Chapter 111: Living and Looking Forward
The afternoon sun filtered through the blinds of the second-floor bedroom, casting slats of golden light across the floor. The room was quiet, save for the low hum of the air conditioner and the soft dialogue emanating from the computer screen.
It was a scene of domestic tranquility that belied the intense physical passion that had occurred only an hour prior.
Ren sat against the headboard of the bed. Or rather, he sat against the bare mattress protector. The sheets, bearing the chaotic evidence of their earlier activities, had been stripped away and were currently tumbling in the washing machine downstairs.
Lucifer leaned heavily against Ren's side, her head resting on his shoulder. She was wrapped in a spare blanket, though she was wearing one of Ren's oversized white dress shirts underneath. The fabric swallowed her petite frame, the sleeves rolling down past her hands, making the Queen of Hell look deceptively fragile and domestic.
Her silver hair was a messy halo around her face, and her cheeks still held a faint, lingering flush.
While Ren watched the movie playing on the monitor—a classic human comedy—Lucifer was idly scrolling through her smartphone with one hand, her other hand tracing abstract patterns on Ren's forearm.
"Ren," she spoke up, her voice slightly raspy, lacking its usual imperious bite.
"Hmm?" Ren didn't look away from the screen, where the protagonist was slipping on a banana peel.
"Can you tell me the secret of this shop now?"
Ren paused the movie. The room fell into a sudden, intimate silence. He turned his head, looking down at the silver-haired beauty clinging to his arm.
He smiled gently, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Do you really want to know?"
Lucifer pouted slightly, looking up at him with her crimson eyes.
"After all, this is my home now, isn't it..." she murmured, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I have a right to know what I've married into."
Ren was stunned for a moment. The word 'home' coming from the ruler of the Inferno struck a chord deep within him. He softened his expression, pulling her slightly closer.
"Then, Lucy, what do you think the secret of this shop is?" Ren asked playfully. "You are the wise and ancient Queen of Hell. You can fully use your imagination and deduction skills."
Lucifer hummed thoughtfully. She hugged Ren's arm tighter, pressing it against her chest. She stared at the ceiling, her mind piecing together the anomalies she had observed over the past weeks.
"That Shinonono Tabane woman," Lucifer began, her tone analytical. "She shouldn't be from this world, right? I tried to background check her. I hacked into the government databases—don't look at me like that, it was easy—and I couldn't find any information about the 'IS Academy' or the mechanical exoskeletons she uses in her profile picture. No matter how much I search, the technology doesn't exist here."
[Akarin's Note: Shinonono Tabane is the eccentric genius scientist from Infinite Stratos (IS), responsible for creating the IS technology.]
Ren just smiled, neither confirming nor denying. "And then?"
"And then..." Lucifer turned her gaze to him, her eyes sharp. "Ren, you don't seem like an ordinary human either. I sensed it when we formed the contract, but it's clearer now. And Cerberus... that gluttonous dog. Her life quality, her very essence, improved significantly after she actively signed a contract with you. It wasn't just the food. It was the mana supplied by the connection to this place."
She paused, taking a breath.
"Also, the customers. Some of them carry a scent of... elsewhere."
Ren nodded, impressed. "Is there anything else you want to add?"
Lucifer shook her head. "That's all I have for now. The rest is just intuition."
Ren thought for a moment. Since their relationship had crossed the final line, there was no need to hide the core truth from her anymore. Trust was the foundation of their new dynamic.
Ren leaned in and whispered softly, as if sharing a state secret.
"Because this shop is a singularity. It is a place where guests from Another World can visit."
"Another World?!"
Lucifer sat up straight, forgetting her soreness for a split second. The blanket pooled around her waist. Her eyes widened in genuine shock.
"Does such a thing really exist? Multiversal travel?"
Ren smiled at her reaction. It was rare to see the Queen so flustered.
"Of course it exists. The universe is infinite, Lucy. Every night, when the sign flips, the door connects to random coordinates in the multiverse. A few guests from Another World come in to dine. These worlds might have magic, or highly advanced technology like Tabane's, or be worlds of constant war, or just ordinary worlds different from ours. Anything is possible."
Lucifer took a deep breath, her chest heaving slightly under the white shirt. She nodded slowly, processing the information.
This news shocked her. She was originally a great Archangel, and now the Queen of Hell. She had seen angels, demons, fallen souls, and purgatory. But the confirmation of entirely separate realities—completely disconnected from her jurisdiction—was mind-boggling.
She had originally thought that Shinonono Tabane must have used some advanced spatial magic to teleport from a hidden research facility on Earth. But now it was clear. She was an alien, in the truest sense of the word.
This wasn't just crossing dimensions; it was piercing the veil of reality itself.
Lucifer looked at Ren with a renewed sense of anticipation and curiosity. Her eyes sparkled.
"Can we go to other worlds?" she asked eagerly, grabbing his hand. "I'm very interested in seeing them. Is there a world made of pancakes? Or a world where demons rule openly?"
Ren chuckled, shaking his head. "Not right now, at least. My authority is currently limited to receiving guests. I cannot step through the door to their side. But there will be opportunities in the future as the restaurant levels up. If you want to see these worlds, you can have the guests describe them to you."
Lucifer thought for a while, then slumped back against him, shaking her head.
"Although I really want to see it with my own eyes, I guess descriptions will have to do. After all, everyone isn't exactly idle. I have Hell to manage, you have the shop... But..."
She looked up at him through her lashes.
"I know what you mean," Ren interrupted gently, reading her mind. "You're trying to say that tonight, you want to see what a guest from Another World looks like and how they arrive, right?"
Lucifer nodded vigorously.
"Of course. No problem," Ren assured her. "Fuji Yumiko will also be coming tonight. You can have a good chat with her. She's a regular, but she's from this world. However, the door opens at erratic times. We might get a new guest tonight."
Lucifer could be said to have a very high possessiveness towards Ren. In the past, she might have glared at any woman approaching him. But after the events of the morning, she felt... secure. She knew she was the one in his bed.
She snorted, tossing her hair. "Hmph. I suppose I should assess the quality of your regulars. I need to have a good chat with Yumiko and the others. As the hostess, it is my duty."
Ren smiled. "You've become much more mellow now, my Little Queen."
"I have not!" she protested, poking his side. Then she glanced at the computer screen. "Anyway, change the movie. I don't want to watch horror movies later. They're too grotesque."
"Horror? We were watching a comedy," Ren pointed out.
"I mean for the next one! No horror!"
"Comedy it is. That's fine. Let's finish this, and then we can go out for a bit. You need fresh air."
Lucifer winced slightly as she adjusted her legs. "I... I might need to walk slowly."
Ren looked at her with concern. "Are you okay? If it hurts, we can stay in."
"I'm the Queen of Hell, after all!" Lucifer declared, lifting her chin stubbornly. "What's a small injury like this? Although it's still a bit... uncomfortable... it's fine! Didn't you also say we can't stay in the Shop all day? I want to eat that crepe again."
Although Lucifer had given up her excessively high, toxic possessiveness, as a mature woman who had just experienced intimacy, she had become exceptionally clingy to Ren.
She burrowed back into his side, intertwining her fingers with his. While still tsundere in her speech, her body language screamed of attachment. It was perfectly reasonable for a couple to be clingy when they were alone in their sanctuary.
[Meanwhile - The Fuji Household]
The late afternoon sun bathed the clean, organized room of Fuji Syusuke in a warm orange glow. The room was filled with the scent of earth and greenery. Rows of cacti, meticulously cared for, lined the windowsill.
Fuji Syusuke, the genius of Seigaku, stood by the window with a small watering can. His eyes were open, revealing their sharp, ice-blue hue—a rare sight that usually signaled seriousness.
He put down the watering can and picked up his phone. He stared at a contact name for a long time: Yuta.
He deliberated, his thumb hovering over the call button. The relationship between the brothers had been strained ever since Yuta left for St. Rudolph to escape the shadow of being "Fuji Syusuke's younger brother."
Finally, he sighed and dialed.
Brrring... Brrring...
The call connected after a long time.
"...Hello?"
Just as Fuji Syusuke was about to speak, he heard a very flat, guarded voice on the other end. "Why are you calling me?"
Fuji Syusuke felt a little pang of disappointment hearing that cold tone, but his voice remained gentle and smiling.
"Yuta," he said softly. "Come home today."
"Impossible," Yuta replied instantly. "I have practice. And I don't want to hear your lectures."
"Nee-san wants you to come back tonight," Syusuke said, playing his trump card immediately. "Because Sister and I are going to Shopkeeper Ren's Restaurant today for dinner. She specifically asked for you to come along. She misses you."
There was silence on the other end of the line.
Hearing the names Fuji Yumiko and Ren, Fuji Yuta hesitated. He remembered the food. He remembered the tall, enigmatic chef who treated him not as "Fuji Syusuke's brother," but just as Yuta. And he loved his sister dearly. She was the neutral ground, the one who had sacrificed so much for the family.
"...What time?" Yuta asked, his voice deepening.
Syusuke smiled, his eyes closing back into their usual crescent shapes.
"Six in the evening. You come home first. Sister will pick us up after she gets off work, and we'll drive there together."
Fuji Yuta knew how far St. Rudolph's boarding school was from their home. It was a trek. And going home first meant seeing Syusuke before the dinner. But he couldn't bring himself to inconvenience his sister by making her drive out of her way.
"...Fine," Yuta grumbled. "But I'm only coming for Nee-san and the food. Don't get the wrong idea."
"I know. See you soon, Yuta."
Click.
The call ended.
Fuji Syusuke looked at his phone, a bittersweet smile playing on his lips.
"I hope Shopkeeper Ren can talk some sense into Yuta..." he whispered to his cacti. "Or at least, feed him something that makes him less prickly."
[Atobe Mansion - Private Wing]
On the other side of the city, in a district that screamed old money and prestige, a massive European-style villa stood imposing against the skyline.
Atobe Keigo, the King of Hyotei Academy, had just finished his daily tennis practice. He stepped out of his private shower, wrapped in a high-thread-count bathrobe that cost more than most people's monthly rent.
He towel-dried his hair, walking into a walk-in closet that was larger than Ren's entire living room.
"Kabaji!" Atobe called out, snapping his fingers.
A towering, silent youth stepped out from the shadows. "Usu (Yes)."
"Tonight, we aren't eating the chef's French course," Atobe announced, selecting a casual yet incredibly expensive silk shirt. "Let's go check out Shopkeeper Ren's Restaurant!"
"Usu."
Atobe Keigo looked at the address he had saved on his phone. There was a hint of genuine anticipation in his sharp eyes. He smirked, brushing his hair back.
"Let this Great One see what kind of taste this cuisine has. Rumor has it his cooking is even more amazing than his tennis skill. And after that match with Echizen... I need to gauge this man's true depth."
A butler appeared at the door, bowing low. "Young Master, are you not dining at home tonight? The chef has prepared A5 Wagyu."
"No need. Throw it out. Or give it to the staff," Atobe waved his hand dismissively. "Just have the driver bring the Rolls Royce around. We are going to this location."
The butler glanced at the address—a common shopping district. He hesitated. "Wouldn't it be better to take a helicopter, Young Master? The traffic at this hour..."
"No," Atobe said firmly. "Driving is fine. I want to see the city tonight. The King needs to survey his kingdom occasionally. Help me take care of my racket, and that's all."
"Yes!"
Atobe finished dressing, checking his reflection in the full-length mirror. He looked impeccable.
He walked down the grand staircase, Kabaji following like a loyal shadow. As he settled into the leather interior of the limousine, Atobe checked the time on his phone.
5:15 PM.
He had lost count of how many times he had checked the time in the last hour.
At this moment, as the sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the Tokyo sky in hues of purple and orange, countless people were doing the exact same thing.
They were looking at their phones.
A student waiting for the final bell to ring.
A lover waiting for a text message reply.
An examinee refreshing the page for their results.
A salaryman watching the clock tick towards freedom.
They were all different, living different lives in this vast metropolis. But they were all united by a single, powerful human emotion.
They were living with a heart full of anticipation. They were waiting for the thing they most wanted to see to appear.
The reason why people can live through the mundane struggles of today and face the uncertainties of tomorrow with hope and joy is precisely because of this.
It is the anticipation of the crave. The promise of a good meal, a reunion with family, a moment with a lover, or a challenge from a rival.
For Atobe, it was the taste of the unknown. For Syusuke, it was his brother. For Lucifer, it was a glimpse into a new world.
And for Ren, it was simply opening the door to welcome them all.
[Akarin Note:
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