Chapter 457: Shion's Dark History, Kirukiru's Failed Order
Nakiri Mana's sudden declaration made Lucifer and the others pause. Why did she sound like she'd just realized something was missing? They had just been inspecting the venue. How could anything be gone?
Courage voiced their shared confusion. "Eh? What's missing?"
Nakiri Mana pressed a finger to her temple, her brow furrowed in thought. "Ugh… Ah! I remember now! I forgot to write the evaluation forms!"
"What evaluation?"
"This week's employee evaluation forms!"
Hearing this, Lanterby and the other two WGO inspectors felt their lips twitch. To announce something like that right in front of the employees… that was just cold.
"It's time…"
Ren's calm voice cut through the moment as he walked to the entrance, flipping the sign on the door to 'Open'.
Sōryūin Shion's eyes lit up, a playful smile gracing her lips. "Does that mean we can order now?"
"Anytime."
She turned to the newcomers with a confident grin. "There's no menu here. You just say what you want to eat. Any ingredient, any dish—it's all fair game."
Hiratsuka Shizuka paused, her surprise evident. "That's impressive on a whole other level. But surely ingredients like King Salmon would be…"
"Is that what you'd like to order? We have it," Ren replied without missing a beat.
Amou Kirukiru added softly, her voice carrying a hint of pride, "Famous wines from abroad, precious ingredients, rare spices, valuable medicinal herbs—we have everything here."
Sengoku Chihiro scratched her head, looking overwhelmed. "Oh, dear… With so many choices, I have no idea what to get…"
"Baumkuchen."
While Hiratsuka Shizuka and Sengoku Chihiro were still wrestling with their options, Shiina Mashiro's quiet, direct request cut through the air.
Ren paused, a gentle smile touching his lips. "Baumkuchen. An excellent cake, but that can't be a main course. Shall I count it as your dessert?"
Shiina Mashiro gave a small, decisive nod.
"Is there anything else you'd like to eat?" Ren asked softly.
"I don't know…"
He let out a soft sigh, turning his attention to the others. "Shion, Kirukiru, surely you two aren't drawing a blank as well?"
"Of course not," Shion began, "but as for Kirukiru…"
Amou Kirukiru's chin lifted defiantly. "I want to eat…"
"No, you don't."
Her mouth twitched. How did this infuriating man always know what she was about to say? Sōryūin Shion watched the exchange with a mischievous glint in her eye, sensing that Kirukiru was about to have her order thoroughly overridden once again.
Amou Kirukiru did not disappoint. Gritting her teeth, she declared, "I want rum…"
"One strawberry ice cream for dessert. Got it."
"Tsk… I want to drink a Long…"
"One fruit juice for your drink? Understood," Ren interrupted smoothly. "But you don't drink alcohol, do you?"
"Tsk… I refuse!"
Ren sighed patiently. Under the amused and confused gazes of the others, he gently placed a hand on Amou Kirukiru's head.
In a flash of defiance, Kirukiru braced her hands on the table, pushed with her legs, and straightened her expression, preparing to shoot to her feet in protest!
And failed to stand up. The light pressure from Ren's hand was all it took to keep her seated.
"Hahahaha! Kirukiru, that's our girl! The Queen of Failed Orders lives up to her name!" Shion howled with laughter.
Amou Kirukiru's expression soured, but she remained silent. After a long, defeated moment, she muttered, "Fine. I'm not ordering. Shion, you guys do it…"
"With this many people, it has to be Chinese food, right?" Shion took charge immediately. "You can decide on the specific dishes, Ren, but please include two with a sweet and sour profile. Looking at Mashiro, she probably can't handle anything too spicy."
Ren nodded, then asked with a knowing look, "You all plan on drinking, I take it?"
Sōryūin Shion nodded emphatically. "Of course. Anyway, with Kirukiru here, there's no danger. And since we're having Chinese food, it has to be beer."
Ren nodded again, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Not drinking baijiu anymore?"
"Shut up! Don't you dare mention that!"
The sudden, sharp retort made everyone look at Sōryūin Shion with renewed curiosity. Her face tightened as she realized she'd walked right into his trap. It seemed Ren had overheard their earlier conversation after all.
"Alright, I understand. Please wait a moment."
As soon as Ren disappeared into the kitchen, Lucifer and the others immediately fixed their gazes on Sōryūin Shion. She, however, immediately went on the offensive, turning to her friend with a sly smile. "Kirukiru, it seems Ren actually let you have a drink."
Amou Kirukiru narrowed her eyes. "He just doesn't let me drink often, and he never lets me have hard liquor. Beer is fine, especially in a setting like this. But you… you seem to be changing the subject, Shion."
Sōryūin Shion's smile froze. She quickly lowered her head, feigning interest in the tabletop. Seeing their chance, Hiratsuka Shizuka and the others immediately shifted their focus to the one person who would know everything: Sōryūin Akemi.
Akemi instantly tensed up, her posture becoming rigid. No, don't look at me like that! she screamed internally. I'm under enough pressure as it is! She knew all of her older sister's embarrassing stories, some of which she had unfortunately witnessed firsthand.
It couldn't be helped. Most of Shion's most mortifying moments dated back to when she first got together with Ren. Back then, an excited Shion would come home and tell her younger sister everything. Now, Shion regretted every single word.
Lucifer leaned forward, her smile predatory. "Akemi, just tell us this one thing. If Shion tries to do anything, we'll protect you."
Sōryūin Akemi didn't dare utter a sound. Shion breathed a small sigh of relief, but before she could relax, Amou Kirukiru's voice cut in, soft yet firm. "Akemi, with Yumiko and Kirari here, you can say whatever you want. That idiot Shion needs to be disciplined. And don't forget, Auntie Yaksha is here too."
Hiratsuka Shizuka tilted her head. "Auntie Yaksha?"
Sōryūin Shion slumped in her seat with a heavy sigh. "Forget it… I'll just say it myself…"
"Hmm!" came a chorus of eager hums from around the table.
Shion spoke softly, her eyes downcast. "It was the first time I brought Akemi to Ren's shop for dinner. We ordered Chinese food. Back then, the shop was even more deserted than this, so I asked Ren to have a drink with me… Ren said beer would be fine, but I had looked it up and found that baijiu was supposedly the best pairing for Chinese cuisine…"
Lucifer raised an eyebrow. "So, you drank baijiu, and since it was your first time, you choked on the intensity?"
Sōryūin Akemi whispered, unable to help herself, "Not only that… Sister got drunk after just two sips that day…"
"And then?" Hiratsuka Shizuka pressed, her smile widening. "Did she go wild? Act crazy?"
Akemi shook her head and sighed. "No, no, no… After she got drunk, Sister just propped her face up with both hands and kept… smiling at Brother Ren. And then she also… also… acted all cutesy and coquettish. It was… actually quite adorable…"
"Coquettish?!" a few voices exclaimed in disbelief.
"Hahahaha!" The table erupted in laughter.
Sōryūin Shion buried her face in her hands, her cheeks burning. "Enough! Stop laughing! What's wrong with me acting cute for my fiancé?!"
"Sister…" Akemi mumbled, delivering the final blow. "You two had only just started dating then…"
"Akemi!"
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