Chapter 227: Fang of Koyo Academy, Hibiki Sakura, Life Is Interesting Because of This
In the end, Sakura Hibiki easily demolished three massive bowls of premium white rice, airing out all her various dissatisfactions with every bite.
It was certainly worth mentioning that she had already eaten two heaping bowls of rice before that emotional venting session even began.
Looking at the towering stack of empty, glistening porcelain bowls in front of the high schooler, everyone at the table shared the exact same unspoken thought.
Just how starved was this child?
Ren looked at Sakura Hibiki, who had finally eaten her fill.
She was currently slumped back in her chair, panting softly with a completely satisfied expression, looking exactly like a dried fish baking in the sun.
Ren couldn't help but chuckle at the comical sight.
"I didn't expect Hibiki to be so amazing," Ren said, resting his chin on his hand. "She can eat almost as much as those heavyweight professional athletes~"
Sakura Hibiki was startled out of her deep food coma.
She sat up straight, a faint blush dusting her cheeks as she embarrassedly scratched the back of her head.
"Eh? Really? Is that so?" she mumbled, her ahoge twitching slightly.
"Mm, it really looks like Hibiki would be incredibly suitable for practicing combat sports or something similar in the future," Ren observed smoothly.
His eyes briefly scanned her deceptively soft-looking physique.
"She should naturally be very strong, and the training wouldn't deform her body," Ren continued. "Because your explosive strength just now was already quite astonishing, even though you look quite ordinary and cute normally."
[Akarin's Note: Sakura Hibiki is the main protagonist of the fitness anime 'Dumbbell Nan Kilo Moteru?'. She is a high schooler at Kōyō Women's Academy who joins Silverman Gym to lose weight because she has a massive appetite and loves eating junk food.]
Upon hearing this professional-sounding assessment, Uehara Ayaka's eyes lit up with sheer athletic excitement.
She nodded vigorously, leaning across the table.
"That's right, that's right! Little Hibiki, I really think you'd be absolutely perfect for the fighting profession!" Ayaka cheered.
Sakura Hibiki's mouth twitched wildly at her friend's boundless enthusiasm.
"No way in hell!" Hibiki immediately shot back, waving her hands in frantic denial.
Watching the energetic chattering of the little girls, Momobami Kirari elegantly rested her cheek against her slender fingers.
[Akarin's Note: Momobami Kirari is the main antagonist of the Kakegurui series. She is the 105th Student Council President of Hyakkaou Private Academy and the absolute head of the Momobami Clan, a powerful conglomerate of elite families.]
Kirari softly smiled and said, "I know you're entirely serious, Ayaka, but do you really think Hibiki is suitable for competitive fighting? Those guys in the underground arenas are far too brutal..."
"Kanoh Agito is called the Fang of Metsudo," Ren mused aloud, a playful smirk dancing on his lips.
[Akarin's Note: Kanoh Agito is a central character in the Kengan Ashura series, famously known as the "Fang of Metsudo." He is the undisputed king of the Kengan matches, fighting on behalf of Katahara Metsudo, the chairman of the Kengan Association.]
"If Hibiki really wanted to step into the ring and could get some professional guidance..." Ren chuckled. "Who knows, a terrifying 'Fang of Koyo Academy' might just emerge~"
Kirari couldn't help but laugh gracefully at the vivid imagery.
Indeed, if someone with Sakura Hibiki's terrifying, physics-defying raw strength actually trained in martial arts, she might genuinely become the unstoppable Fang of Koyo Academy.
Lucifer, however, had entirely different matters on her mind.
She stretched her arms high above her head, her spine popping softly as she let out a lazy, thoroughly satisfied groan.
"All I know is that the 'Yoga' we did last night was really relaxing," Lucifer purred, her crimson eyes gleaming with a sinful light. "I feel a whole lot more refreshed today~"
The word 'Yoga' was heavily laced with a sultry undertone.
It wasn't actual stretching that had left her hips feeling so uniquely sore, but rather the intense, punishing bedroom positions Ren had bent her into late into the night.
Kirari, possessing razor-sharp intuition, immediately caught the subtle flush on the demon queen's cheeks.
Kirari smiled knowingly and said, "It seems Ren has made you 'angry' quite a bit lately~"
"Hmph! Of course!" Lucifer huffed, playfully crossing her arms to emphasize her impressive cleavage. "Ren often makes me angry!"
"And yet, you can't do anything to stop Ren~ Right?" Kirari teased, her icy blue eyes narrowing with amusement.
Lucifer's confident facade immediately cracked.
"Right, right, right~!" Lucifer complained, leaning closer to the Student Council President. "Kirari, how did you know he was like that?"
"Because everyone around him ends up exactly like that~" Kirari giggled softly.
Lucifer and Kirari instantly bonded, acting like two helpless victims gathered together to eagerly discuss their shared experiences of being thoroughly conquered.
Courage, on the other hand, was diligently studying the entire interaction from the sidelines.
[Akarin's Note: Courage and Rantabi are First-Class Book Masters (Inspectors) for the World Gourmet Organization (WGO) from Food Wars!.]
The WGO inspector's pen flew across her notepad at lightning speed.
Now, in Courage's analytical eyes, this terrifying, god-like chef named Ren was becoming more and more flesh and blood, much more tangible and real.
Ren wasn't particularly interested in joining the girls' hushed, embarrassing gossip.
He took a sip of his tea before he suddenly thought of something.
He turned his gaze toward the elegant, dark-haired muscle enthusiast of the group.
"Akemi~" Ren called out softly.
"Eh! Ren-ge, what is it?" Sōryūin Akemi asked, blinking her large eyes in surprise.
Ren smiled pleasantly, though his eyes carried a sharp glint.
"Is that absolute idiot, Shion... still smoking?" Ren asked smoothly.
[Akarin's Note: Sōryūin Akemi's older sister is Sōryūin Shion, the chairwoman of Kōyō Women's Academy, where the girls attend.]
Upon hearing this sudden, pointed question, Sōryūin Akemi's entire body went rigid.
A drop of cold sweat visibly rolled down the side of her delicate face.
She forced a bright, plastic smile and quickly waved her hands. "How could she be? I haven't seen my sister smoke in a very long time!"
Ren tilted his head, his smile never wavering. "Eh? Really?"
"Really, really, really!" Akemi practically shouted, her voice pitching an octave higher. "I really haven't seen my sister touch a cigarette in ages!"
Ren simply stared at her for a long moment, letting the silence stretch before he finally nodded.
"Good to hear," Ren said effortlessly. "Then let's get going now. After all, Hibiki, you girls can't be out wandering the streets too late into the evening, can you~"
As the group stood up and began organizing their belongings, the topic naturally shifted to entertainment.
"Ren-ge, what kind of movies do you usually like to watch?" Sakura Hibiki asked, her eyes sparkling with pure anticipation.
"It should definitely be the artistic type, or maybe a sweeping, emotional romance~" Ayaka guessed, clasping her hands together dreamily.
"No way! I think it should be hardcore fighting movies!" Gina argued, throwing a few imaginary jabs into the air.
"Whoosh! Bam! Pow!"
Upon hearing the girls' innocent guesses, the few older women who were actually in the know all exchanged helpless, somewhat horrified glances.
Courage remained entirely silent throughout the debate, planning to just quietly study the group dynamics like this until the evening.
There was nothing she could do about it; her inspector instincts demanded she gather all the information possible right now!
She was currently carrying the heavy burden of both Decora and Rantabi's share of the investigative work!
(Meanwhile, somewhere far away, Rantabi sneezed violently. "Me? Investigate? I was forced into this...")
Sakura Hibiki continued to stare up at Ren, her innocent admiration practically overflowing from her bright eyes.
After thinking for a brief moment, Ren casually shrugged his shoulders.
"I can watch practically any movie," Ren said honestly. "But if I had to say what genre I personally prefer... I usually gravitate towards brutal horror and sci-fi movies~"
The entire table fell stunned.
Everyone blinked, but Courage's jaw practically dropped.
This was a psychological profile that was completely beyond the WGO inspector's scope.
When Courage had rigorously searched online for the general preferences of handsome, successful young men who enjoyed cinema, extreme horror and sci-fi were notably absent from the top romantic traits.
This man's mind was truly beyond Courage's mortal understanding.
Sōryūin Akemi suddenly covered her face with both hands, letting out a long, heavy sigh.
"Ren-ge is a very terrifying person when it comes to watching movies, in some sense..." Akemi muttered darkly. "Especially when he is watching horror movies..."
Courage immediately leaned in, her pen poised over her notepad. "Why do you say that?" she asked quickly.
Sakura Hibiki and the rest of the high schoolers also looked over at Sōryūin Akemi with total confusion.
Sōryūin Akemi peeked out from behind her fingers, her voice trembling slightly.
"Ren-ge rarely eats anything while watching normal movies," Akemi explained slowly. "But when he sits down to watch a gory horror movie, he usually insists on having some very specific snacks in his hands..."
Gina tilted her blonde head, looking utterly perplexed. "That's completely normal, right? Is there anything wrong with having a little snack?"
Upon hearing this naive defense, Sōryūin Akemi's forehead broke out in a fresh layer of cold sweat.
"You don't understand," Akemi whispered, her eyes wide with remembered trauma. "Ren-ge usually eats vibrant, red-heart dragon fruit... or some squishy, meat-based snacks..."
The table went dead silent.
"And Ren-ge..." Akemi swallowed hard. "...is the kind of monstrous person who can calmly chew on red, fleshy food while watching the most visceral, bloody, decapitation scenes imaginable...."
When they heard this horrifying imagery, everyone completely froze.
Four pairs of wide eyes slowly turned to look at Ren in absolute disbelief.
Ren just casually thought for a moment, not looking the least bit ashamed of his habits.
"Perhaps I just found the excessive gore on screen a bit disgusting," Ren reasoned with a perfectly straight face. "So I wanted to eat something less disgusting to balance it out."
"And I only eat those snacks occasionally, okay? Normally, I just drink tea."
"That makes it even scarier! Why the hell are you so calm about it?!" four voices chorused in perfect unison, their shrieks echoing through the restaurant.
Sōryūin Akemi finally dropped her hands, letting out a hollow, defeated laugh.
"Don't worry, girls," Akemi said with a strained smile. "In a weird sense, watching a horror movie with Brother Ren absolutely won't be scary. That's a verified fact~"
Lucifer looked at Sōryūin Akemi in utter confusion.
Was this dark-haired girl actually being serious right now?
If she was so brave, why was she still so absolutely terrified by the mention of Sister Sadako back then?
The most important thing was that Lucifer had actually seen a vengeful spirit incredibly similar to Sadako lurking in the dark woods behind Totsuki Academy!
Eventually, the group paid their bill and stepped out of the cozy restaurant, the debate over movie genres still raging on.
The transition from the quiet dining room to the bustling streets of Tokyo was instantaneous.
The afternoon sun beat down pleasantly as they walked shoulder-to-shoulder down the vibrant commercial district.
Neon signs were just beginning to hum to life, and the chatter of hundreds of pedestrians filled the warm air.
Naturally, a group consisting of a silver-haired demon queen, a fiercely elegant gambler, and a trio of exceptionally fit, beautiful high schoolers drew a massive amount of attention from passersby.
Ren walked casually at the center of the formation, entirely unfazed by the jealous glares of the surrounding men.
They strolled past glowing arcade fronts, aromatic crepe stands, and bustling fashion boutiques, enjoying the leisurely pace of the journey.
Courage trailed slightly behind, her eyes darting everywhere as she absorbed the energetic atmosphere, still occasionally scribbling notes about Ren's walking posture.
Finally, the towering glass facade of the mega-cinema came into view.
In the end, due to the girls' various, highly vocal protests, they strictly vetoed watching a horror movie.
After all, even though Sōryūin Akemi promised that watching a horror movie with Ren wouldn't be scary, that wasn't the kind of cinematic experience they were looking for today.
The main, undeniable reason for the veto, however, was Lucifer's aggressive, foot-stomping protest against anything remotely spooky.
Instead, they purchased tickets for a highly-rated, fast-paced action movie centered around the glamorous, high-stakes world of underground casino heists.
They bought buckets of buttery popcorn and tall sodas—strictly banning Ren from purchasing anything even remotely red or meat-flavored—and filed into the dark, air-conditioned theater.
The plush seats swallowed them whole as the lights dimmed, plunging the massive room into darkness.
For the next two hours, the massive silver screen exploded with dazzling car chases, dramatic slow-motion shootouts, and tense, high-stakes poker matches.
The surround sound vibrated deep in their chests.
As they walked out of the theater, the credits still rolling behind them, the girls excitedly discussed their favorite moments.
"Phew~ It's so much more fun to watch a movie with a big group of people!" Hibiki cheered, stretching her arms wide.
"That final action scene was really good!" Ayaka agreed, throwing a quick jab.
"But... Kirari-nee, what are you thinking about? You haven't said a single word since the climax..."
Kirari gracefully adjusted her collar, her beautiful face twisted into an expression of sheer, aristocratic disgust.
She visibly gritted her teeth.
"These people in the movie just now..." Kirari muttered, her tone dripping with elite disdain. "If you don't actually have the sleight-of-hand skill, then don't try to cheat!"
"The card counting was too sloppy, and the mirror trick was painfully obvious!"
Seeing Kirari's deeply offended expression over fictional gambling mechanics, everyone exchanged helpless looks.
It was indeed fitting for the absolute ruler of an academy that violently encouraged high-stakes gambling to be a harsh film critic.
However, seeing her complain so passionately about a movie made Kirari seem significantly more approachable, which secretly relieved everyone.
After all, if she wasn't exactly like the terrifying, cold-blooded rumors said, having such an elegant older sister figure around would be quite nice.
Rich, breathtakingly beautiful, possessing a flawless figure, and surprisingly not cold at all.
She was fiercely protective and friendly to her own people, with occasional, delightful hints of mischief that created a charming contrast to her regal aura.
Absolutely no one could dislike having such a sister.
Stepping out of the towering cinema complex, Ren looked up at the rapidly darkening sky.
The sky was painted in brilliant strokes of fiery orange and deep violet as the evening set in.
"It's getting late," Ren said gently, turning to the high schoolers. "You should all go home early too. Your families will be getting worried if you stay out any longer."
Ayaka nodded in agreement, checking the time on her phone.
Today was a weekday, which meant the boxing gym would be hitting its peak busy hours in the evening, and she absolutely had to go back and help manage the front desk.
Akemi also reluctantly stated that she should head home before her sister started interrogating her whereabouts.
On the other hand, Sakura Hibiki and Gina exchanged a quick, eager glance. They loudly expressed a strong desire to follow Ren back to his shop for an evening snack.
Ren naturally wouldn't refuse his loyal customers, but it was certainly worth mentioning that Kirari also casually invited herself along...
"Well then, everyone, I have to go home and help out my family first!" Ayaka smiled brightly, stepping backward into the glowing evening streets. "Brother Ren, remember what you promised about visiting my boxing gym sometime!"
Ren looked at Ayaka, who was energetically waving at them alongside Sōryūin Akemi.
He smiled warmly and nodded. "Yes, don't worry. I'll definitely go visit when I have a chance~"
Watching the two girls disappear into the bustling twilight crowd, Ren let out a soft, contented sigh.
"Hmm," Ren murmured, the evening breeze ruffling his dark hair. "Today really had a lot of unexpected surprises and coincidences."
Kirari stepped up beside him, her icy blue eyes reflecting the neon lights of the city.
She looked up at him with a hint of a teasing smile. "Are you trying to say something profound like: 'Life is interesting precisely because of surprises and coincidences?'"
"Hmm," Ren hummed, reaching out to playfully flick Kirari's forehead. "As expected of Steward Ren's future woman. You're far too smart for your own good~"
Lucifer, who was walking just a step behind them, suddenly paused.
Her demonic ears twitched violently.
"Wait, what 'Steward Ren'?" Lucifer demanded, her brows furrowing in deep suspicion.
"Just Steward Ren," Ren replied casually, not missing a beat. "Lucifer, my dear, you still have a lot of maturing to do before you understand."
"Hey! Yumiko said something similar to me recently too...!" Lucifer suddenly realized, her crimson eyes widening in outrage.
She stomped her foot on the pavement. "Wait! Explain it to me clearly right now! What the hell is a Steward Ren?!"
Life is fundamentally hard, demanding, and often utterly exhausting.
But it is also undeniably, wildly interesting.
If you find that you simply can't stop the relentless forward march of time, then the best thing to do is just slow down your pace a bit.
Breathe in the evening air.
There will always be some small, beautiful surprises that unexpectedly leap right into your open arms~
Life is constantly full of thrilling challenges and endless fun... precisely because of its magnificent, terrifying uncertainty.
[Akarin's Note:
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