My roommate turns out to be the heiress of a triad!

After studying for only a few minutes, Sugawara Ryoichi suddenly realized something important.

The seriousness of this matter is no less than that of a student going to the exam without a pen or a soldier going to the battlefield without a gun.

That means his stomach was empty and was starting to protest.

You cannot continue studying on an empty stomach.

The house has a separate kitchen area, but it seems that the previous inhabitants did not have the habit of cooking for themselves.

Apart from the gas stove and exhaust fan provided by the landlord, there was nothing else in that area.

Ryoichi Sugawara can cook now, and he's quite good at it.

In his previous life, he was so busy with work that the kitchen in his rented apartment, which was equipped with standard kitchen utensils and various seasonings, never had anyone to use them.

Now we can definitely make use of this kitchen.

Although meals at school are free, the cafeteria's set meals are generally bland and do not provide other condiments for students to use themselves.

To paraphrase a line from the classic Chinese novel "Water Margin," it's so bland that you'd taste a bird's breath if you ate too much.

The original owner was able to save money from eating school meals to buy gifts for Yukiko Higuchi.

But he's not the type to mistreat himself.

Speaking of which...

The gift I gave to Yukiko Higuchi is still in the drawer on the right side of the TV cabinet.

It cost him nearly 300,000 yen.

I don't know what possessed the original owner of this body at the time, but he listened to the cunning strategist Yuji Setagaya and spent almost two months' worth of his living expenses to buy that thing.

Not to mention that for Yuji Hitoshi Tadaya, this 300,000 yen is less than one-tenth of his personal disposable income.

Different consumption views are understandable.

But isn't it a bit too expensive and heavy to use a gift worth 300,000 yuan to confess to a high school student?

If it were Ryoichi Sugawara, and he received such a gift when confessed to by someone he liked in high school, he would have been willing but would have been hesitant to accept it.

Besides, Higuchi Yukiko doesn't even like him.

It's still unknown how much residual value those brand-new, unopened luxury items can be recycled for.

Thinking this, the strange movement in Sugawara Ryoichi's stomach interrupted his thoughts.

goooo~

He could feel his stomach acid churning inside him.

She turned her head and glanced at Kujo Mayu, who was still lying on the bed.

It's probably because I've been under the blanket for too long and feel a bit hot.

Just now, when she turned over, she lifted the blanket to one side, preparing to continue lying on her side.

However, before she could finish turning over, she rolled back over, straightened her clothes and skirt, lay down properly, and closed her eyes.

She's probably too angry about what Kenji Koyama said to eat, and she probably won't eat for a while.

But I can't leave her home alone, so I go out to eat by myself.

There was no other way but to make do with the sandwiches I brought back from school for now.

I remember there was a pack of ham slices, pork floss, lettuce, and butter sandwiches in the drawer on the left side of the TV cabinet.

Ryoichi Sugawara first stretched out his legs, then used his hands to support himself on the tatami mat and moved his buttocks off the table.

Then, using his buttocks as a fulcrum, he turned around on the spot and took two more steps.

This distance is just right to reach the TV cabinet.

But when he opened the drawer, it was completely empty.

Ryoichi Sugawara then remembered that when Mayu Kujo left home that morning, he had personally handed her the last bag of sandwiches in the stock.

After all, they can't both go to school at the same time.

If Sugawara Ryoichi arrives at school after her and they go to buy breakfast together, it's likely that half of the first class will have already passed.

no way.

Now I can only imitate a survival blogger whose name contains the character for "virtue" and start starving myself.

"Coo coo coo~"

It was clearly a protesting sound coming from the stomach.

The sound wasn't actually that loud.

But because the room was very quiet at the time, the protest seemed like a bolt from the blue.

Strange, it seems like the sound isn't coming from my stomach?

Because I didn't feel any vibration in my abdomen at all.

That means it must have been sent by someone else in this space.

Ryoichi Sugawara cast his gaze at Mayu Kujo, who was lying flat on the bed.

Her right arm, for some reason, was now covering her eyes as if to block the light from the ring-shaped lamp.

He seemed completely unconcerned about the strange noise he had just made.

However, a closer look reveals the difference.

Although Kujo Mayu is the kind of girl with abundant blood and rosy complexion.

However, her cheeks were noticeably too red at this moment.

"Are you asleep?"

Ryoichi Sugawara asked tentatively.

······

No reply.

But her eye twitched just now.

Pretending to be asleep.

Ryoichi Sugawara immediately made a judgment.

However, the fact that Kujo Mayu was clearly shy but was still trying her best to hide it made Sugawara Ryoichi want to continue teasing her.

So he took two steps closer to the bed, sat on the tatami mat against the edge of the wooden bed, and deliberately raised his voice a little.

"If she falls asleep, then there's nothing I can do. Next, I'll go to a really nice little shop by myself."

Go eat their piping hot, chewy soy sauce ramen with a rich and fragrant broth, and their perfectly cooked oden.

But some people can't go.

Guess who that person is?

silence……

Mayu Kujo has only eaten the sandwich she had this morning, and she already felt hungry during the last class this afternoon.

However, the appearance of Kenji Koyama caused her to temporarily block out the feeling of hunger due to emotional fluctuations.

After returning home and calming down, the feeling of hunger immediately struck.

That's what led to that embarrassing scene just now.

Upon hearing Sugawara Ryoichi's description of ramen and oden, which she had only seen online, Kujo Mayu's stomach, which hadn't eaten anything since morning, started growling uncontrollably.

Coo coo coo coo...

A drumming sound, clearly coming from the bed, broke the silence once again.

As the voice appeared, Mayu Kujo's already rosy cheeks turned even redder.

Seeing that he could no longer hide it, he simply sat up in bed and started acting like a spoiled child.

"Yu! I'm going too!"

······

Neither of them changed their clothes.

Wearing her school uniform, she changed into leather shoes at the entrance and started walking towards the small shop that Sugawara Ryoichi had mentioned earlier.

Although it's called a small shop, it's actually just a pushcart that appears at a fixed time and at a fixed intersection.

I remember being a regular customer at that shop before, and I knew the owner.

Most importantly, the taste of their ramen is truly remarkable.

Personally, I feel that the taste is in no way inferior to ramen from Michelin-starred restaurants like Iruca Tokyo and Nakiryu.

I remember the owner of that shop once told Ryoichi Sugawara that their ramen broth was made by simmering Satsuma chicken, Kobe clams, Rausu kelp, and Tochigi shiitake mushrooms together with his secret broth recipe.

The resulting broth is clear and bright with a golden hue, and has a rich, mellow flavor that is incredibly delicious.

As a result, business is booming.

Before leaving the house, Sugawara Ryoko checked the time on his phone.

19:32

It's late for high school students, but not too late.

After walking for about ten minutes, the two arrived at the shopping street closest to Sugawara Ryo's family, where there was a slightly larger flow of people.

The various shops on both sides of the long street are still operating normally.

The shop that Sugawara Ryoichi mentioned is right by the intersection.

"Grandpa Goto, how's business today?"

Ryoichi Sugawara stood next to the car and poked his head inside.

The owner was deftly slicing scallion rings with a pointed kitchen knife.

Upon seeing that it was Ryoichi Sugawara, he immediately put down his kitchen knife, and a sincere smile appeared on his thin, dark face.

He was wearing a white top chef's hat and an orange polka-dot apron tied around his waist, and he took out a clean towel to wipe his hands.

If you look closely, you can see that there is a pink bear cartoon sticker on the left side of his apron.

"Oh, it's Sugawara-kun. He hasn't been here for a few days."

"Yeah. I've been craving your ramen for days. You know the old man, since coming to Tokyo, I've only been eating your ramen."

"Hahahaha! I love your honesty, kid. Come on, sit down."

The old man quickly invited the two to sit down.

His cart is actually quite large.

It combines a cooking area and a dining area, and looks like a very common Japanese long ramen cart.

The front of the food cart is fitted with a foldable wooden board, allowing diners to sit on high stools and place their ramen on the board to eat.

The cooking area features open flames and stoves, allowing customers to see the food being prepared and sold on the spot.

Unlike typical ramen carts that only have two openings, his cart has three.

Two of these features are common to most ramen food trucks.

It consists of a metal bucket for scalding ramen noodles and a broth bucket for holding the broth.

The remaining square slot was specially made by the old man; it's a square iron grid for holding oden.

After the two were seated, the old man asked a question.

"Is it the same as always?"

"No, thank you. This time, I'll have two bowls of soy sauce ramen."

Upon hearing Sugawara Ryoichi's words, the old man noticed that there was a pretty girl sitting next to him, wearing a school uniform similar to Sugawara's.

"There's oden there."

"Didn't you say you'd never eaten here before? Go see what you want to eat and take it all. Tonight, everything is on Sugawara-kun."

On the way here, I chatted with Mayu Kujo about food, and only then did I realize that she was indeed a genuine young lady from a wealthy family.

What?! [Ramen? I've only ever had ramen made by the chef who works at our house. This is the first time I've ever had ramen from a street vendor.]

I've seen oden online before; the pictures show a lot of ingredients. It looks steaming hot; it must taste delicious.

Did you grow up eating fine food made with high-end ingredients by a private chef at home, and only taste these commoner delicacies for the first time when you were a teenager?

She certainly fits the stereotype of a young lady from a wealthy family.

This was the first time in her life that Kujo Mayu had eaten at a street-side restaurant like this, and she seemed a little awkward at first.

Even though Sugawara Ryoichi said that, she didn't quite understand what to do.

These ingredients are cut into appropriate sizes and then skewered with bamboo skewers.

Food placed in a still-steaming broth, heating and absorbing the broth, should be ready to be picked up and eaten immediately.

She jumped off the high stool, her long black hair swaying with the fall.

Just a few steps away, I arrived at the oden noodle stall and began the difficult task of choosing from the layers of skewers.

"Hey, Sugawara-kun, who's this cute girl?"

The old man leaned out from the chopping board and whispered to Ryoichi Sugawara.

Kujo Mayu was so engrossed in choosing food that she didn't notice they were whispering to each other.

"My classmate."

For some reason, Sugawara Ryoichi consciously cooperated with the old man, lowering his voice as well.

"You're just taking advantage of me because I'm an old man who didn't go to school. Who brings a female classmate out for ramen this late? Girlfriend?"

Sugawara Ryoichi smiled bitterly.

In some ways, the old man was right.

However, they are not actually in that kind of relationship.

"No, he's just a regular classmate."

"That's good. I was thinking of introducing my granddaughter to you as your girlfriend."

"Is it really true, sir? When can we meet?"

"What's the rush? Can't we wait until this girl leaves?"

Just as the two were chatting enthusiastically, Kujo Mayu suddenly waved to Sugawara Ryoichi.

"Um, Sugawara-san, could you come here for a moment?"

"OK, coming right away."

"It's settled then. Remember to send me your granddaughter's contact information later."

After saying that, Sugawara Ryoichi got off the stool and came to Kujo Mayu's side.

"What's wrong, my lady?"

Faced with delicious food, Kujo Mayu didn't care about how he addressed her.

She pointed to one of the skewers in the oden with her fair right hand and asked.

"What's this called?"

Ryoichi Sugawara waved his hand, parting the mist.

"Let me see. This is oden."

"May I taste a little?"

"Of course you can."

As he spoke, Sugawara Ryoichi naturally took out a food tongs from the side.

Clamp the middle part of the string of black skewers with a clip, and hand the bamboo skewer part to Kujo Mayu, indicating that she can hold it directly.

Without hesitation, Kujo Mayu stretched out two fingers of her right hand and pinched the bamboo skewer.

After blowing on the black gluten to warm it up, she slightly opened her cherry-like mouth, put the gluten in her mouth, bit off a small half, and slowly savored it.

The soft and chewy black fish balls are soaked in rich broth, and when you put them in your mouth, you can taste the fresh and tender fish flavor, as well as the sweet and savory broth.

After confirming the taste of the oden, Mayu Kujo's eyes lit up. She put the remaining half into her mouth and chewed it with a satisfied smile.

"Hmm. Sugawara-san, I'm glad I went out with you. The oden you brought me here was really delicious."

Is it delicious?

As long as it tastes good.

I just hope you won't repay kindness with enmity. Next time you're on the top of the Himalayas, call me and I'll come pick you up.

Seeing such a happy smile on his face as he ate his food, the old man was also very happy, the wrinkles around his eyes crinkling up with laughter.

"Little girl, isn't my oden delicious? If you like it, eat more, and let Sugawara treat you. Come on, pick whatever you like."

「はい! I’m starting!」

Under the old man's guidance, I took a few of each of the following: oden, kelp, rice cake, konjac, fried tofu, daikon radish, and kujo mochi.

The selected oden filled the ceramic bowl.

Hey, there's still a bowl of soy sauce ramen coming up. If you pick out so much oden, will you even be able to finish the ramen?

Thinking this way.

Although Sugawara Ryoichi is a bit of a blockhead, he's not so clueless about romance.

After all, this was the first time in Kujo Mayu's life that she had eaten hot oden, so she was happy to do it.

I'll just suffer a loss myself and leave the rest to him to handle.

It's not a waste of food.

Seeing Kujo Mayu's genuine smile, I was unconsciously infected and smiled back.

······