The ramen shop glowed under warm lanterns, filled with the soft clatter of bowls and murmured conversations. At her favorite corner counter seat sat Aiko—long straight black hair falling past her shoulders, straight bangs framing her face, a tiny beauty mark beneath her left eye—dressed in her school uniform. She lifted her chopsticks to the steaming tonkotsu bowl, eyes already half-closed in anticipation.

Then she froze. A tiny figure—naked, broth-soaked, no bigger than a wantan—flailed helplessly among the chashu and swirling noodles.

He was screaming—tiny, frantic, high-pitched cries that cut through the steam, words tumbling out in desperate bursts: “Help! Stop—please, don’t—!” But Aiko’s wide eyes were fixed only on the adorable shape of him, the way the broth glistened on his skin like a perfect little garnish, the helpless flailing that looked almost like playful splashing to her overloaded senses. She hadn’t truly heard him yet; her mind had already painted him as the cutest, yummiest surprise her ramen had ever delivered.

“Uwaaaah?! Nani kore?!” she gasped, voice pitching high enough to draw a quick glance from the next stool. She leaned forward, long black hair nearly dipping into the steam, chopstick hovering.

“Ehh?! Dōshite soko ni—?! Honto ni ningen?! Yakedo shichau yo! Supu atsui yo!!” Her cheeks flushed a deeper pink than usual, hands flying to her face as the cute aggression hit like a tidal wave.

“Kyaa~! Sugoi kawaii desu neeee!!” she squealed softly, eyes sparkling wide. “I just wanna squeeze youuuu~ you’re too much!!” Her voice dropped to a trembling whisper, thighs pressing together under the counter. “You smell like my favorite broth now… that’s so unfair~ Sugoi kawaii… I can’t… tabetai yo right now…”

A rapid glance around—no one staring. The evidence panic flashed: staff seeing, scandal, never allowed back. But the thrill turned it sweet and inevitable. “Okay okay… what do I even do with you? The staff will freak if they see…”

Her fingers curled around the warm bowl rim. Heart racing, she murmured, “Kyaa~… gomen ne, demo… tabetai yo… sugoi kawaii kara… itadakimasu~♡” The bowl began to lift and was tilted in one slow, deliberate motion as her lips parted . . .