Chapter 429: The Girl on the Paper Lantern
Yakumo Yukari let out a contented sigh, a feeling of deep satisfaction washing over her. She felt like she could simply curl up and sleep for a century, a well-fed, lazy cat basking in the sun. This life… it was far too pleasant. No, it was downright sinful.
Although she had taken small, delicate bites, a perfect demonstration of a lady's decorum, she couldn't help but devour her meal with surprising speed. Before she knew it, the last piece of steak was gone. She thought she might have eaten too quickly, but a glance across the table revealed that Yuuka Kazami had already finished her own plate.
A genuine smile graced Yukari's lips. "Oh my, that was simply divine. I never imagined food like this could even exist. I do believe I'm becoming quite addicted, Mr. Owner. This is a restaurant that operates at night, correct?"
Ren nodded.
Yukari's smile widened. "That's wonderful! My life is about to become so much more comfortable. I can come to your establishment for a meal the moment I wake up. This is just too perfect!"
A subtle twitch pulled at the corner of Yuuka Kazami's mouth. The sight of the other youkai was an unwelcome intrusion, yet she couldn't deny the truth in her words. She, too, had been ensnared by the owner's cooking, the magical guests from other worlds, and the unique atmosphere of this place, becoming a regular against her better judgment.
"You are most welcome," Ren said with a placid smile.
Yukari's gaze drifted back to Ren, her eyes crinkling with amusement. "Mr. Owner, you truly are becoming more and more pleasing to the eye… But, Yuuka," she added, her tone turning playful, "remember to wait for me tomorrow night."
Yuuka's expression tightened. "No. There is no need for you to come to my home."
Yukari feigned a gasp, her expression shifting to one of theatrical resentment. "Yuuka… but I want to. If you don't wait for me, I'll just have to tell everyone about this place. I believe they would all be quite interested."
"Are you threatening me?" Yuuka's voice was dangerously low.
"Mm-hm! I don't care! Yuuka, you simply must wait for me so we can come together!"
A muscle in Yuuka Kazami's cheek jumped. An almost overwhelming urge to deliver what she mentally dubbed a 'Yuuka Punch' surged through her. She desperately wanted to strike the infuriating woman. If it weren't for the placid atmosphere of this place—an influence she was beginning to attribute to Ren himself—she might have already sent the gap youkai flying.
Ren smiled, smoothly intervening. "What Miss Kazami means is that once a guest has visited, so long as they haven't been blacklisted by me, they can return through any door they wish. The next time, you need only think of this shop as you open a door, and you will arrive."
Yukari blinked, looking at Yuuka with a confused tilt of her head.
Yuuka gave a curt nod. "Yakumo Yukari, you're getting carried away again."
A slow, knowing smile spread across Yukari's face. "Oh, isn't that just my nature? But little owner, why didn't you say so before? Were you trying to see the look of sudden realization on my face?"
Ren considered the question for a moment. Then, under Yakumo Yukari's incredulous gaze, he nodded. "Yes, I suppose I was."
The corner of Yukari's mouth twitched. Good heavens. This human was no simple man; he had actually rendered her speechless. Why couldn't he panic and refute her like a normal person, or at least offer a serious explanation?
What kind of person just admits to it so directly? Wasn't that just a bit too much?
A faint, almost imperceptible smirk touched Yuuka Kazami's lips. It seemed someone else was now sharing the pressure of dealing with this man's unflappable nature. The feeling was surprisingly nice.
After a pause that lasted several seconds, Yakumo Yukari's composure returned, and her expression bloomed into a radiant smile. "Ah, Mr. Owner is truly a witty person. But tell me, how long has Yuuka been coming here?"
Yuuka herself was taken aback by the question. That's right… how long had it been?
Ren simply smiled. "Oh, how long you've been coming isn't important. What's important is how long you can continue to come in the future."
Yuuka glanced at Ren, then gave a small nod before continuing to sip her flower tea.
Yakumo Yukari's eyes narrowed slightly, a thoughtful glint within them. "Mr. Owner, you truly are someone who understands a woman's heart."
"Is that so? Thank you for the compliment."
"You're welcome."
Yuuka noticed the genuinely playful light in Yukari's eyes and felt a flicker of apprehension. It seemed the gap youkai was developing a real fondness for this place. That was going to be troublesome. When Yakumo Yukari became truly interested in something, she could be annoying to the point of madness.
At that very moment, elsewhere, under the canopy of a moonless sky, a pair of eyelids fluttered open. They revealed eyes that held an ancient curiosity, belonging to a young woman with hair the color of spun moonlight. A striking slash of blue lipstick, identical in shade to one favored by a certain gambling-obsessed student council president, adorned her lips.
Had anyone been there to witness the sight, they would have been stunned into silence. The girl wasn't standing on the ground, nor was she supported by any visible magic. She was seated gracefully atop a large, traditional paper lantern that hovered silently in the midnight air, casting a soft, ethereal glow on her features.
'Where should I go today to find some interesting stories? I'm so looking forward to it,' she thought, the words escaping her lips in a soft murmur.
"Hmm? Is it daytime already?"
Just as the girl was about to float away, she noticed a light blooming from behind her. The light was warmer and brighter than the sun, and her first instinct was that dawn had arrived unexpectedly.
But as she turned, her breath caught in her throat. It wasn't the dawn. Behind her, the grand, doorless torii gate of a long-abandoned shrine was bathed in a radiant, impossible light. The sight was so incongruous, so utterly bizarre, that it left her momentarily speechless.
Her first thought was to flee. But in the next instant, she froze.
She needed ghost stories. New ones, unheard-of ones. It didn't matter if they were about herself, told by others, or even tales left behind by passing bards.
And what could possibly be more of a story than the scene unfolding before her? In the heart of a dark forest, a girl floated quietly on a lantern, while the shrine behind her suddenly pulsed with otherworldly light.
Countless narratives had already begun to spin themselves in her mind.
The girl swallowed, a look of intense anticipation igniting in her eyes as she guided her lantern closer.
When she reached the gate, she could feel the warmth of the light wash over her skin.
'It's so bright, yet it doesn't hurt my eyes. It appeared so suddenly, yet it feels so warm… I should get closer… I should go inside and see…'
Muttering to herself, the girl slowly reached out a hand toward the shimmering portal, her eyes wide with expectation.
Even if the light suddenly vanished, she had already found the most wonderful material for a ghost story tonight.
Back in the restaurant, every patron was staring at the glowing doorway. Yakumo Yukari, in particular, was practically vibrating with excitement.
She was desperate to see what kind of guest from another world would arrive this time—human, youkai, god, or monster, it made no difference.
She only knew she was interested. Besides, anyone who came here was safe.
Yukari clutched the fan in her hand, her knuckles white. "Yuuka," she asked, her voice brimming with anticipation, "what kind of guest do you think it will be?"
"I don't know," Yuuka replied, her tone flat. "Are you excited?"
"Of course I'm excited! Someone from another world! This will be my first time seeing one!"
"And what about Ren and the others?"
"Mr. Shopkeeper and the others are very good people," Yukari declared. "I don't consider them unknown strangers from another world."
Just as Ren was about to say something, he saw a hand extend from within the light of the doorway.
The hand was impossibly beautiful; slender, pale, and perfectly formed. Just from that single glimpse, one could tell it belonged to a woman of stunning beauty.
"Eh? Now this is truly interesting…"
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