Chapter 88: The Magic of a Picnic, Lunch Should Be Pleasant
Atobe Keigo was now full of intense interest in Ren. Oshitari Yushi and the other Hyotei members were the same. A man with such overwhelming power, who wasn't a professional athlete, but a chef? It was a riddle wrapped in an apron.
They were all wondering what kind of taste the food had to have to warrant such high praise from someone as stoic as Tezuka. Could food really grant such strength?
Meanwhile, Fuji Yumiko didn't bother chatting with these pubescent brats who were still picking their jaws off the floor. She chatted happily with Lucifer on the bench.
Just like before, people from different worlds and different professions can achieve very clever misunderstandings. Lucifer and Fuji Yumiko were talking about "performance issues" and "employee management."
"Sometimes, you just have to crack the whip, or they start slacking off and stealing office supplies," Lucifer complained, referring to lesser demons stealing souls.
"Exactly," Yumiko nodded, referring to her junior colleagues stealing staplers. "Discipline is key. Though I prefer a gentle reminder before escalation."
"I prefer fire. But gentle is good too."
Strangely, there was nothing wrong with the flow of conversation.
Fuji and Tezuka also seemed to be stimulated by Ren's display of strength. They both took the initiative to practice tennis with renewed vigor, the rhythmic thwack of the ball echoing across the court. Atobe and the others also found empty courts to play on, their earlier arrogance replaced by focused determination.
Compared to the professional-level tennis playing around them, the style of Ren and Cerberus on the far court was... unorthodox.
Ren would hit a gentle lob. Cerberus wouldn't swing her racket. Instead, she would drop it, sprint on all fours, jump into the air, catch the ball with her hands (barely resisting the urge to use her mouth), and then run over to give it to Ren with a beaming smile before running back to the baseline to wait for the next one.
"Master! Again! Throw it higher!"
Ren looked at the slightly slobbery tennis ball in his hand and didn't know what to say for a moment. It really was a dog's nature. But seeing her happy tail-wagging, he figured this was more effective exercise than actual tennis.
"Okay, go long!"
Just as everyone was gradually getting into the swing of things, they saw a short-haired girl running up the stairs, panting but energetic. She wore a trendy outfit and a headband.
The moment he saw this girl, Atobe Keigo felt a headache coming on.
"Hey! Brat! Where's Brother Ren!" Suzuki Sonoko shouted, scanning the courts.
Atobe Keigo directly lost the mood to catch the ball. He shouted unhappily while holding his racket, "Hey! Old woman! You're very noisy! Can't you see for yourself? He's diagonally in front of you, playing fetch with a girl!"
Sonoko glared at him, about to retort with a scathing remark about his hair, when she saw Ren walking over with a Cerberus who seemed to be vibrating with joy.
Her expression instantly softened. "Brother Ren! Cerberus-chan!"
Seeing Ren and seeing Atobe, Sonoko's attitude was completely different—like switching from a thunderstorm to a sunny day. She ignored Atobe and walked over gently.
"Atobe called me just now and said you guys were here. Eh... I remember you're Cerberus, right? From the chat?"
Cerberus nodded enthusiastically and then thought for a moment. "Ah! You're Sonoko! That Sonoko who was tricked so badly by Kirari! The one who lost the bet about the pudding!"
Suzuki Sonoko's mouth twitched violently. She knew that Cerberus was a very simple and naturally naive child, otherwise she would have assumed it was an insult.
"Kirari?" Sonoko huffed, crossing her arms. "That black-bellied monster only won two cups of coffee at most! I wasn't tricked! I was just... being generous! I let her win!"
Ren shook his head with a smile. In a sense, Kirari Momobami liked to tease Sonoko because it was so easy. They were both daughters of wealthy families, but Sonoko was obviously much simpler, kinder, and wore her heart on her sleeve. She was loyal and passionate, if a bit clumsy. Kirari likely found her reactions entertaining in a world of boring, calculative elites.
Ren said with a smile, "Let's go to Yumiko and the others first. How did you get here so fast?"
"By taxi! I told the driver to step on it!"
Ren was stunned for a moment. "You really are unusually rich~. It's not like we're leaving right away, you didn't need to rush."
Sonoko smiled and then waved to Fuji Yumiko. "Sister Yumiko!"
Fuji Yumiko waved back. She introduced Sonoko to Lucifer. "This is Sonoko. She's usually very lively. I remember you seemed to have chatted with Sonoko for a while in the group, right?"
Lucifer nodded, looking at the girl. "Yes, I remember her. She's the one who sends all the cat stickers. She's a very lively child. But why does she tie her hair up with that band? It feels like she would look much prettier if she let her bangs down."
"You're right," Yumiko agreed. "But Sonoko seems to like this look quite a bit. Perhaps she wants to show off her forehead?"
Just as the two were chatting, Ren, Sonoko, and Cerberus joined them. Seeing Fuji Yumiko, Sonoko hugged her. When she saw Lucifer's perfect figure and delicate, otherworldly face up close, she gasped.
"Lucifer-sama! You and Cerberus are indeed much better looking than in the photos! You look like a supermodel! Are you single?"
Ren handed Sonoko a bottle of water. Before he could speak, a loud sound interrupted them.
Gurgle...
It was the sound of an empty stomach. A very loud one.
Ren was stunned and looked around before his gaze landed on Sonoko, who was turning bright red.
Sonoko said somewhat awkwardly, clutching her stomach, "I... I forgot to eat breakfast...."
"You haven't eaten for so long? It's almost noon. Is something the matter?"
Sonoko sighed dramatically. "I agreed with Ran-chan today to go buy clothes later, so I started doing my homework as soon as I got up in the morning to free up the afternoon. It's not fair! Why doesn't Kirari need to do homework? She's always playing games!"
Yumiko said softly, "Because she is the Student Council President, and her grades are consistently at the top. She probably memorized the textbooks already. Genius is unfair."
Sonoko groaned.
Ren looked at the time. "It's about time for lunch anyway. Then let's find a place to eat. I brought food. Fuji, Tezuka, let's eat together. I still remember what you like to eat."
The two tennis players nodded, wiping their sweat.
As Ren and the others gathered their things to leave the court, Atobe Keigo watched them go. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel.
"Restaurant, huh... Interesting..." he muttered. "Oshitari, it's your serve. Don't bore me."
Ren and the others found a wooden pavilion near the river, shaded by trees. Ren took the large, multi-tiered bento boxes from Cerberus's hand (who had been guarding them with her life).
"Fuji," Ren said with a smile as he unpacked. "It seems you had this planned all along. You picked a spot with tables."
Fuji said softly, "I had a bit of that intention. When the season is right, the surrounding trees will be full of cherry blossoms. It's very beautiful here in spring."
"Eh? That's really nice. Let's eat first, otherwise Sonoko might faint from hunger and roll down the hill."
Sonoko rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to faint! But it's been a long time since I've eaten Brother Ren's cooking outside of the shop. I'm a little excited~."
"Then eat a little more."
Ren opened the boxes.
He didn't make individual bento boxes for everyone; instead, he prepared a feast of shared dishes. There were Karaage (fried chicken), Tamagoyaki (rolled omelet), potato salad, grilled salmon, and colorful Onigiri.
However, he placed a special, separate lacquer box in front of Tezuka.
"I guessed that Fuji might call you over, so I prepared this for you specifically."
Tezuka was stunned after opening the lid.
What caught his eye was long strips of Grilled Eel (Unagi), glazed with a rich, dark sauce, resting on a bed of white rice. The eel glittered in the sunlight.
Tezuka pushed up his glasses to hide his emotion. "It's Unagi..."
"Of course. I remember very clearly that you like to eat this. It's good for stamina. By the way, add the tea yourself~."
Ren took out a thermos from the bag. It contained a hot, savory dashi-green tea blend.
Tezuka had always liked Hitsumabushi (Nagoya-style eel on rice), and the final way to eat it was as Ochazuke (tea over rice). Knowing that he might come, Ren specially prepared this for him.
Tezuka's eyes lit up as he poured the fragrant, steaming tea over the eel and rice. The aroma of roasted eel and nori wafted up, mixing with the fresh scent of the park.
For tea-soaked rice, the process of pouring the tea is sacred. It transforms the dish, merging the flavors into a warm, comforting soup.
"Itadakimasu."
Accompanied by bursts of tea fragrance and the crunch of fried chicken, everyone's appetite was fully aroused.
After exercising in the sun, being able to enjoy your favorite food... eating delicious meals outside with friends and family...
Listening to the sounds of nature, feeling the cool breeze blowing past... the fresh taste it brings is the magic that a picnic reveals.
Lunch should be pleasant, shared, and full of anticipation. And today, it certainly was.
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