Chapter 439: Aoandon: Who is Kirari?
The long hours of the night often ushered in unexpected guests. Shortly after the last visitor departed, another familiar face appeared at the door—Kobayashi, who had been here once before. She declared that since the next day was Saturday, she intended to drink herself into a stupor and sleep straight through till noon.
She placed her usual order, but this time with an added portion of beef fried rice. It seemed she was famished; the grind of overtime was a harsh master.
According to Kobayashi, she had tried to visit once before, only to find the diner closed. Now, she realized it had been under renovation. Kobayashi wasn't the introverted type, and after a couple of drinks, she easily fell into a comfortable conversation with Ren.
Watching them, Yakumo Yukari nodded in quiet approval. Yes, she thought, ordinary humans are truly the most fascinating. It was a relief to see that Ren's establishment still attracted its share of perfectly normal patrons.
Upstairs, the late-night gathering had long since dispersed. Kasugano Sora, of course, had no intention of resting. She was already back at her computer, diving headfirst into another gaming session. After all, there was no sleep in the competitive grind. As she muttered complaints about her teammates, the sky outside the window slowly bled from inky black to the faintest shade of deep blue.
"Phew… Still as delicious as ever," Kobayashi sighed, content. "Boss, your prices are still criminally low. You could easily double them and no one would bat an eye."
Ren, looking at the slightly flushed and swaying woman, simply smiled. "If my prices were that high, I would have opened up in a much busier district."
"That's true… Say, Shopkeeper… could you pack me a side dish and a bottle of wine to go? I don't think I'll be able to make it out again today… hic…"
Ren chuckled and shook his head, disappearing back into the kitchen. A few moments later, he returned with a neatly packed bag containing her order. After settling the bill, Kobayashi clutched her head, bid him farewell, and stumbled out into the pre-dawn quiet.
Lucifer watched her go, a faint smile on her lips. "It's rare to see a completely normal human around here."
"Hmm? What about the old man? Isn't he normal?" Ren asked.
"Does a normal person shred a new set of clothes every time he gets serious?"
"Uh… fair point," Ren conceded. "But Saitama is… well, Saitama is one of a kind. What about Fuji?"
Lucifer scoffed. "Do you think I haven't watched Fuji play tennis? Can anything he does with that ball be explained by science? To quote Sonoko and Yuko: 'I understand all the words you're using individually, but when you string them together to describe what he does on a tennis court, it just breaks my brain.'"
"It is a bit absurd," Ren admitted, "but he's definitely human… for now, at least. Who knows what he'll be considered in the future."
"Eh? You can't be serious."
Ren just shook his head. "Who can say? This is a world where a tennis ball can be hit with the same explosive force as a hand grenade."
"Huh?"
Four voices echoed in surprise, though Aoandon's was born more of confusion than shock—the concept of a 'hand grenade' was entirely foreign to her.
Yakumo Yukari felt a growing sense of validation. Her decision not to immediately agree to link their worlds had been the correct one. Good heavens, the inhabitants of this dimension were far too terrifying.
Ren stretched his arms high above his head. "Mmm, another night gone. That was certainly an interesting one."
Aoandon glanced out the window at the lightening sky, then settled back into her seat, showing no intention of leaving. Yukari, however, watched as Yuuka Kazami rose from her stool. "Are you finally heading back?" she asked.
Yuuka Kazami gave a slight nod. Yukari then turned her attention to Ren. "Mr. Shopkeeper, what's the total for our bill?"
"That will be one thousand two hundred yen."
"Eh?! Is that all?!"
Yukari was stunned. She knew exactly what kind of steak and red wine she'd consumed. Having already confirmed that the ingredients of this world were identical to her own, she was well aware she'd just enjoyed a prime filet mignon and a bottle of Lafite.
Before Yuuka Kazami could utter a word, Yukari placed the money on the counter and whisked her companion away, the two vanishing into the morning air. Ren watched them go, a small smile playing on his lips. "She really is a very considerate youkai."
"That's just common sense," Lucifer said lazily. "Thinking like Aoandon and assuming nothing is the default. Otherwise, you never know what kind of trouble you might invite."
"So, Lucifer," Ren asked, wiping down the counter, "what are your plans for today?"
"Haven't decided. What are you up to?"
"Me? I was thinking of heading to the bookstore. The new volume of a manga I'm following should be out. I'm going to pick up a copy."
Lucifer considered this for a moment. "In that case, I'll tag along. I could use a new comedy series to read. What about you, Pandora?"
"Hmm? Me?" Pandora mumbled, already half-asleep. "I'm going home to bed."
"Typical," Lucifer sighed. "And you, Aoandon?"
The quiet youkai thought for a moment. "I would like to go for a walk."
Ren paused, a thoughtful look on his face. "Going for a walk while carrying a lantern… it's not impossible, I suppose. People would probably just think it's cosplay. How about you come to the bookstore with us? I'm fairly certain they have a horror novel section."
"Eh?" Aoandon's eyes lit up, her usual placid demeanor vanishing in a flash of excitement. "Please, I would be honored if you would take me!"
Just as she finished speaking, the sound of footsteps on the stairs announced a new arrival. Courage appeared, stifling a yawn. Her eyes landed on Aoandon, and she tilted her head in confusion. "Eh? Kirari, you cosplay too?"
Ren smiled patiently. "She's not Kirari. This is Aoandon… as in, the actual youkai."
"Oh!" Courage's eyes widened in understanding. "So she's that legendary youkai. I never would have imagined… she's so beautiful! And your hair is amazing! How do you get it to do that?"
Aoandon simply offered a silent, graceful nod.
"Courage, what are you doing up so early?" Ren asked.
"Huh? Oh, I set my alarm wrong. It's fine, though," she said, waving a dismissive hand. "Hey, Ren, are you heading to the gym for boxing practice today?"
"Bookstore, actually."
"I see," Courage nodded. "Well, in that case, we're off to check on the site and the construction progress. It's going to be a long day."
"Why are three Executive Officers, plus Mana as a Special Executive Officer, and Lanterby, a Second-Class Officer with special privileges, all supervising a construction site? Doesn't the WGO have any male officers?"
"We do," Courage replied casually, "but the three of us and Lady Mana are on routine duty. Lanterby's just tagging along to watch the show. Oh, and Cerberus is coming with us."
Lucifer gave a slight nod, saying nothing. As long as she wasn't forced to work with Cerberus alone, she didn't care. She had developed a genuine phobia of partnering with that woman; trouble only ever seemed to brew when it was just the two of them.
Just then, another figure descended the stairs. It was Cerberus. Her eyes immediately fixed on the silent woman by the counter.
"I… Eh? Kirari?"
Aoandon tilted her head, her expression a mask of pure, innocent confusion. "Hmm? Who exactly is this 'Kirari'…?"
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