Chapter 513: Justice: That's Right, The Company Belongs to Ren
Justice strolled down the vibrant street, her mood exceptionally bright. The bustling human world offered endless entertainment, far more amusing than any stuffy underworld banquet. So many possibilities stretched out before her in this new life. She paused, observing the lively surroundings from behind her dark shades. Her gaze landed on a young couple nearby. The teenage boy kept twitching his fingers, clearly desperate to grab his date's hand, but his courage failed him every time. He ultimately pulled his arm back, shoving his hands into his pockets with a defeated slump.
Justice let out a soft sigh, a wry smile touching her lips. Compared to that timid display, Ren truly was an extraordinary breed of man.
She raised her own gloved hand, turning it over as she mused. Ren would never experience a hesitant phase like that. He probably skipped the innocent hand-holding entirely. He really was an outrageous, unpredictable man.
Just as she was shaking her head at the thought, Hiratsuka Shizuka walked over. The teacher noticed the handsome woman staring blankly at her own palm with a puzzled expression.
"What's wrong?" Shizuka asked, glancing at the leather glove. "Did you hurt your hand?"
"Nothing," Justice replied, dropping her arm casually. "I was just thinking about holding hands."
Shizuka blinked, caught off guard by the unexpectedly romantic topic. "Huh? Miss Justice, do you have a boyfriend?"
Hearing the question, Justice paused for a brief second. A playful, wicked smile spread across her face. "Of course. Don't I look like the type of woman who has a very handsome boyfriend?"
An invisible arrow pierced Shizuka right in the knee. Why did she bring this upon herself? Why did she walk right into such a devastating counterattack? The bitter sting of being single flared up in her chest. Was it simply because she wasn't as effortlessly cool and handsome as Justice?
Shizuka let out a long, weary sigh. "Your boyfriend must be incredibly handsome, sure. But he still couldn't possibly be as excellent as Shopkeeper Ren."
Justice's smile only widened, her amusement peaking. "I am very grateful that you just praised my boyfriend."
Shizuka froze. Her brain stalled for a moment before the words registered. "Your... what?! You too?!"
Adjusting her signature sunglasses with a single finger, Justice flashed a brilliant grin. "Of course. Isn't he handsome? I certainly think he is."
Shizuka stood completely stunned, her jaw slightly slack. After all that buildup, it turned out this woman was yet another senior in the shopkeeper's ever-growing harem!
Recovering from the shock, Shizuka finally took a proper look at Justice's attire. The sharp red button-down, the tailored black suit pants, the sleek tie. It was the exact same aesthetic as Lucifer's.
"Your outfit looks very familiar..." Shizuka ventured tentatively.
"Hmm? Let me guess. It reminds you of Lucifer's style, right?"
Shizuka nodded slowly. Justice planted one hand firmly on her hip and raised the other in a casual gesture, her grin never fading. "It is pretty obvious you guessed correctly. Lucifer and I are from the same place."
"So the 'same place' you mentioned earlier referred to the same company," Shizuka muttered, piecing the puzzle together in her own mundane way. "I thought you meant you were from the same hometown."
"Company?" Justice paused, genuinely stunned for two seconds as she processed the human terminology. Then, she threw her head back and laughed. "Ah! Yes! It is a company. Lucifer used to be my boss."
"Huh?! Did you resign?"
"I just changed positions. I used to be in charge of law and enforcement, which basically meant..."
"Chief lawyer? Or maybe a part-time head of the security department?"
Justice chuckled, thoroughly enjoying the misunderstanding. "An interesting explanation. I like that description."
Shizuka sighed, rubbing her temples. "Then you must be highly capable. No wonder you carry yourself with such a strong temperament. As expected of someone proficient in corporate law. But... why are so many people from your company dating Shopkeeper Ren?"
A deeply meaningful smile curved Justice's lips. "That question... simply put, it is because the remaining few girls are his, too."
Somewhere far away, Lucifer was likely cursing.
Shizuka stared in absolute disbelief. "Then isn't your company practically run by Shopkeeper Ren at this point?!"
Justice blinked, the sheer absurdity of the statement hitting her. After a long moment of silence, she burst into a bright laugh. "Shizuka, you are even more interesting than I imagined. But you are absolutely right. In that case, the entire company really does belong to Ren."
Shizuka let out another heavy sigh, shaking her head. "He really is an incredible man..."
"I completely agree!"
As the two women chatted, Sengoku Chihiro finally wandered back to join them. True to form, the art teacher asked almost the exact same questions and made the exact same observations as Shizuka had just minutes prior.
Justice patiently repeated her answers, highly entertained by the identical reactions.
Chihiro tilted her head, looking confused. "Huh? But if you are Ren's girlfriend, why didn't you just call him earlier? You walked all the way out here."
Shizuka nodded repeatedly, realizing the logic gap.
Justice simply smiled and spread her empty arms. "Do I look like I am carrying a phone, or anything else for that matter?"
The two teachers stared at her pocketless, sleek attire. Shizuka sighed. "You really aren't afraid of someone looking for you..."
"I am currently unemployed, who would be looking for me? But let's not talk about that right now. Shizuka, you really are amazing."
Shizuka blinked, her expression shifting to surprise. "Wait, you saw Shopkeeper Ren?!"
"Of course," Justice replied smoothly. "And I even had a cup of coffee. If he had not been there, I wouldn't have had the money to pay for it, since I didn't bring a single coin with me."
Chihiro perked up, looking around. "Where is he?"
"He is at the barbecue restaurant right across from the department store, enjoying some grilled meat. Let's go, let's go. We can all head over together."
Shizuka hesitated, shifting her weight awkwardly. "Isn't it a bit inappropriate for us to just crash his meal like this?"
"What is inappropriate about it?" Justice laughed, waving off the concern. "Although it isn't an official party, it is always great to have a lively bunch of people eating together. You two still need to find Ren anyway, and I need to thank you for guiding me to the commercial street. Come on, let's go."
Shizuka finally relented with a sigh. "Alright, then let's go together. Senior, please don't drink too much this time!"
Chihiro covered her face, groaning in embarrassment. "Shizuka... am I completely untrustworthy in your eyes?"
"Completely untrustworthy. I would rather believe Mashiro is a master of independent living than believe you are reliable around alcohol."
"Hey! That comparison is way too harsh! I am not that unreliable!"
Justice chuckled, herding the two women forward. "Alright, alright, let's get moving. As for drinking, of course we are going to drink. We are getting a free meal anyway, so we might as well drink up."
Shizuka's mouth twitched in exasperation. Justice took the lead, smiling as she recounted the story of her earlier flirting attempts, drawing gasps of admiration from both Chihiro and Shizuka. If it had been them trying to flirt back so boldly, they would have frozen up in sheer panic long ago.
Meanwhile, inside the warm, savory-scented atmosphere of the barbecue restaurant, Ren casually flipped a piece of sizzling meat on the grill. He glanced up at Lucifer, who was sitting across from him, her crimson eyes fixed intently on his face.
"Lucifer, you have been staring at me ever since you sat down," Ren said, his tone laced with mild confusion. "If you have something on your mind, just say it."
Lucifer rested her chin on her hand, thinking for a moment before speaking. "It is nothing major. I just want to know if Justice is actually serious about this or not. After all, her personality has always been incredibly playful and cynical."
Ren paused, considering the question as the meat sizzled between them. "That isn't really important. It is fine as long as she is a good person."
A faint, elegant smirk touched Lucifer's lips. "If she heard that evaluation, she would definitely demand to share a drink with you."
Ren raised an eyebrow, a dryly amused expression settling on his features. "Huh? So she really is a demon?"
"I can guarantee it," Lucifer replied, her voice smooth and absolute. "She is a real demon through and through."
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