Chapter 602: Kobayashi Rindou's Eye Pain, Excited Students
After Kobayashi Rindou finished her meal, she showed absolutely no intention of leaving. Akanegakubo Momo initially tilted her head in confusion at her senior's lingering, but Rindou casually waved her off, claiming she had some errands to run later. That simple excuse was enough to put Momo's doubts to rest.
By this hour, the morning rush at Totsuki Academy was in full swing. Most of the students had already departed for their respective assignments, while a lingering few hurried toward the main gates.
Walking against this frantic tide of culinary hopefuls, Ren and his companions naturally drew every eye in the vicinity. It was impossible not to stare. The sheer collective beauty of the group turned heads and halted footsteps.
The students froze in their tracks. A heartbeat later, the morning quiet shattered into absolute chaos, startling both Riven and Nami.
"Oh my god! Teacher Ren?! Why is Teacher Ren here?!"
"Good morning, Teacher Ren!"
"Teacher Ren, when are you coming back to teach us?!"
"Teacher Ren is amazing! All the teacher's wives are so incredibly beautiful and elegant!"
The sudden barrage of praise caught Ichihara Yuko and the others slightly off guard, but a deeply satisfied smile quickly graced Yuko's lips. Hearing the constant chorus of 'teacher's wife' paired with endless compliments about her elegance, she silently awarded the Totsuki student body a perfect score in her mind.
Ren patiently acknowledged the crowd, offering warm greetings before finally raising a hand. The simple gesture instantly quieted the excited students.
"Everyone, hurry up and head to your assigned restaurants," Ren said with a gentle smile. "If you dawdle, you will only end up late. Do your best out there. I know you can all do it."
"Yes!"
"Goodbye, Teacher Ren! Goodbye to the teacher's wives!"
As the students scattered, Nami's cheeks flushed a deep shade of crimson. Being addressed as a wife so directly in front of a crowd was entirely new territory for her. Riven, on the other hand, remained in a state of sheer bewilderment.
'What on earth?'Riven thought.'Everything was perfectly calm a second ago. Where did all these people even come from?'
Yuko chuckled, her voice dripping with amusement. "Didn't I give you plenty of face in front of your precious students, acting as your elegant wife?"
"It was fine."
"Just fine?!"
Ren opened his mouth to reply, but his attention shifted to a young man approaching through the thinning crowd. He smiled.
"What a coincidence, Tsukasa."
Eishi Tsukasa looked up, freezing for a brief moment before his eyes widened in pleasant surprise. "Teacher Ren. What brings you here?"
"I am just here to pick up Rindou and the others. Are you heading out now as well?"
Eishi nodded earnestly. "Yes. I figured I could learn more about restaurant management if I arrive early."
Ren nodded, though a hint of curiosity crossed his face. "Which restaurant are you assigned to?"
"Senior Shinomiya's SHINOS Tokyo branch."
"Ah, his place is excellent," Ren noted. "I visited there a little while ago. You should be able to learn a great deal under him. Go on, hurry up and head over. While Kojiro's culinary philosophy has become much more flexible lately, his personal temperament has not changed much. Arriving early will definitely earn you some favor."
Eishi nodded respectfully, then bowed slightly toward the women. "Good morning, teacher's wives. Teacher Ren, I will be taking my leave now. If I encounter any difficulties at the restaurant..."
"Just come by the shop," Ren offered easily. "However, you might end up carrying not only your own burdens but Kojiro's as well. He is still quite the tsundere, honestly. A grown man acting tsundere is just unpleasant."
Eishi blinked, unsure of how to respond to that assessment. He simply nodded again, bid his farewells to the group, and hurried off toward his destination.
Yuko smirked, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "So, if a woman is a tsundere, you do not find it unpleasant?"
"Having you and Lucifer around is the best proof of that."
"Excuse me? I am not a tsundere."
"Yes, yes, of course..."
Yuko let out a delicate hmph and chose to remain silent, though the faint upward curve of her lips betrayed her amusement.
Ren then guided the group directly toward their next destination.
Meanwhile, inside the Totsuki dormitories, Nakiri Erina was pacing with a heart full of confusion. Why had they suddenly been instructed to wait in their rooms for no apparent reason?
Erina let out a soft sigh, her brow furrowed. "Even though my cooking has improved recently, it still feels far from enough."
Arato Hisako stood nearby, offering a helpless, sympathetic look. Nakiri Alice, sitting on the edge of the bed, was already visibly deflated. Erina had made such massive strides, and Alice worried about her own performance. If her knife skills failed to meet the standard during this assignment, the sheer embarrassment would be unbearable.
In another room, Rindou was lounging comfortably. "Hey, Momo! The Director said someone special would be coming to pick us up. It seems the Elite Ten still get to enjoy a few privileges after all."
Momo shook her head slightly. Rindou paused, casually blowing a stray strand of hair out of her face. "No, wait, this is not an Elite Ten privilege. This is entirely Ren's privilege."
Rindou pulled out her phone and scrolled. "Look, Terunori just posted an update. He is taking the public bus, and you can clearly see regular students crammed in right next to him."
Momo nodded in understanding. Just as she was about to reply, a sharp knock echoed from the front door.
Scratching her head in mild confusion, Momo padded over to the entryway. The moment she pulled the door open, she froze in absolute shock.
She opened her mouth to shout, but the man standing in the hallway immediately raised a finger to his lips, making a quiet shushing gesture. He silently asked for permission to enter.
Momo swallowed her gasp and gave a firm, decisive nod, stepping aside to let them in.
Inside the living room, Rindou was the picture of utter chaos. She was dressed in loose, mismatched pajamas, a ridiculous sleep cap pulled over her head, and a thick skincare mask plastered across her face. She was sprawled across the sofa in an impossibly awkward, gravity-defying posture, chewing loudly on a piece of dried beef jerky while staring blankly at the television.
Yuko and the others stepped into the room, instantly stunned into silence. The majestic, untouchable image of the Elite Ten's Second Seat shattered into a million pieces right before their eyes.
Oblivious to her audience, Rindou spoke in a lazy, muffled drawl. "Hey, Momo. Were you captured by the enemy? If you are safe, come make me some instant noodles. If you were captured, do not worry, I will gladly eat all your dessert rations for you."
A collective silence fell over the group as they stared at the chaotic scene.
Ren let out a quiet sigh. He walked over, leaned casually against the back of the sofa, and whispered near her ear. "Watching a sci-fi movie, are we?"
"Yeah, it is actually pretty interesting..." Rindou mumbled, before freezing. "Wait a second. That does not sound like Momo's voice."
Her brain scrambled to process the familiar tone. Slowly, rigidly, she tilted her head back to look upside down at the person leaning over her.
For two agonizing seconds, Rindou stared. Then, she shrieked, flailing wildly as she tumbled straight off the sofa and crashed onto the floor.
"Why are you here?!" she yelled in absolute horror, scrambling backward. "And why are you here so early?!"
"Just a little surprise visit," Ren said smoothly. "But Rindou, is this really how you spend your mornings?"
Panic seized her. She pointed frantically at the window. "Look! A pack of Cerberuses!"
Ren blinked, instinctively glancing toward the window.
In that split second, Rindou vanished. A loud slam echoed through the apartment, leaving behind nothing but a single, lonely slipper abandoned near the bedroom door.
Muffled rustling, the sound of drawers slamming, and a loud thud came from behind the closed door. Exactly five minutes later, the door clicked open.
Everyone stared in stunned silence.
Yuko's eyes widened in genuine amazement. "My goodness. You managed to do a full face of makeup, style your hair perfectly, and change into a flawless outfit in exactly five minutes? How on earth did you pull that off?"
Rindou leaned against the doorframe, the very picture of elegant composure. "Hmm? Whatever are you talking about? What five minutes? I have been sitting in this room the entire time."
"Do you think I am stupid, or do you think I am blind?" Yuko asked dryly.
"Can you not be both blind and stupid?"
"Oh, shut up. Seriously, how did you do that? I need to learn that technique."
Rindou flipped her hair with a smug grin. "This kind of speed requires natural talent. However..."
Her smug expression instantly crumpled into a grimace. "Ren! I accidentally poked myself in the eye with my mascara wand! It hurts so much!"
Ren looked down at Rindou, who had rushed over to cling to his arm, rubbing her tearing eye pitifully. He sighed deeply. "Shall we leave now?"
"Okay, but my eye really hurts."
"You will survive."
Rindou kept her eyes squeezed shut, gripping his sleeve tightly and letting him pull her along. Ren stared at the girl using him for navigation, letting out another long sigh.
"Are you seriously treating me like a guide dog right now?"
"Hehe..."
[Akarin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me!
Want to read ahead on our official home, or unlock 50 advanced chapters to feed your addiction? Help keep this shameless translator alive here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
🌐 Read on our site: Elysianreads[.]com or Check the link in my Webnovel Profile bio!
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters & Ad-Free): patreon[.]com/AkarinTL or Search AkarinTL on Patreon
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]