Jujutsu Kaisen: False Dawn

Rainy Smiles, Hidden Lines - Chapter 83

Ren had long since finished his pasta. The plate sat empty beside his elbow, pushed slightly to the side, as he leaned casually forward, his attention fixed on Mei. She was still working through her bowl of bak kut teh, though her pace had slowed. Maybe it was the food—or maybe it was Ren's relentless teasing.

He tilted his head, one arm resting lazily on the back of his chair. "Hmm, Jasman, are you free after this?"

It was a casual enough question, harmless on the surface. But the way Ren looked into her eyes—direct, confident, with a teasing grin—made Mei falter. Her spoon paused midway to her lips. Her eyes broke contact, her fingers tightening just slightly around the ceramic bowl.

Mei Mei, the cold strategist. She had not expected this.

"Uh!! Shit, this boy! Damn him!" she thought, trying to keep her expression calm. "I have two options. Double down and play this insane game with this bold… boy, or, uh, just leave! But leaving… Won't that mean I ran away from a teenager? ME? Plus, the money too—30 million… would be gone too…"

Then she thought again, more bitterly. "But now it makes sense. 30 million? For this boy? They need to pay me more!"

She gave a little hum, pretending to think about it, playing coy.

"Umm, I mean, my place is far away from here," she said softly, setting down her spoon. "And it's raining too… Why did you ask?"

Ren's smile deepened. He rested his cheek in his palm.

"Well, no worries," he said smoothly. "I live nearby; you can crash at my place…"

Then his grin turned sly.

"And don't worry, I won't try any funny stuff—unless you ask me to."

COUGH!

Mei choked. Her eyes widened slightly as she grabbed her glass of water and took a gulp, trying not to spray it across the table. Ren watched with open amusement, letting out a chuckle.

He leaned forward and gently patted her back, his touch casual but deliberate.

"Ah, what happened, Jasman?" he asked with exaggerated concern. "I have to say, I didn't expect you to start choking so fast. We're not even at my place yet~."

The words hung between them, rich with double meanings.

"Ugh, this boy is going to be the end of me…" Mei thought, suppressing the urge to let her real face crack. "He's like Gojo in a weird way—almost unpredictable. And also his hand on my back! This… this player."

Meanwhile, Ren smiled inwardly.

"Ah, it's actually been a long time since I flirted with anyone… The last time I did was in my last world… Ah, that was a few months ago, huh? It feels nice to flirt with a woman… an actual woman…"

Mei had finished her bowl by now, though she hadn't realized it. She placed her spoon down and tried to gather herself.

Ren tilted his head. "Well, are you done, cutie? Shall we leave? By the way, do you have an umbrella? Or do we have to run through the rain?"

Mei blinked. The question was harmless. So why did it feel like a challenge?

She gave a playful little giggle, the kind she had used a hundred times before.

"Ah, I do in fact have an umbrella," she said, her voice honey-sweet, "but it's supposed to be for one person… handsome~."

Ren's smile didn't fade.

He thought, "Hmm, handsome? That was new, huh? Either she is doubling down, or I'm actually getting to her…"

He stood up casually, pushing his chair back with one foot. He walked over to the counter and, with casual ease, paid for both meals. Not a word was said, no expectation in his eyes.

Mei watched him, surprised.

No one had done that for her in a long time.

No ulterior motive, no smugness.

Just a quiet, confident gesture.

Her smile, this time, was real.

"He damn well knows how to treat a woman, huh?" she thought, unable to stop the warmth from reaching her cheeks.

She stood and walked over to him, the clack of her heels soft against the restaurant floor. The rain outside had grown heavier, but the quiet tension between them drowned out even the patter against the windows.

Ren looked at her, his expression relaxed.

"Well then, Jasman," he said, "shall we?"

Mei gave a little nod, holding her umbrella with one hand and brushing a strand of hair behind her ear with the other. For a moment, the mission, the manipulation, and the strategy—it all blurred. Ren's presence had that effect.

And for the first time in a long time, she wasn't quite sure who was leading whom.

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