Chapter 610: Love to the Point of Madness, Kirari's Whisper
Erina and the others watched in absolute, stunned silence. The sheer mountain of premium ingredients laid out before them, combined with Shopkeeper Ren's impossibly fluid knife work and technique, left the room breathless. He hadn't just cooked; he had delivered a masterclass, explaining every complex step as his hands moved with practiced grace.
Riven stood with her lips slightly parted in quiet astonishment. Whenever Erina or the others managed to find their voices to ask a question, Ren answered with calm, patient precision. Ichihara Yuko simply leaned against the counter, her dark eyes gleaming with anticipation as she tracked the decadent spread of ingredients.
By the time the final preparations were complete, the evening shadows had already begun to stretch across the floor. The dish was carefully sealed in a heavy ceramic container, left to simmer and perfect itself over a low, steady flame.
Ren wiped his hands on a towel and let out a quiet breath. "Hmm. A bit challenging."
Alice blinked, tilting her head. "Why didn't I feel that way? It looked so easy when you did it."
Erina shot her cousin a dry look. "That is Shopkeeper Ren. If you were the one standing behind that counter, how far do you think you would actually get?"
"I can eat it!" Alice declared proudly.
Erina's expression flattened. She truly had no shame.
Ren checked the glowing screen of his phone. "Sora gets out of school in another hour," he murmured. "Lucifer and the others will be back a little later. Speaking of which, Kirari didn't mention what time they were arriving."
Kobayashi Rindou leaned against a chair, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "If Kirari wasn't a fool, she wouldn't be late. Assuming nothing unexpected happened, she and the others probably tore the place apart just to get out on time."
The rest of the group exchanged confused glances.
Ren considered her words for a moment. "That Yomotsuki Runa looks like a dealer, so she likely won't play along with any delays. Sayaka is the same. I suppose... they are exactly the type of people Kirari would choose to keep close."
Rindou nodded, a sharp smile curving her lips. "Hey, Ren. Let me ask you something." Her voice dropped a fraction, carrying a teasing but serious weight. "Tonight... how do you plan to handle the situation?"
Ren knew exactly what she meant. The inevitable collision between Erina and Nakiri Mana. But Mana was a labyrinth of secrets, and he had no clear answers. He stayed silent for a long moment before letting out a soft sigh. "Let nature take its course."
Rindou offered a helpless shrug, while Erina just stared at them, completely lost. What on earth are they talking about? A sudden, inexplicable chill ran down Erina's spine. She felt like something massive was looming right over her head.
Miles away, the atmosphere inside the prestigious Hyakkaou Private Academy was entirely different. A girl swallowed in an oversized orange kigurumi glided down the immaculate hallways, seated in a rolling desk chair as if taking two actual steps would be a fatal exertion.
The surrounding students flattened themselves against the walls, too terrified to utter a single word as she sped past. Reaching the heavy oak doors of the Student Council President's office, she hopped up, kicking the doors open and landing squarely in the entryway.
"President! I'm here!"
Momobami Kirari sat behind her massive desk, calmly turning the page of a thick, leather-bound book. At the sudden noise, she lifted her gaze, a faint, elegant smile touching her lips. "Oh, it's Runa. You are here quite early."
Yomotsuki Runa didn't bother with formalities. She threw herself onto the plush leather sofa, loudly crunching on a lollipop. "President, we're going to have a massive feast this time! I definitely had to come early. If I'm late and you guys leave without me, I'll miss out!"
Kirari waved a slender hand, her smile never wavering. "How could that happen? Runa, you have been a tremendous help. We absolutely have to bring you along."
"Hahaha! Really? That's great! Huh? Where's Igarashi?"
Kirari paused, her pale blue eyes drifting toward the window. "Sayaka... Sayaka went to fetch Yumeko. Truly, Yumeko is just too wonderful, isn't she, Runa?"
"Mm-hmm! Jabami Yumeko is definitely a special existence." Runa pointed the sticky end of her candy at the book in Kirari's hands. "But speaking of which... why aren't you looking forward to this, President? You're about to see your beloved."
Kirari's smile deepened. "Not looking forward to it? Wherever did you get that idea?"
"President, don't you usually only read when you're incredibly bored?"
A soft, trembling exhale escaped Kirari's lips. "I almost forgot to mention. I... also read in one other situation. When I am extremely nervous, anxious, and overwhelmingly excited."
Runa froze. She watched as Kirari slowly raised both hands to cup her own pale cheeks. The President's smile twisted into something feverish.
"Every time I know I am going to see Ren, I get so excited I cannot sleep for the entire night. So excited I lose every shred of my reason! So excited... so excited... this feeling of anticipation could burn me alive!" Kirari leaned forward, her voice dropping to a breathless, erratic whisper. "Hey... Runa... do you understand?"
Runa swallowed hard. Kirari's eyes were entirely devoid of sanity, brimming with a suffocating, maddening love. They were completely empty, reflecting nothing of the room around them. Only a terrifying, predatory light shone through, illuminated by the dying twilight outside the window behind her.
Kirari sat bathed in the shadows, yet her eyes and the striking blue lipstick on her lips seemed to glow with an unnatural luminescence. For a split second, Runa felt as though she were being stared down by a monster.
"Hey... Runa..." Kirari tilted her head, her smile stretching wider. "Are you looking forward to dinner tonight?"
"L-looking forward to it! Definitely looking forward to it!"
"Is that so?" Kirari beamed, the terrifying pressure instantly vanishing into thin air. "Then eat a lot. Hmm... I am really looking forward to it... Why isn't Sayaka back yet?"
The moment the words left her mouth, the heavy doors opened again. Igarashi Sayaka walked in, followed closely by a stunning, black-haired beauty with a serene smile. Jabami Yumeko.
"Good afternoon, President," Yumeko greeted smoothly. "And good afternoon to you too, Yomotsuki-san."
"Good afternoon! Hey, hey! Are we leaving now?!" Runa cheered, desperate to change the subject.
Kirari studied the newcomer for a moment before her smile returned. "Yumeko, come here..."
"Eh? Alright."
Yumeko walked forward at an unhurried, graceful pace. Kirari stood up from her desk, closing the distance between them in a few fluid strides. Without warning, she reached out, her fingers wrapping tightly around Yumeko's wrist, while her other arm slipped around the girl's slender waist, pulling her into a deeply intimate embrace.
Yumeko blinked in mild surprise, then let out a soft, amused laugh. "President, Mr. Ren will get jealous if you do this."
"If I can make Ren jealous like this," Kirari murmured, her breath ghosting over Yumeko's skin, "I will be happy to the point of madness. Hey... Yumeko..."
Kirari leaned in, pressing her lips dangerously close to Yumeko's ear. Her whisper was a silken threat. "Yumeko... no one can take my initial stake... but..."
"You're willing to match the bet!" Yumeko replied, her eyes flashing with sudden heat.
Kirari smiled against her ear. "Oh... you really are very similar to me, aren't you, Yumeko? Are you gambling to the point of madness...?"
"Do you know what I am?"
"Loving to the point of madness..." Kirari's grip on Yumeko's waist tightened, her voice dripping with dark seduction. "Do you want to take on greater risks, Yumeko...?"
A flush crept up Yumeko's cheeks, her breathing hitching. "Yes! Please give me more risks..."
"Good~" Kirari smiled, gently stroking Yumeko's hair. "Good girl..."
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