Chapter 309: Passionate Dream-Chasing Youths, Zoro Returns
The woman eventually slowed her pace, the fervor of her initial hunger sated. She gestured for two more pots of wine, and Ren accepted the order without a word of protest. This simple act made Lucifer, observing from the side, raise a delicate eyebrow. She couldn't help but recall how other patrons, like Kasumigaoka Utaha, were usually gently cut off before they could indulge to this extent.
Lucifer didn't dwell on it, however. It wasn't her place to question the Master's decisions, and she simply attributed the special treatment to the woman's otherworldly aura—she clearly possessed magic.
Still, the thought sparked a chain of curiosity. If having magic granted one certain privileges, did that mean Soryuin Shion was forced to quit smoking simply because she was human? If Shion had possessed supernatural abilities, would the Master have been so strict?
As Lucifer was lost in her musings, the woman's soft voice cut through the quiet ambiance of the shop. "So, the purpose of our visit today is…"
Clow Reed waved a dismissive hand, not looking up from his notebook. "The night is still long," he said gently. "There's no need to rush. I'm rather keen to see what other guests from another world might appear. Perhaps I'll even have the good fortune of seeing Natsume-kun."
The woman fell silent, taking another slow sip of her wine. She had little choice but to acquiesce. After all, the time she had left to exist was vastly longer than his. If he wasn't in a hurry, she certainly couldn't press the matter, especially since she, too, was adrift and lost.
Not everyone could be like Clow Reed—a man of formidable power with no desire to live, a soul filled with regrets yet utterly without remorse for the path he had chosen. Once he made a decision, he never looked back. That, she knew, was the final, unvarnished truth of his cunning nature.
Ren, of course, understood precisely why Clow Reed was here. The magician had mentioned last time that he might bring a new resident, and it was clear he was referring to the woman beside him. To be honest, Ren found their current intentions rather opaque.
One could say that their goals were, at one point, closely aligned. But from the very moment they stepped through the shop's door, their paths had already diverged, stretching in two completely different directions.
"Alas," Ren sighed softly, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Humans truly are difficult to fathom."
His words hung in the air. Every eye in the room, including Lucifer's, shifted to Clow Reed and the woman. Coming from Ren, there was no doubt as to whom he was referring.
Both of them paused, momentarily taken aback, but neither offered a response. One continued to drink in quiet contemplation, while the other simply returned his focus to the notebook, his pen scratching against the page. As for dessert, they both silently agreed to have it later.
A thought suddenly occurred to Ren, and he turned to Lucifer. "You and Cerberus… what are your plans for today? I take it Courage isn't going to the resort tomorrow?"
Lucifer blinked, realizing she hadn't even considered it. While she was thinking, Cerberus shot her hand into the air, bouncing in her seat. "Master, Master, Master!" she chirped excitedly. "Sonoko called me today! She wants us to go watch tennis! She said to bring you and the others too!"
Lucifer's brow furrowed in confusion. "Tennis? I don't recall Teitan High having any major matches… Could it be…"
Cerberus nodded vigorously. "Yep, yep, yep! It's that Atobe guy's school! If I remember right, it's called… Hyotei?"
"It is indeed called Hyotei," Lucifer confirmed with a nod. "But tomorrow isn't a holiday. Has Teitan's attendance policy become that lax?"
Cerberus scratched her head, trying to recall the exact words. "Sonoko told me a few hours ago… she said she had a premonition that she might get a stomachache within the next ten hours, so she went ahead and took a leave of absence…"
The explanation was so absurd that even Ren's composure wavered. A small, amused chuckle escaped him. Good heavens. Taking leave based on a premonition? It seemed either Teitan High was incredibly lenient, or Sonoko had been taking lessons in audacity from Momobami Kirari.
Lucifer's eyelid twitched. "I'm really fed up with those kids," she said with a long-suffering sigh. "The closer it gets to a match, the more ridiculously excited they become. What else did Sonoko say?"
"She said that arrogant boy Atobe is playing tomorrow, and we can go watch him make a fool of himself! Just thinking about it makes me happy!" Cerberus giggled.
"They really are like a pair of bickering siblings," Lucifer lamented. "But surely that can't be the only reason."
"Hmm… Oh! It seems Shusuke has a match tomorrow, too! Seigaku versus Fudomine. Sonoko said we're going to watch Seigaku right after we're done with Atobe's match!"
Ren's expression softened at the mention of the name. "Shusuke and Kunimitsu both have a match, then. But that Fudomine team… they have quite a story. I hope those two boys can achieve a good result."
Lucifer tilted her head. "Oh? Is Fudomine very strong?"
"Their captain and coach are both transfer students," Ren explained, his voice taking on a narrative tone. "They were at the center of a rather infamous violent incident. From what I've heard, they were a group of passionate youths who refused to let their tennis club be ruined by a corrupt coach and a complacent school team. So, they resisted. After that…"
"After that, they were likely left without a coach, branded as delinquents," Clow Reed interjected, his voice a low murmur as he continued to write. "A group of passionate youths, forced to bear a stain on their reputation for the sake of their dreams. How very admirable."
The woman beside him let out a dry, exasperated sound. "Listen to you, a man with one foot in the grave, sighing over the passion of others. Funny, I don't recall you ever being that passionate yourself." She swirled the wine in her cup, her eyes glinting. "Then again, looking at that perpetually mischievous smile of yours, I know you could never truly get fired up."
"Ah… I believe mine is a rather healing smile, isn't it?" Clow Reed offered mildly.
"And you think I wouldn't know whether your smile is healing or not?" she retorted.
Clow Reed said nothing more, silently lowering his head and continuing to write.
The woman watched him for a moment, her gaze softening slightly. "But then," she added, her voice barely above a whisper, "you've probably never seen that smile for yourself, have you?"
Clow Reed's hand, poised over the page, froze for a fraction of a second before resuming its elegant script.
Ren glanced at Lucifer, steering the conversation back. "Hmm, it certainly sounds like an exciting day. Seigaku versus Fudomine. I remember a rather interesting kid from Seigaku visited the shop once."
"So you hope Seigaku wins?" Lucifer asked.
"Out of personal sentiment, yes, I suppose I do," Ren admitted. "But isn't the beauty of sports found in all the uncertain possibilities? In that sense, Sonoko has the right idea. Just go and enjoy the matches of the people you know."
"Hmm, I understand… Ah… this feeling is…"
Before Lucifer could finish her sentence, the shop's entrance flared with a brilliant white light. The gentle chime of the bell was followed by the heavy tread of boots on the wooden floor. As the light faded, a man with a shock of green hair and three katanas sheathed at his hip stepped inside.
Both Ren and Lucifer recognized him instantly: Roronoa Zoro.
Ren looked up, a hint of surprise in his calm eyes. "Hmm? Zoro, what brings you here at this hour?"
Zoro didn't answer immediately. He found an empty seat, dropped into it with a heavy sigh, and ran a hand through his hair. "As I thought," he grumbled, his voice thick with frustration. "I should have just come straight to your shop to calm down…"
"Oh? What would you like to eat?"
"Don't talk about eating yet," Zoro cut in, his gaze intense. "First, bring me two pots of your strongest wine!"
"Alright," Ren replied, his expression unreadable.
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