Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

"OK,"

He readily agreed:

"Then let's go try the restaurant your father recommended."

"Yeah! That's great!"

Chihaya Aine immediately revived to full health on the spot, pulled Kujo Renji's arm and walked forward:

"This way, this way! I'll lead the way!"

........

Following Chihaya Aine through twists and turns, passing through several slightly narrow alleys, the two finally arrived at the door of a ramen restaurant that looked quite old.

The shop is not big. The door curtain is made of dark blue coarse cloth that has been washed white. The shop name is written on it with strong brush calligraphy.

——[Stubborn Father’s Tonkotsu Ramen] (Stubborn Dad’s Tonkotsu Ramen).

The name alone exudes an unquestionable "hardcore" atmosphere.

Looking inside through the half-open door curtain, the scene inside the store further confirmed this.

The space is small and the lighting is dim. The walls have turned slightly yellow from years of oil smoke and are covered with various yellowed posters and menus with unclear words.

There was only a row of greasy high stools at the bar and a few small tables tucked into a corner. The air was filled with the rich, almost overbearing, aroma of pork bone broth, mixed with minced garlic and a certain indefinable, time-honored flavor that only comes with a long-established restaurant.

At this moment, there were a few customers sitting sparsely in the store. Without exception, they were middle-aged men wearing work clothes or casual clothes. They were either slurping noodles or eating snacks with beer. They spoke in rough voices and burst into hearty laughter from time to time.

This scene...is completely different from the "Internet celebrity" ramen restaurant with clean windows and soft music playing just now.

"Uh..."

Chihaya Aine stood at the door, looking at the scene in front of her. Her originally excited expression froze, and she even subconsciously shrank back.

This place seemed to be even more "hardcore" than she remembered?

When she came here with her father as a child, she didn’t seem to think it was such a dangerous place?

At that time, there seemed to be some family customers with children in the store.

Why are all the guys uncles now?!

She glanced at "Toyokawa Shoko" beside her with some trepidation.

Xiaoxiang seems to be a young lady. She must usually go to high-end restaurants or exquisite cafes, right?

Is it really okay to bring her to this old ramen restaurant that is filled with a strong "uncle atmosphere"?

Would she feel disgusted or even angry?

Just as Aine was about to back out and regret her suggestion, she heard "Toyokawa Shoko" beside her speak in an extremely calm tone, one could even say with a hint of barely perceptible excitement:

"Yeah! It feels pretty good."

Eh?

Aiyin raised her head in surprise and met the amber eyes of "Xiaoxiang".

Those eyes seemed brighter than usual at this moment, and were looking at the environment in the store with great interest, without any expression of disgust or discomfort on his face.

"Let's go."

As Kujo Renji spoke, he took the lead in lifting the door curtain and stepped in.

"oh oh..."

Seeing this, Aiyin, though still a little frightened, breathed a sigh of relief. Since Xiaoxiang doesn't mind, then...it should be okay, right?

She hurriedly followed in.

The appearance of two beautiful girls in this ramen restaurant which is almost "exclusive to middle-aged men" is no less than two white swans accidentally entering a flock of ducks.

The originally noisy store suddenly became quiet for half a second.

Some people looked at them with curiosity and surprise.

Chihaya Aine felt uncomfortable being stared at, her cheeks burning, and she subconsciously hid behind Kujo Renji.

Kujo Renji was calm and composed, as if he didn't feel the gazes at all. He walked straight to the two empty seats in front of the bar and sat down.

"Welcome!"

Behind the bar, a bald boss wearing a greasy apron, who looked even more "stubborn" than the name of the store, was stunned for a moment before reacting and greeted in a somewhat hoarse voice.

"Xiaoxiang, what do you want to eat?"

Aiyin also quickly sat down and picked up the equally greasy menu on the bar, trying to ease the awkwardness and wanted to introduce the signature dishes here to Xiangzi.

“I recommend their...”

However, before she could finish her words, she heard Jiujo Renji beside her speaking a series of orders to the boss in an extremely fluent and even expert manner:

"Triple spicy tonkotsu ramen, firm noodles with salty vegetables, double the minced garlic and lots of oil!"

"..."

This series of orders filled with "hardcore" terms and extreme requirements not only made Chihaya Aine next to her dumbfounded, but also made her open her mouth wide for a long time.

Even the "gourmet" uncles around who were secretly looking at them showed expressions of surprise and disbelief, and looked sideways.

Triple the spice? Tough noodles? Strong flavor? Double the vegetables? And double the minced garlic and lard?!

This... is this something a high school girl who looks so delicate and fragile would order?! Isn't this too strong?! It's even more "manly" than these old men!

Chihaya Aine was completely stunned.

She looked at the calm "Xiao Xiang" beside her, then looked at the ordinary ramen options on the menu, and felt that her cognition had been strongly impacted.

Xiaoxiang...she...she actually likes eating this kind of...such "wild" ramen?!

Just when Aiyin was still disheveled in the wind, the bald boss behind the bar's eyes lit up, as if he had met a soulmate!

His originally "stubborn" face actually showed a hint of approval, and he repeated in full force:

"Okay! Three times the spicy tonkotsu! The noodles are hard, the flavor is strong, the wild vegetables are マシマシ, and the ニンニクアブラめ is one more! Wait!"

This skillful order-taking further confirmed the "professionalism" of Kujo Renji's previous order.

"Ah... Well, then... I'll just order a regular chashu ramen..."

Chihaya Aine finally reacted and quickly placed her order, her voice sounding a little weak in comparison.

"Okay! One serving of char siu ramen!"

Soon, two bowls of steaming ramen were served.

In front of Chihaya Aine was a bowl of standard-looking pork bone chashu ramen. The soup was milky white, and ingredients such as chashu, dried bamboo shoots, soft-boiled eggs, and chopped green onions were neatly arranged.

But the bowl in front of Kujo Renji... was a completely different scene!

A thick, glistening layer of white lard and golden fried garlic floated atop a deep red, thick broth heavily infused with chilies, making the noodles barely visible. A mountain of bean sprouts and cabbage nearly overflowed the bowl, hidden among a few thick slices of barbecued pork.

The whole bowl of noodles exudes an extremely overbearing and impactful spicy and rich pork bone garlic aroma!

Just looking at it makes people feel a burning sensation in their stomach!

Kujo Renji looked at the bowl of ramen in front of him that looked "ferocious", but a glimmer of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.

He picked up the chopsticks, picked up a handful of noodles with just the right hardness, soaked in red oil and minced garlic, and slurped it up without hesitation!

Spicy! Rich! Savory!

The chewy noodles are wrapped in a boiling hot soup full of pork bone gelatin and the aroma of fat, mixed with the stimulation of chili peppers, the spiciness of minced garlic and the crispness of vegetables, and they explode in your mouth instantly!

——This is fucking ramen!!!

Jiujo Liansi let out a hearty cry in his heart!

The "taste trauma" I suffered in that "Internet celebrity store" was completely healed at this moment!

He completely ignored the surprised looks from the people around him, and slurped the noodles in big mouthfuls like a whirlwind, taking a sip of the rich and hot soup from time to time. There were even beads of sweat on his forehead, but his face showed an expression of extreme enjoyment and satisfaction.

And as a price.

It was Miss Xiangzi who kept wailing in her mind, "Shashasha, it's so spicy, so spicy."

Xiangzi's voice was so spicy that it sounded like crying, and he was so angry that he almost jumped up.

"Is that stuff... edible?! Triple spicy?! And with all that oil and garlic?! My tongue... my tongue is almost numb! Wuuuuuu... Water! I want water! Ice water!!!"

She felt as if her entire mouth, esophagus and even stomach were being burned by flames. The overbearing and long-lasting spiciness made her, a young lady who could only tolerate mild spiciness at most, feel extremely painful.

After hearing about Xiangzi's "miserable situation", Kujo Renji not only did not feel the slightest sympathy, but felt even happier.

He could even picture in his mind Xiangzi's pitiful appearance, holding his head, sticking out his tongue, tears in his eyes.

Chihaya Aine was once again deeply shocked when she saw "Xiao Xiang" beside her, whose eating habits were completely different from his usual elegant image and could even be said to be a bit "heroic".

She ate her chashu ramen in small bites, but her eyes couldn't help but glance at the other person's bowl of red, greasy "hell ramen" and the other person's look of eating heartily and being extremely satisfied.

"Um...Xiao Xiang?" Aiyin hesitated and said, "You...you seem to...like the ramen in this restaurant?"

"Ok!"

Jiujo Renji raised his head amidst his busy schedule, with a little red oil still on his lips, and praised generously:

"The taste is very authentic. Much better than many of the flashy places nowadays."

Hearing this comment, Chihaya Aine's mood suddenly became cheerful, and her previous worries and uneasiness were swept away.

"That's great!" She smiled happily. "When I was a kid, my dad often brought me here to eat! He said the broth here is made with real pork bones and simmered for a long, long time. It's so fragrant! But... this is the first time I've seen a girl order triple spicy with so much oil and garlic..."

She added quietly, her tone full of surprise.

"Hmm? Really?" Kujo Renji raised an eyebrow and slurped another mouthful of noodles: "Maybe I have a stronger taste."

Of course, he would not tell the other party that this "hardcore" way of ordering was the most common way of eating he chose when he was struggling at the bottom of society in his previous life, in order to quickly replenish energy and satisfy his appetite.

"But...I'm so glad you like it!"

Chihaya Aine said sincerely, with a relieved smile on her face:

"I've always been worried that if I bring you to a place like this, you might not like it..."

Because of this unexpected but "accidental" bowl of ramen, the atmosphere between the two of them became noticeably more relaxed and harmonious.

Aine was no longer as cautious as before and started to talk more. She began to chatter and share more interesting things about the band and school.

Looking at the pink-haired girl opposite who was smiling and chattering non-stop because of a bowl of ramen.

Jiujiao Liansi lowered his eyes slightly.

Very cute girl.

Also...easy to understand.

In his previous life, as a leader who needed to control a huge organization, Kujo Renji developed extremely outstanding observation skills and the ability to understand people's hearts.

He is good at analyzing a person's deepest desires, fears and weaknesses from subtle words and actions.

It can be said that many of his former "confidants" only followed him wholeheartedly after he accurately grasped and "untied" their "heart knots".

Therefore, after just a few brief contacts and deliberate observations, he had roughly understood the "heart knot" of Miss Chihaya Aine in front of him.

This is a girl who cares very, very much about the outside world's opinion.

One could even say that she has somewhat "lost herself", like a "people-pleasing personality" who exists to cater to the expectations of others.

Does she really love guitar and band as much as she seems to?

Kujo Renji was deeply skeptical about this.

Judging from her daily speech and behavior, her interest in fashion and beauty, and her desire to be recognized and surrounded by people, what she really likes may be standing under the spotlight, dressing up beautifully, and enjoying the envy and admiration of those around her.

She likes to be cared for, loved, respected, and likes the satisfaction of being the "center".

To this end, she can study hard to maintain the image of an excellent student, join a band that is on the verge of disbanding and do her best to keep it together, and cater to the so-called "trend" in order to gain a sense of belonging and show her "value."

Many of the things she did were not driven by true inner love, but more by a desire to meet the "outside world"'s expectations of her and to gain recognition and love from others.

Call it vanity or call it hypocrisy.

But these labels seem unable to fully describe this girl.

To be more precise...she seems to live for others.

Her emotions, as well as her behavioral choices, largely depend on external feedback and evaluation.