119: Chapter 118 Cute 3

With a crude map and a tiny bit of transportation money, the four from Group A went through "hardships" (mostly psychological) and finally found that [Brothers Ramen Shop] located in an old commercial street. The storefront wasn't large and looked quite aged, with the characters on the sign faded, but the rich aroma of bone broth wafting from the entrance was very authentic.

Pushing the door open, the tinkling of an old-fashioned doorbell announced their arrival. There were only five or six tables in the shop, and there weren't many customers at this time. A simple-looking middle-aged man (the owner) wearing an apron stained with oil poked his head out from the kitchen. Seeing four girls who were dressed simply yet couldn't hide their youthful beauty, he froze for a moment before revealing a warm smile: "Oh! You must be the temporary workers the program crew mentioned? Come in, come in!"

The uncle was very kind and briefly introduced the work: clearing dishes and wiping tables, greeting customers and taking orders, serving food, and helping to pass ingredients or wash vegetables when the back kitchen wasn't too busy. It wasn't overly complicated, but for the four idols, it was completely unfamiliar territory.

However, just as they relaxed a bit, thinking it was just a normal part-time job experience, the shop owner scratched his head and pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his apron pocket—obviously something the crew had stuffed into his hand beforehand. A somewhat troubled yet slightly amused expression appeared on his face:

"Um... the crew also said that to reflect your status as 'Special Interns' and to add some... uh, 'uniqueness' to the shop? They require you to add some... 'exclusive slogans' when welcoming guests, serving food, and settling the bill." The uncle tried to keep a straight face as he read the contents on the paper, "And, it has to be determined based on each of your... what was it... constellations?"

The four felt their hearts skip a beat as an ominous premonition surged within them.

The uncle handed the paper over. On it was written:

[Brothers Ramen Shop · Star Envoy Intern Exclusive Service Standards (Trial Run)]

Welcome Greeting: "Welcome! May the endless starlight shine upon/protect you!" (Choose one of the two based on constellation characteristics, see below)

Serving Greeting: When serving ramen, you must have a smile on your face and clearly say: "Your [Constellation Special Ramen Name] has arrived. Please enjoy. May the stars grant you deliciousness and strength."

Checkout Greeting: "Thank you for your patronage. The blessing of the stars is with you. We look forward to seeing you again."

Constellation-Slogan Correspondence Table:

An Yujin (Capricorn - Firm Rock Guardian): Characteristic: Tenacity, Protection. Slogan choice: "Protect". Special Ramen Name: "Rock-Seared Rich Tonkotsu Ramen".

Yabuki Nako (Nako, Taurus - Abundant Artisan): Characteristic: Abundance, Pragmatism. Slogan choice: "Shine" (Metaphor for harvest sunlight?). Special Ramen Name: "Abundant Wild Vegetable Miso Ramen".

Kang Hye-won (Aries - Blazing Vanguard): Characteristic: Passion, Charging. Slogan choice: "Shine" (Like a shining flame?). Special Ramen Name: "Blazing Spicy Hot Ramen".

Lee Chaeyeon (Sagittarius - Shooting Star Cruiser): Characteristic: Freedom, Shooting Star. Slogan choice: "Shine" (The light of a passing shooting star?). Special Ramen Name: "Shooting Star Chashu Soft-Boiled Egg Ramen".

The four passed the paper around, their expressions shifting from confusion to shock, and then to complete shame and collapse.

"What in the world is all this!?!" Lee Chaeyeon was the first who couldn't hold back, screaming in a low voice while her finger trembled as she pointed at the "Shooting Star Chashu Soft-Boiled Egg Ramen," "Why is my ramen's name so long and weird?! And what on earth is a 'Shooting Star'?! What do chashu and soft-boiled eggs have to do with shooting stars??"

"Rock-Seared Rich... and Tonkotsu..." An Yujin covered her face, feeling her steady image as the "Firm Rock Guardian" undergoing a tragic collision with a term like "Rock-Seared" that reeked of a barbecue stall.

Nako's small face turned bright red. Looking at the "Abundant Wild Vegetable Miso," she muttered softly, "At least... it sounds relatively normal?" But thinking about having to shout the slogan, she still wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it immediately.

Kang Hye-won stared at the "Blazing Spicy Hot Ramen" with her brows furrowed, as if she were contemplating the ultimate mystery of the universe.

"No! Absolutely not!" An Yujin tried to struggle, "Uncle, this is too weird! The customers will be scared away! Can't we just work normally?"

The shop owner shrugged helplessly: "The crew said... this is part of the contract. If you don't do it, a lot of your wages will be deducted... and it seems they've also arranged for 'special guests' to come specifically to hear this..."

The last sliver of hope shattered. The four looked at each other, seeing despair and the resignation of having "stepped onto a thief's ship" in each other's eyes. The immense sense of shame and fear of the unknown guests made them feel almost faint. They huddled together, as if they could draw a bit of strength to face reality this way.

Just then, an even richer aroma of bone broth wafted from the back kitchen. Kang Hye-won's stomach gave an uncooperative "growl." She blinked, suddenly looked up at the shop owner, and asked in a tone mixed with hunger, a "let's just do it" attitude, and a peculiar bluntness:

"Uncle... um..."

"If... I can have a bowl of 'Soft and Fluffy Wool Ramen' first..."

She had slightly modified her "Blazing Spicy Hot Ramen" into a name that sounded more harmless (but was still weird).

"I... can try to throw away my sense of shame."

The air was silent for a second.

"Pfft—!"

"Kang Hye-won!!!"

"An unexpected betrayal!?"

An Yujin, Nako, and Lee Chaeyeon all glared at Kang Hye-won in unison, their eyes filled with disbelief. Didn't we agree to die of shame together?! How could you be the first to surrender for a bowl of ramen?! And you even changed it to an even weirder name yourself?!

The shop owner was also amused: "Alright! Wait there! I'll cook it for you right away! Intern meals, you can eat your fill!" Saying this, he turned and went into the kitchen happily.

Soon, four bowls of steaming, generously portioned, ordinary tonkotsu ramen (without the weird constellation names) were served. Rich broth, chewy noodles, large slices of chashu, soft-boiled eggs, and bright green scallions. For the girls who were starving and facing immense mental pressure, this was undoubtedly a fatal temptation.

"Let's... let's eat first." An Yujin sighed and picked up her chopsticks.

As the hot ramen entered their mouths, the warmth and satiety instantly dispelled some of the cold and tension. Delicious food seemed to have a strange magic, capable of relaxing tight nerves and allowing an over-inflated sense of shame to... quietly melt a bit in the rising steam.

The four buried their heads in their noodles, and for a while, there was only the sound of slurping. With something in their stomachs, the courage to face those shameful slogans also seemed to grow a little bit, inexplicably.

After finishing the last bite of noodles and drinking the delicious soup, Lee Chaeyeon wiped her mouth, a hint of "I don't care anymore" determination in her eyes: "...It seems like it's not unbearable."

Nako took a small sip of water and nodded: "For the wages... and dinner..."

As the oldest (mentally), An Yujin knew someone had to take the lead. She put down her chopsticks, took a deep breath, stood up, and looked at the other three:

"Girls, listen to me."

"We signed the contract, and we agreed to the filming."

"We can't stop PD Kang's weird ideas."

"But!" Her voice became firm, "We are professionals! Even if we have to shout weird slogans, we must shout them with momentum! We can't let the customers laugh at us, and we certainly can't let the crew think we're pushovers!"

"Treat this part-time job as a special stage! So what if the lines are shameful? We can still pull it off!"

"Abandon your shame and shout the slogans! Girls!"

She reached out her hand.

"Open for business!!"

"Oh!!!" The other three were infected by her momentum, and they also stood up, stacking their hands together.

"Open for business!!!"

After a brief pep talk, the four changed into the aprons provided by the shop, which were printed with "Brothers Ramen" (there were even matching small hats with their respective constellation symbols; the crew was truly "thoughtful"), and stood by the door and behind the counter.

Ding-dong—

The doorbell rang, and the first customer (who looked like an ordinary office-worker uncle) pushed the door and entered.

The four instantly straightened their bodies, trying their best to squeeze out the brightest (stiffest) smiles, and shouted in unison, their voices trembling slightly from nerves but being exceptionally loud:

"Welcome! May the endless starlight shine upon/protect you!"

(An Yujin shouted "protect," while the other three shouted "shine.")

The office-worker uncle was clearly taken aback, his footsteps even faltering. He looked at these four beautiful girls with nervous expressions and weird slogans, then looked at the seemingly normal decor of the shop, and a confused but amused smile appeared on his face: "Oh... oh, thank you?"

The first hurdle was barely cleared.

However, the real test was still to come. When they had to serve an ordinary bowl of tonkotsu ramen under the name of "Rock-Seared Rich Tonkotsu Ramen" or "Shooting Star Chashu Soft-Boiled Egg Ramen" and say the full serving greeting with a smile...

The sense of shame struck again like a tsunami. But this time, they had to face the tsunami, smiling as they "slammed" the noodles... and the slogans... in front of the customers.

The first battle of "The Survival Chronicles of the twelve star envoys in the Mortal Realm"—Operation Ramen Shop Shameful Slogans—had officially begun! And the four girls' professional idol qualities (and shame tolerance) would face the most severe (and most hilarious) test here.