When it was still dark outside, like the middle of the night, Kotomi Izumi slowly opened her eyes—she was awake.
Compared to her usual waking hour, Kotomi had gotten up very early today. Normally, her mother wouldn't even be awake yet—Akina Izumi usually got up around 5:30 a.m. to start preparing breakfast.
The reason Kotomi woke up so early today was all because of Megumi Kato.
Although it hadn't been exactly voluntary, after being knocked out by Megumi last night, perhaps because she had gone to sleep early—or simply because she had been so tired—Kotomi had slept deeply and soundly through the night. Her sleep had been so restful that the moment she felt the slightest urge to wake, her body responded naturally, with no desire to linger in bed.
Of course, that didn't usually apply to Kotomi Izumi. Even if she'd had a perfect night's sleep, she would always try to find a cozy position under the blanket, wrap herself up tightly, and go back to sleep if there was still time.
And if she couldn't fall back asleep but still didn't want to get up, she'd stay in bed under her blanket, lying down, sitting up, or even lying on her stomach while playing with her phone—scrolling through short videos, reading her favorite novels, manga, or watching anime.
But today, Kotomi didn't plan to sleep in. Nor did she intend to waste time scrolling through her phone before breakfast.
It wasn't because she was in a rush to head to the station either—the meeting time there was set for 6:00 p.m. Checking her phone, she saw that it was now exactly 5:00 a.m., still a long way before she needed to leave.
"Since we're meeting at 6:00 p.m. at the Chiba Urban Monorail Station, leaving home around 5:30 would be perfect. That way, I can take my time walking to the station. I'll skip dinner at home tonight—once I'm on the shinkansen, I'll have dinner there instead. Eating dinner on the train while watching the dark sky and the scenery rush by... hmm~ that really feels like the start of a trip."
Muttering to herself, Kotomi sat up, pulled off her blanket, and after putting on her pajamas, went to the bathroom to wash up.
When she came out, she began changing clothes. This morning, she planned to go out for breakfast. Though the restaurant she wanted to visit was more commonly known for lunch or dinner...
For lunch, of course, she would normally eat at home. The family always gathered for a rich and hearty meal together.
Even though every meal at the Izumi household was known for being delicious and plentiful, whenever someone was about to leave for a trip—or had just returned—the family would sit down for an especially lavish lunch or dinner.
After getting dressed, Kotomi went downstairs. She had told her mother after dinner last night that she wanted to go out for ramen this morning.
Akina Izumi naturally agreed. She knew her daughter got strong cravings for that ramen shop from time to time.
After quietly closing the front door behind her, Kotomi stepped onto the street. Checking her phone again, she saw that the ramen shop she wanted to visit had already been open for about half an hour.
If she left now, she'd arrive right on time.
The weather had turned cold—the footsteps of winter drawing nearer. The sky outside was still as dark as night, with streetlights lining the road, illuminating the quiet streets.
Kotomi loved waking up early in winter, peeking out at the world still shrouded in darkness, then curling back into her warm blankets, listening to the sound of the wind howling outside while drifting back to sleep.
Short days and long nights—that was the rhythm of winter. Kotomi loved this kind of season, the kind that let you search for warmth amid the cold, and once found, sink into it with sweet, lazy comfort.
Autumn and winter—the seasons most perfect for being lazy.
The ramen that Kotomi loved so much she was willing to wake up early for before leaving Chiba City was none other than Japan's famous Jiro-style ramen.
As a side note, the name Ramen Jiro came about by accident.
Originally, it wasn't called Jiro but Jirō with a different kanji—meaning "next son." However, since both words were pronounced the same in Japanese, the sign painter made a mistake, using the kanji for "two" instead. Thus, Ramen Jiro was born.
The owner, being easygoing, decided to just go with it—and that's how Ramen Jiro came to be.
The legendary owner of the original Ramen Jiro shop in Mita was still working there even today. To the countless die-hard fans of Jiro-style ramen, he was affectionately known as the Commander-in-Chief.
However, due to time constraints, Kotomi Izumi wouldn't be able to visit the original Mita branch today. Fortunately, there was a Ramen Jiro branch in Chiba City that perfectly replicated the taste of the main store—and it happened to be one of Kotomi's favorite spots.
The shop's owner and his wife remembered Kotomi vividly. Every time they saw her walk through the door, they would brace themselves for a long, busy shift ahead.
After all, despite running a Ramen Jiro shop for decades and seeing plenty of big eaters daily, they had never met anyone quite like Kotomi Izumi—a girl who once devoured fifteen extra-large bowls of Ramen Jiro in a single sitting, each bowl fully loaded with garlic, pork back fat, and soy sauce. Then, as if that weren't enough, she ordered two big bowls of white rice and a plate of pan-fried dumplings to finish.
The first time they saw her:
Owner and wife: "We've run this Jiro shop for nearly half our lives. We've seen it all."
Then they saw the mountain of stacked ramen bowls.
Owner and wife: "We've… actually never seen anything like this."
Of course, Kotomi's fondness for this Chiba branch wasn't just because the ramen was delicious—it also had something to do with the shop owners' daughter.
Their daughter, Ona Sagawa, was three years older than Kotomi and sometimes helped out at the shop. She was beautiful—with a modest B-cup chest, but strikingly tanned legs that looked especially captivating beneath the extremely short shorts she often wore.
The first time Kotomi saw her, she dreamed about her that very night.
From then on, whenever she had free time, Kotomi would make an excuse to visit the shop again. The first reason—she was craving ramen. The second reason—she was craving something else.
Unfortunately, Ona didn't work there every day. Even though Kotomi went frequently, she could count on one hand the number of times she had actually seen her.
Whenever she did see Ona at the shop, Kotomi would try to hold herself back—ordering fewer bowls to seem more normal. On those days, she'd only order six extra-large ramen bowls, one big bowl of rice, and a plate of dumplings.
Ramen Jiro was known for being rich, greasy, and bold—overflowing with meat, vegetables, and noodles—and yet incredibly cheap.
Kotomi loved it precisely for those reasons: big portions, amazing taste, and a great price. Plus, toppings like vegetables, garlic, back fat, and soy sauce could be added for free.
At Ramen Jiro, there was no such thing as a regular size. The "small" bowl was already massive, and the "large" bowl was gigantic. In fact, a small bowl of Ramen Jiro was equivalent to an extra-large bowl at other ramen shops.
Some branches offered a "mini" size, but even then, it was still recommended to arrive hungry—because even the mini was equal to a large bowl elsewhere.
Kotomi had learned firsthand that Ramen Jiro's reputation for enormous portions was no exaggeration. At other ramen shops, she needed about twenty extra-large bowls to feel full. But at Jiro, just fifteen bowls did the trick—as long as she added all the garlic, back fat, and soy sauce.
Of course, she would always end her meal with two big bowls of rice or pork rice bowls, pairing them with the remaining broth as her finishing touch. It had become a habit—pouring the ramen soup over rice or eating it with dumplings.
Rather than soaking her rice directly in the soup, Kotomi preferred to pour the broth on top herself. That way, she could control the flavor and amount to her liking.
When Kotomi arrived at the Ramen Jiro branch, she pushed open the door and said casually, "Boss, I'll start with fifteen extra-large bowls."
Then she walked toward the refrigerator to grab a bottle of chilled oolong tea.
Chilled oolong tea and Ramen Jiro—almost a classic pairing at this point.
However, today there were two brands of oolong tea in the fridge, both of which Kotomi had tried before. She stood there for a moment, trying to decide which one to choose.
"Got it, please wait a moment," a familiar voice called out. "Dad and Mom are still in the back unloading today's ingredients—they'll be out soon. Still, it's really surprising. Even though we open pretty early every day, this is the earliest anyone's ever come by..."
Usually, their first customers didn't arrive until around ten in the morning, so the early hours were reserved for prep work. "Congratulations, Miss Izumi—you're officially the first customer in our shop's history to come for ramen in the morning!"
Just as Kotomi Izumi was deciding which brand of oolong tea to choose, the voice that answered her wasn't the familiar one of the owner or his wife—but a young, pleasant-sounding girl's voice.
Kotomi instantly jolted in surprise and turned sharply toward the sound. Standing behind the L-shaped counter, tying on an apron with a cheerful smile, was none other than Ona Sagawa—the girl who rarely appeared in the shop.
Seeing Kotomi frozen in place, Ona waved and smiled. "Good morning, Miss Izumi~ It feels like it's been ages since I last saw you. Haven't picked your oolong tea yet? I recommend the one on the top shelf—it's got a hint of sweetness. Really tasty."
"Ha... hahaha... alright, I'll take that one then," Kotomi said with an awkward laugh, forcing a smile.
She had always tried to make her appetite seem smaller whenever Ona was around...
Sitting down, Kotomi quickly came up with an excuse for her order. "I, uh, skipped dinner last night, so I figured I'd eat a bit more this morning. Hahaha."
Ona chuckled and nodded. "Oh, I see~ But fifteen extra-large bowls... that's your normal portion, right?"
"Eh?"
"Dad and Mom always talk about this amazing girl with a legendary appetite who comes here often—fifteen extra-large bowls, two big bowls of rice, and a plate of pork dumplings every time. Then the first time I actually saw you in the shop, I asked them about it, and that's when I learned the 'legendary big eater' they were always talking about was you."
Ona let out a helpless little laugh. "But every time I've been here, you've only ordered six bowls, so for a while I honestly thought maybe I made you lose your appetite or something."
"That's not it at all! It's just... I wanted to seem like I eat less when you're around. I saw a post online once saying some girls prefer people with smaller appetites," Kotomi said quickly, not dodging the question—just hitting straight with a clean confession.
When it came to girls she was interested in, Kotomi Izumi never beat around the bush. She always threw the straightest pitch.
Incidentally, the reason she knew Ona Sagawa's name at all was because she'd asked her directly.
Back when Ona had been helping out at the shop on a slow day, she had greeted Kotomi when she came in, asking, "Welcome! What would you like to order? If your appetite's on the smaller side, we do have a mini option."
While speaking, Ona had stolen a glance at Kotomi. She had always been confident in her looks, but when she saw Kotomi for the first time, she couldn't help thinking to herself—how can a girl be this beautiful?
Ona had always thought she liked handsome guys, but now... she realized she might actually prefer beautiful girls.
This girl's vibe is so cool and elegant... she's still young, but if she gets a bit older, she'll be the perfect ice queen type... Ona thought secretly, sneaking glances at Kotomi.
Of course, she didn't know that Kotomi wasn't naturally aloof or icy at all. That day's cool aura was purely coincidence.
It had been a hot day, and Kotomi had casually bought an ice cream bar from a nearby shop. She hadn't thought much about it at the time—how expensive could an ice cream possibly be? So she had just grabbed one at random.
She did notice the shopkeeper's odd little smile when she picked that particular bar—but paid it no mind.
When she went to pay and scanned the barcode, the total popped up on her phone screen:
[Charged: 2,059 yen]
"Excuse me, ma'am... are you sure you scanned that right?"
"No mistake here—that ice cream does cost 2,059 yen."
In that instant, Kotomi Izumi was stunned. This ice cream was insane. She hadn't even eaten it yet, but just seeing the price made her heart freeze halfway.
Other ice creams made you feel cool after eating them. This one made your soul cold before you even took a bite.
She had never in her life eaten ice cream that expensive! If you're going to be this pricey, at least have your own special Haagen-Dazs-style freezer display! Don't just hide among the cheap ones like an assassin waiting in the shadows to stab my wallet—seriously?!
Walking out of the store, Kotomi unwrapped the 2,059-yen ice cream and took a bite, curious whether it was made of gold or silver.
The moment she tasted it, tears welled up in her eyes—it was horrible!
After getting her wallet ambushed by that "ice cream assassin," Kotomi's cheerful face had turned cold, and that chill lasted all the way until she walked into the Ramen Jiro shop.
And that was why, upon their first meeting, Ona Sagawa thought Kotomi had such a cool, aloof aura.
Back to the story—when Kotomi saw someone asking what she wanted to order that day, she had been confused. Normally, she would just look at the menu hanging on the wall and tell the owner directly. Did they hire a new waitress?
But the moment she saw Ona Sagawa, her gaze was instantly drawn to the girl's beautiful legs. She couldn't help but think: What gorgeous tanned skin... if she were wearing white stockings, that would be...
Before her thoughts could drift further, Kotomi quickly put on a serious face, not wanting to leave a bad impression on the tanned beauty in front of her.
Kotomi Izumi: "I'll have an extra-large ramen, with garlic, back fat, and soy sauce—all maxed out. And one glass of iced water."
Ona Sagawa: "Got it! One extra-large ramen, garlic, back fat, and soy sauce all maxed out, and one iced water."
Kotomi Izumi: "Oh, and there's one more thing I'd like."
Ona Sagawa: "Of course! What else would you like?"
Kotomi Izumi: "Can you tell me your name and age?"
Ona Sagawa: "Ah—yes! I'm Ona Sagawa, the owner's daughter. I'm 18 years old... eh? Wait, what do my name and age have to do with your ramen order?"
Kotomi Izumi: "Well, both delicious food and beautiful girls are wonderful things. So if I'm ordering something delicious, it's only natural I'd also ask the name of the beautiful girl serving it, right? Nice to meet you. I'm Kotomi Izumi. You can just call me Kotomi."
Ona Sagawa: "I-I think I'll stick with 'Miss Izumi,' if that's alright!"
And that was how Kotomi Izumi learned Ona Sagawa's name—and that she was the owner's daughter.
Originally, Kotomi only came to Ramen Jiro about three times a month. But after meeting Ona, that number had gone up to at least five.
Whenever she craved ramen, this was the only place she wanted to go.
Perhaps, just a little, it wasn't only the ramen she craved.
Hearing Kotomi's honest confession, Ona's cheeks turned slightly pink. Still, she smiled and said:
"Maybe some girls do prefer people with smaller appetites. But if it were me, I think I'd rather my partner eat a lot! After all, our family's ramen shop motto is 'big portions, great taste.' Dad even jokes that anyone who can't finish a single extra-large Jiro bowl doesn't have what it takes to marry me! Hahaha—he's impossible. I haven't even been in a relationship yet, and he's already planning my future marriage."
Kotomi froze for a moment, then her expression suddenly turned serious.
Kotomi Izumi: "Please give me twenty-five extra-large ramen bowls."
Ona Sagawa: "Eh?! Can you really eat that many?!"
Kotomi Izumi: "Of course I can. I'm not even done ordering. I'll also have one large pork rice bowl—and your LINE, Miss Ona."
Ona Sagawa: "A large pork rice bowl and... my LINE...? Eh?"
And just like that—
Kotomi Izumi successfully got Ona Sagawa's LINE.
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