My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 371

Isshiki simply turned her face away. That answer didn't work either...

"Alright, or we'll go to the 'Pasta Wall Cave.' That's all I can offer."

Isshiki tilted his head, giving a "Pardon?" look. Ugh, what other shops sell pasta...?

"Would 'Cabrillosa' be acceptable?"

Isshiki finally opened his mouth and let out a long sigh. The quiz time is over. The challenger's total score is now announced: Hachiman—zero points!

"It's amazing that you could name so many pasta restaurants... I'm serious, just go to the one you want to go to."

"Really? It's okay if it's not pasta or avocado?"

"What does my senior really think of me...?"

Isshiki seemed a little annoyed and glared at me slightly.

In my memory, pasta, avocado, and shrimp are all quite popular with girls... Cobb salad pasta is the best example; girls love this dish.

Although Isshiki said we could go to whichever shop I wanted, my suggestion of Salia was rejected. Just to be on the safe side, I'd better double-check.

"Is it really okay? Or are you testing me?"

Upon hearing this, Isshiki looked up into the distance, as if deep in thought.

"...Under normal circumstances, I would indeed like to test the waters."

I actually do it regularly... Iroha is so scary.

"However, it's okay to eat what your senior usually eats today."

...Fortunately, the only Italian pasta restaurant I can name is "Tapas & Tapas," and there aren't any branches near Chiba Station.

Judging from this, maybe I really should take Isshiki to the store I usually go to.

However, I'm just a high school student, and I don't have many favorite restaurants, so my choices are naturally limited. Today is a holiday, and it's mealtime, so family restaurants and cafes are definitely already full, and I'm not very familiar with trendy upscale restaurants.

As Ise mentioned today, it's better to choose itineraries that lack substance.

In that case, there is only one answer.

"Okay, let's go there..."

I led the way ahead of Isshiki, heading towards the city center of Chiba.

There's a main street near Chiba Station where large shopping malls like SOGO, PARC0, and C-one are located, and most restaurants are also concentrated on that street. Hidden within the alleyways, often called "flirting lanes," are many shops as well.

At my level, a Chiba local would deliberately wander into alleyways and choose hidden shops known only to connoisseurs.

Normally I would go around a few more times to check out some places I haven't been to before, but today I have another person with me, so it's better to choose a more mainstream store.

We walked into the street, and the orange signs of our target store came into view. We went down the stairs directly below the signs.

The shop exuded the atmosphere of a secret underground base, and Isshiki's eyes lit up at the sight.

"I'm talking about guys. Knowing some good restaurants can be a huge plus!"

Yise desperately tugged at my sleeve, her anticipation written all over her face.

After descending the stairs, you'll arrive at Narita-ya, a famous ramen shop in Chiba. Besides Chiba, they also have branches in Tokyo, Nagoya, and even Paris.

"...Oh, it's ramen."

Isshiki glanced into the store through the glass window, immediately put on a disappointed expression, let go of my sleeve, and stood there frozen in place.

"Didn't you say you wanted to eat what I usually eat...?"

"Sigh, well, that's just the kind of person my senior is."

She let out a heavy sigh, as if she had given up all hope.

Hmm... this store isn't exactly trendy, but it shouldn't be disappointing either...

Let me state my conclusion first. Every day when I walk down the street, people ask me if girls actually like ramen. I always answer, "Just look at Hiratsuka-sensei..." Oh dear, she's way too old to be called a "girl" anymore, so that doesn't seem very convincing. Anyway, if it were Hiratsuka-sensei, she'd already be sitting at the counter, ready to feast.

In my memory, the only girl who likes to eat ramen is Ms. Kozuka.

However, looking at it from another perspective, this is also a good opportunity to promote the Narita family to Isshiki. As the ancients said, "A crisis is a crisis, and an opportunity is still a crisis." We must maintain a cautious optimism and not let ourselves fall into a situation of walking a tightrope in disguise.

"Let's go in first, we can give our review after we've eaten..."

I tried carefully to appease Yise, but she glared at me unhappily and then nodded helplessly.

"I already said it's up to you to decide, so it's okay..."

Huh? Really? Is it really okay? Isshiki understands, she's really been a big help...

Although reluctant, Isshiki nodded in agreement and we went into the store. As soon as the staff saw us come in, they shouted, "Welcome!"

It was lunchtime, and there were only two seats left at the counter, so we quickly went to the vending machine to order. Yise stared at the various buttons on the machine, their faces covered in text, her eyes darting around, unsure what to do.

"I recommend the soy sauce flavor. Although the miso flavor is also good, since this is your first time here, let's start with the basics."

"Then soy sauce."

I bought all the meal vouchers together and then sat down at the bar. Once everyone was seated, I spoke to the staff:

"Increase back fat."

"Back fat? What's that?"

Isshiki turned his head and gave him a surprised look.

"The amount of oil in the broth can be adjusted as needed. Oh, and please make the other bowl a little lighter."

The rich, oily broth is a major selling point of Narita-ya. Even without adjusting the amount of oil, the broth is still richer than that of other restaurants. Therefore, I suggest that first-timers ask the restaurant to add less oil.

"You seem to know the ordering system here very well."

"It's fine."

"You're only now realizing how amazing your senior is?" I replied somewhat smugly, but the other person didn't react at all.

I looked over and found Isshiki staring at me with a cold gaze, her upper body leaning back slightly, as if she wanted to stay as far away from me as possible.

So she didn't say that out of admiration... The greatest distance in the world, I think, isn't between life and death, but when the other person is sitting right next to me, yet there seems to be an invisible wall between us...

Listen up, guys! You guys love to brag about your ramen and snack knowledge, but that's actually very unpopular with girls! If you think that's how you get girls, you'd better pay attention!

While waiting for the ramen to be served, I didn't chat with Isshiki; instead, I stared blankly at the kitchen. Then, I suddenly noticed something.

"...There are employees from 'Guanglin' ​​here today. Lucky us."

"Huh? What's that senior saying?"

"Well, the quality of Narita's ramen is generally very consistent, but the taste can vary depending on the kitchen staff and their shifts. My favorite ramen tastes best when the staff at 'Korin' are on duty."

"...Of course, a guy knowing some good restaurants can be a plus, but it doesn't have to be this extreme..."

Isshiki was too lazy to listen to me continue, and just then the ramen was served. Thick oil, like the peak of Mount Fuji, was spread on the noodles, shimmering with a dazzling luster; the steam rising from the bowl also gave people a sense of warmth.

"Wait, what? Senior, is that oil from your back? You're not kidding me?"

Isshiki exclaimed loudly at the sight of the grease in the bowl, but I didn't have time to pay attention to her right now.

"I'm starting."

I finished speaking with great solemnity, then picked up my chopsticks and spoon and began to devour the ramen. The taste was truly addictive.

Isshiki watched me eat noodles with such complete absorption that she looked surprised, but she still made up her mind, swallowed, and picked up her chopsticks. She carefully brought the spoon in the bowl to her lips, slightly raised her chin, and took a small bite.

The next second, she suddenly froze, and after a while she came to her senses, picked up the noodles with her chopsticks, pursed her tender lips and blew on them a few times, and then ate them.

It seems this restaurant didn't leave a bad impression on her. Reassured, I continued enjoying the ramen I was eating.

The two remained silent, quietly burying their heads in their bowls, and finished their ramen.

"...I'm so unwilling to accept this."

A murmur reached my ears. I turned to look and saw Isshiki staring at me, her expression indeed showing some resentment. She pouted and continued:

"It's delicious..."

As soon as she finished speaking, she turned her face away again, a cute gesture that made me smile.

"...As long as it tastes good."

"If a guy is willing to take a girl to a store that's inconvenient for her to go to alone, he actually scores pretty high."

Yise nodded and muttered to himself, analyzing the situation on his own. Your satisfaction would be my greatest honor.

Thinking about it carefully, pasta and ramen are both noodles, and in terms of fat content, avocado and back fat are not that different.

Indeed, for both men and women, carbohydrates and fats are king!

The Narita family is truly amazing!

× × ×

We've finished lunch, it's about time to head home.

Although we'd like to say that, we're still walking on the main road of Chiba.

"Would you like something sweet, senior?"

This sentence sounds like a question at first glance, but it's actually just a simple command. Because of this sentence, we started looking for shops like coffee shops.

"You mean around there? There's a shop that looks pretty good."

As she spoke, Isshiki strode forward quickly. Our destination was a little away from the center of the business district, where parks, office buildings, and apartment buildings were clustered, exuding a calm atmosphere.

We walked past the central station, along a road that had recently been repaved. The houses in the vicinity were neatly arranged, unlike the haphazard buildings along the street.

That's probably why the wind seemed particularly strong in the building.

Although the sun was high in the sky, the gusts of north wind still made people shiver.

Because there was still some ramen in the stomach, it could somewhat resist the cold wind and prevent the body and mind from being defeated by the cold, but long-term outdoor marches were still unbearable.

I looked at Isshiki next to me and asked how much longer it would take. She smiled and pointed ahead.

"That's the one."

I peeked out and a rather stylish-looking coffee shop came into view.

The wooden exterior, the large floor-to-ceiling windows letting in plenty of natural light, the outdoor seating with its green parasols, and the menu written in chalk on the blackboard next to the entrance—everything exudes a trendy vibe. Wait, is this for real? Isn't this Chiba? How come there's such a fashionable café here?

Isshiki was pulling hard on my scarf, her eyes saying, "How about it? Pretty good, right? Let's go to this place, there's no reason not to, is there?" I said, this isn't a dog leash, you know.

"Okay, this is the place."

Honestly, I don't care which store I choose, and with the weather so cold, I just want to get indoors and warm up. If I were alone, I would never step into a store like this, but I'm with Yosek today, so it shouldn't hurt to go in for a bit.

"Then let's go in... Oh no!"

Yise suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"What? What happened?"

She grabbed my sleeve, and I had no choice but to stand still. "Please don't use my sleeve as a rein..." Iroha hurriedly hid behind me, only peeking out slightly and pointing to the shop entrance.

"Look over there!"

"Um?"

I looked in the direction Isshiki was pointing and saw a couple walking out of the store. One was a bespectacled girl with braided hair who seemed a bit introverted; the other was an ordinary-looking boy. They were heading in the opposite direction from where we had come from.

I watched the two people's backs as I crossed my arms and began to search my memory.

I felt like I recognized them... Just as I was thinking about it, a faint voice came from behind me.

"They are the vice president and the secretary."

...Oh, right, I vaguely remember—wait, why are they walking out of the coffee shop together?

"Hey, are those two dating?"

Isshiki jumped out from behind me, tilted his head, and answered:

"Well, I don't think so. Just because the two of you went on a trip together, you assume you're dating? Senior is way too naive—"

Isshiki suddenly stopped halfway through his sentence and abruptly turned to look at me.

"Huh! What did you mean by that just now, senior? Are you pursuing me? You've only gone out with me once and you're already acting like I'm your boyfriend? That's too shameless of you. Sorry, please wait at least two or three times before you say that."

Iroha pushed me away with both hands, trying to keep her distance, and said breathlessly. She probably had a long speech, because she gasped for breath.

"...Ah, um, say whatever you want."