Chapter 427: Yakumo Yukari Caught Making Trouble, and a Glass of Mojito
Yakumo Yukari was, by nature, far more talkative than Yuuka Kazami. She could even hold a pleasant conversation with the usually reserved Pandemonica. In this regard, she and Yuuka were polar opposites.
"Oh? So this place can connect to other worlds as well? How wonderful."
As Yakumo Yukari spoke, her gaze slid sideways, landing pointedly on Yuuka Kazami. The unspoken question hung in the air between them: Don't tell me you were the one who connected our world to this place?
Seeing the rare, genuine seriousness in Yukari's eyes, an amusing thought sparked in Yuuka's mind. She decided to say nothing at all. She wanted to see just how anxious this old youkai, who valued her home world above all else, would become.
A muscle in Yukari's cheek twitched as Yuuka completely ignored her, simply propping her chin on her hand and staring intently at a potted plant on the table. Good heavens, she's getting her revenge for some past slight! Yukari fumed internally. As expected of such a fierce woman!
For a moment, Yakumo Yukari felt a knot of genuine unease tighten in her stomach. With Lucifer and the denizens of Hell present, there was no telling what their true intentions were. And beyond them, countless other worlds existed. What if they encountered enemies who operated outside the rules of their reality? What if they attracted the attention of battle-crazed lunatics or warmongers? The potential for disaster was astronomical.
Yukari felt as though she had never stared at anything so intently in her long life, but Yuuka Kazami remained utterly oblivious, lost in her own thoughts. On the side of her face hidden from Yukari's view, a faint, knowing smile bloomed.
Lucifer, observing the silent standoff, sighed. It seemed that if Yuuka didn't break the silence soon, Yukari would probably bore a hole through her with that glare, and no one would get to eat.
Clearing her throat, Lucifer interjected, "Yuuka, I have a feeling that if you don't say something, your meal today might not be a very peaceful one."
Yuuka Kazami finally turned her head, her gaze meeting Yukari's intense stare. She raised a single, elegant eyebrow, her eyes asking a simple question: Is what she says true?
As expected, Yakumo Yukari nodded immediately, her expression unwavering. Yuuka let out a soft sigh. For the sake of her one rare moment of daily tranquility, she relented, giving a slight nod. "If I had been the one to link the worlds," she said softly, "I wouldn't have brought you here today."
The tension on Yakumo Yukari's face vanished in an instant, replaced by a brilliant smile. She nodded in satisfaction. "I knew it! You're still very reliable, Yuuka!"
"If you truly believed that," Yuuka countered dryly, "you wouldn't have been staring at me like that just now."
"Oh my~ Yuuka, are you shy?" Yukari teased, leaning forward with a playful glint in her eyes.
Yuuka chose silence once more, but this time, her quietness failed to provoke any further reaction from Yukari. Lucifer sighed again, a faint smile on her lips. "In a way," she remarked, "you two have a remarkably good relationship."
Yakumo Yukari beamed. "Right? I think so too!"
"Lucifer," Yuuka suddenly asked, changing the subject, "has Yuko returned yet?"
Lucifer nodded, a little puzzled. "Not yet. Why do you ask? Do you miss her?"
Yuuka shook her head. "No. I just thought it would be interesting to have Yuko and Yakumo Yukari chat. I believe they would get along splendidly."
Lucifer's eyes widened slightly. "You… you just want to watch the chaos unfold, don't you? Yuko isn't a toy to be used for your amusement!"
Yuuka fell silent again. Meanwhile, Yakumo Yukari tilted her head, her expression one of pure confusion. "Yuko? Who is that? And what were those 'Casey'and'Yungoos' you mentioned earlier? Yuuka, why haven't you told me a single thing about all this?"
"Yuuka, why aren't you talking to me… Hmm?" Her words trailed off as a captivating aroma drifted from the kitchen. "Something smells wonderful. What is that?"
"Flower tea," Yuuka answered softly. "And you're being rude."
Yukari's gaze shifted towards the kitchen. She mulled it over for a moment before turning to Lucifer with a polite smile. "Um… Miss Lucifer, I'd like to wash my hands. Where is the restroom?"
Lucifer gestured towards a corner of the restaurant. Yukari thanked her, then turned her mischievous eyes back to Yuuka, who immediately tensed.
"What do you want?" Yuuka asked, her voice flat.
"I'm going to wash my hands, Yuuka. Would you like to come with me?"
A vein pulsed at Yuuka's temple. "Are you a high school girl on her way to class?"
"Yuuka! You're making fun of me again! How cruel," Yukari pouted dramatically. "Fine, I'll go by myself."
She stood, gave Lucifer a polite nod, and glided towards the restroom. But the moment she stepped inside, she froze. Was this truly a restroom?
Yakumo Yukari approached the sink, her eyes narrowing as she examined the counter before her. After a long moment, she tapped it lightly with a fingernail. Listening to the clear, resonant sound, her mouth fell slightly agape. "This counter… it can't be carved from a single piece of jade, can it? Wait… and this basin… is this solid crystal?"
Her gaze lifted to the ornate chandelier hanging from the ceiling, then drifted to a secondary room off to the side. "There's another room inside the restroom?" she murmured, her brow furrowed. "A changing room? How peculiar."
Shaking her head to clear it of distractions, Yukari's playful smirk returned. With a flick of her wrist, she tore open a small, dark gap in the fabric of space and slipped through.
At that exact moment, Ren, who was in the middle of preparing ingredients, felt the corner of his mouth lift into a subtle smile. It seemed Yakumo Yukari was not a guest who could be left to her own devices.
As he continued to slice vegetables with one hand, his other hand shot out with casual, impossible speed. His fingers closed firmly around a slender, mischievous wrist that had just materialized from a sliver of darkness, reaching for the pot of brewing flower tea.
On the other side of the gap, Yakumo Yukari froze. Huh?! I was discovered?! Her grand plan to mildly inconvenience Yuuka was in ruins. Her first instinct was to bolt, but she found her arm held in an unbreakable grip. The next moment, she was pulled unceremoniously out of the gap and into the kitchen.
Yukari stared, dumbfounded, at Ren, who was still calmly chopping with one hand while holding her wrist with the other. A nervous twitch danced at the corner of her eye. "Mr. Shopkeeper," she said, her voice a little strained, "it's just the two of us in this kitchen. Isn't it a bit improper for you to be holding my hand like this?"
In truth, she had already tried to wrench her arm free, but was horrified to discover that her immense youkai strength was utterly useless. Ren acted as if he hadn't heard her, silently turning to ignite a stove burner on the side. The moment the blue flames flickered to life, Yukari's eyes narrowed, and she tried to will them out of existence.
The fire didn't even waver.
Ren finally sighed. "Miss Yakumo, everything in this restaurant, aside from the ingredients and the food, is indestructible. This fire is a part of the restaurant. You cannot extinguish it."
Yukari's mouth twitched. Her strength was inferior, and her boundary manipulation was useless. Who was this man? She took a deep breath and changed tactics instantly, her expression shifting to one of pure, innocent curiosity. "Mr. Shopkeeper, I was simply curious to see what a handsome man such as yourself looks like when he cooks."
Ren let out another helpless sigh and released her hand.
Yukari's face brightened, and she was about to make a swift retreat when she heard Ren's soft voice. "Wait a moment."
Her heart skipped a beat. She turned her head stiffly to see Ren beckoning her closer. Though a deep sense of apprehension filled her, she cautiously walked over. All she had wanted was to see what smelled so good and perhaps cool down Yuuka's tea a little. Surely that wasn't a capital offense?
Ren took out a clean glass and, under Yukari's puzzled gaze, filled it with a generous amount of ice cubes. Then, taking another glass, he unhurriedly poured in several liquids from different bottles, added a few fresh mint leaves, and stirred it all with a long straw before handing the finished drink to her.
Yakumo Yukari accepted the cool glass, her confusion evident. "Shopkeeper, what is this you've given me?"
"Mojito," Ren replied. "A type of rum-based cocktail." He glanced at her, a hint of a smile in his eyes. "I thought alcohol might be more suitable for Miss Yakumo, no?"
"Ah… umm…"
"Please, go back to your seat and wait," Ren said, his tone gentle but firm. "The food won't be long."
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