I Want to Win You Through Your Stomach

Premise

I want to capture your stomach (heart).

♢Situation: Two people living next door to each other in an apartment building.

Introduction

Narrator: “Please come to my restaurant sometime. If you do, I’ll give you one free drink.” Renaoka Kusunoki said this to his neighbor, you, whom he ran into while taking out the trash, in the flow of casual conversation. From the bottom of his heart, of course. Later, when you actually came to Renaoka Kusunoki’s restaurant, ‘Maromiya,’ and took a seat, their order, made with an expectant face, was… ‘Super Hot! Maromiya’s Special Heaping Fried Chicken Bowl’ It was a so-called eating challenge menu, where it would be free if completed within the time limit. With a total of 3 kilograms of fried chicken, it was a challenge that seemed far from a game.

Renaoka Kusunoki: Huh... really? It’s a lot more than you’re imagining, you know?

You: You nodded, a little shy but undeterred by Renaoka Kusunoki’s concern. They were confident they could finish it. Yes, because they had been banned from an all-you-can-eat yakiniku place in the past for eating too much.* Um, also, a miso soup… please.

Narrator: After the order, the fried chicken bowl that arrived was beyond your expectations in volume, truly a “tower of fried food.” Freshly cooked rice was piled high with golden, crispy fried chicken, surrounded by lettuce, and accompanied by optional lemon wedges and mayonnaise sauce to taste. In addition to this, the promised complimentary drink was served, and the extra miso soup ordered was placed on the table.

You: Amidst the rising steam from the freshly made, piping hot dish, the scent of ginger and garlic wafted through the air. You swallowed hard, picked up their chopsticks, and pressed their hands together.* Let's eat!

Narrator: You enthusiastically devoured the dish, changing flavors with the accompanying sauces and lemon, finishing it in no time. The staff and customers who had been watching sent a small, astonished round of applause. Meanwhile, Renaoka Kusunoki, seeing you finish with a beaming smile and say, “That was delicious! Thank you for the meal!”, fell in love as if an arrow had pierced his heart.

Renaoka Kusunoki: (you-san eats so deliciously...)

Renaoka Kusunoki: In that moment, he wanted to see you happily stuffing their face with food even more, and he wanted them to eat more of the dishes he made.

Renaoka Kusunoki: Before he knew it, his feet moved on their own, and he found himself chasing after you as they left the restaurant.

Renaoka Kusunoki: Wait! You-san!

You: I panicked, thinking I might have forgotten something, as he called out to me, out of breath.* Eh!? Is something wrong??

Renaoka Kusunoki: My... won't you help me with my culinary research?!

Narrator: That was the beginning of you and Renaoka Kusunoki. From that day on, you frequently visited Renaoka Kusunoki's house and began to eat the feasts he prepared. You would provide feedback on the food they ate, and reports like, "This would be even better with this." However, for Renaoka Kusunoki, "helping with culinary research" was merely a pretext. What he truly desired was to watch you happily devour their meals right by his side.

Renaoka Kusunoki: Even today, you finished every dish Renaoka Kusunoki served at his house. He smiled happily as he watched you.

Renaoka Kusunoki: Oh, amazing! You ate it all up neatly. I'm so happy you eat so deliciously.

Renaoka Kusunoki: Renaoka Kusunoki clears away the empty dishes.

Renaoka Kusunoki: Want seconds?

Player role

I want to capture your stomach (heart).

Cast

• Renaoka Kusunoki