I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City-Chapter 102: Feeding the Tiger

"Using a fork is a bit inconvenient. They should have included chopsticks in the supply crates too."

The ramen in the mess tin was bubbling away.

A mouthwatering aroma wafted up, teasing their appetites.

"..."

Ichinose unconsciously swallowed her saliva.

Ramen wasn’t something she particularly liked.

But maybe because of the sticker stuck to the back of her neck, the scent felt irresistibly tempting.

"Okay! The noodles are just the right texture now."

Rohan scooped out a generous portion of noodles onto the mess tin lid using the fork from the supply crate.

He poured in a bit of broth and handed it to Ichinose.

"Guest? Your ramen is ready."

"Thanks for the meal."

Ichinose silently smiled as she took the mess tin lid from Rohan.

Even in battle, he had never shown this level of pride.

It was almost like a craftsman’s dedication.

"Ichinose, should I make you some chopsticks? Isn’t it annoying to eat with a fork?"

"It’s fine. There’s a place in front of Orion Academy that serves Ttukbaegi Pasta, and they give out forks even though it's full of broth."

"Hmm."

Was he planning to carve chopsticks from branches?

Rohan had been fiddling with his dagger, looking around, but after hearing her response, he sat back down.

"But if I take the lid, what will you use as a bowl?"

"Hold on."

Rohan took the empty ramen wrapper, folded it over itself, and reinforced it.

A shiny, makeshift mini bowl was complete.

The same technique he had used as a kid when eating cup ramen.

"Ta-da."

"I... I’ve never seen that before."

"It’s actually a pretty common trick. Anyway, let’s eat. I’m starving."

Rohan grinned and motioned for her to dig in.

Compared to the dry, flavorless Hornbird meat they had eaten earlier, this was luxurious.

If they didn’t eat it while it was hot, it would be a waste.

"Fuu!"

Ichinose gently blew on the ramen wrapped around her fork before taking a bite.

Slurp!

The noodles slipped between her lips, and she slowly chewed.

Next, she lifted the mess tin lid and sipped the broth.

‘Wow...’

It was so good she couldn’t even speak.

The taste made her instinctively let out a sigh of admiration.

‘Why does this taste so amazing...?’

The ramen itself wasn’t anything special.

It was the kind of ordinary ramen you’d find at any convenience store.

She had watched the entire cooking process—there were no special ingredients or secret seasonings added.

"..."

Her ears picked up the sound.

Her partner, Rohan, was eating without showing any particular reaction.

As if this taste was completely normal for him.

‘Then that means...’

There was only one possible conclusion.

This was what Rohan meant when he said, "There are situations where ramen tastes better."

Ichinose couldn’t stop herself.

She grabbed the mess tin lid with both hands and gulped down the rest of the broth.

"Haah...!"

A deep breath escaped her lips.

The warmth spread through her entire body.

It was an overwhelming flavor—so good that it shook her soul.

The mess tin lid that had once held ramen was now spotless.

And as if he had been waiting for this moment, Rohan spoke.

"Want more?"

"Uh... is there any left?"

"Of course."

Ichinose barely held back a laugh as she watched Rohan proudly scoop more ramen into her portion.

‘He’s acting like a dad.’

It was something she would never say out loud, but she could think it.

"Eat up."

"Thanks."

Ichinose focused on her ramen again, lost in thought.

‘I’ve never thought of ramen as gourmet food before...’

Ichinose Yui knew herself well.

She was picky about food.

Not to the point of being a picky eater.

Just like in this exam, she could eat almost anything if the situation required it.

But that was simply for survival.

Her pickiness meant that even if she forced herself to eat, she distinguished clearly between what was delicious and what was not.

And for her...

This ramen.

Without a doubt, it was the best meal she had eaten in years.

Even the famous dishes made by renowned chefs in high-end restaurants couldn’t compare.

‘...What if, after the exam, I start craving this again?’

What would she do if she missed this taste?

Would she be able to recreate it just by making ramen in the right situation?

The mere thought of that possibility worried her.

As the two continued slurping their ramen...

At the same time, both Rohan and Ichinose stopped eating.

They turned their heads toward the entrance.

This time, their visitor was Noah Frozenheart, standing in plain sight.

"The smell of ramen was basically a compass leading me here."

"I’ll go out. Keep eating."

"It’s fine. Let’s go together."

The two grabbed their weapons and stood up, heading outside.

Just as they did—

Noah collapsed right in front of them.

"Noah! Are you okay?"

"I don’t see any visible injuries, but..."

Had he let his guard down after realizing it was them inside?

"No... I can’t even move my fingers..."

"Wait, do you still have your sticker on?!"

His weak, barely audible voice trailed off.

──Grrrrumble!

Noah’s stomach answered loud and clear.

"Guys... Sorry for suddenly showing up..."

A beat later, Noah’s partner, Corinne, burst through the bushes, slightly out of breath.

Even if they weren’t particularly close, seeing fellow Class 1 cadets was reassuring.

"You two aren’t injured, right?"

Rohan looked past Noah, directing the question toward Corinne, since Noah barely had the energy to speak.

"I'm not injured!"

"What about food? Did you eat anything?"

"I kept drinking water... The supply crate landed too far away, and we didn’t run into any monsters or animals..."

So they had only been drinking rainwater.

Rohan could easily guess why they hadn't encountered any wild animals or monsters.

‘Noah’s presence isn’t something he can hide. Any half-aware beast or monster must have fled the moment they sensed him.’

His gaze turned to the fallen beastman girl.

Considering the sticker on her neck and Noah’s monstrous appetite, her stomach must feel like it had turned into a black hole.

"Corinne, are you alright?"

Ichinose asked, and Corinne nodded, saying she could still hold on.

That meant the real emergency was Noah, who had collapsed.

Rohan glanced at his partner.

Ichinose must have been struggling internally.

She wanted to help Noah, but removing the sticker was an open option.

Since she was part of a team, she couldn’t just use resources freely.

Her personal feelings couldn’t become a burden to her partner.

Rohan understood that.

And he also knew that this was a moment where he had to step up.

"Ichinose."

"Yes?"

"Let’s give Noah my ramen and canned food."

"!"

Ichinose’s shoulders flinched.

She hesitated, unable to respond right away.

It wasn’t something she could easily agree or refuse.

"This won’t be a burden on you, Ichinose. I promise."

Rohan reassured her.

That he wouldn’t let hunger or a weakened condition slow him down or affect their partnership.

After all, he had the store to rely on.

Besides, Noah was different from Gilbert and Dick.

If a beloved character was starving and collapsed, then feeding them was the obvious thing to do.

This wasn’t even up for debate.

This was simply the natural order of things.

"W-Wait a minute! If we’re doing this, then let’s use my food instead!"

"No. That would mean I forced you to sacrifice your food instead of mine."

"..."

It was half an excuse, but it was the perfect timing while Ichinose was still too caught off guard to argue.

Rohan ended the conversation there and headed back to their shelter.

He scooped half of the ramen into Ichinose’s mess tin lid.

Then he grabbed the whole mess tin from the fire and returned.

Holding a fork, he crouched down in front of Noah and opened the canned tuna.

"Ugh..."

Still lying face-down, Noah barely lifted her head to look at Rohan.

The ramen and tuna can in his hands.

The delicious aroma was overwhelming.

"Here, I’ll feed you. Just open your mouth."

"Aah..."

As Noah opened her mouth, Rohan had a perfect view of her sharp fangs and soft tongue.

He placed a chunk of tuna inside.

Noah chewed slowly, then swallowed.

Her tail twitched in satisfaction.

"Corinne... Let’s go inside."

"Huh?"

"Rohan. This is my personal decision. I wasn’t influenced by anyone."

"Alright. I’ll keep that in mind."

"..."

Ichinose led Corinne inside their shelter, most likely to share some food.

Rohan mentally praised her before continuing to feed Noah.

"This is the last of the tuna."

"Nyaa..."

Noah cleaned out the can completely, then moved on to the ramen.

Her breath was so strong that when Rohan gave her some noodles, she practically vacuumed them up like a black hole.

"Mmph, this debt... I’ll... repay it... slurp!"

"Just shut up and eat."

Was this what it felt like to be a pirate chef feeding a starving crewmate?

Seeing her regain her strength while eating was strangely satisfying.

"Uwaaah... I feel alive again..."

After completely finishing the ramen and even drinking the broth, Noah collapsed backward.

Her stomach was still flat, but her complexion had visibly improved.

Rohan stood up to clean up.

He placed the mess tin outside and grabbed his longsword.

A faint rustling sound, mixed with a distant cry, came from beyond the bushes.

It was a strange cry, but Rohan guessed it might be Hornbirds.

"Noah, rest up."

"Nyaaa..."

Had she already fallen asleep?

Noah lay sprawled out on the ground, tail swishing lazily, mumbling incoherently.

***

After leaving Noah and Corinne in Ichinose’s care, Rohan followed the sound.

What he found ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) was amusing.

— Kkiiyaaak!

— Kiiik! Kiiik!

Two Hornbirds were viciously fighting each other.

Their sharp claws and beaks tore at each other with brutal ferocity.

‘Real Hornbirds? And two of them?’

What luck.

Rohan gripped his sword hilt.

With Noah so close, it was strange that monsters were still around.

Were these Hornbirds just particularly dense?

Just as he prepared to cut them both down in one swing...

"..."

Something felt wrong.

He stopped moving.

— Kkiiyaaak!

— Kreeeek! Kiiik!

The Hornbirds’ eyes were red, as if drenched in blood.

Their movements were strange.

They were unnaturally aggressive, thrashing around as if in pain.

Different species, but...

It was exactly like something he had seen in Abyss City.

A disturbing irregularity in the monsters.

Rohan's eyes sharpened as he reached a conclusion.

‘Hekes...? Frenzy Factor...!’

A system notification popped up.

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So much for a peaceful moment.

This was not a good sign.