After their backflip and dance performance ended with a flourish—at least in their own imaginations—the five Indian men approached Sonoka with confident grins.
"See, we strong, agile, and full of passion! How could a woman resist men as great as us? Come on, beautiful lady, join us. We'll show you a fun time!"
"You must be charmed, right? We are strong and passionate men!"
They surrounded her, their aura of self-assurance almost visible in the air.
Sonoka stepped back, maintaining a polite but firm smile. "Thank you for the offer, but I've declined. I'm waiting for my friend to arrive."
"…Huh? You… Rejecting?!?!"
The faces of the five Indian men, once enthusiastic, immediately changed. The light in their eyes dimmed, replaced by disappointment and irritation. They were clearly unaccustomed to rejection, especially from a woman they saw as "easy prey." In their chauvinistic minds, refusal was an insult.
If this were in India, they would have dragged Sonoka to a secluded spot and raped her without hesitation. After all, rape in India was a common crime, often unpunished. It was practically a daily routine, no different from eating or drinking.
"Friend? Which guy? We're better than him. Don't be shy, pretty girl, no one's stopping you here. If this were India, we wouldn't waste this much time."
"We don't like rejection. Come on, follow us! We'll show you how real men treat women."
"Ouch, that hurts. I don't want this, please let go!"
Sonoka struggled as one of the men grabbed her wrist, forcing her to come with them. The grip was strong and painful.
Clearly, the five Indian men had run out of patience and stopped pretending. They revealed their true primitive nature.
That's when a firm voice echoed, cutting through the tension.
"Hey, what are you doing! Let that woman go!"
The five Indian men turned, glaring at a fully uniformed police officer approaching. Instead of showing fear, they turned their bodies and stared at the officer defiantly.
"Who are you? Don't interfere in our business! This isn't your concern, old man!"
"Go away! We're just talking to our girlfriend!"
The officer didn't flinch. He ignored their taunts, his eyes focused on the man gripping Sonoka's hand.
"I'm with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. I order you to release that woman immediately, or I will use force!"
"Force? Try it! You think we're scared of your little baton?"
The man pulled Sonoka harder, ignoring the warning. They came from the respected Kshatriya warrior caste in India. To them, people from other countries were no different from the lowest caste, the Dalits.
"…"
Seeing the clear resistance and threat, the officer unhesitatingly drew his pistol and aimed it at them.
"Don't move! Hands above your heads! The Prime Minister has authorized shooting on sight for troublemakers who resist!" the officer shouted in a threatening tone.
In that instant, the courage and arrogance of the five Indian men evaporated. Seeing the gun barrels pointed at them, their faces paled with fear.
Memories of the new strict regulations for disruptive immigrants—including police authorization to shoot if resisted—finally made them comply. Trembling, they raised their hands and knelt on the ground.
"Ren-sama!"
From behind the officer's back, Sonoka spotted the figure she'd been waiting for. With teary eyes, she hurried toward Ren.
Clearly, Ren had quickly sought police help upon seeing Sonoka in trouble from afar. He didn't always solve problems with violence. Using Campione power against Indian immigrants wasn't worth it. He just needed the right method.
"Everything's fine. I'm here."
Ren patted Sonoka's back, calming her fear.
"T-Thank you, Ren-sama. I-I was so scared…"
"Relax. They won't touch you. The police have handled them. Don't worry."
The officer then took a detailed statement from Sonoka about the incident. Though still slightly traumatized, Sonoka tried to explain the situation as clearly as possible.
After gathering all the necessary information, the officer instructed his colleagues to load the five troublemakers into the police car. Within minutes, the tension in the area subsided.
"The date hasn't even started, and trouble's already here. Sigh, ever since more immigrant workers came to Japan, this country isn't safe anymore. Sonoka, from now on, carry pepper spray or a stun gun. Understand?"
Ren shook his head, his eyes watching the departing police car.
"Mm, I'll listen to Ren-sama."
Without needing to be told, after directly experiencing harassment from foreign immigrants, Sonoka would prepare self-defense tools every time she went out. The fear she felt was a valuable lesson.
"Good. Let's continue our date. Don't let those pests ruin our day."
Ren gently wrapped his arm around Sonoka's shoulders and guided her away from the Hachiko Statue.
The gesture didn't escape the eyes of the men around them. Envious and jealous stares followed.
Still in his school uniform, a high school boy easily had his arm around an adult woman as beautiful as Sonoka. In their eyes, Ren was clearly a sugar baby.
Why didn't they have a sugar mommy like that during high school?
The world was unfair!
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
The difference in preferences between teenage girls and adult women is real, especially in choosing date locations.
Aquariums, cinemas, and amusement parks are popular choices for teenage girls' dates. Adult women usually prefer calm, elegant, and classy spots—art galleries, museums, rooftop bars, shaded city parks, or minimalist cafes offering specialty coffee.
Despite knowing all this, Ren deliberately chose a different option. He took Sonoka to the aquarium.
Why?
Sonoka was a Totsuki Culinary Academy alumnus. Given the strict, competitive curriculum there, with rules heavily emphasizing culinary mastery, Sonoka's youth wasn't filled with visits to ordinary tourist spots like girls her age.
Her life revolved almost entirely around the kitchen, Shokugeki battles, and fighting to maintain her seat on the Elite Ten Council.
In short, Sonoka spent her colorful high school years solely in the world of cooking. Her experiences were vastly different from normal girls who freely enjoyed popular hangouts.
By taking her to the aquarium, Ren wanted to give her those missed experiences. He wanted to see Sonoka enjoy the day as a girl, momentarily forgetting the culinary world and all its pressures.
"…"
Standing in front of the clear acrylic glass tunnel, with thousands of fish swimming above and around them, Sonoka couldn't hold back a gasp of awe. Her eyes widened, reflecting the shifting light and shadows of the water.
"Amazing… There are so many fish species I don't know. I wonder what they taste like when cooked? Is the flesh finely textured or coarse? Better fried or steamed?"
Hearing that, Ren could only sigh deeply while rubbing his forehead.
"The first thing you think when seeing fish is how they taste cooked? Haaah… Sonoka, forget that chef mindset for now. Just have fun with me. See them as beautiful creatures, not raw ingredients."
Sonoka's face briefly flushed from the gentle rebuke.
"Sorry, Ren-sama. It's a habit."
When Ren raised his hand and lightly knocked her head with his knuckles, Sonoka instinctively stuck out her tongue a bit. This childish act, rare from the elegant chef, showed how she was finally relaxing.
The remnants of tension from the Hachiko incident finally evaporated, replaced by comfort and joy.
Their hands unconsciously intertwined. With fingers tightly linked, they continued exploring other aquarium areas.
"Look, Ren-sama! That octopus is huge!" Sonoka pointed at a giant octopus hiding behind coral.
"Yeah, it looks intelligent." Ren replied, but his eyes focused more on the happy glow on Sonoka's face, shining in the soft blue aquarium light.
They stopped in front of the jellyfish tank. The jellyfish pulsed slowly, emitting mesmerizing neon light.
"These jellyfish look like beautiful ghosts. They move without hurry, without purpose, just dancing with the current."
Ren smiled, appreciating this reflective side of Sonoka. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"They may have no purpose, but we do, Sonoka. Our goal today is to create beautiful memories."
Sonoka leaned into him. "I already have them, Ren-sama. This is better than I imagined."