Chapter 7: Are You Hinting at Me?
The atmosphere in the restaurant was a strange mix of tranquil domesticity and high-tension eating.
Ren, the Shopkeeper, leaned back in his chair behind the counter. He watched the enjoying crowd with a faint smile, pouring himself a cup of tea. The steam curled up from the cup, carrying the scent of jasmine. He opened a book, seemingly absorbed, but his ears were attuned to every sound in his domain.
Rip.
From time to time, a tearing sound would be heard.
Ren didn't even look up. He was used to it. This was Senzaemon Nakiri's family secret technique—or perhaps curse. Known as "The Bursting," it was a phenomenon where the Nakiri clan's clothes would literally shred apart when they experienced truly delicious cuisine. In a sense, it was a very powerful skill, a testament to the chef's prowess, just not a very good influence in public.
Fortunately, Ren's shop had a "self-repairing" enchantment on the furniture, but not on the customers' clothes.
Kobayashi Rindou watched Senzaemon Nakiri change his upper garment for the third time, pulling a fresh yukata from a small bag he carried with him for this exact purpose.
Finally, Ren put down his book, smiled, and said, "Old man, be a little more composed. I told you last time... Don't order those rich-flavored ones if you didn't bring a full wardrobe. You're going to run out of clothes before you run out of appetite."
Senzaemon Nakiri wiped the sweat from his forehead, his chest heaving slightly from the intensity of the flavor. He tied the sash of his new robe. "Hahaha! You're truly amazing, kid. Just this Tempura alone would take many people years to master. The lightness of the batter, the retention of the juice... it's sublime!"
Ren waved his hand dismissively. "No matter how much you flatter me, I won't give you a refill on the Demon King's Shochu. You've hit your limit."
"You little rascal, you really know me," Senzaemon grumbled good-naturedly. "But you're right. I can't drink too much, otherwise my granddaughter will give me a good talking-to. Erina lectured me for a long time last time I came home smelling of your spirits. She thought I was at a hostess bar!"
Ren smiled and shook his head. "Just tell her you were at a library. A library of flavor."
Suddenly, Ren froze. His eyes shifted to the corner table.
The white-haired girl, Riven, was swaying. At this moment, the girl's face was flushed a deep pink, a stark contrast to her pale skin. Her head was bobbing like a fishing float, and her crimson eyes were glazing over, struggling to stay open.
It looked like a sudden relaxation combined with the potent effects of the Demon King's Shochu had hit her all at once. She had fought wars, but she had never fought alcohol of this caliber on a stomach that had been empty for weeks.
Ren walked over, his steps silent. He softly said, "Miss, you look..."
Thud.
Before Ren could finish, the girl directly collapsed onto the table. Her forehead hit the wood with a dull sound, her breathing instantly deepening into a rhythm of deep sleep.
Ren sighed, scratching his cheek. "She's really something, to drink all that strong wine like it was water... I warned her."
Ren quickly tidied up the tableware on the table, moving the empty plates and the wine pot to the kitchen sink. He returned, tilted his head, glanced at the unconscious warrior, and made a decision.
He reached out and helped her up. She was dead weight, completely limber.
Kobayashi Rindou, with an eggplant roll halfway to her mouth, froze. She swallowed and shouted, "Ren! What are you doing? That's a criminal act! You can't just take advantage of a drunk girl!"
Ren rolled his eyes so hard it hurt. "This young lady drank too much, and I don't have her family's contact information. Look at her clothes; she's obviously not from around here. Besides, do you think she looks like she can be woken up? I'm just taking her to the second-floor guest room to rest. You've stayed there before when you were too lazy to go back to the dorms, haven't you?"
Kobayashi Rindou was about to say something else—perhaps a teasing remark about him collecting stray girls—when she saw Ren effortlessly lift the girl.
He scooped her up in a princess carry. Riven, despite her slender frame, was dense with muscle, plus she wore heavy boots and armor remnants.
"She's actually quite heavy..." Ren mumbled, adjusting his grip. "Muscle density is off the charts."
He walked towards the stairs.
He placed the girl on the bed in the spare room on the second floor. He removed her heavy boots and covered her with a blanket, then walked out, without any other actions from beginning to end. He closed the door softly.
Click.
The moment the door clicked shut, the girl on the bed opened her eyes.
Crimson irises glowed in the dark. She was indeed drunk, her head spinning, but to think that drunkenness would make a veteran of the Noxian invasion lose consciousness completely was underestimating her survival instincts. She had learned to sleep with one eye open.
The girl had already decided to knock out Shopkeeper Ren if he tried anything. She had a small dagger concealed in her boot that he hadn't found. She didn't want to kill him—he fed her—but she would have disabled him.
The girl looked at the unfamiliar ceiling. She felt the soft mattress beneath her, softer than any bed she had ever known. She touched the pillow, her fingers sinking into the down.
A hint of confusion appeared on her face.
She glanced at the room's furnishings. It was clean and tidy, illuminated by the moonlight filtering through the window. There were strange objects—a digital clock, a lamp—that looked like high-tech gadgets or magic artifacts.
As she thought, the adrenaline faded, and the alcohol took over again. She truly fell into a deep sleep this time, her body finally accepting the safety.
She left only a dreamlike murmur drifting into the silence:
"Where… exactly is this… paradise…?"
When Ren came downstairs, he saw Kobayashi Rindou staring at him. Her mouth was hanging open so wide you could hang a bottle of soy sauce from it.
Ren smiled and said, "You don't really think I'm someone who takes advantage of others, do you? My taste isn't that opportunistic."
"Hmph! Who knows!" Rindou crossed her arms, puffing out her cheeks. "Anyway, I'm staying tonight! I can't let you do anything bad! I'll be the guardian of virtue! I'll nip your criminal intentions in the bud~"
Ren just sighed, walking back to the counter. "Suit yourself. Oh, by the way, your doll, pillow, and pajamas are in the closet in the other guest room. Go get them yourself. I washed them last week."
"Oh! Yay!" Rindou cheered, her suspicion vanishing instantly.
Senzaemon Nakiri glanced at Kobayashi Rindou, then at Ren. Good heavens, he thought. She said she was just a customer, but she keeps clothes here? She truly is experienced. He finally realized that Kobayashi Rindou wasn't here just for the food; she was aiming for the position of the Boss's Wife. And she was making significant territory gains.
Amou Kirukiru watched this exchange with narrowed eyes. She snorted, feeling like an outsider in this domestic scene.
She stood up, smoothing her skirt. She walked to the counter, placed the money for her meal on the cash register, and then went to the fridge to retrieve her boxed cake.
She looked at Ren and softly said, "I'll come back in a few days. You… better prepare for a rematch."
"Alright. Take care and see you again. Don't drop the cake."
A flicker of anger and frustration flashed in Amou Kirukiru's eyes. He was so casual! But in the end, she said nothing. She picked up the cake, pushed open the door, and walked out into the night. Clearly, this wasn't the first time she had left feeling this mix of admiration and annoyance.
Senzaemon also rubbed his stomach, standing up. "I really wish I could keep eating like this forever. Shopkeeper Ren, are you really not planning to be an honorary teacher at Totsuki? Just teaching occasionally would be fine. A masterclass once a month?"
Ren gently shook his head as he wiped the counter. "I'm not good at dealing with students. I have no patience for basics. Just look at that girl Kobayashi Rindou, and you'll know. I have no way to handle her, and she's the Second Seat."
Kobayashi Rindou snorted from the couch where she was digging for her pajamas. She said nothing, but the smug smile on her lips was unstoppable.
Senzaemon Nakiri placed a wad of bills on the table—far more than the meal cost. "If you don't want to, then don't. But your prices are really too cheap. I really don't know how you make a profit, kid."
Ren put away the money without counting it. He smiled and said, "With my looks~"
"Hahaha! I really have no reason to refute that. You are a handsome devil. Alright! Then I'll see you in a few days!"
"Be careful on your way. I'll look forward to next time."
Senzaemon left, his laughter echoing in the street.
"Shopkeeper Ren…" a small voice piped up.
Akanegakubo Momo stood by the door, clutching Bucchi. She placed some bills on the counter, her face red. "Here's the money… that… the cuisine was delicious… Momo-chan has never eaten such delicious cuisine before. Momo-chan will come again…"
Saying that, she turned and scurried out like a frightened mouse.
Then, two seconds later, she ran back in. She looked around frantically, grabbed Bucchi which she had left on the chair, and then quickly ran out again to chase Senzaemon Nakiri's retreating figure.
"Wait for me, Director!"
Honestly, this dark alley was really terrifying late at night for a small girl.
Only Kobayashi Rindou and Shopkeeper Ren were left in the entire Restaurant.
The silence was comfortable. The shop was warm, smelling of timber and leftover spices.
Ren took a sip of tea and softly said, "You should rest. It's getting late."
Kobayashi Rindou wanted to say something else, to tease him more, but seeing Ren's faint, tired smile, she immediately became obedient. She walked over to the counter.
She leaned over, looking at the book Ren was reading.
"Why… are you reading a magazine about International Pet Selection?" she asked in confusion.
Ren closed the book. "Because I think they're cute. And I've always wanted a pet. A dog, specifically. After all, they can do a lot of things with me. Guard the shop, go for walks..."
Kobayashi Rindou was stunned. Then she chuckled, a low, throaty sound. She sat beside Ren on a stool, leaning close enough that their shoulders touched.
She whispered, her voice sultry, "Ren… Are you hinting at me? Seriously? Why hint? It's better to just say it. It's not like I'll definitely refuse to be your... pet."
Ren froze. He slowly turned to look at her.
He sighed, a long, weary sound. "I really want to scrub your head with a steel wool scrubber to clean out whatever hentai manga you've been reading. I don't know what's in your brain. Go to sleep."
"Together?" Rindou asked, her eyes sparkling.
Ren looked at her. He didn't blink.
"Alright."
Rindou froze.
Ren continued, deadpan, "Take a shower and lie down in my bed. Oh, I like the smell of that orange body wash I bought, use a lot of it."
She had expected Ren to just chase her upstairs to sleep in the guest room. She was just talking; she didn't have the guts for that. She was all bark and no bite.
But she didn't expect Ren, who should have refused, to actually agree!
Kobayashi Rindou's defenses completely broke down. Her face turned atomic red. She jumped off the stool, backing away.
She lowered her head, clutching the hem of her skirt, stammering, "That... Ren... For something like this... I'm not mentally prepared yet... Please... please give me more time! We haven't even held hands properly!"
Ren reached out and tapped Kobayashi Rindou's forehead with his knuckles.
Bonk.
"That's why you shouldn't joke with me like that," he said with a smirk. "I'm not some useless, dense male protagonist from a light novel who gets flustered. I will call your bluff every time."
Kobayashi Rindou rubbed her forehead. She said "Oh," realizing she had been played.
Then she turned and ran upstairs as if fleeing for her life, clutching her pajamas.
Just before disappearing at the top of the stairs, she shouted back, her voice echoing, "It wasn't a joke! I was serious! Just... not tonight!"
After saying that, she vanished into the guest room, slamming the door.
Ren chuckled, shaking his head.
He looked at the empty Restaurant. There were few people, but he didn't feel lonely. The energy of the night still lingered.
He stood up and began tidying up. He wiped the tables, swept the floor, and checked the locks.
Finally, Ren walked over to the table where Riven had sat.
He looked at the girl's broken sword leaning against the chair. It was massive, a slab of green runic metal that hummed with a faint, dying energy.
He reached out to pick it up.
Heave.
His arm strained.
"Hmm? This weight..."
He frowned, testing the balance. It weighed at least a hundred kilograms. For a girl that size to swing this...
"Is this really not just a world with a simple war background?" he mused. "To wield this effectively requires superhuman strength or magic enhancement. And the metal... it's not steel."
He carried it behind the counter and placed it carefully next to the umbrella stand.
"I'll keep it safe for now. Otherwise, if a customer comes later or early the next morning, they might be startled by a giant broken blade..."
Ren turned off the main lights, leaving only a single lamp burning.
"Welcome to the Dimensional Restaurant, indeed."
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