Chapter 81: Jinx's "Meal Fee"
Jinx looked at Cerberus, who was cuddling shamelessly in Ren's arms, her fluffy ears twitching happily. Inexplicably, Jinx felt a little uncomfortable, a bit choked up. It was a feeling she usually buried under layers of gunpowder and manic laughter—the feeling of being an outsider looking in at warmth she didn't have.
Finally, she spoke, her voice a little sharper than intended. "Ren, who is this? Did you adopt a stray while I was talking to Mira?"
Before Ren could speak, Cerberus said directly, puffing out her chest, "Cerberus! Master's family! Who are you? Are you Master's friend? You look so cool! Like a blueberry pop-tart!"
Jinx was startled. She crossed her arms and huffed, "This scoundrel Chef… this bad Chef and I are not friends! He even stole my gun! He's my... jailer! For the night!"
Cerberus looked up at Ren, then whispered loudly, "Master, Master, Master! Is this one a tsundere like Lucifer…? She says no but her eyes say 'feed me'."
Ren heard this and smiled, ruffling Cerberus's hair. "Yes~. Jinx is indeed a bit tsundere, but she's also quite cute, isn't she? Generally speaking, tsundere girls are quite cute once you get past the thorns. You can tell by looking at Lucifer."
Cerberus nodded sagely, then jumped down from Ren's arms with surprising agility. She landed in front of Jinx and tilted her head. "Eh? So your name is Jinx! It feels like a very meaningful name! Does it mean 'explosion'?"
"The meaning of Jinx is Jinx!" Jinx declared, striking a pose.
"Oh, oh! What a cool way to put it! So the meaning of Cerberus is Cerberus!"
Jinx grinned, her mood lightening instantly. "Hey! I like the way you talk! You get it! Your name is Cerberus, right? Like the three-headed dog?"
"Mm, mm, mm! But I only have one head right now! It's more convenient for hats!"
Watching the very compatible Cerberus and Jinx interact, Ren smiled and shook his head. In a sense, their personalities were truly very similar—chaotic, energetic, and unfiltered. But Cerberus wouldn't go around causing destruction (unless it was accidental); at least, she was quite well-behaved when she was by his side. Jinx, on the other hand, was a walking disaster zone.
Lucifer might have eaten too much last night, or perhaps the emotional toll of the 'Crepe Wars' was too high, so she showed no signs of waking up even now. She was likely still sleeping soundly under her blankets in her room, dreaming of chocolate conquest.
Ren looked at the fully brightened sky outside the window. The sun was now properly up, casting long morning shadows into the shop.
He turned to Jinx. "I didn't expect you and Cerberus to get along so well. It seems you have a lot to talk about."
Jinx swung her braids, which nearly knocked over a salt shaker. "Of course! Cerberus is my friend! The most interesting friend so far! She understands the importance of snacks!"
Cerberus's innocent liveliness combined with Jinx's mischievous personality was a dangerous mix, but also a harmonious one. It's no wonder they got along so well. To be precise, such personalities can get along with anyone who doesn't judge them instantly. Unless it's an ice queen, but even if it were an ice queen, they wouldn't do anything to harm people like them—after all, such warmth and cuteness are disarming.
"Oh! It's dawn! The sun is attacking!" Jinx shielded her eyes dramatically. "Looks like I should go back! The shadows are fading!"
Cerberus looked at Jinx with some reluctance. Her ears drooped slightly. "Leaving already?"
It was the first time Jinx had been looked at like this—with genuine sadness at her departure, not relief. The feeling wasn't bad. It was actually... nice.
Ren walked behind the counter. He disabled the spatial lock and took all of Jinx's weapons from the shelf. He returned them to Jinx, handing over the massive shark-mouthed rocket launcher first.
Ren smiled at her. "Are these friends or partners now?"
Because of her chat with Cerberus and the night of safety, Jinx had completely reverted to her usual little maniac self—but happier. After taking her weapons and strapping Pow-Pow to her back, she made a shooting gesture at Ren with her finger.
Bang!
"I can confirm that Fishbones is still my best partner! He never talks back! But... human friends are definitely a cool thing! They give you food!"
"You like cool things."
"I like cool things!"
Ren and Jinx spoke almost simultaneously.
Jinx was startled, then narrowed her eyes playfully. "How did you know I was going to say that? Do you like them too? Are you cool?"
"No one dislikes 'cool', because 'cool' is a good word. As for why I knew you were going to say that... it's because you're still very easy to understand, provided one observes carefully. You wear your heart on your sleeve, Jinx."
Jinx pouted. "You really should get a doctor's license and become a psychologist! You're annoying like that!"
"Mm! I'll consider your suggestion. Dr. Ren has a nice ring to it."
"Hey! Wait! Are you serious?!" Jinx panicked slightly. "No, no, no! If you do that, there won't be all this delicious food! Doctors don't cook! They just prescribe pills!"
Ren laughed. "Just teasing you~. Why would I be a doctor when I can be a chef? Hurry back, you still have things to deal with, right? Enforcers to annoy?"
Jinx nodded, adjusting her gear. Then she said to the somewhat reluctant Cerberus, "Cerberus! I'm off! See you in a while! Don't let him starve you!"
"Oh! Bye-bye, Jinx!"
Jinx hoisted her machine gun, turned, and skipped towards the shop door.
She put her hand on the handle. Looking at the soft white light before her, Jinx was a little lost in thought for a split second. The warmth of the shop clung to her.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something crucial, she showed a wide, impish smile that stretched from ear to ear.
"Hey! Bad Chef!"
Ren looked up from wiping the counter. "Hmm?"
"I haven't paid for the meal yet, have I~? Mirajane paid for hers, but I have a debt!"
Looking at Jinx's mischievous expression, Ren felt a sudden premonition—his "trouble sense" was tingling. But he still smiled and said, "The experiences you shared tonight are enough, and Mirajane's gold coin is also enough to cover your meal fee ten times over."
Jinx shook her head violently. "No! I'm not someone who eats without paying! I have my pride! Here's your meal fee! Catch!"
Jinx reached behind her back, pulled out a fruit-sized object, and threw it in a high arc towards Ren.
Then she laughed—a manic, joyful cackle. "See you in a bit, Ren! Thanks for the grub!"
With that, Jinx ran directly into the white light of the door and vanished.
Ren looked up. When he clearly saw the object flying towards him, his mouth twitched.
It was a Flame Chomper. A grenade with a metal shark-like head... And that head was even opening and closing its jaws as if it were alive, chattering as it flew.
Chomp. Chomp. Chomp.
Cerberus didn't know what it was. She only assumed Jinx had really sent over a gift or a toy, and reached out to catch it with the reflexes of a fetch champion.
"Ball!"
Before Ren could even speak or cast a shield, he saw Cerberus catch it steadily in both hands.
Cerberus held the grenade, which was still moving as if biting the air, and asked in confusion, "Master, Master, Master! What is this meal payment from Jinx? It moves! Is it a pet?"
Ren's mouth twitched. "Cerberus, drop it—"
Just as he was about to rush over, the grenade's mouth suddenly stopped moving. It let out a little hiss.
The next moment...
POOF!
The Chomper Grenade exploded....
However, there was no fire. No shrapnel. No destruction.
Instead, it released a massive cloud of pressurized paint. Pink, neon blue, and bright yellow.
It wasn't too big or too small in scope—just enough to cover Cerberus completely and splash Ren from chest to face with colorful, sticky paint.
Silence filled the shop.
Ren stood there, looking like a modern art masterpiece. Cerberus blinked, her white eyelashes now neon pink. She wiped her face, revealing a streak of white skin under the blue.
She turned to look at Ren.
Then she couldn't help it.
"Pfft... Hahahaha!"
She burst out laughing, clutching her stomach. "Master! You look like a rainbow! You're sparkly!"
Ren, annoyed but relieved it wasn't a real bomb, walked over and pinched Cerberus's paint-covered cheek. "Don't laugh yet, you're the same. You look like a cotton candy accident."
Cerberus's ears twitched, scattering yellow droplets. She grinned. "But..... Master! This is so fun! So interesting! It smells like bubblegum! Next time I see Jinx, I should ask her for two! We can have a paint war!"
Ren looked at the messy dog and the messy floor, and despite himself, he smiled. "Hmm, it is quite fun, in a chaotic way. It looks like we need to go up and take a shower now. Breakfast might have to wait a bit, is that okay?"
"Mm-hmm-hmm! Bath time!"
"You two.... What are you doing?"
Just as the two colorful figures decided to go back to their rooms to wash off the paint, they saw a fully dressed (and pristine) Lucifer walking down the stairs, yawning elegantly.
She stopped dead on the last step.
Seeing them in this state—dripping with neon paint—Lucifer was stunned. Her jaw dropped slightly.
She had only woken up a little late. Why did it feel like she had missed a whole world war?
"Did... did a unicorn explode in here?" she asked, bewildered.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the dimension.
In an old, abandoned but strangely tidy safehouse in Zaun, Jinx lay on her mattress, surrounded by her drawings and gadgets.
She was covering her mouth, her body twitching. Finally, she couldn't hold it back anymore.
"Hehehe... HAHAHAHA!"
She rolled around on the bed with laughter, imagining the Chef's face covered in her signature pink paint. "Direct hit! Bullseye!"
However, she didn't stay there laughing endlessly at her prank. The laughter faded into a quiet chuckle, then silence.
She wiped away a tear of laughter from her eye. She stared at the ceiling, where she had painted a blue cloud.
She stretched her arms. "Where should I blow up next.....?"
She paused.
"It's still a bit more comfortable at that Chef's place.... It was warm."
She grabbed Fishbones and hugged the cold metal. A determined grin spread across her face.
"But..... Piltover's Cops! Get ready! The brand new, well-fed Jinx is back! And I have energy to burn! Hahahahaha!"
[Akarin Note:
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