Chapter 324: The Notebook of Ren and Yuuko, and a Surprised Courage
Sharing a meal at the same table was a custom Courage had already grown accustomed to, even come to enjoy. Eating with friends she genuinely liked was a simple, pleasant affair.
For Ichihara Yuuko, however, it was a novel sensation. She had never experienced dining like this before, yet she found it surprisingly agreeable. Everyone gathered together, the atmosphere lively, unburdened by the rigid, unspoken rule of 'no talking during meals'. Here, people simply shared whatever interesting thoughts crossed their minds. Not all dining tables needed to be silent sanctuaries.
Ren smiled as he watched her. Yuuko was gracefully picking at her food while occasionally fielding questions from Courage and Kasugano Sora, and the slightly unaccustomed expression on her face was truly amusing to behold.
Suddenly, something clicked in Yuuko's mind. She looked at Ren, her head tilted in puzzlement. "Ren, what exactly was in that gift the man left for you?"
"A notebook."
Yuuko let out an exasperated sigh. "Of course, I know it's a notebook. I mean, what's written inside? Not that I'm particularly interested, but... you are going to tell me, aren't you?"
Ren met her gaze, taking in the theatrical, wide-eyed anticipation she was putting on. He considered it for a moment before replying, "I'll share it with you after I've finished reading it. After all, just telling you now would spoil the fun."
"Eh? Fun... Is it actually related to me?!"
Her question made Ren pause. He lowered his voice slightly, a thoughtful glint in his eyes. "It should be related to both of us... So, it's only fair that I read it first before I tell you, don't you think?"
Hearing him put it that way, Ichihara Yuuko didn't press the matter further. If it concerned them both, then there was no harm in him reading it first. Besides, Ren didn't seem to be hiding anything from her. Surely, he wouldn't be taken in by that schemer's tricks, not even from beyond the grave...
Even as the thought formed, Yuuko found she didn't quite believe it herself. But there was nothing to be done now. She could only wait for Ren to finish reading and tell her what it said. The notebook didn't look particularly thick, so he should be done with it quickly...
"Brother Ren..." Kasugano Sora's soft voice cut through the air. "Is it just the incline walk again for me today?"
Ren thought for a moment, then shook his head with a gentle smile. "Nope. Starting today, you'll be doing some light strength training. Don't worry, it's only five reps per set with the lowest possible weight. But yes, you still have to do the incline walk for today."
A small sigh escaped Sora's lips. "Ugh... Strength training, too... Is it for my arms again?"
"Shoulders today," Ren corrected gently. "Don't look so down. I promise I won't force you to do too much."
"Oh... I understand," she mumbled, a little of her gloom lifting. "But I'm glad I can still do the incline walk..."
Ren's smile widened. "You've found a TV show you're interested in, haven't you?"
"Don't call me out like that..." Sora muttered, clutching her rabbit doll a little tighter. "But it's actually quite well-made. I've been wanting to watch some horror movies. My health was never good enough before, so I couldn't. I've been trying to find some good ones, but there's nothing out there..."
At the mention of the genre, Lucifer's mouth twitched. "Horror movies... I want absolutely nothing to do with horror movies."
Ichihara Yuuko tilted her head, intrigued. "Horror movies? They aren't that frightening, are they?"
Lucifer shot her a look. "Then I highly recommend you find Ren and have him watch one with you. The one we saw last time would be perfect. It was already a bizarre film, but then Ren decided to add his own... strange effects on the side."
Ren sighed, still not quite understanding why Lucifer had developed such an intense fear of horror movies since that day. More, she now harbored a slight phobia of dragon fruit.
Curiosity piqued, Ichihara Yuuko glanced at Ren. She was now genuinely interested to see what would happen. It seemed watching a horror movie with him was an experience so deep it could even terrify the Queen of Hell.
"Brother Ren! I'm here!"
"Sonoko?!" two voices cried out in unison.
"Sister Sonoko!" Sora added, her face lighting up.
Just then, the door swung open and Suzuki Sonoko bustled in. She breathed a sigh of relief as the door clicked shut behind her and made a beeline for the dining room. Both Cerberus and Lucifer stared, stunned by her sudden appearance.
Lucifer was the first to speak, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Eh? Sonoko, what are you doing here so early?"
Sonoko casually set her paper bag on a nearby counter, then slid into an empty seat at the table as if she owned the place. "Ooh, shumai! And pan-fried buns! Fantastic! Wow, is that old duck and kelp soup? Looks like I timed my entrance perfectly!"
Lucifer tilted her head, a smirk playing on her lips. "You certainly know your way around this kitchen. It seems you've eaten your fair share."
"Well enough," Sonoko said with a grin. "When I first got to know Brother Ren, I came here for breakfast every single day. After two months of sampling different menus, I can recognize the classics. Thanks, Brother Ren!"
She accepted the utensils Ren handed her with a quick word of thanks and immediately plucked a shumai from the steamer basket. Watching Sonoko, who carried not a single trace of a prim and proper young mistress, Ren chuckled. "You really don't act like the heiress you are."
Sonoko swallowed her food before beaming. "That's right! Because I am the heiress! Hehe!"
Lucifer and Cerberus exchanged a knowing glance. It was Sonoko's signature retort, the one she always used to counter Momobami Kirari's jabs whenever the student council president remarked that she didn't behave like a young lady of her station.
After her triumphant declaration, Sonoko turned her attention to Kasugano Sora, who had finished eating and was now quietly hugging her rabbit doll. "Sora! I heard you've recovered and transferred to Sister Shion's school! That's wonderful!"
Kasugano Sora nodded shyly. "Mm! Thank you for everything before, Sister Sonoko..."
"Oh, it was nothing! But Sora, why didn't you come to Teitan? Oh... right," Sonoko paused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "The boys at Teitan might be even more outrageous than the ones at Katagiri..."
Sora looked a little helpless. "Mm, so Sister Shion's high school was the best choice... Sister Sonoko, why did you come so early today?"
"Because this way, I'll have time to taunt Atobe Keigo a few times before the players enter the court," Sonoko declared with a wicked grin. "It'll throw him off his game and make him lose! Hahaha!"
A wave of deadpan silence washed over the table.
Realizing her plan might have sounded a bit inappropriate, Sonoko cleared her throat lightly. "Anyway, that's not the main point right now. And these two are...?"
What followed was a familiar flurry of introductions, with the others chiming in to fill in the gaps. The exchange successfully led Sonoko to the same misunderstanding about Ren and Ichihara Yuuko's relationship. She also learned that the adorable girl with the boundless energy was Courage—the very same one they had been discussing in their group chat, the one trying to win Ren's affection.
Sonoko gave Ichihara Yuuko a long, meaningful look, then smiled brightly. "You're really beautiful."
"Thank you for the compliment," Yuuko replied, before glancing proudly at Ren.
Ren didn't hold back his praise, smiling warmly. "Mm. Yuuko is indeed very beautiful."
"Mm, you have good taste," Yuuko affirmed with a satisfied nod.
Sonoko chuckled, then turned her gaze to the vibrant Courage. "So you're Courage! You're exactly like Sister Lucifer described."
"Eh?" Courage blinked, pointing at herself in surprise. "You know me?"
"Of course," Sonoko said with a conspiratorial wink. "Everyone knows."
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