The Young Lady's Dark History and Ramen Studies 101

The sun blazed assertively in the midday sky.

Compared to last night, the bonfire was a cute, modest size.

Rohan felt the gentle warmth radiating outward and glanced downward.

"Hnggg..."

There was Ichinose, sleeping so deeply she wouldn't notice if he carried her off.

Her quiet breathing, at odds with her formidable strength, carried her through dreamland.

Should I let her sleep until this much longer?

Rohan pulled a piece of firewood from the stack and fed it to the flames.

He planned to wake her once that log turned to ash.

She just woke up a few hours ago, and already she's sleepy, hungry, thirsty...

With his hands free, he quietly cracked open a bottle of mineral water to quench his thirst.

Going through it myself, this isn't your average exam.

He recalled his hunter days, trapped underground for weeks by monster hordes.

That was how potent the sticker's effects were.

It was certainly an experience that would shatter cadets raised in luxury.

And it made preparing for the Monolith dungeons all the more critical.

"..."

Rohan stared blankly as the fire chewed through the wood.

This must be what they call fire-gazing.

The crackle of burning logs. Ichinose's soft breaths.

In the harmony of white noise, Rohan opened his quest window.

He pondered the details intently.

Will Main Story Chapter 2 play out exactly the same?

Rohan remembered it well, of course.

Compared to the bitter taste of Chapter 1 in Abyss City, Chapter 2 was lighter fare, with a visual feast at the end.

Players got to witness the real heavy-hitters in action—the ones everyone speculated about.

It let you gauge the power level the protagonist should aim for and confront one of the world's shadowy masterminds.

But that's when it was just a game.

"Light and eye-candy" was from a gamer's perspective, pure and simple.

Actually being there made Chapter 2 far more dangerous.

Omega... it just ends with him escaping in text, so it's hard to guess how he pulls it off.

He carefully reviewed Main Story Chapter 2 in his mind.

Naturally, his deliberations dragged on.

The core appeal was encountering other cadets and branching interactions based on choices.

Non-lethal combat let you test-drive unreleased and unavailable characters, which was a blast.

Scoop up all the rewards, and at the end, the Reverse Praise Society shows up—revealing one of the villains who'd pester you later. That was Chapter 2's backbone.

"Hmm..."

How would that translate to reality? He wasn't sure. Too many variables to just zone out and focus on the exam ahead.

Of course, the final battle didn't involve the protagonist meddling, so staying hands-off meant the key moments would likely follow canon.

But he couldn't shake the unease entirely.

It worried him.

Would the battle match Abyss City's footage exactly?

Could Juyeon and Omega's clash unfold spectacularly, only to time out into a safe draw?

With his info advantage, he wanted to ride the wave and do something.

Unlike with Sion, "Omega" was on a whole other level.

Chapter 2's finale was Juyeon's stage, so her opponent was a worthy match.

If a cadet clumsily interfered, they might die without even knowing what hit them.

Or worse, disrupt Juyeon and prevent the draw.

I wish the Reverse Praise Society just never showed. But the quest says otherwise.

If things didn't veer too far off-script, the cadets would be safe.

Omega had a deal with Hex for help, after all.

"Ah."

Time to wake Ichinose.

Digging into intel to play prophet had burned through the hours.

Gazing at the soundly sleeping girl, he spoke up.

"Baby Yui. Wake up."

"Hng..."

Given her personality, he couldn't let her keep sleeping like yesterday.

He ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wanted to let her rest, but one-sided burden-sharing from equal partners would just piss her off.

They had to split roles to avoid trouble.

"Ichinose Yui, open your eyes right now."

Rohan added a low rumble, and the girl squirmed faintly, murmuring.

"Daddy... Yui wants to sleep a bit more..."

"Daddy?"

Rohan chuckled at her sleep-talk.

Even the sharp heir to a corporate empire melted like this around family?

A precious scene Abyss City never showed.

"Daddy'll make you ramen. Get up."

"...?"

Ichinose blinked in a daze, her golden eyes peeking out before fluttering.

"You up?"

"..."

Her eyelids drooped. Even closed, she seemed awake.

Silence. Her lips betrayed inner conflict.

What was she thinking that froze her? Did she remember her sleep-talk?

"Ahem! Pardon me..."

Acting like nothing happened, she sat up.

But what a shame.

She'd mastered hiding emotions, but not to the point of masking extreme embarrassment. She still lacked shamelessness.

So he pressed.

"Rohan."

"Yeah?"

"Forget it quick. Erase it from your memory."

"Erase what?"

"That... thing."

Her face flushed—not from the small fire.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Definite.

Rohan couldn't hold back.

"Just tell Daddy. What should I forget?"

"!!!"

Ichinose jolted up, eyes wide like jewels in her panic.

Her emotions roiled, ready to bolt from her mouth.

"Got it. Won't tease anymore."

"..."

"Sit. I'm debating food or sleep."

"Hah...!"

She patted her cheeks to cool off and sat.

Was this practical exam Black History Update Day? Her head spun.

"Anyway, I'll fill the pot with water."

Perfect timing to let her compose herself.

They'd agreed to use the exam rations quick, so Rohan grabbed the pot and stood.

After a suitable pause,

he returned to camp, grin in place.

"Baby Yui."

"What if someone hears? Calling me that embarrassing name!"

"Fine if no one's around?"

"As if."

She was dead certain he'd be smirking if she opened her eyes.

This teasing differed from Noah's clingy playfulness—they stuck together daily.

"Too bad. It rolls off the tongue; it'll stick."

"Sigh... fine, then I'll think up a nickname for you too."

"Works for me. I'll change your contact name when we get back."

"..."

Rohan sensed it: fun time over.

Push further, and meltdown.

One more jab, and she'd sulk for sure.

"Ichinose. Like ramen?"

Casually, he set the sloshing pot over the fire.

She pouted.

"I've had it. Don't hate it."

"How's your stomach? Sleep and eat later if you want."

"Hungry... You're hungry too, right? Let's eat now."

Honest answer. Good.

Rohan grabbed the ramen pack and rambled as thoughts came.

"Boiling's key, but ramen's weirdly situational. There's times it just hits different."

"Really?"

"Post-swim ramen, after winter snow-clearing, hangover cure. Few more too."

"...Minus the last, isn't it just 'hungry makes it taste good'?"

Classic Ichinose. He smirked, ripping the pack.

No canned stuff—they'd save those.

"Anyway, outdoors is one factor that amps it up."

"You making it? ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I can do ramen."

"Nah, division of labor doesn't apply. No yielding. I'm cooking."

At his stance, she flashed a rare playful smile.

"Showing me a ramen new world I've never known?"

"Eh, maybe not that... But I'll nail the water ratio."

"Oh, I can't wait~."

Like she'd caught him, she cupped her cheeks, staring.

Meant as pressure, but Rohan just felt healed watching.

Let's do it.

Decision made for ramen now—no hesitation.

He wedged firewood under the pot to level it.

"Once the water boils..."

A faint presence.

Mid-ramen theory, Rohan flicked his gaze to the entrance.

Grabbed the longsword on the ground.

Ichinose was ready faster.

Poised to swing any second.

"..."

They exchanged class-taught hand signals.

Quietly slipped from shelter to stand outside, holding breath to escape the narrow terrain.

Footsteps, faint—but crystal clear to her.

Two people.

Trudging through rain-mudded earth, heading straight here. No ignoring.

Tension should build as they neared.

But Rohan and Ichinose recognized the familiar auras and exchanged looks.

"This?"

"Familiar presence. They'll notice us soon too."

They eased grips on swords.

And waited for the cadets crossing the brush ahead.