Don’t Look Back, Megumi Kato [30]

For a moment, the two fell into a brief silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

Yuu began planning his next moves carefully.

His mission with Megumi was nearing its final step. All he had left was to ensure she saw Tomoya’s true colors clearly and boost her affection level toward himself above 70.

But that wasn’t enough for him. To truly complete his task, he needed to pry away every single member of Tomoya’s game development team.

Eiri was already firmly in his grasp, leaving only Kasumigaoka Utaha to deal with.

Once Utaha became thoroughly disillusioned with Tomoya, the poor guy would find himself completely isolated.

Across from him, Megumi sat quietly, still pondering Yuu’s seemingly casual remark from earlier, trying to discern if he’d intended anything deeper by it.

Had Yuu been subtly hinting at something, or was it just an offhand comment?

Her feelings swung like a pendulum, alternating between excitement and disappointment.

[You keenly sense that the girl’s mood is shifting drastically because of you. All you need now is to give her a little taste of sweetness, and she'll willingly become your loyal pet. Deciding to take action, you reach for your zipper, ready to reward her with something sweet. After all, rewarding one’s pet is an owner’s sacred duty.]

What kind of messed-up sweetness is that supposed to be?! I'm pretty sure I don't have diabetes either!

Yuu mentally spat venom at the sleazy narrator. Always hearing these twisted suggestions that only he could perceive made him feel quite helpless at times.

Still, the worthless narrator had provided some useful intel—his earlier words had struck their target.

The girl sitting across from him was clearly caught in an emotional tug-of-war because of him.

Yuu observed Megumi’s delicate features, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Clearly, Megumi had never heard the wise old saying: "When someone starts controlling your emotions, don’t hesitate—just delete them!"

“Excuse me, here are the dishes you ordered. Please enjoy!”

Just then, an employee approached their table, breaking the silence and placing their two bowls of steaming-hot tonkotsu ramen down before them.

"Ah… thank you."

Only when the waiter had departed did Yuu and Megumi finally snap out of their thoughts.

The fragrant steam rising from the ramen bowls teased their senses.

“Itadakimasu!” they both chimed together softly, pressing their palms together in gratitude.

Each took a quick sip of soup, lifting their gazes simultaneously, exchanging gentle smiles.

“I didn’t know you liked ramen too, Izumi-kun,” Megumi said softly, halting her swirling thoughts and smiling gently. "Seems we have similar tastes."

“Yeah, I assumed you’d pick something like rice,” Yuu chuckled lightly, nodding appreciatively. “I didn’t expect you to order ramen as well.”

Given Megumi’s lack of presence, Yuu naturally knew nothing about her preferences, nor had his unreliable narrator given him any hints.

Yet, surprisingly, their tastes aligned perfectly.

“I do eat both, but ramen is definitely my favorite,” Megumi replied happily, adding brightly, "Especially when topped with an egg—it’s the best!"

“Oh?” Yuu raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. “I’m pretty good at preparing soup bases myself. How about I cook ramen for you sometime?”

“Eh?! Really?!” Megumi immediately lifted her head, eyes sparkling with surprise and expectation. "Izumi-kun, you'd really cook ramen for me?"

"Of course. It's no trouble," Yuu laughed gently at her sudden eagerness. "I'll even give you two eggs."

“Wow, Izumi-kun’s so generous!” Megumi smiled joyfully, clearly thrilled, but soon her bright eyes dimmed a little in disappointment. “But I have some family matters tomorrow… I’ll have to wait until next week to visit you.”

She sighed softly, not quite sure herself whether the disappointment came from not being able to visit Yuu’s home right away or from having to wait longer to taste his ramen.

“No worries. I’m usually free anyway.” Yuu smiled at Megumi’s genuinely adorable expression. “Just let me know in advance.”

"Alright!" Megumi’s eyes lit up again, the brief cloud of disappointment dissipating. She returned her focus happily to her bowl, loudly slurping noodles with renewed enthusiasm.

Listening to her cheerful slurping, Yuu watched her with quiet amusement.

Unlike Eiri’s refined, aristocratic elegance while eating, Megumi radiated a simpler, more down-to-earth charm. Her appeal lay precisely in this natural, approachable cuteness.

[Watching the girl enthusiastically slurping noodles, wicked thoughts blossom in your mind. Considering how skillfully she handles noodles, surely her slurping techniques with other long objects wouldn’t disappoint either. Given that she lives alone, away from her parents, and could easily spend nights out without issue, you resolve to walk her home tonight, then casually invite her inside to admire your ‘mastery of bone-shrinking techniques,’ offering her a special opportunity to practice her ‘slurping skills’…]

Who in their right mind would ever use that kind of excuse to invite someone to stay overnight?!

Yuu instantly dismissed the narrator’s terrible suggestion.

Still, Megumi lived alone? Now that was valuable information. It could definitely simplify things later.

Yuu realized that through constantly sparring mentally with his shameless narrator, he’d finally learned to properly utilize this troublesome system.

Crime Manual (✘), God’s Eye View (✔)!

If he could harness the narrator’s insights skillfully, a bright future surely awaited him—at least he wouldn’t end up with a guaranteed "iron rice bowl" behind bars while still young.

As they chatted casually, their bowls soon emptied. Sharing similar tastes had noticeably brought them even closer together.

After all, shared interests always gave people a feeling of closer spiritual connection.

“Phew… I’m stuffed!” Megumi sighed contentedly, rubbing her slightly rounded belly. Glancing curiously at Yuu, whose bowl was completely clean—soup and all—she exclaimed softly, "You finished everything, Izumi-kun! Not a drop wasted."

“Of course,” Yuu chuckled after draining the last drop. "I’ve always disliked wasting food. Even the broth—I make sure every drop is gone."

“Hmm… I should learn from you, Izumi-kun,” Megumi murmured seriously. "I’ll also start finishing every last drop of broth from now on."

“That’s great—” Yuu started nodding, but suddenly a chill ran down his spine.

[Observing the girl before you as she unlocks her hidden attribute, a sudden chill spreads through your kidneys. Watching her meticulously finish every drop of broth, you sense something deeply ominous is awakening within her.]

[Megumi Kato’s Hidden Attribute Activation Progress: 1/3!]

"Huh?!" Hearing the narrator’s familiar voice, Yuu froze in shock.

Wait! What hidden attribute exactly?! Why do my kidneys suddenly feel endangered?!

Looking back at Megumi, who was innocently licking her lips clean, Yuu felt a sudden unease.

Something in those pure, gentle eyes… definitely felt off.

---

T/N: hehe come here boy lemme suck the life out of you

This is a fan translation of 加藤惠别回头，我是伦也君 by 故人归 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!