V4 Chapter 16: Sakiko-sensei Is Too Cute

What ramen shop could it be?

As Haru followed beside Sakiko, he started realizing the road felt incredibly familiar. Then they turned down an alley and walked right up to a certain shop's entrance. The moment he saw it, his face twisted into a rather complicated expression.

And of course, the ever-perceptive Sakiko noticed his subtle reaction.

"Is this place no good?"

Her brows knit slightly, wondering if she'd brought him to a place he didn't like.

"…No, I think it's great."

But seriously, was this the only ramen shop in all of Japan?

Suppressing his inner grumble, Haru followed Sakiko inside. With practiced ease, he exchanged a glance with the front-desk staff, who—without missing a beat—led them to a familiar corner booth. The same one as last time, in fact.

Even after they sat down, Sakiko looked around curiously.

"The menu…"

She picked it up, and in the next second, her finely shaped brows creased again. There was a trace of hesitation in her bright, beautiful eyes.

The menu was filled with various ramen options she'd never tried. Feeling overwhelmed, she used it to partially cover her face, sneaking a sideways glance at Haru.

Sakiko Togawa, once the elegant, high-born "Togawa-san", had barely even been to karaoke before. She definitely hadn't eaten "commoner food" like ramen. And after leaving CRYCHIC, with every yen going toward survival, even minor food indulgences had become a luxury she didn't dare afford.

So technically, this was her first time at a ramen shop.

Haru caught her peeking out of the corner of his eye and quickly understood the situation. He let a smile flicker in his mind but kept his expression neutral.

"In that case, I think I'll try the house special tonkotsu ramen."

"I'll have the tonkotsu too!"

Sakiko smiled instantly, choosing the same dish without hesitation.

Watching her now, Haru couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic.

When he'd first met her, she always wore a cold, distant expression like someone who had no interest in forming bonds. But now, that gentle, unguarded smile radiated a charm that was completely her own.

If it weren't for the simulator's influence… he might've already been swept away by this diligent junior.

Of course, Sakiko had no idea what Haru was thinking. Holding her glass of ice water with both hands, she kept her tone casual:

"If you want anything else, just order it. My treat today, think of it as thanks."

Can I order Sakiko's feet?

Spicy. With green onions. Hold the garlic.

Haru couldn't resist the mental jab.

Still, no matter how composed she tried to act, he knew Sakiko's limits.

Haru was a gold-tier regular at this ramen place. "Shiba Seki's Ramen" served everything from tempura to sushi—premium items. Ironically, the house ramen was the cheapest.

If he pulled a "Yamada special" and ordered everything under the sun, poor Sakiko might end up crying and washing dishes all night to pay it off.

"Excuse me! Have you decided on your order?"

A petite, blonde waitress in a staff uniform bounced over. Her long golden hair was tied in a braid over her chest. The moment she saw Haru, her professional smile flickered into surprise, then shifted to realization.

"I'll take this, this… and this too."

Haru casually picked a few solid items from the menu while giving her a discreet look.

The blonde girl instantly responded with a subtle "got it" glance, then even gave him a quick thumbs-up before turning and walking off like nothing had happened.

Haru hadn't done anything shady. He simply told them to charge the extras to his loyalty card.

After all, thanks to the simulator's "Wife's Savings Passbook" reward, Haru had some budget to spoil his IRL Sakiko-sensei, without her noticing a thing.

"…Hey, Haru?"

The soft voice of the blue-haired enchantress drew his gaze.

"Didn't you say earlier… there was something you wanted to talk to me about, just the two of us?"

She still held her glass of water with both hands.

Under the soft amber lighting, her porcelain face had taken on a faint rosy hue. Her usually tense, furrowed brows had relaxed. Her brilliant amber eyes glistened, avoiding direct contact with his.

Maybe because she was nervous?

Her luscious lips pressed together in a gentle pout. Her entire face—so pure and enticing—was filled with subtle awkwardness. Her long black lashes fluttered like butterfly wings, a telltale sign of her nervous state.

Why was she nervous?

Even she didn't know why her heart felt so complicated. Her white fingers tightened on the glass. She stole glances at Haru.

"Well…"

Uh oh. His vision was going fuzzy.

Snap out of it. That's just Customer Support 0721 sitting across from you!

Without her usual cold expression, Sakiko's charm hit like a truck. Haru had to mentally repeat "Omae wa mou shindeiru" three times just to stabilize himself.

"It's about Soyo."

Sakiko: ?

Her nervous expression instantly cooled. Her soft amber gaze turned frosty, eyes narrowing slightly.

She now gripped the glass more than held it. Her brow furrowed with subtle, sharp displeasure.

That change didn't escape Haru.

So even mentioning Soyo made her irritated now? Maybe Sakiko's lingering guilt over CRYCHIC was finally giving way to sheer fatigue from the constant pressure.

"…She bothered you again because of me, didn't she?"

Her voice was even, but like someone reading from a script. Cold and flat.

Annoyed.

Clearly annoyed, but trying hard to stay composed.

Was it really just the mention of Soyo that triggered this mood swing? Or was it hearing Haru say "Soyo" so casually? Maybe it was some hidden hope inside her that had been snuffed out in an instant.

Whatever it was, Sakiko was visibly agitated.

"Actually, Mutsumi messaged you earlier and didn't get a reply, so she reached out to me."

"Mutsumi?"

Sakiko's expression softened slightly. Still frustrated, but not as icy.

She quickly pulled out her phone to check LINE.

Sure enough, Mutsumi had sent a message: "Sakiko, are you there?" But at the time, Sakiko had been working and hadn't seen it. Then she'd gone straight to the ramen shop with Haru, leaving the message unopened.

"What did Mutsumi want to talk about?"

Kazami Haru quickly explained the situation with Nagasaki Soyo in detail to Togawa Sakiko. The more he explained, the deeper the frown on the girl's face became. Her gaze grew sharp as she stared at the transparent glass in front of her.

In the end, she could only let out a long, weary sigh.

"I understand."

"This time, I'll talk to her directly and make everything clear."

Because of her personal affairs, Haru kept getting dragged into unrelated trouble. Togawa Sakiko couldn't stand it anymore. No matter how she looked at it, it was clear Nagasaki Soyo wasn't going to give up easily. If that was the case, then she'd face her head-on and crush any lingering hope she had for CRYCHIC.

"If you're coming to watch, Togawa, then I'll go all out on stage."

A confident smirk played on Kazami Haru's lips as if saying, just wait and see.

He even stretched out his slender fingers and mimicked playing a synthesizer in the air, then tapped rhythmically on the table. The gesture eased some of the frustration that had been building in Togawa Sakiko's chest.

Seeing him live... might not be such a bad idea.

"But Haru, when did you and Mutsumi get so close?"

"You're calling each other by first names already?"

Togawa Sakiko furrowed her brow in confusion.

She knew Wakaba Mutsumi and Haru were acquainted, but she had no idea their relationship had gotten that close.

In her mind, they were just the kind of people who might nod to each other if they passed on the street. But then Haru casually referred to her as "Mutsumi", so familiarly?

Now that she thought about it, last time Mutsumi had also just called him "Haru."

In Japan, how you address someone matters a lot. Most people use surnames unless they're close friends. Using first names implies a much deeper bond.

That's already unusual between people of the same gender—between a guy and a girl, it's even rarer.

Yet he still called her "Togawa."

"We just naturally started calling each other by our first names. I guess we are pretty close."

Kazami Haru's gaze drifted slightly as if he was recalling something.

How could they not be close?

Even though Mutsumi—his little cucumber—didn't see him often, the two of them were way closer than regular friends. Not to mention, under his "guidance," that cute cucumber had even started asking for hugs.

Just using first names was nothing in comparison.

"Is that so...?"

Togawa Sakiko's expression shifted, her eyes fixed on the ice water in front of her, lost in thought.

Haru noticed her reaction and cautiously ventured, "How about we start calling each other by our first names too? Calling you 'Togawa' feels kinda awkward."

At that, Sakiko-sensei looked up sharply.

"You've got a point..."

"That would make things easier. Geez, what can I say…"

Her tone was casual, as if she were discussing something trivial, but her fingers trembled ever so slightly, and the black ribbon in her hair swayed gently, hinting at a subtle rise in emotion.

She'd been irritated by the whole Nagasaki Soyo situation—but now, for some reason, Togawa Sakiko felt her mood lift considerably.

"Thank you for waiting!"

Before they realized it, the server had arrived with two steaming bowls of ramen.

Alongside them were small plates of tempura and sushi. The moment they saw the dishes, Haru and the young waitress exchanged a quick glance, each seeming to understand what the other was thinking.

Haru had ordered some food with his own money—but this many extras? Those were probably gifts from the head chef again.

He never got freebies like this when he came alone!

"...Did we really order this much?"

Seeing the elegant plates—each one clearly not cheap—Togawa Sakiko felt a sudden jolt of surprise in her chest.

Who knew how many days of bean sprouts and enoki mushrooms over cold rice she'd have to endure after this meal?

"Ahem! Dear customers! Some of these dishes are complimentary from our store's promotion!"

"Oh, I see…"

Togawa Sakiko nodded earnestly, accepting the explanation.

"You two look so close, it's really enviable!"

"You've got it wrong…"

That one simple line made a flush rise suddenly to the girl's lovely face.

Sakiko recalled how even her coworkers had mentioned similar things before. Today, not only had her childhood friend Hatsuka said it, but even this stranger of a waitress was making the same assumption.

Could it be… that when she was with Kazami Haru, they really did look like a couple?

Togawa Sakiko, feeling a swirl of emotions, kept her eyes fixed on the tonkotsu ramen in front of her.

She reached up with her right hand, gently tucking a lock of her silky, light-blue hair behind her ear, exposing the faintly blushing tip of her pale ear. With her elegant fingers, she picked up her chopsticks and tasted the ramen with refined grace.

Her slightly narrowed eyes seemed to glimmer with a soft, radiant smile—so pure and beautiful that Haru couldn't help but stare. He gazed at her until she finally blushed under the intensity of his look.

At that moment, Sakiko looked just like a fairy from a legend—ethereal and stunning.

Honestly, watching the young lady eat was a treat in itself.

…

After dinner, it was already 6 PM.

The city lights of the evening cast vibrant arcs of color beneath the darkened skyscrapers. The orange-red glow of izakaya signs flickered along the streets, and the people coming and going showed no sign of nighttime quiet. That particular warm summer breeze circled gently around them—

Feeling more at ease than she had in a long time, Togawa Sakiko had a soft smile on her lips as she and Haru walked to the intersection, her shoulder bag swaying lightly. Only after she felt the mental fatigue begin to ease did she finally turn and say:

"Well then, I'll head this way."

"Got it~ Thanks for the generous treat today!"

Haru flashed a teasing grin that brought a subtle blush to her cheeks. Sakiko furrowed her brows slightly and responded in a calm tone, "It was just to say thank you…"

In truth, she'd used quite a few discounts, so the bill hadn't been that much.

"Well then, Sakiko—see you tomorrow~"

The moment he called her name, Sakiko froze.

She'd been called by her first name by countless friends before—even "Saki-chan," a nickname she was long used to. But when Kazami Haru said it today, it stirred up a strange, indescribable feeling.

Still… she didn't dislike it.

"Ha—"

Now that she was about to say his name aloud, she found herself unsure how to begin.

Her free left hand quietly clenched the hem of her dress.

Her soft, light-blue hair slipped off her shoulder, and only when a faint glint passed through her bewitching eyes did she finally release the tension in her hand.

"…See you tomorrow, Haru!"

As soon as the words left her lips, a light and joyful emotion washed over her.

But then, a wave of shy embarrassment quickly rose to her face and neck. Realizing what she'd just said, Sakiko spun on her heel and hurried off as if fleeing the scene.

At that moment, she felt like the more timid version of herself had quietly come back to life.

Though she clearly didn't realize… just how devastatingly charming she'd been just now.

"...Sakiko-sensei, you're seriously too cute."

Watching the blue-haired girl disappear into the distance, Kazami Haru muttered, feeling conflicted.

No wonder, in the simulator, his character always instantly locked into Sakiko's route the moment they interacted.

Seriously, who could possibly resist?

Haru shook his head, trying to banish the wandering thoughts. He had more training and a part-time job tomorrow. He needed to get home and take down some monsters in Monster Hunter—score a flashy dragon kill—or he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

The night streets remained busy. Even on the sidewalk, cars zoomed past one after another. A gust of summer heat stirred a lock of Haru's black bangs, and a Sumimi poster lit up on a digital billboard in the distance.

A woman in a business suit passed by, and as she accidentally bumped into another pedestrian, she lost her balance.

Kazami Haru stepped forward instinctively, catching her just in time.

"Thank you, young man~!"

The black-haired, curly-haired office lady looked at him with gratitude. If he hadn't reached out, she would've fallen. These days, not many young people would bother to help.

"No need to thank me. Just lending a hand."

Haru smiled and turned to walk away, leaving the 'Office Lady' with a faint sense of regret.

He looked about the same age as her daughter, probably a high schooler.

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