Let's bet!  

The Ishikawa Clan, or Ishikawa Ichizoku, was not just any ordinary family.

The family, symbolized by a fan emblem, was well known for its immense wealth and noble lineage. It still maintained ties with the royal family, so it was no wonder that people showed great respect, admiration, and even fear toward the Ishikawa family.

It wasn't without reason. In addition to being an esteemed family, the Ishikawa clan was infamous for ruthlessly eliminating their enemies, whether in business or other matters.

Making an enemy of the Ishikawa family was as good as digging your grave.

And once you became the target of an Ishikawa, there was no way to escape their grasp. They would go to any lengths, even resorting to dirty tactics, to achieve their goal.

Like the beautiful woman with shoulder-length blue hair, she was utterly confused and unable to understand how she had become entangled with one of the Ishikawas.

As far as she could recall, she had never offended nor sought trouble with the Ishikawa family.

Yet today, out of nowhere, a direct subordinate of Renji Ishikawa had come to meet her, claiming to have something important to discuss, even bringing along a well-known lawyer.

"I apologize if my visit is disturbing your time, Miss Rika."

"Who are you, and what do you need from me?" Rika asked, filled with curiosity. This strange man smiled for a moment and then reached out in doubt by Rika.

"Introduce my name, Fujita and come here to talk about business." Fujita replied in as slow and quiet a tone as possible, making Rika even more suspicious.

At first, their meeting and conversation went smoothly. There was nothing unusual—until midway through, the orange-haired man in a black shirt finally revealed his true purpose.

A heated argument ensued. Neither side was willing to back down or be defeated. Finally, Fujita placed a brown envelope in front of Rika. At that moment, her expression changed drastically—her face turned pale, and her eyes widened in shock.

"T-this…" Rika's body trembled with fear.

Fujita silently observed her every expression and body language, noticing how fear now wholly dominated her. The arrogance and stubbornness she had upheld throughout the conversation had vanished instantly the moment the brown envelope containing certain documents was handed over.

"So, what is your decision?" Fujita asked after a long silence.

"I…"

"Young Master Renji hates rejection. But if you're prepared for all the consequences, then by all means, refuse," Fujita interrupted, warning her about the young master's ruthless nature.

Rika clenched the envelope tightly, her head lowered, and her lips trembled violently.

"F-fine… I-I accept Young Master Renji's offer," she murmured in a defeated tone, unable to do anything else.

The corners of Fujita's lips curved into a smirk. "Good," he muttered, his tone filled with triumph.

The man sitting beside Fujita—a lawyer—immediately processed all the necessary paperwork, completing everything swiftly.

Fujita had accomplished his task and now had to report this victory to Renji. His mission had been carried out flawlessly, without any obstacles.

.

.

.

Aira's peaceful days at the cafe had become chaotic since Renji arrived.

Even though the raven-haired young man's presence had significantly benefited Asahi Cafe, making it constantly crowded—mostly with teenage girls eager to catch a glimpse of him—Aira found it utterly annoying.

While many girls were lining up to have a chance at being Renji's girlfriend, Aira couldn't care less. Forget about dating him—she didn't want to be near him.

If only that night had never happened, she wouldn't have to deal with this arrogant brat.

Since this morning, an hour after the cafe opened, the place had already been crowded with girls, even though there wasn't yet a long line forming outside. Of course, these groups of teenage girls—even some university students—had come out of curiosity, eager to see Renji up close.

Did Renji think he was some celebrity?

Why were all these girls flocking to the cafe to catch a glimpse of him? Some even went as far as ordering the same food as Renji.

According to Saki, teenage girls from various schools had even created a fan club for Renji. Aira didn't know what it was called, nor did she care—let alone bother to find out.

Kids these days were strange, making her shake her head in disbelief.

Finally, the young man everyone had been waiting for arrived. The girls immediately straightened their postures and fixed their appearance, hoping to catch his attention or, if they were lucky, be greeted by Renji.

But they seemed to have forgotten that such a thing was impossible. Renji was cold, apathetic, and indifferent, and no one quickly approached.

Renji walked straight into the cafe and sat at the table the manager had already reserved for him. Aira immediately walked over.

If Aira hadn't been tied to her job as a waitress, where her duty was to serve every customer properly—even Renji—she would have kicked him out from the start, making sure he never set foot in this cafe again.

But since she was just an employee relying on her salary, what else could she do but resign herself to her fate without complaint?

"What would you like to order, Young Master?" Aira asked as politely as possible, forcing a sweet smile.

Resting his chin on his hand, Renji stared at Aira intently. "Serve me the most expensive food and drink here."

"Alright, we will prepare it," Aira replied, writing down the order.

"Please wait 15 minutes for your meal to be ready," Aira added before leaving. But before she could take another step, her wrist was firmly grasped. Her moonlit eyes widened in shock and sharp irritation as she looked at Renji.

"Can you—"

"I want you to serve my meal, not anyone else," he interrupted, his tone firm and demanding. Aira only responded with a stiff smile before heading to the kitchen.

Her expression remained sour as she sat inside the kitchen, waiting. She wasn't allowed to serve other customers—only Renji. And that order had come directly from the cafe manager.

As a regular employee, she had no choice but to comply, even though it frustrated her.

Following Renji's request, Aira finally served the most expensive and luxurious dish on the cafe's menu.

"Please enjoy your meal, Young Master."

"Sit down."

"Huh?!" Aira blinked in confusion.

"Are you deaf or just stupid?" Renji scoffed in annoyance. Aira's patience was gone entirely. She had tolerated Renji's behavior as best as she could, but now he was outright insulting her.

"Can't you at least speak politely, especially to someone older than you?" Aira scolded.

"You forced me to," Renji replied casually, completely unbothered.

"Me? How is this my fault? You're the one who called me deaf and stupid!" Aira huffed, just as irritated.

"It's because you never understand me or obey me," Renji said, clearly frustrated, making Aira even more annoyed and confused by him.

"Listen to me, little brother." Aira slammed her hand on Renji's table hard enough to make the people around them turn their heads toward the two of them.

"If you want to be treated like a king, why don't you just order the maids at your house to do it instead of playing around here?" Aira scolded, hands on her hips.

Renji responded with a smile, utterly unfazed by Aira's fury. In his eyes, she looked adorable. "Should I just buy this cafe so you'll finally obey me, hmm?"

Aira smiled briefly, her moonlit eyes staring deep into Renji's dark ones. "Go ahead if you really can," she challenged.

"Are you challenging me now, beautiful?"

"No. I just want to see proof of your big talk," Aira huffed, annoyed at Renji's arrogance.

Renji smirked in delight. A rush of excitement surged through him—Aira had dared to challenge him without a hint of fear. No one had ever done that before.

Just hearing the name Ishikawa Clan usually makes people act cautiously, show respect, or even tremble in fear.

But Aira was different. And that was what made her so unique in his eyes.

"How about a bet?" Renji challenged back.

"Okay. Let's bet," Aira agreed, undeterred.

"If you can buy this cafe, I will serve you personally and acknowledge you as a true Young Master. But if you fail, you will leave and never set foot here again."

"Alright, but don't regret it, Hime," Renji warned.

"I won't," Aira responded confidently.

A moment later, Renji's phone vibrated. When he checked it, he saw that Fujita was calling him. A wide grin spread across his face as if victory was already in his hands.

"You started this, Hime. Don't blame me," Renji thought smugly.

.

.

.

That morning, precisely at 7 a.m.—two hours before the cafe's opening time—Rika, the cafe owner, summoned all the Asahi Cafe employees for an important announcement regarding their workplace.

As usual, Rika appeared beautiful and elegant. But today, Aira was hit with an overwhelming shock—so much so that she almost had a sudden heart attack when she saw Renji walking arrogantly past them all and stopping right next to Asahi Cafe's owner.

Renji's smirk never faded as he stared at Aira, making her feel uneasy, sensing that something terrible was about to happen.

"Perhaps many of you already know who he is—this is Renji Ishikawa," Rika introduced the handsome young man beside her.

"Hello, everyone." Renji greeted casually, but his intense gaze remained locked onto Aira, making her shiver.

What is that arrogant, annoying brat doing here? Aira thought, confused.

Her moonlit eyes scrutinized him with suspicion, never letting him out of her sight.

"Starting today, Renji is the new owner of this cafe," Rika announced.

"Be sure to treat him with kindness, respect, and diligence as you did under my management.

But don't be too sad—although I'm no longer the owner of this cafe, Renji-san has asked me to stay as the manager, so we will still be working together."

Rika's words sent shockwaves through everyone—especially Aira.

The news hit Aira like a thunderbolt on a clear day. She was utterly stunned.

Who exactly was this annoying young man?

How could he possibly buy Asahi Cafe? No wonder the cafe manager had shown so much respect and deference to Renji yesterday.

So, that arrogant brat's words had been valid. The power of money, indeed, was extraordinary.

Still lost in her thoughts and not yet recovered from the shock, Rika suddenly made an announcement that nearly gave Aira a heart attack.

"And specifically for Aira, she will now only serve Renji at the cafe."

"Huh?!" Aira exclaimed in confusion.

"Renji-san will pay you three times the salary you've been receiving," Rika added.

Of course, Rika's words sparked jealousy among some employees, who felt that this special treatment toward Aira was unfair.

"If any of you have a problem with it, you're free to leave and quit your job right now," Renji interjected coldly, uninterested in dealing with his new employees' complaints.

Aira raised her hand, immediately drawing attention to herself.

"In that case, I quit—"

"If you dare to quit," Renji cut in coldly, "then I will fire all of the cafe employees right now and replace them with new ones."

Aira's courage instantly crumbled. Not because she was afraid of losing her job but because she knew that if she left, her innocent coworkers would also suffer the consequences.

She clenched her fists tightly in frustration, tempted to curse Renji for his high-handed arrogance just because he was now the new boss of Asahi Cafe. Rika gave Aira a sympathetic look.

"Aira, don't be too stubborn. Finding another job at your age, especially with that kind of salary, is not easy. Think carefully before you regret it later," Rika advised, hoping Aira would understand. After all, even Rika herself had been in a difficult situation—forced to sell the cafe, which had ultimately affected everyone, especially Aira.

"Yes, Boss," Aira responded reluctantly.

What had Aira done to deserve this kind of punishment from fate?

Why had God sent a devil with a handsome face to disrupt her once peaceful and quiet life?

The sudden meeting was dismissed after Rika had finished making her announcement about the cafe's situation. The employees returned to their duties, though many looked exhausted and discouraged. Even Arashi and Hindan seemed furious, but they could do nothing.

Aira also returned to work, helping Saki and the others clean up the cafe since it was set to open in an hour—but Renji stopped her.

"It seems like you've forgotten something," Renji said as he walked closer, lowering his head so that his face aligned with Aira's.

His thin, teasing lips whispered seductively into her ear, causing a deep crimson blush to spread across her cheeks. Her eyes widened in shock.

"You—!" Aira hissed, clutching her right ear and glaring at Renji.

"Keep your promise, Miss Aira Hoshino," Renji reminded her, referring to the bet they had made the day before. As someone who always kept her word, Aira had to accept her loss and face the consequences.

"As you wish, young master." She spoke with a blank expression, but Renji only smirked victoriously.

…