Ichiraku's ramen stand—the last mission that Rise needed to complete for his tutorial to be finished.
As his blue eyes landed on the stand itself from the distance that he was at, he managed to spot his leaving target. Ayame, who was both that of hard-working and beautiful, left to the back behind the curtains dressed in her usual white robe and matching bandana. Rise felt himself tense up at what he had to do, sending his vision back down to the pages of the system.
'I don't think I can do this,' he thought, keeping in mind how he hasn't spent a single second actual flirting without help from the game. 'All I did so far was follow a guide you built for me. You can't expect me to do this on my own right?'
Relax Rise. Trust me when I say you won't have to worry as much as you think. The game already has built in mechanics for this.
'Then explain it to me, because I'm not trying to sell myself short before my training exercise tomorrow.'
The side notes for your intelligence and charm. Deductive capability alongside physical/verbal desirability. Intelligence increases vocabulary and overall IQ, but charm makes it so that the confidence in your words are there. These two go hand in hand because intelligence can formulate what you want to say on the fly, while charm boosts your confidence and makes you alongside whatever you say sound more alluring.
If you don't have the words then and there, the game helps fill in the blanks until you get more comfortable speaking on your own. It helps you adapt quicker to changes and activities you've never participated in before.
A sigh of relief escaped his lips from reading the explanation. Built in functions that helps you out in struggles like this was a blessing. He just wished he asked about it earlier.
'Good to know I was stressing out for no reason then, but it's not like I'll be able to tell when I got better huh?' He asked for clarity.
You will in due time. For now, the game is aiding where it thinks you'll fall short for the time being. If you get too worried about messing up, the stats won't be able to help because your mind isn't clear. Just believe that you can do this, and the system will recover from whatever point you start falling. I'll even give you a few opinions and some ideas on what to say if you simply ask for it.
'I would definitely appreciate that. Thanks.'
No problem gamer. Now get over to that stand so you can be done with this tutorial. It'll be worth your while once this is done.
Rise gave a singular nod of his head, beginning to walk toward the stand as he closed his book. A sigh escaped him to steer his nerves, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. With the information he knew now, he realized he could do this. He was worried about messing up, but Nexus made it clear the system would help him recover whenever he started failing. Not to mention, he (Rise) made it clear that this should be easier due to his already established relationship with Ayame.
With that in mind, Rise finally approached the closest seat of the ramen stand to his right, sitting at the far right end of the countertop while waiting for Ayame to return. His eyes glanced over to two other people on his left, seeing them eat their ramen at a slow pace with pleased smiles. They were just regular civilians enjoying themselves.
Not wanting his eyes to stare at them for too long, he casted his vision upon the curtains once more. Deep inhales of air flowed into his lungs, exhaling softly to calm himself while patiently waiting. There was no need to worry with the explanation he was given earlier, but he couldn't stop himself completely from doing so. Messing up something like this was still a big deal, and it was the tutorial of all things.
Aside from that, his attention was grabbed by the curtains parting in front of him. With her eyes closed, Ayame blessed his vision. Her gentle smile drew him in, her dark brown hair reaching past her shoulders while being kept behind her back. Her eyes began to open, revealing the black sight known as her eyes which immediately landed on Rise's face. His sudden appearance made her smile a lot more than she already was, closing the distance between them by leaning on the counter to get closer to his face.
"About time you showed up. Dad said you and Naruto showed up for lunch after your graduation speech. Congrats by the way." She flashed her brightest smile, unintentionally making Rise blush who's never been greeted by anyone like that.
"Thanks Ayame-nee. I really appreciate it." Rise's heart skipped for a split second, forgetting what he came here for as his memories from the game informed him of their relationship.
His connection with Ayame at some point was the same as Naruto's. Just a kid who was deemed a troublemaker, but there was always someone looking out for you. When he skipped out on eating at the orphanage while he was still there, it was Ayame and Teuchi who offered him a bowl for free. The same thing they did to Naruto when life wasn't going their way.
Over time, some of his past bad habits began to fix themselves the more he came to the ramen stand. In fact, it was around the same time that he began learning from them that Naruto showed up one day to eat from them again, and that kickstarted a friendship he had no idea would come so soon.
Now here he was, a textbox being sent to him as a reminder to not let himself be charmed by her usual behaviors whenever she greeted him.
"You're welcome Rise. Moving on, why are you all alone? Did you wanna take some time out of your day to see your onee-chan?" She questioned, pulling out a notepad with a pencil to take his order.
"Of course I did." He mentally cursed him for nearly shouting that. "But, it was also because I needed to grab a bite before getting ready for tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" She raised an eyebrow out of curiosity. "What's happening tomorrow?"
"Well, Naruto and I have been placed on the same team under our jonin sensei today. He informed us that before we can officially become genin under him, we need to pass a survival exercise of his choice. Failure to do so means we go back to the Academy."
"As if that isn't something to worry about." You could hear the sarcasm in her voice. "Knowing you and Naruto though, I feel there might not be much to worry about."
"Trust me Ayame-nee, you don't even know the half of it." A gentle smile was caught in her vision as she chuckled, but her raising the notepad and pencil in her hand again reminded him that he couldn't just hold her time. "Right, almost forgot. One miso ramen please?"
"Did you want to remove anything?"
"No ma'am. Everything on it is fine."
"Coming right up then." With that, Ayame departed to the back behind the curtains.
Once out of sight, Rise dropped his head because of their interaction. Not once did he even attempt to complete the mission, his cheeks still flushed by Ayame's greeting. She didn't even do anything that special, but it was enough to have an effect on him. Still, he needed to focus. If he didn't, he would never get this tutorial done, and he needed it finished before tomorrow arrived. Still, it kinda bothered him about his reasons on doing it despite knowing how the game needs to be played.
Guess the thought of using her for his own goals was getting to him. He couldn't deny it in the slightest.
Rise, you need to focus. I know this is new to you still, but don't let your worries get in the way. Otherwise you won't move forward.
'Easy for you to say. You're not going through this for the first time.'
Doesn't mean I haven't been in your position before. Everyone at some point has been on the receiving end of being flustered, and struggling to find the words. You just need to let yourself get comfortable with not just the game, but Ayame in this world being someone you really care about who feels the same way. Have confidence. After all, you're gonna get tired of me repeatedly telling you this at some point.
That was true. Nexus had been making that clear for little while now since they started the tutorial. Hearing this constantly wasn't gonna be a good thing if he couldn't get himself in order.
If anything, just tell her that she looks beautiful as always when she comes back. It may not be much, but it'll at least be a start.
'Right. Thanks for the advice.'
No problem, and good luck to you. Remember, have confidence, and you'll be seeing this through in no time.
The moment he finished reading, the textbox disappeared. Rise closed his eyes because of it, releasing a sigh with a small shake of his head. Have confidence? Tell her she looks pretty as alway? The game being able to help me out if he couldn't find the words? With all that was given to him so far, he couldn't complain or make an excuse.
The system has been patient with him. Not to mention how much it's been guiding him on the tutorial so far. Nexus was right when he said he needed to have confidence so he could do this on his own. Sure, he was worried still, but not trying wouldn't get him anywhere. So he waited patiently.
A few minutes passed by until a bowl was sat down before him. The clunk of the glass against the countertop got his attention, his eyelids lifting to catch a hand retract itself from his meal. His head rose back up to see Ayame's welcoming smile, something that still made his heart race a little faster than the flirting he did earlier.
"One miso ramen courtesy of your nee-chan."
"Thanks Ayame-nee."
Rise took his chopsticks, seeing Ayame turn her back to him as she began to part the curtains. Knowing what he was about to do, he couldn't just let her leave as he placed his sticks back down against the countertop. She was halfway through the entrance leading to the back of the shop until she heard "Hey, nee-chan" from Rise. It got her attention quickly, facing him with her usual smile.
"Just wanted to let you know that you look beautiful as always." Rise said, giving the older woman a gentle smile.
Ayame's expression faltered slightly, but a pink hue adorning her cheeks was a dead giveaway to show her appreciation. Her smile picked up once again, her expression getting a little brighter. She stepped back over to Rise and ruffled his hair out of appreciation.
"Trying to be a charmer today, huh?" Ayame chuckled, removing her hand from his head.
The moment she said that, Rise opened his mouth to speak, but the words starting to come out alarmed him. Instead of sayin something along the lines of "I'm just being honest," what left his lips instead was "I have to be if someone this pretty is near me all day." It didn't sound like him in the slightest, and the fact that his mouth betrayed his actual thought was concerning.
"Hey now, I'm still your nee-chan ya know?" She reminded him, that small bush remaining on her cheeks as she folded her arms across her chest. Then a smirk came to her face. "Don't tell me that's how you really feel now that you're a ninja?"
All he could do was stare at that expression. Rise was unsure of what expression he was making, but that didn't matter currently. His lips began parting as he answered her.
"Nee-chan or not, I think you have the right to now. It's not just how I feel, but the principle of telling a beautiful woman that she looks beautiful."
"Well, I won't stop you from speaking of my looks so highly, but don't forget that I'm still older than you."
"I don't see a problem with that." He pointed a thumb towards his hitai-ate. "I'm old enough to make good decisions with my words."
"Oh, stop it." Ayame wagged a finger at him, giving him a no with a shake of her head combined. "Don't get carried away now because you graduated. You're a second brother to me, so such words are not gonna make me feel any happier than I already do." Yet, that smile was still on her face.
"Then what would make you happier?"
"You eating your ramen would. Dad didn't work hard on it just for it to get cold." Ayame reminded him.
"Anything else other than just eating?" He picked up his chopsticks up, breaking them apart before digging them into his bowl. "You can't just leave me empty handed when I wanna do something for you to make your day better."
"Oh? And what could my little brother possibly do to make my day any better than it already is?"
"Anything you like if it involves keeping you all to myself." Hook, line, and sinker.
Rise shut his mouth immediately, having recovered enough from their conversation to finally take note of everything he said. Actually, more like what the game made him say.
Ayame stood there with widened eyes, stunned by his statement. It was quick, but there was something behind those words that made her alert. Ayame's once pink blush began to turn red, and she found herself raising a hand to her face because of Rise's response. Her heart began to go from its steady beating to an increased pace for reasons unknown, and she didn't know why. Her eyes looked away from Rise quickly, unaware of the mysterious power that began to take effect on her.
Before she could figure that out, her attention was grabbed by her other two customers having finished their bowls. Due to them departing from the stand, she broke away from Rise to take the dishes towards the back for washing. That left the latter to his bowl stuck in disbelief from how the game basically spoke the rest for him. He was moving on auto pilot when he responded.
Instead of leaving his mind to think on it any further, he instead went on to partake in his ramen. If anything, he needed his mind off the interaction for now. To eat for the time being. However, he wasn't aware of the effect he was starting to having on Ayame now.
After heading towards the back, the older woman realized that something strange was going on with her. It wasn't just the odd pacing of her rising heartbeat anymore. Her thoughts began going back to Rise's words one by one. His smile as he spoke with her about making her day better than it already was. And she found herself unable to ignore it.
A small heat began to build between her legs as she went over to the sink to soak the bowls she pulled from the counter. The chopsticks she grabbed her earlier were discarded to the trash, but her mind was becoming more occupied with the boy she called her little brother. As she pictured his face, it made her come to think about Rise in a different light. Her mind was beginning to think of him as more than just that.
The version of Rise she began to think of seemed more alluring than all other times she's laid eyes on him. Yet, she didn't know why. She knew it was wrong to think of him in such a way. So why was she thinking so differently of him now?
Eventually, a few minutes passed with Rise being all alone to himself at the stand. No one else showed up to take a seat, and Ayame hasn't showed up in a bit. His bowl was now empty, but all he could think about was their conversation. While the game was telling him he did great, Rise himself refused to believe so. After all, he hasn't gotten a glimpse of Ayame yet to know for sure. That, and the game carried the rest of the conversation. He only gave one compliment.
Finally—as if she knew he was thinking of her—Ayame showed herself after leaving from the back. Rise shot up because of it, and his eyes landed on her dace. The scarlet hue he caught first was a dead giveaway. Her black eyes were staring elsewhere as she approached him, but he watched as the older woman tucked her hair behind her ear. Then she looked at him, an unreadable expression on her face that he couldn't recognize making him unsure how she felt.
"I see you're all done. Sorry about leaving you out here for so long by yourself." She replied, but it practically came out as a whisper from how close they were.
"It's fine Ayame-nee. You're working, so you were probably held up back there." He replied, finally speaking aloud something that sounded like himself.
"If you don't mind, I'll take care of this bowl for you."
"Huh? Oh, right." Without thinking, he immediately handed her the bowl, not realizing the opportunity he had from her return was now gone. Although, it was working in his favor.
Ayame slowly took the bowl, baffled by what seemed to be a sudden change in Rise's demeanor. She didn't show it though. Still, she was unsure of what she saw from her "brother."
At one point, he was clearly dropping heavy compliments that anyone would recognize as flirting. Add in his earlier comment about keeping her to himself in exchange for doing anything she likes, and you couldn't deny it at this point. Now he was acting like his usual self, albeit, not fully. She could see that much.
That's why she couldn't help but ask "what made you say that?"
"Huh?" He questioned.
"Earlier when I asked you about what you could do to make my day any better than it already is, you said 'anything you like if it involves keeping you all to myself.' What made you say that, Rise?"
The question made him go silent. As much as he wasn't expecting that question, there wasn't anything he could say to save him from answering it, and he wasn't gonna tell her about the system. That being said, he opened his mouth from reminder of what Nexus told him.
"Because I want to get to know you as an adult, Ayame." The way he said her name turned her on in ways she wasn't ready for.
A shiver ran up spine because of it while she kept her body from showing it. However, she couldn't help but think about his boldness. Wanting to know her as an adult? You don't say those kinds of things unless you had a certain interest in someone. Yet, here he was calmly stating he was pursuing her in a role for more than just being his "sister."
"I've always felt this way about the nee-chan I've grown close enough with, but I want to be closer. Close enough that I know what makes you happier as a woman."
"Rise..." She began, but her lips went shut as she couldn't find the words.
"I'm not your 'little brother' anymore Ayame. I'm old enough with the power of an adult able to protect his home. The first thing I wanna do as an adult is know you better than anyone else."
"... And how would you do that?" She questioned, a small hint of curiosity in her eyes as she faced him.
"I don't know," He admitted, catching her off guard before suddenly flashing a welcoming smile. "But you can teach me in any way you like. I'll show you just how much I am willing to learn."
That was all it took to pull her into his spell. The game had wore down her normal defenses she would've had before, and their established relationship already left her unguarded enough to allow his words to get the job done alone. Her breath hitched as she turned away from Rise, not wanting the latter to see her.
"I-I'll be right back," was all she said before departing to the back.
Once she was out of sight, Rise slammed his head on the countertop. A groan escaped his lips because of two reasons. The pain, and the fact that he might've messed up. However, a sudden "ding" got his attention.
______
A different kind of flavor: Seduce Ayame of Ichiraku's Ramen Stand!
Rewards: +35 XP, +7 Points, +2,000 Ryo
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And yet, he was unaware of how Ayame would specifically change this day for the rest of his life.