Hearing that more media were on their way, the female reporter seized the moment to press for juicier, exclusive material.
Shuichi Chiba played along, answering cooperatively. Being baselessly accused of food safety issues—and reported to the media rather than regulators—was irritating, but it was also a rare promotional opportunity.
However, the reporter was gunning for a bombshell story about a female chef crushing a male master, and Shuichi wasn't as easy to manipulate as Akiyama-san.
His responses were deft, neither disparaging Tokyo's ramen champion nor overtly hyping Akiyama-san, just subtly praising her.
Finding his answers too mild for drama, the reporter turned to Akiyama-san, who had just sighed in relief and retreated to the background.
"As a female chef surpassing the top in the ramen world, what are your thoughts?"
Akiyama-san tightened her face, inwardly exhausted and bitter. She'd rather be cooking than dealing with this. Looking drained, she said, "No thoughts. Doesn't matter."
"Representing women and reaching the top in a male-dominated field—don't you have any reflections on that?"
Akiyama-san shot Shuichi a pleading look, unwilling to answer further, afraid of misspeaking.
But Shuichi thought she was doing fine and gave an encouraging nod, urging her to continue.
Akiyama-san endured, answering honestly, "My mentor always said she wanted me to stand up and slap their faces, but I think that's pretty pointless."
"Oh?" The reporter latched onto the mentor angle, digging for more before asking, "So, what does matter to you?"
"Rest," Akiyama-san replied instantly.
"Huh?" The reporter blinked. "You mean… rest?"
"Yeah, I'm exhausted. If I had a choice, I wouldn't make ramen at all," Akiyama-san said, her misery genuine.
If this were someone else—like students at school—they might think the president's mom was toiling selflessly for her daughters.
But Shuichi, knowing the Akiyama trio well, only twitched his lips.
This slacker mom just wanted to lie around, didn't she?
Ramen or any other trade—it didn't matter. She was just a pure slacker.
"What? You're so talented, possibly the best in the country, beating all the male ramen chefs as a woman, and you don't want to do it?" The reporter was floored. Were gifted people this capricious?
"What's rest got to do with being number one?" Akiyama-san looked genuinely puzzled.
"You don't have any passion for this craft? Why did you even start in this profession?" The reporter, encountering such responses for the first time, was both thrilled for spicy material and deeply curious.
Most industry leaders she interviewed were humble and dedicated. Someone as nonchalant as Akiyama-san, treating it like no big deal, was rare!
"My daughters wanted to eat, so I learned," Akiyama-san said.
"…"
Shuichi, watching the back-and-forth, couldn't help whispering to An, "Your mom's a natural at humble-bragging. Self-taught genius."
"Humble-bragging?" An didn't get it. "Is that good or bad?"
"It's great. She's got that master vibe. Geniuses are supposed to be unique. With a flavor like hers, no one's doubting her."
Shuichi had to admit, the president wasn't just good at being tamed—she was a pro at taming others too.
Akiyama-san and An, when push came to shove, followed Tsuki's instructions to a T. Outsiders couldn't see through their act.
The health department arrived quickly, just a bit after Shuichi had called the media. That's right—he'd spent 100,000 yen to have his all-purpose butler summon these outlets, aiming to turn this crisis into a golden opportunity.
If Akiyama Ramen became famous across Tokyo, winning the TRY Awards or topping Tokyo's 100 Best Ramen Shops would be a breeze. The shopping street would ride the wave, boosting foot traffic significantly.
If this took off, it'd be a huge step toward truly taking over the shopping street, right?
Over the next stretch, several media outlets, along with the complaining customer, oversaw the entire sampling and inspection process. The result? No issues, of course.
With food safety cleared, the media's focus shifted entirely to the female chef schooling the male ramen master. They even had headlines ready:
Ramen Queen's Irresistible Flavor Leaves Customers Addicted and Helpless.Ramen Champion's Throne Teeters as the Empress Raises Her Blade.Hopelessly Gifted: "I Don't Want to Make Ramen—It's Boring."Female Chef's Disdain: "Slapping Their Faces Is Dull. I'd Rather Sleep."
When it came to stoking drama and overhyping, these media folks were pros. After Akiyama-san treated them to a round of ramen and they tasted it, their exaggerations went wild.
What was worth a 1, they'd hype to a 10. Now a 10 was being touted as a flavor so divine it could conquer aliens!
The complaining customer, after the inspection confirmed no issues, kept muttering, "Impossible, there's definitely something wrong."
But facts were facts—she had to concede, grudgingly apologizing.
Then, while eating the free ramen Akiyama-san provided, she complained, "Even if it's safe, isn't your ramen's calorie count too high? It's so good, it's unfair to people trying to diet."
Akiyama-san didn't know how to respond, feeling frustrated. She'd already explained during the media tasting that the broth's oil was filtered, and they offered lighter chicken- or fish-based options for those avoiding greasy food.
If you're dieting, just control your cravings…
Why blame the food for being too delicious?
So annoying…
Shuichi wasn't fazed. In the service industry, you meet all types. Biological diversity, right? You get used to it.
Normally, this would be the perfect moment to plug the gym across the street, but the Ogawa sisters' small operation didn't need or want the publicity.
Which was fine—it meant Shuichi didn't have to hold back. He sized up the customer's figure and asked with a professional smile, "May I ask what you usually order?"
"Usually a signature tonkotsu ramen, a soy sauce ramen, a portion of chashu…" The heavyset customer lived up to expectations, rattling off a long list like she was reading the menu.
Everyone, including Shuichi, stared. Eating like that and not gaining weight would be a miracle—yet she blamed the ramen for being too tasty and caloric?
Shuichi smiled brightly. "I'd suggest a hospital visit. A doctor's intervention might be best for your situation. For your health, I'll ask the ramen shop to stop serving you to avoid further risks."
The crowd instinctively glanced at the customer's figure. Yeah, that looked risky…
She froze, incredulous. "You mean… the ramen shop won't serve me anymore? You're blacklisting me?"
Shuichi kept smiling, shaking his head. "It's for your health."
"You…" The customer was livid. "This is retaliation for reporting to the media, isn't it?"
"If that's how you see it, there's nothing we can do. It's genuinely for your health. After all… refusing service hardly counts as retaliation, right?" Shuichi spread his hands.
"…"
The customer was fuming. This high-and-mighty excuse was clearly revenge—and a jab at her figure!
"With all these media here, aren't you afraid this attitude will be exposed and drive away customers?"
Shuichi stayed calm, smiling. "I trust the media here will report fairly."
His words sparked a chorus of agreement.
The female reporter, brought by the customer, glanced around and stayed silent.
She had no real tie to the customer—just came for the scoop.
Plus, after proving the food was safe, disrupting business this long, complaining while eating free ramen, and blaming it for being too good? That was a bit much.
Seeing everyone united in calling her unreasonable, the customer stormed off in a huff.
But before leaving, she chugged the broth from the free ramen Akiyama-san served, shot Shuichi a fierce glare, and left.
Even the reporter thought this lady was something else.
With the customer gone and the media team departing, Akiyama-san hung a "temporarily closed" sign, wiped the sweat from her brow, and collapsed onto a barstool.
"That was terrifying. Thank goodness for Chiba-kun. But was it okay to handle her like that? It felt satisfying, and I don't want to serve her anymore, but will the reporters write bad stories?" She asked, worried.
"No worries," Shuichi shook his head, unfazed. "Aside from the initial reporter, the rest were my contacts. They know how to spin it."
From the renovation crew to the PR team, the all-purpose butler's reliability was proven. Pay up, and the job's handled.
"Chiba-kun's so dependable," Akiyama-san said, relieved.
An happily threw herself into Shuichi's arms, nuzzling his stomach. "See? I told you Chiba-kun's great, but Nee-san keeps badmouthing him."
"What're you saying about me behind my back?"
Tsuki Akiyama pushed through the door, her eyes landing on her sister sprawled across Shuichi's lap.
That familiar pose… her eyelid twitched uncontrollably.
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