.
After serving Erina, Hisako, and Momo their drinks (Ice Tea and Lemonade), Kobayashi Rindou kept staring at him with big eyes.
Ren smiled. He extended his hand.
Kobayashi Rindou chuckled, familiar with the routine. She took the peeled orange from his hand, then threw her own unpeeled orange to Ren.
"Trade!"
Ren caught it effortlessly and then tossed it to Karura at the next table.
Erina looked at the orange in Kobayashi Rindou's hand. For some reason, she felt a little envious of the easy smile on Kobayashi Rindou's face. The intimacy of the exchange.
She didn't know what kind of emotion it was, but it just felt strange. I want someone to peel oranges for me... no, that's silly. (This isn't love yet, just curiosity).
"Eh?! Ren! How did you know I wanted Strawberry Milk?!" Karura squealed, holding her glass.
"Oh my. Mine's a Vanilla Milkshake." Fusui smiled, taking a sip.
Ren smiled as he watched them look surprised. "Karura. When did you stop wanting something sweet and sour like strawberries? And Fusui. Sit down properly; don't put your feet on the chair. When have you ever come here and not had a milkshake?"
Both of them chuckled and said nothing, clearly happy that Ren understood their preferences so well.
Ren walked up to Kure Raian's table. He placed a massive pitcher of beer down.
After the two big men exchanged a look—one of challenge, one of calm—Ren asked, "Later, or now?"
Raian grinned, showing too many teeth. "Is that guy coming too? The boxer?"
"Hmm. He should be here soon. Gaolang is punctual."
"Then let's wait for him~ I want to crush him before I eat."
"Hmm. Fine. But if you cause trouble inside the shop, I'll turn you into a milkshake. And I will feed it to Cerberus."
Hearing Ren's words, Kobayashi Rindou and the others, who were familiar with this banter, covered their mouths and chuckled.
Erina and the other two girls looked at Ren strangely.
Turn him into a milkshake?
Did Ren have such a brutal side? Or was it a joke? Looking at Raian's fearful expression, it didn't seem like a joke.
[Akarin Note:
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