After dinner, Minos and Medusa rested for a short while before getting up to leave. They mentioned they had to catch the last train; the final departure for the Demon World was at six in the evening. Ryohei, curious, asked where the station was. They told him it was in Harajuku, near Shibuya.

"Oh, I see," Ryohei said. He remembered Minos saying she had bought her outfit in Harajuku. Was she just passing through at the time? A wild thought entered his mind. Shibuya was the center of Japanese fashion. He wondered if the old trends, like the ganguro girls with dark tans or the wild visual kei hairstyles, were influenced by demons from the Demon World passing through. After all, you were bound to see some strange-looking demons there.

Of course, it was just a fleeting thought. It was quickly replaced by a new one: I should visit the Demon World someday for a vacation! The universe is a big place, and I want to see it!

The night was as black as ink, blanketing the sleepless city of Tokyo. The bustling commercial districts were, as always, a blaze of light, filled with endless streams of people. Some residential areas, however, seemed to exist in a separate world, steeped in a profound tranquility.

The streetlights cast a warm, soft glow, illuminating the occasional passerby, their footsteps echoing clearly in the quiet night. A gentle breeze rustled the trees, their shadows dancing under the lights.

Inside Ryohei, Yurine, Jashin-chan, and Minos's new home—

Ryohei, having just finished his bath, walked briskly from the bathroom wrapped in the new bathrobe he'd bought that afternoon. He didn't like putting on pajamas right after a shower; he preferred the loose comfort of a robe. Yurine's old apartment didn't have one, just bath towels. And since the space there was so limited and he was living with girls, he had always felt too awkward to just walk out in a towel. But now, he could finally relax properly.

Still steaming from the hot water, Ryohei returned to his bedroom feeling completely comfortable. He sat down in his new armchair, picked up his phone from the side table, and sent a message to Yurine in the room next door.

Ryohei: Yurine, you asleep? [Cat Peeking Emoji]

Yurine: No.

She had replied almost instantly. A smile spread across Ryohei's lips, and his fingers flew across the virtual keyboard.

Ryohei: Come over for a bit. Chef Ryohei wants to talk to you about life.

Yurine, lying in her bed and playing on her phone, scoffed. Talk about life in the middle of the night? Is this 'talk' a proper one? She knew he was up to something. But she was tempted. Still, she maintained a bit of composure and replied with a simple string of ellipses.

Yurine: ...

Ryohei tilted his head at the reply. Maybe the bedroom, such a private space, is a little too much pressure for a girl who's about to start a new relationship? He turned and looked at his balcony. He had specifically chosen one of the upstairs rooms with balcony access for security, not wanting a Ghoul to be able to just snatch him from a ground-floor window. Yurine had taken the other room with balcony access.

Clack.

Ryohei got up from his chair, walked to the glass door, slid open the curtain, and then the door itself, stepping out into the cool night air. The gentle evening breeze felt wonderful.

Yurine, who had just gotten out of bed, heard the sound from the next room. Her phone vibrated.

Ryohei: If the room's no good, how about the balcony? The wind is nice out here.

"I never said it wasn't okay," she muttered to herself. She walked over to her vanity mirror and gently tucked a few stray strands of hair back into place, then smoothed out the wrinkles in her light-colored pajamas. Only then did she go to her own glass door, open the curtain, and slide it open.

"Good evening," she said, her voice soft. "So, what kind of 'life' did you want to talk about?"

The night wind gently rustled through her long hair, the strands drawing beautiful arcs in the darkness. Under her bangs, her reddish-brown eyes shone like amber in the dim light of the streetlamps, deep and mesmerizing. She was wearing a simple set of light-colored pajamas, the soft fabric clinging to her slender figure and outlining her gentle curves. Yurine wasn't actually short, and her figure was quite well-proportioned, but her usual clothes hid it well. Now, in her pajamas, under the night sky, Ryohei could appreciate her true charm more directly. His breathing slowed.

Then, like the big bad wolf, he smiled and beckoned to her. "Come here, I have something good to tell you."

"What is it?" A smile unconsciously appeared on Yurine's face as she walked lightly over to him, tilting her chin up to look at him, her cherry-pink lips looking as tempting as jelly.

"I want to cook for you for the rest of our lives," Ryohei said, his eyes full of a smiling warmth. He then leaned down, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her.

Her lips were soft, with a hint of milky sweetness mixed with the jasmine fragrance of their toothpaste.

The kiss seemed to last for a long time. It was a wonderful feeling. Superb, even.

"..."

Yurine had a feeling this was coming when she stepped out onto the balcony, but hearing his words still took her by surprise. He wants to cook for me for the rest of my life? This, she thought, must be a chef's unique brand of romance. It was a wonderful surprise.

Before meeting Ryohei, Yurine had always thought she would never fall in love. She was a unique person; her personality and hobbies were different from ordinary people's. She knew she was probably seen as strange, and in turn, she could never be interested in an ordinary person.

At first, she had felt a sense of guilt toward Ryohei. It was her fault he had been summoned to this world. Later, she had been stunned by his cooking—by the combination of his skill and his ability. The first time she saw his Glowing Cuisine, the moment she tasted it, it was like she had opened a door to a new world. She had been captured, completely enthralled by his food. The thing she looked forward to most each day was finishing one meal and wondering what he would make for the next. Ryohei was always able to surprise her.

And as they spent more time together, she realized they were strangely in sync. Even though their personalities and hobbies were different, they just clicked. When she was punishing Jashin-chan, he never looked shocked or scared; on the contrary, he seemed to agree with her, as if he also felt that Jashin-chan needed to be taught a lesson.

He was so in sync with her, and he was such an amazing cook. Love had come like a whirlwind—sudden, yet it felt completely natural and right.

"..."

A thin layer of mist formed in Yurine's eyes. She stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around Ryohei's neck, closed her eyes, and tilted her head, returning his kiss, clumsily and passionately.