"Hey, Ren, isn't there something you want to say to me?" Yuki asked, tilting her head slightly to the left.
The movement subtly showcased the curves of her body beneath her casual outfit.
"You want me to compliment your appearance, don't you?" Ren caught her intention at a glance.
"So you noticed, huh…" Yuki was slightly surprised but quickly shifted to a pout. "I thought you were a dense guy like a loser romcom protagonist. Wait! If you knew from the start, why didn't you say anything? Minus 100 points!"
She stomped her foot on the ground, feigning annoyance.
"That's such a clichéd routine, I'm too lazy to play along. Besides, I prefer seeing women without clothes." Ren replied casually, without a hint of shame.
"Whoa, you can say something so shameless in public without changing your expression!" Yuki widened her eyes, pretending to shudder as if looking at non-recyclable kitchen waste. "Ren, just how low are your morals? Disgusting!"
"Enough with the jokes, Yuki. Did you ask me out just to tease me?" Ren was starting to lose patience.
"Tsk. Your patience is as thin as tissue, isn't it, Ren?" Yuki huffed. "I'm hungry. Let's eat first. I know a great place."
Without rushing to reveal her true intentions, Yuki turned and began walking, leading Ren toward a spot amidst Shinjuku's bustle.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Ten minutes later, they arrived in front of a building.
"This is your idea of a great place to eat? Your taste is… unique, Yuki." Ren said, his eye twitching.
Before him stood a ramen shop with bold red decor, exuding a striking and slightly intimidating vibe. Above the entrance, a sign displayed the shop's name: The Cauldron of Hell!
"I guarantee the taste is authentic. Come on, let's go in."
Without checking if Ren could handle spicy food, Yuki entered with a cheerful expression.
"This girl…" Ren sighed softly.
Even so, he didn't dislike hyperactive girls like Yuki. True, he preferred women with gentle, submissive personalities. But a change of flavor now and then wasn't bad. Yuki was intriguing in her own way.
*DING!*
Entering the ramen shop, Ren observed the interior.
Overall, the layout wasn't much different from other ramen shops, with a bar counter facing an open kitchen and a few small tables scattered around. However, two things stood out: the walls were painted a fiery red, and several menacing oni masks were displayed on them, enhancing the "hellish" atmosphere.
As Ren sat across from Yuki, she promptly handed him the menu. Ren took it and opened it, his eyebrows rising at the list of dish names.
[The Cauldron of Hell]
> Hell's Blood Pool — 810 yen.
> Hell's Needles — 1010 yen.
> Infinite Hell — 1260 yen.
"What kind of names are these? I don't understand a single one. Yuki, this isn't your first time here, right? Give me a quick rundown." Ren said, giving up on deciphering the bizarre menu names and opting for the simpler solution of asking Yuki directly.
"Hell's Blood Pool is ramen with a red-based broth." Yuki explained, her smile widening. "It's not too spicy, just mildly warming. Hell's Needles, on the other hand, is spicy like needles piercing your tongue. The sensation is sharp and immediate."
"Lastly, Infinite Hell is said to be so spicy it numbs you after eating it. It's the highest level here."
Yuki explained it all with a dazzling smile, captivating several male customers in the shop who occasionally glanced their way.
With its spicy ramen concept and intimidating decor, it was no surprise that The Cauldron of Hell wasn't popular among women. Yuki was the only female customer at the time. Plus, a ramen shop with such a name and menu wasn't the typical choice for couples on a date.
"I recommend Infinite Hell~" Yuki said, her eyes sparkling as if it were the best choice in the world.
"No thanks." Ren refused firmly. "I don't want a stomachache. Even though my spice tolerance is decent compared to the average Japanese palate, I'm not here to torture myself. I'm not a masochist."
"Ara~ based on your words, doesn't that make me a masochist?" Yuki grinned, her smile full of meaning. "Between S or M, I'm an S~"
"Thanks for the useless information, Yuki." Ren rolled his eyes.
Ending the odd conversation, Ren informed the waiter of his order: Hell's Blood Pool. Meanwhile, Yuki proudly ordered Hell's Needles.
After the waiter noted their orders and headed to the kitchen to inform the chef, Yuki spoke again.
"By the way, Ren, do you know what's going on with Masachika? Lately, he's been looking depressed, like a zombie who hasn't eaten human flesh in ages."
Discussing her older brother, Yuki dropped her playful demeanor and looked serious.
"Something like that? Sorry, I don't know. Since summer break started, we haven't been in touch."
That was a lie.
In truth, Ren knew exactly why Masachika was depressed. After all, he was the mastermind behind it!
To satisfy his perverse sense of superiority, Ren had sent Masachika a video of Alya—the woman Masachika liked—having sex with him.
At the start of the video, Alya's face was partially censored with a faint black horizontal bar, barely concealing her identity.
Naturally, Masachika, who was close to Alya, felt the woman in the video was strikingly similar to the girl he liked. But thanks to the faint censorship, he clung to the hope that it was just someone who looked very much like her, not Alya herself.
Unfortunately, that hope shattered when Masachika received a live stream invitation from the video's sender. In the stream, the woman's face was no longer censored, clearly revealing Alya's beautiful Russian-Japanese features that he knew so well. Thus, Masachika confirmed it was indeed her.
Naturally, no victim of NTR (Netorare) could escape stress and frustration after such an experience.
Though Masachika was a prodigy and genius in his field, he was still a human vulnerable to heartbreak and betrayal. He wasn't exempt from deep emotional suffering.
Of course, Ren didn't tell Yuki this cruel truth, as she was Masachika's younger sister.
"I see… If you hear anything, please let me know right away."
Disappointed at getting no clues, Yuki sighed.
Soon after, their ramen orders arrived. Two large bowls were placed on the table, steaming hot.
The spicy chili aroma from Ren's Hell's Blood Pool was so strong it made his nose itch. He glanced at his bowl, then at Yuki.
Ren watched as she eagerly devoured her ultra-spicy Hell's Needles ramen, a look of pure satisfaction on her face. Beads of sweat were already forming on her forehead, but Yuki didn't care one bit.
"Ah~ this is it! This spiciness is the best!" Yuki exclaimed, closing her eyes briefly to savor the burning sensation on her tongue.
She ate voraciously, as if the ramen were the most delicious dish in the world, completely unbothered by its extreme spiciness.
"You're not eating, Ren?"
Wiping her lips with a tissue, Yuki teased, hoping to see Ren struggle with the spice and maybe yell for water.
"Alright."
Seeing through Yuki's hidden motive, Ren didn't care. He simply picked up his chopsticks, stirred the ramen briefly, and began eating from his bowl.
He ate calmly, occasionally sipping the broth.
"…"
After a few moments, Yuki waited for Ren's reaction, but he remained composed, his expression unchanged. Disappointed that her plan failed, she clicked her tongue in frustration.
"Tsk."