Chapter 241 — Nobody is Winning Here [2 Chapter in One]

In the end, everyone caved and decided to join Ryou in her ridiculous challenge.

Even though the waitress had warned them about the sheer amount of food, Nijika and Kita still burning from Ryou’s teasing—were too stubborn to back down.

If Ryou could do it, then so could they.

Or at least… that’s what they told themselves.

After a short wait, the sound of a food trolley creaked toward their table.

The smell hit them before the sight did—a rich blend of ocean salt, pork broth, and simmered seafood that filled the entire room.

The aroma hit them instantly—savory, greasy, and a little intimidating.

“Thank ya for waitin’!” the waitress said cheerfully, her Okinawan accent thick but warm. “Here we got four Iso Ramen Challenge bowls, two sodas, one orange juice, one milk tea, and one Nata de Coco!”

She began unloading the massive bowls onto the table.

Each Iso Ramen looked less like a meal and more like an edible volcano.

The deep black ceramic bowls were packed to the brim with thick, chewy noodles buried under a small ocean’s worth of toppings.

Fat slices of rafute (braised pork belly), pink shrimp still glistening from the broth, tender squid rings, clams, fish cake, seaweed, tofu, bean sprouts, and even half a boiled egg floating among the waves.

The broth was a shimmering amber color, cloudy from pork fat and seafood essence, its surface bubbling with oil and steam.

The scent alone was enough to make Kei’s stomach both growl and recoil at the same time.

Each one looked like a mountain of noodles and toppings—enough to feed a family of four.

The steam fogged up their glasses.

“Here’s the timer for ya,” the waitress continued, setting down a small clock. “You’ve got thirty minutes. If ya need a water refill, help yerselves from that jug over there.”

“Thank you,” Kei said back since no one said anything.

“Any questions?”

“……”

“……”

The table fell silent.

Even Ryou, who had started this whole mess, looked slightly intimidated.

“Alright then,” the waitress said, pressing the button of the little timer.

‘Beep.’

“Yer time starts now! Please enjoy~!” After she said that she going back to behind the register before entering the kitchen again.

Probably because by the time their food arrived, the lunch rush had long since ended.

The staff were already setting up for dinner, and looking at the small restaurant that doesn’t really have that many employe even people who work at the register also help out.

But Kei didn’t care about any of that.

His attention was completely consumed by the mountain-sized bowl sitting in front of him.

It was absurdly huge.
Steam rose like fog off the surface, carrying the scent of pork, seafood, and soy.

“Ryou, look what you’ve done!” Nijika hissed, her whisper only slightly quieter than a shout. “This is clearly way too much for one person!”

“…”

Ryou stared at the bowl in silence. A thick slice of braised pork and half a squid floated near the top, staring back at her like an unblinking pair of eyes.

“Y-Yes, but… if it tastes good, you won’t feel full, right?” she said weakly.

“Feel not full?” Nijika shot back, deadpan. “Just looking at it makes me full already.”

Kei sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Let’s just eat before it gets cold.”

“Y-Yeah, let’s stay positive,” Kita said with a forced laugh, her optimism visibly crumbling by the second. “We haven’t had lunch yet, so maybe we have a chance?”

One by one, they picked up their chopsticks.

“Thank you for the food!” they said in unison.

And then… they began to eat the ramen.

The first bite of Iso Ramen was heavenly.

The broth was thick and rich, bursting with umami—the deep savoriness of simmered seafood, the sweetness of pork fat, and a faint briny freshness that reminded them of the ocean breeze.

The noodles soaked up every drop of flavor, perfectly chewy and springy between their chopsticks.

“Wow, this actually tastes so good!” Nijika said, her eyes sparkling with delight.

“Yeah, I’m genuinely surprised it’s this good for a challenge menu,” Kei admitted.

He didn’t mean to undermine the food itself, but most restaurants with these kinds of “challenge menus” usually just threw in random ingredients—extra vegetables or bread—to fill you up faster rather than focus on taste.

“See? I told you so,” Ryou said smugly, a small grin tugging at her lips.

“Well, I suppose you could say that… slurp…” Nijika muttered, deliberately ignoring the smug look on Ryou’s face.

But that initial excitement didn’t last long.

The more they ate, the heavier it became.

What started as rich and flavorful slowly turned dense and exhausting.

Each sip of broth felt thicker than the last, clinging to their tongues with an oily weight that refused to go away.

The toppings that once balanced the flavor now only made the bowl look more intimidating—like a mountain that never seemed to shrink no matter how much they ate.

Even the noodles, once springy and perfect, began to feel endless, their texture growing tougher, harder to swallow.

By the halfway point, every bite was a battle between pride and nausea.

Nijika had completely surrendered, slumping deep into her chair with her head tilted back toward the ceiling.

“…Ughh, I give up…” she groaned, her eyes vacant, staring into nothing as if her soul had left her body.

Her stomach felt painfully tight, every breath heavy—just the thought of taking another bite made her feel like she might actually explode.

Kita wasn’t faring any better.

She stubbornly kept shoveling noodles into her mouth, trying to mask the overwhelming richness by pouring in more soy sauce.

Then red pepper flakes—anything to change the taste—but it was no use.

Every bite felt heavier than the last.

Kei was managing slightly better, though not by much.

He tried to eat quickly before the fullness caught up to him, but even his chopsticks began to slow, the rhythm faltering as exhaustion took over.

And then there was Ryou—the mastermind behind this great idea.

She followed Kei’s lead at first, forcing down mouthful after mouthful, but eventually, even she had to stop.

‘…This is ridiculous. No matter how much I eat, it doesn’t even look like it’s going down…’

The broth that once shimmered with warmth and umami now mocked her with its oily sheen.

The rich, savory aroma that once tempted her now made her stomach twist.

Ryou glanced at the timer—five minutes left.

Her bowl still had almost the same amount as Kei’s.

‘Should I just give up?’ The thought slipped into her mind before she violently shook her head.

‘No, no, no—this thing cost 3,100 yen!’

‘There’s no way I’m letting three and a half Hideyo Noguchis go to waste!’

‘I could buy a decent amplifier with that kind of money!’ she thought, tightening her grip on her chopsticks like a warrior preparing for one last charge.

But before she could force another bite down, a soft thump echoed across the table.

‘Thump.’

Everyone’s eyes turned toward the sound.

“T-Thank you for the food,” came a quiet, almost apologetic voice.

It was Bocchi.

Her bowl was completely empty—no noodles, no toppings, not even a drop of broth left.

It was as if she’d devoured it all in another dimension.

“B-Bocchi-chan, you already finished it!?” Kita gasped, eyes wide in disbelief.

“Y-Yes.” Bocchi fidgeted under their stares, her hands twisting nervously. “W-well, I’ve always been kind of a big eater since I was a kid, so… I usually eat a lot…” Her voice faded into a tiny whisper by the end.

“Wait—then why didn’t you help us finish that hotpot last time!?” Nijika asked, leaning forward with disbelief.

“W-well… i-it’s because I got shy to ask for another portion of meat…” Bocchi confessed, shrinking into her seat.

“….”

Nijika stared at her in silence, her mind struggling to process the sight of the timid, pink-sweatered girl who had just annihilated a mountain of ramen.

Her eyes drifted down to Bocchi’s stomach—which, impossibly, still looked completely normal—then, without thinking her shifted upward.

‘No way… it all went there!’ she thought, glancing down at her own chest for comparison.

She look back at the ramen bowl in front of her.

‘So eating a lot really does help, huh…?’

‘Okay, maybe if I drink some water first, I can make more room.’

She grabbed her glass and stood up. “I’m gonna go get some water,” she said quickly, already heading toward the dispenser.

Even Bocchi-chan can do this—then so can I! Kita’s eyes suddenly sparkled with determination. She grabbed her bowl and began slurping a ridiculous amount of ramen in one go.

“If I can’t see the food, there’s no way I can feel full!” she declared between gulps.

Ryou stared at Kita’s reckless enthusiasm, then glanced at her own bowl before her gaze drifted toward Bocchi.

“Bocchi-chan—” she began, but before she could finish, a gentle bonk landed on her head.

“No, you can’t ask her to eat your portion,” Kei said flatly, cutting her off before she could even start scheming.

“What do you mean, Suki-san? I was just going to say Bocchi looks really cute today,” Ryou said innocently.

Kei narrowed his eyes. “Ryou-san, you were the one who came up with this whole challenge. Please take responsibility for your own portion.”

Then, turning back to Bocchi, he added in a softer tone, “But just to check—you’re already full, right, Bocchi?”

“Y-Y-Yes!” Bocchi nodded rapidly, her hands fidgeting in her lap.

“That’s good then,” Kei said with a small smile. “But if you want to eat more, don’t hesitate to order it, okay? Don’t be shy.”

Bocchi’s cheeks turned a faint pink as she nodded again, mumbling, “O-Okay…”

“Alright then, let me call the waitress. Technically, you’re the winner of the challenge,” Kei said, standing up.

Though he partly just wants to stretched his body a little, to ease his full stomach.

Ryou’s plan to secretly ask Bocchi for help had completely fallen apart.
Defeated, she turned back to stare at her bowl of ramen.

Yup… still there, she thought miserably, half-hoping it would just magically vanish if she stared long enough.

If I could just change the flavor a little, maybe I could eat more…

She sighed softly, her gaze wandering around the table until it landed on the small red container of chili powder sitting in the center.

Ryou’s eyes lit up. Right, spicy stuff helps with appetite, doesn’t it?

With newfound determination, she reached for the shaker and sprinkled a small amount into her bowl.

Thump.

Ryou froze.
Her expression turned blank as she watched the cap fall off—sending half the contents of the chili powder straight into her ramen.

For a long, silent moment, she just stared at it. Then, slowly, she closed her eyes, pretending nothing had happened. Calmly, she fished the cap out of the bowl, screwed it back on, and gave the ramen a casual stir.

And then—without a shred of hesitation—she switched her bowl with Kei’s.

Bocchi, who had witnessed the entire crime, blinked in horror. “U-Umm… Ryou-san?”

“Hmm? What is it, Bocchi-chan?” Ryou asked in an overly calm tone, still stirring Kei’s ramen with her chopsticks as if nothing was wrong.

“T-That’s Aoki-san’s bowl—”

“Bocchi-chan.”

“Y-Yes?”

“We’re friends, right?” Ryou said, smiling sweetly—too sweetly.

“Y-Yes…” Bocchi replied, shrinking slightly in her seat.

“This is just a little friendly prank,” Ryou said with a falsely serene tone. “Something to strengthen our bonds as bandmates.”

Her eyes gleamed as she added, “So I definitely didn’t just dump half a bottle of chili powder into my ramen and switch it with Suki-san’s bowl. Got it?”

“B-But—”

“Got it?” Ryou repeated, her smile somehow both charming and terrifying.

“Hiee…” Bocchi squeaked, trembling.
She decided, then and there, that she would definitely tell Kei when he came back.

“Ohh, so one of you actually finished it, huh?”

The cheerful voice of a young waitress echoed through the small ramen shop. Bocchi turned around to see her walking alongside Kei, who was stretching his shoulders as he returned to the table.

“You’re really impressive for a girl your size,” the woman said with a friendly grin, her Okinawan accent thick and warm. She picked up the empty bowl and glass in front of Bocchi. “I’ll take these, okay? Since you finished within the time limit, your meal’s free as promised, young lady.”

“Ah, y-yes… thank you very much,” Bocchi replied with a small bow, her voice barely audible.

The waitress chuckled. “Would you mind taking a photo with us?”

“P-P-Photo!?” Bocchi froze instantly, like a startled cat.

“Yeah, people who complete the challenge usually get their picture taken and hung up on that wall over there,” she explained, pointing toward a section covered with smiling customers posing beside massive ramen bowls.

“You’ll also get a little bear keychain as a prize!”

“N-No, it’s fine! I don’t need a photo!” Bocchi shook her head so fast her hair puffed up.

“Then how about the keychain?”

“I-I don’t need it either!” she squeaked.

“Is that so? Well, if you change your mind, just call me, alright?” The waitress laughed softly and carried the dishes back toward the kitchen.

As soon as she was gone, Bocchi let out a huge sigh of relief, slumping over the table.

But then—her eyes widened in horror.

“A-Aoki-san!” she gasped, whipping her head toward his seat—only to see Kei calmly eating his ramen as if nothing was wrong.

“Hmm? What’s the matter?” Kei asked, glancing up with a puzzled look.

Bocchi stared at him, completely lost. He was eating normally. No sweating, no gasping, no hint of the chili inferno that Ryou had dumped into that bowl.

“N-Nothing. Are you… feeling okay?” she asked nervously.

“Yes? Why do you ask?” he replied casually, taking another sip of broth.

“N-No reason, just—”

“Cough—Cough—Cough—!”

Before she could finish, Ryou suddenly started coughing violently beside them, her face turning bright red.

“Ryou-san! Are you okay!?” Kita who had been focusing eating stop eating and panicked, quickly grabbing her glass of water and thrusting it toward her Ryou.

"Here have some water, senpai!"

Ryou snatched it with trembling hands and gulped it down, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.

“Glup—Glup—Glup—”

“Haa… haa… haa…!”

Ryou gasped for air after draining the entire glass of water, but her tongue was still on fire.

“...What’s wrong with you?” Kei asked, looking genuinely confused as he continued slurping his ramen without a care in the world.

Ryou slowly turned her head toward him, eyes narrowing into a glare sharp enough to cut steel.

Her plan to switch bowls with Kei had clearly succeeded.

So why was she the one suffering right now?

What Ryou didn’t know was that Kei had also been adding chili powder to his own ramen earlier, trying to make it less bland.

Unfortunately, his taste buds were so hopelessly dull that he kept adding more and more without realizing how spicy it had become.

Ryou exhaled heavily, defeated. “Suki-san,” she muttered, rubbing her temples, “I think I finally understand why you’re so bad at cooking.”

Kei paused mid-bite, blinking. “...Huh?”