"Beer's here!"
Wearing a chef's hat and looking about fifty, the ramen shop boss smiled as he brought two bottles of draft beer.
He handed one bottle to Shizuka and placed the other in front of Toru.
Toru looked surprised. "I didn't order beer."
The boss blinked and pointed at Shizuka. "She's treating you."
"Let me tell you, she's a regular. Every time she comes here and I mention boyfriends, she immediately orders a few bottles to drown her sorrows. I've made a lot of money this way."
The boss's blunt statement made Toru laugh. "You just say that right in front of her?"
"Haha, she doesn't care about that."
The boss laughed loudly and walked away to tend to other customers.
Toru thought for a moment and instantly understood the boss's intention.
It looked like teasing, but in reality, the boss was trying to help Shizuka get closer to him.
The boss was good. Subtle, but effective. Toru thought maybe he was in the wrong profession. He should have been a matchmaker.
Still, although Toru understood, he pretended not to.
So that's how it is. You all see me as an innocent university boy you can scheme around, huh.
"This boss is interesting."
Toru decided to speak first.
Shizuka raised her glass. "Yeah, he's interesting. His cooking is good too, so I often come here for ramen. You drink? Let's have a toast. This one's on me."
Looking at how straightforward she was, Toru raised his glass and clinked it with hers. "I can hold my liquor pretty well."
Just as Shizuka was about to drink, she froze and quickly asked, "You're twenty, right?"
According to Japan's law, you had to be twenty to drink. Plenty ignored it privately, but in public, you had to be careful.
Toru replied, "I went to Shuchiin for high school and got into Tokyo University, but I actually hold American nationality."
In other words, Japan's drinking law didn't apply to him.
"Oh, so you're an international student."
Shizuka relaxed and took a big gulp.
Toru followed her lead and drank half his beer.
Shizuka gave him a thumbs up.
The ramen shop was now full. Middle-aged office workers around them clinked glasses and complained about work and family.
These small ramen shops that doubled as izakayas were perfect for them. Cheap. Relaxed atmosphere.
With alcohol in them, even shy people loosened up. And Shizuka, already outgoing, became even more talkative.
"Fujiwara-kun, is it okay if I call you that?"
"Sure. I grew up in America, so I'm not used to honorifics. You can call me by name."
"Haha, I grew up in Japan. If I try to change how I address people, it feels weird."
She paused, then asked, "...What's your major at Tokyo University, Fujiwara-kun?"
"I'm in the Faculty of Politics and International Studies."
"Politics and International Studies? Planning to become a diplomat?"
Toru shook his head. "Not exactly. My goal is to become Prime Minister of Japan. But if I need to be a diplomat first to get there, I'll try that too."
He said it seriously.
His eyes glanced at the system interface only he could see.
[Final Mission (Impossible?): Become the American President or the Prime Minister of Japan through legal, reasonable, and compliant means. Upon completion, receive the final mysterious reward]
When Toru first saw this mission, he was stunned.
The difficulty was absurd. And the requirement that it must be done legally meant only one thing in democratic nations: elections.
Still, he was extremely curious about the final reward.
From that moment on, he had treated this goal as a lifelong mission.
After thinking carefully, he abandoned the idea of becoming the American President.
Because he was Asian.
Even if he grew up in America and wasn't an immigrant, being Asian was still a disadvantage in national elections.
There had never been an Asian President, and Toru wasn't interested in being the first. It would require massive effort and political cost.
So he chose the second path: becoming the Prime Minister of Japan. Worst case, he could become a wartime leader and go down in history. That was fine too.
His current identity gave him a considerable advantage.
Japan's political world was practically hereditary. Without a strong family background, rising to the top was incredibly difficult.
Most high-ranking officials came from political lineages.
The Fujiwara family was an old political house. He could use that legacy to enter politics with ease.
The system set a political goal for him and also strengthened him through dating. So Toru named it:
[Career and Love System]
Seeing Toru's serious expression, Shizuka's smile faded. She asked quietly, "Are you serious, Fujiwara-kun?"
"Of course I am. I even have a career plan."
"First, attend Tokyo University to meet Japan's most outstanding young people. They will become my future connections."
"Then, find a way to make a name for myself so the public knows who I am. This prepares me for running for city council."
"After becoming a city councilor, I will join Japan's largest party to build my path into the Diet. Once I become a Diet member, I will target cabinet positions."
"From there, I'll aim for party leadership. If I win enough internal votes, once that happens, the position of Prime Minister will be within reach."
(To be continued.)