Chapter 338: The Temperamental Patriarch and a Simple Request
Ren didn't dial the number immediately. He sat there, phone in hand, debating whether he should even contact the old man at all. He really, truly didn't want to chat with him.
Meanwhile, in the Kure Clan compound, an old man sat on a plush sofa. He was as ancient as Katahara Metsudo, but his presence was infinitely more fearsome, etched with the harsh lines of a life dedicated to assassination. An eyebrow twitched violently as he stared daggers at the silent phone on the table before him. Behind the sofa, Kure Raian's shoulders were shaking, a hand clamped over his mouth as he desperately tried to stifle his laughter.
"Hmph. Why hasn't that brat called yet?" the old man grumbled, his voice a low growl.
The dam of Raian's restraint finally broke. "Bwahahaha! Old Master, you and that scoundrel Ren really are two of a kind! You can't stand each other! Hahahaha!"
The old man, Kure Erioh, shot a glare over his shoulder. "Raian. Are you absolutely certain Ren is participating in the Kengan Matches?"
Raian wiped a tear from his eye, still chuckling. "That's what the two girls said. When it comes to Ren, their intel is a hell of a lot more accurate than the family's!"
Erioh scratched his head, a gesture of pure frustration. This wasn't right. The boy had stolen not one, but two of his precious granddaughters, yet he hadn't even bothered to make a courtesy call. Was that little punk actually waiting for him to call first?!
The thought sent a jolt of fury through him. "That brat!"
"Eh? Grandpa, are you angry?"
The sudden, sweet voice was like a bucket of ice water on his rage. Erioh's imposing aura vanished in an instant, replaced by a warm, doting smile. "How could I be, Karura? What have you been up to?"
Kure Karura beamed, her smile a beacon of innocence in a clan of killers. "Oh? I just went to the library to borrow some books."
Seeing that pure, untainted expression, so unlike anyone else in the clan, Erioh felt his frayed nerves completely soothed. "If you like a book, just buy it! Going all the way to the library is too much trouble," he said, his voice gentle.
Karura shook her head. "If I bought them, I wouldn't have a reason to go to the library for a while. Besides, it's more fun to go with friends. Grandpa, I'm going to go read now!"
"Mm. What a good child…"
Erioh watched her go, his eyes misty with emotion. But as the warmth of her presence faded, the memory of his grievance returned, and his mood soured once more. His excellent, pure, and adorable Karura had been stolen away, lock, stock, and barrel! And that thief even had the audacity to take another of his granddaughters as a buy-one-get-one-free deal!
"Aaargh! That brat!" he roared, slamming a fist on the armrest.
"Hahahahaha! Just give it up, Old Master," Raian howled, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle. "There's no way you can shake that kid's place in their hearts now! Hahaha!"
"Raian," a calmer voice interjected. "You'd best not provoke him any further."
Back in the shop, Ren had been agonizing over the call for what felt like an eternity. Sonoko sighed, leaning against the counter. "Ren-nii, Old Man Kure probably won't say much, right?"
Ren let out a long-suffering sigh of his own. "The problem with the Kure Clan's monsters is that the ones with a sense of humor are all tsundere. That's what gives me such a headache. Seriously… why are both the Old Master and Raian such textbook tsunderes…?"
Sonoko stared at him, her expression a mixture of disbelief and exasperation. "Huh? Ren-nii, are you serious? You're calling those two monsters 'tsundere'? They're definitely all 'tsun,' but I've never seen a single drop of 'dere'! One is a monster with a creepy grandfather complex, and the other is a raving lunatic. How on earth do you see them as tsundere?!"
Ichihara Yuuko watched the exchange with a curious smile, a fan held lightly to her lips. It seemed she and Kasugano Sora were the only ones out of the loop, which meant something interesting was about to happen.
Ren considered Sonoko's point for a moment. "I'll prove it to you," he said, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Then you'll understand."
With that, he finally tapped the call button. The line was picked up almost instantly. A voice, not old but filled with a calm vigor, came through the speaker. "Ren. He's been waiting for your call."
"Mr. Kure Henzo," Ren greeted him warmly. "I take it the old man is throwing a tantrum right now?"
"You and Raian are truly the two personalities he can't handle," Henzo replied with a hint of amusement. "He's coming over now…"
A muffled shout came from the other end. "Give me the phone!"
The line went silent for a beat, then an old, thunderous roar erupted from the speaker, making everyone in the shop jump. "BRAT! WERE YOU WAITING FOR THIS OLD MAN TO CALL YOU?!"
Ren simply smiled. "Yeah."
On the other end of the line, Kure Raian exploded into another fit of laughter. Kure Henzo let out a delicate cough. Erioh's blood pressure felt like it was about to redline. Didn't this brat understand that he was furious?!
Ren chuckled softly. "Let's not talk about that for now. I just informed Chairman Katahara that I'll be heading directly to the Kengan Ship this time. I'll see you all there."
Hearing this, Erioh's anger seemed to deflate slightly, a relieved sigh escaping his lips. "Good. But since you're not aiming for the championship, you might as well participate in the grand free-for-all on the Doom's Ferry."
"I'd rather not," Ren said smoothly. "I'm afraid I might accidentally eliminate some people who shouldn't be."
"That's what makes you the most difficult type of monster, kid. You always hold on to your humanity," Erioh grumbled. "Fine. I'll see you on the Kengan Ship. As for Raian…"
Erioh paused, casting a subtle, calculating glance at Raian, who was still snickering. "…If you happen to run into Raian, don't hesitate to beat him into a cripple."
On Ren's end, Kasugano Sora and the others stared at the phone in stunned silence. Good heavens, was he serious? Could he really be that casual about it?
Ren sighed dramatically. "Well, with that doctor of yours around, he can survive even if his spine gets twisted into a pretzel, right? I'm honestly impressed. That man's medical skills are practically miraculous."
"How so?" Erioh asked, his curiosity piqued.
"He can save someone whose head has been twisted completely backward, yet a broken arm or leg is treated like a major, life-altering injury. It's a little hard to understand."
"Hmm? Now that you mention it, that does seem ridiculous!" Erioh declared. "Raian! If you run into him, you teach him a good lesson for this old man! Make sure he leaves with a few major injuries!"
"Hey, hey, hey! Old Master! You can't just ask him to do that!" Raian protested.
"You were laid up in bed for a week after he beat you, and you couldn't even lay a finger on him. I think he's more than capable," Erioh retorted dismissively. "Besides, you won't die. Just lie there and recover."
"Tsk… I'll kill that scoundrel Ren sooner or later!" Raian snarled. "And you, Old Master, you're being exceptionally petty! You're just throwing a tantrum because Ren swept the girls away and then didn't call you! There's no need to drag me into it!"
"This old man has always been magnanimous!" Erioh roared back.
Hearing this, Ren decisively ended the call. He didn't need to guess what would happen next. He could just leave Kure Henzo to clean up the mess. It was all too easy.
Sonoko nodded slowly, processing what she'd just heard. "Hmm… I never thought those two had that side to them… But that Raian really is overconfident. Ren-nii! Beat him!"
"Agreed!" came a chorus of three voices.
Ichihara Yuuko smiled, her eyes crinkling. "Although I don't quite understand the full story, his arrogant behavior towards you just now was truly irritating. So… beat him."
"Yep!" came the unified reply from four determined girls.
[Akarin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/AkarinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/AkarinTL
🔗 All My Links: linktr[.]ee/AkarinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]