Living in Tokyo, all I want to do is laze around.

However, if you're going to eat ramen, you should choose a slightly more expensive place.

The two walked until they reached a place called "Ichiran Ramen".

"Would you like some char siu?" Kai Uesugi asked Hanabi Hanamaru behind him from in front of the self-service machine.

"Ah."

Kai Uesugi turned around, skillfully located the ramen button, and frowned upon seeing the large characters above it.

[Ramen - 890 yen]

Prices have gone up?

When did the price go up again? It went up by 100 yen again.

One more annoying little annoyance

I quickly glanced at the char siu; it had gone up in price too.

+2

After muttering "evil capitalists" under his breath, Uesugi Kai had no choice but to obediently pay the bill.

-2280

After taking the receipt from the machine, Uesugi Kai glanced at the remaining empty spaces above and found two adjacent positions.

"Let's go."

"Ah."

Located in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Ichiran Ramen doesn't have a complicated menu and claims to focus solely on "natural tonkotsu broth ramen." Its broth is considered exceptional and it enjoys great popularity, so the place is usually packed with people.

When you sit down, you can hear a series of conversations, expressions of gratitude, and laughter all around you, creating a very down-to-earth atmosphere.

The entire shop uses bar-style tables and chairs, with partitions between each seat, giving a sense of privacy, making it suitable for solo diners.

There is a small window directly in front of the seat, and behind it is a staff member who will hand you an order form when you sit down, where you can choose the flavor and soup base.

Based on my years of experience eating ramen in Uesugi Kai, ramen must have a rich broth and firm noodles.

###Chapter Three: Confession###

"Hi, please wait a moment." The waiter in the small window took away the receipt and order form.

Then, Kai Uesugi removed the partition between the two seats.

"Hanabi, would you like some oolong tea?"

"No need... I'll just have water." Hanabi's voice still sounded weak, and her upright posture made her look like a nervous little deer.

Kai Uesugi smiled at her adorable appearance: "Actually, you don't need to always think so much about me. Although I don't have much money, I can still afford to eat a few more meals."

No...no.

"I just feel that Uesugi-kun's money shouldn't always be spent on me, after all... every time we're together, it's Uesugi-kun who pays."

"I actually have a lot of pocket money... Uesugi-kun doesn't need it..."

"Isn't this still for my sake?"

"No... I just wanted to..."

Hanabi Hanamaru's weak voice grew softer and softer. She didn't know how to answer the question. Her slender fingers were clasped together, fidgeting restlessly.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, please enjoy your meal."

The waiter served the char siu and ramen noodles one after the other, bowed at a 90-degree angle through the small window, and then gently pulled the bamboo curtain over the window closed.

The ramen was fragrant and steaming hot.

Uesugi Kai also ordered the medium spicy version this time, so the center of the noodles only had a small patch of red.

And at these times, Uesugi Kai would subconsciously glance at Hanamaru Hanabi's ramen.

Sure enough, on the bowl of the same size... there were large patches of red.

Five times spicier.

Well, Kai Uesugi is used to this.

"By the way, Hanabi, school starts in a week. Have you finished your 'independent research' yet?" Uesugi Kai slurped up a mouthful of noodles and ate a piece of char siu.

Hanamaru Hanabi eats almost silently, chewing slowly and deliberately.

"It's finished."

"That's good," Uesugi Kai looked at her, very curious. "What did you write? Can you tell me about it?"

“Okay,” Hanabi replied softly, “It’s a study on the differences in the level of spiciness that people in different areas of Tokyo can tolerate.”

Spicy...chili...

Well, although I already knew that Hanabi liked chili peppers, I didn't expect that she would use chili peppers to connect with her research assignments at school.

"Was it Ayaka who helped?" Uesugi Kai knew that with Hanabi Hanamaru's personality, completing this investigation task would be extremely difficult.

"Hmm..." Hanabi Hanabi took a small bite of the char siu in her bowl. "Rie-chan helped me a lot. I was just standing behind her... writing down the information."

Kai Uesugi watched Hanabi slowly eat her noodles. Perhaps because of the chili peppers, her fair and rosy cheeks looked even more delicate.

But she herself seemed completely unaffected by the five-times-spicy ramen, continuing to eat slowly and quietly without making a sound.

He turned around and started eating the ramen in front of him.

The rich, white broth, the orange-yellow noodles, and the bright green scallions on top create an irresistible aroma that whets the appetite.

The essence of Japanese ramen lies in the broth.

When the broth, simmered slowly over low heat, reaches your taste buds, you can feel its rich aroma.

Although he has been here many times, he still loves the taste of the food.

Among the many ramen shops in Tokyo, Ichiran Ramen may not be the top-tier, but it is certainly quite outstanding.

[drip...drip...]

[Identity verification successful, system starting up...]

Hearing the electronic sound reminiscent of the 80s and 90s coming from his mind, Uesugi Kai didn't pay much attention and continued eating his noodles.

Welcome!

Please select the version you need:

【I. Standard Model】

【II. The Main Character's High-End Version】

【III. The Cautious Warrior's Choice】

[IV. The Brave Warrior with the Stick]

First.

Looking at the several columns of transparent text floating in front of her, Uesugi Kai didn't hesitate and directly chose the first one.

The ones at the back look increasingly strange; they might even transport you to another world. For your own safety, just choose the ordinary one.

[Note: Each version has a corresponding activation task. The system will disappear if the task fails. Please consider this carefully.]

Sure.

Looking at the two buttons in front of her, "OK" and "Back," Uesugi Kai chose "OK" as usual.

Version confirmed successfully

[Task generated, please wait...]

This is definitely an old machine; it keeps freezing, and even generating a task requires you to wait.

【...】

After waiting a few more moments.

[Task generation complete]

[Task Difficulty: Level 1-]

[Mission objective: Confess your feelings to Hanabi Hanamaru]

[Task Time: 10 minutes]

[Task Restriction: You must make eye contact with the task recipient and maintain a smile while performing the task]

[Start timing.]

"..."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Before Uesugi Kai could react, the countdown in front of him began to move rapidly.

He even froze while eating his noodles, repeatedly pondering the last few words of the mission details.

Confess...confess your feelings?

This is incredibly reckless, throwing out a powerful move right from the start. I've never seen anything like it in a game.

Shouldn't confessing your feelings be saved for the last, most difficult task?

Kai Uesugi glanced subconsciously at Hanabi Hanamaru beside her; she remained extremely quiet without making a sound.

He quickly looked away, a little afraid that Hanabi Hanabi's questioning gaze would follow him. Such a sudden eye contact would only make the atmosphere more awkward.

He had no choice but to refocus his attention on the pile of transparent text in front of him.

He could still see the countdown ticking down, getting less and less.

He stopped eating his noodles, stared at the unfinished bowl of ramen in his hand, and began to organize his thoughts.

If the task fails, the system will disappear.

The disappearance of the system means that I will have to continue to work hard just like I do now, watching those extremely boring numbers, formulas, and words spin in front of me every day.

Even when there's no homework, I'll practice problems by myself until late at night.