The Pure-Hearted Beauty Who Only Dotes on Me Despite Not Being in a Relationship—And How She Became Even Sweeter After We Started Dating - Chapter 69: Turnovers Are The Life of Ramen Shop.

Turnovers Are The Life of Ramen Shop.

On the final day of winter break, Mizuki, Yua, and I found ourselves standing in line at a restaurant. Though it was just before noon, we had already been waiting for about 30 minutes in a long queue.

Yesterday, Yua asked me to accompany her and suggested, “If we’re going, let’s invite Tsuyuzaki-chan too,” so Mizuki joined us as well.

“It’s our turn next!”

Yua, seemingly excited, grabbed my shoulder and shook me gently.

“Yeah, it seems so… Is this ramen place really that good?”

Yes, the restaurant we were waiting for was a ramen shop. Neither Mizuki nor I had been here before, but Yua had visited several times.

“It’s beyond delicious. You both better be prepared because you’ll definitely want to come back.”

“Oh, um… okay.”

It was evident that Yua was quite fond of the ramen here.

“Yua-san, is there any particular ramen you recommend?”

“Yes, there is! My recommendation is…”

Finally inside, Yua suggested a simple ramen with no additional toppings but an unusually large portion.

“We ordered the same as you, but are you sure we can handle this?”

Mizuki and I had taken Yua’s recommendation, but we hadn’t anticipated such a large portion.

From the menu photos, the ramen seemed normal, but the reality far exceeded our expectations.

“If we’ve ordered it, we’re eating it,” Mizuki said, rolling up her sleeves and tying her hair back, ready to dive in.

“Oh, Tsuyuzaki-chan, you’re really eager to eat! Well, let’s dig in.”

Yua and Mizuki started eating with gusto, breaking their chopsticks apart. I felt a bit anxious, wondering if I could finish, but with the noodles starting to soften, I began eating too.

“Hmm~, it’s really tasty.”

“Right? When I first came here, I knew I’d be back.”

“Yeah, this is definitely a repeat. But…”

Next time, I’ll opt for a smaller portion. This amount is just too much.

As I wondered if Yua would manage to finish, a few minutes later, she did.

“Thanks for the meal. That was delicious.”

She really finished it all. Mizuki, who had been silent, had only a little left.

It felt embarrassing as a guy not to finish when the girls did. I decided I had to finish too.

Moreover, I felt a silent pressure from the owner, like a challenge to finish it all, so I resolved to do just that.

“Thanks for the meal.”

Putting her hands together in a gesture of thanks, Mizuki was the first to finish her meal. I couldn’t help but think, “Do girls eat this fast?” Both Mizuki and Yua finished their ramen quickly.

“Well, we’ll head out first,” Yua said.

They had been waiting for me, but since other customers were waiting, Mizuki and Yua left the ramen shop.

(They left me behind…)

We had come together as a group of three, but I ended up eating alone at the end. The pressure from the owner to finish my meal was gone, but he now looked at me with a sad, abandoned gaze.

(What’s with that look…?)

“Can I get the bill, please?”

After finishing my meal and taking a short rest, I handed the bill to the owner, who stared at me intently.

“W-what is it?”

“Well, next time, it’s a re-challenge.”

“Huh…”

(A re-challenge of what?)

“It’s 950 yen,” the owner said.

I paid the exact amount and received my receipt. As I was about to leave, I felt the owner’s gaze urging me to come back, but I was too scared to look back.

Mizuki and Yua were in a nearby clothing store, and I was to meet up with them there.

“Ta-da! Tsuyuzaki-chan’s image changed! What do you think?”

When I arrived at the clothing store, Mizuki stepped out from behind the curtain, having finished trying on some clothes.

She was wearing something different from her usual outfits—a skirt that was shorter than usual and clothes that showed more skin. No, this won’t do!

“Mizuki, that outfit is cute, but it’s a… no.”

“Why?”

“Well, um… I don’t know where to look, and if too much skin is showing, other people might look at you.”

“…I see. If Ao-kun, you say it’s a no, I’ll change.”

With that, Mizuki closed the curtain.

“I was hoping you’d say something like ‘I don’t want others to see you like that,'” Yua teased.

“I’d never say that. Anyway, didn’t you feel rushed at that ramen place?”

“Huh? That’s normal for ramen shops. They rely on turnover.”

“Really? The owner told me to re-challenge when I was paying. Do you know what that means?”

“Re-challenge what?”

“I have no idea.”

If even Yua, a regular at that ramen shop, doesn’t know what the owner meant, then I probably never will.

“Wasn’t the ramen there delicious?” Yua asked.

“Yeah, it was. But the portion was a bit much for me.”

“Well, their large servings are the norm. People who think it’s too much usually don’t come back for a second visit.”

I guess that makes sense. They can make smaller portions, but the standard serving is still pretty large.

“Thanks for coming with me today. Tsuyuzaki-chan is such a nice girl. I’d love to see her do something fun and unexpected.”

“Why’s that?”

Well, seeing Mizuki do something out of character would be interesting. A surprising side of her, so to speak.

“Hey, Ao… I’ve actually been dealing with something. Can I talk to you about it?”

Saying that, she turned to me for support. Normally, she wouldn’t ask for help until she reached her limit, but this time was different.

Judging by her expression, she seemed genuinely troubled, so I decided to listen to her until Mizuki finished changing.