By the time Fuyuji Mikage and Morishita Ai reached the first stage temporary ceasefire agreement, the sun had already sunk more than halfway, and the moon was climbing the sky.
After checking the windows and doors, the three left the classroom.
Morishita Ai walked at the very front, with Fuyuji Mikage following behind, and Yamamura Miki trailing far at the back. Streetlights flicked on, and the three shadows lined up unevenly along the school path.
Walking along, Fuyuji Mikage sensed something was off. "Morishita, this isn't the way to the student cafeteria, is it?"
Morishita Ai paused for a beat, then continued forward as if nothing were the matter.
She's absolutely pretending not to hear, isn't she?
Fuyuji Mikage watched darkly as Morishita Ai noticeably quickened her pace, and continued following her.
Not long after, Morishita Ai reached her destination.
Fuyuji Mikage looked up at the sign above. "A ramen shop? No wonder you dragged me here."
As far as Fuyuji Mikage knew, places like ramen shops and beef bowl joints were tacitly considered male territory. A girl going alone would violate unspoken "atmosphere."
Morishita Ai lightly tapped her chin with her fingertip, assuming a pondering pose. "To be honest, I'm quite curious about this place."
"You've never been?" Fuyuji Mikage found this surprising.
Morishita Ai wasn't the type to care about others' gazes. Logically, she should have walked into the shop alone and said "Give me ramen" to the owner without batting an eye.
"No." A flash of excitement passed through Morishita Ai's eyes. "My family won't let me come to places like this."
Seems like this girl's come to school to spread her wings.
Fuyuji Mikage turned his head to look at Yamamura Miki. "What about Yamamura-san?"
"Eh? Me? I've never been either."
"Onward!" Morishita Ai pointed with a slender finger, flames igniting in her eyes. "From now on, you will lead us in exploring an unknown new world."
"I've never been either." Fuyuji Mikage replied calmly.
"..."
A gust of wind blew, stirring up the fallen leaves from the roadside trees.
"Morishita Ai's grand plan... ends in great failure..." Morishita Ai covered her forehead and murmured, head bowed.
You're kidding. A transmigrator like me, just being able to understand Japanese is already more than I could've hoped for. Even now, writing my own name still looks like chicken scratch.
Such a small setback clearly could not stump Morishita Ai. She quickly recovered her spirits and once again launched a charge toward the ramen shop.
"We're already here. We cannot retreat now!"
"Then can you stop pushing me forward?" Feeling the pair of hands shoving at his back, Fuyuji Mikage said, exasperated.
"As light, one cannot retreat."
"So now you're admitting that I'm the light?"
The two pushed and jostled each other into the ramen shop together. Outside, Yamamura Miki twisted the hem of her clothes. After a moment of hesitation, she mustered her courage and followed them in.
The interior decor had no particular characteristics, just the style of a traditional ramen shop: a row of counter seats. There weren't many customers either. Someone everyone recognized was also here.
Mashima Tomonari, the homeroom teacher of Class 1-A.
"Yo! Mashima-sensei, you're dining here too?" Fuyuji Mikage greeted first.
"Mashima-sensei, good evening." Morishita Ai poked her head out from behind and said with impeccable politeness.
Mashima Tomonari similarly noticed this bizarre combination that had barged in. He set down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with a napkin from the table, and then nodded at the three.
"Fuyuji-kun, Morishita-kun, Yamamura-kun, good evening."
"G-good evening to you too." Yamamura Miki, who had entered last, seemed startled and lowered her head to speak.
Fuyuji Mikage smoothly sat down next to Mashima Tomonari and picked up the menu. "It's our first time here. Does Mashima-sensei have any good recommendations?"
Mashima Tomonari folded his arms, pondered quite seriously for a bit, then enthusiastically recommended, "The soy sauce ramen here is quite excellent. If you have a big appetite, the chashu is a must-have option at this shop—you can order an extra portion too." Having said that, he turned toward Morishita Ai and Yamamura Miki's direction and continued, "If it's for the girls taste, maybe tonkotsu ramen would suit you. But remember to ask the chef to make the broth a bit milder."
Morishita Ai seemed to have completely ignored Mashima Tomonari's advice, staring straight at the menu in Fuyuji Mikage's hand. Pointing at a ramen with quite vibrant colors on it, she said, "Fuyuji Mikage, I want this one!"
"Are you serious? You can tell at a glance this thing is extremely spicy."
"The Morishita family fears no challenge!"
This girl isn't just childish; she's also a death-wish enthusiast!
In the end, Fuyuji Mikage did not stop Morishita Ai's suicide charge. He and Yamamura Miki ordered the soy sauce ramen and the tonkotsu ramen that Mashima Tomonari had recommended.
When the ramen was served, Morishita Ai looked at the crimson broth roiling like magma, was silent for a moment, then turned her head. "Fuyuji Mikage, switch with me."
"Don't even think about it!" Fuyuji Mikage shielded his ramen.
When the ramen chef had revealed that benevolent smile earlier, Fuyuji Mikage already knew this was a fight to the death regarding the chef's honor.
Morishita Ai looked at her ramen, from which plumes of white steam were billowing, and decided to let it cool down a bit first. She struck up a conversation with Fuyuji Mikage.
"Are you going to tell the people in our class about the school rules?"
Mashima Tomonari, eating ramen on the side, quietly pricked up his ears.
"I think either way is fine. The current state of the class is quite good too." Fuyuji Mikage ate his ramen and scratched his forehead with his thumb, somewhat unable to decide. "But if this kind of information were to leak out, the ones in trouble would be our Class A."
Given the self-discipline level of Class A, even without knowing about the behavioral standards exam, they could still achieve quite good results. However, if the other classes found out, a narrowing of the gap would be an inevitable occurrence.
"Besides, this intelligence belongs to you two as well. I can't decide on my own."
"M-my share of it, Fuyuji-kun doesn't need to mind," Yamamura Miki, who had been sipping her broth in small mouthfuls, raised her head quickly like a startled little squirrel. "As long as I can help Fuyuji-kun, it's fine."
"That kind of thing is up to you. I'm not concerned about it." Morishita Ai carefully fished a single noodle out of the crimson broth. Her pink tongue tip touched it lightly, then immediately retracted. Her small face scrunched up, yet unwilling to admit defeat, she tried again. "The problem is, someone needs to keep an eye on the class students, to prevent them from acting as recklessly as you did last time, right?"
"True. First of all, he needs to have some ability; otherwise, he won't be able to keep the class students in check." Fuyuji Mikage said.
"Secondly, he'd better have a sense of responsibility and be able to lead the Class A students in battle." Morishita Ai followed right after.
"Preferably the kind who works tirelessly without complaint, who would toil like an ox or a horse for class affairs and still find joy in it."
"The question is, where to find such a person?"
"Indeed, I'd like to meet such a person myself."
"..."
Both stopped simultaneously, exchanged a glance, and said in unison:
"Katsuragi Kohei!"
...
Mashima Tomoya set down his chopsticks, straightened his suit, and left, fully satisfied.
In the end, Morishita Ai completed her first ramen shop experience with an excellent record of five and a half noodles. Naturally, she didn't pay either; Mashima Tomoya had covered the ramen bill for all three of them when he left in great spirits.
"So this is the challenge of the Morishita family? Incredible. An eye-opener."
Fuyuji Mikage walked along the road, laughing as he went.
"It was a tactical adjustment. In truth, it has already been conquered by me."
Morishita Ai retorted expressionlessly, but her reddened lips and the fine sweat continually beading on her forehead had long since betrayed her.
Yamamura lowered her head, covering her mouth as she stifled a laugh.
"Hey hey, Morishita, this isn't the direction back to the dorms, is it?" Morishita Ai had strayed off course once again.
"Correct. I've decided to go to the supermarket to make up for the dinner I didn't eat."
"Then I'll head back first."
"In this deep, quiet night, in this Advanced Nurturing High School pervaded by darkness, you would actually abandon us two girls to run off on your own. You heartless wretch!"
"You're the heartless one, seat-stealing Morishita Ai!"
"You're the one who stole the seat!"
"You!"
"You!"
...
The crushing defeat by spiciness and the collusion of partnership both melted into Tokyo's humid late-spring wind, blowing together toward the distance.
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