The Hitman and Ramen Girl.

The afternoon was bustling at the ramen shop as usual, with the scent of broth filling the air and the sound of clinking bowls and laughter echoing throughout. Hana was behind the counter, preparing a fresh batch of noodles, when the door swung open. The bell above it jingled, signaling the arrival of a new customer.

Ryo glanced up from his usual seat at the counter, his dark eyes narrowing instinctively. The man who entered was tall, neatly dressed, and had an air of confidence that was unmistakable. His gaze immediately locked onto Hana, and he made a beeline for the counter.

"Good afternoon," the man greeted with a polite bow. "I'm Tatsuya. I heard so much about your ramen, and I thought I'd give it a try." Hana smiled warmly, her usual kindness shining through. "Welcome, Tatsuya! I'm glad you came. What would you like today?"

Ryo's grip tightened around his chopsticks, his eyes watching the exchange with growing interest—and something else. Was that… jealousy? He frowned, leaning back in his seat, trying to maintain his usual cool composure. Tatsuya, oblivious to Ryo's intense gaze, continued, "I'll have the miso ramen, please. I've heard it's your specialty."

"Coming right up!" Hana replied, turning to prepare the dish. As she worked, she noticed Tatsuya staring at her with a look of admiration, and something in her chest tightened. She wasn't sure why, but it didn't sit well with her. She liked Ryo—so why did Tatsuya's attention feel so… strange?

As Tatsuya took a seat near Ryo, Kenta and Mei, who had been eavesdropping from the kitchen, exchanged mischievous glances. "You see that?" Kenta whispered to Mei, pointing discreetly toward Tatsuya and Hana. "Looks like we've got ourselves a new contender for Hana's heart."

Mei stifled a giggle. "Tatsuya, huh? He's got nothing on Ryo. But I can already see Ryo getting jealous."

The two coworkers leaned in, watching with barely contained amusement as Ryo continued to observe the interaction, his usually stoic expression twitching with a hint of annoyance.

Ryo's eyes flickered briefly to Kenta and Mei, who were clearly trying to suppress their laughter. The more Tatsuya engaged with Hana, the more he felt a strange, tight knot form in his stomach. Why was this bothering him so much? As Tatsuya smiled brightly at Hana, Ryo's jaw tightened, and he tapped his fingers on the counter, trying to keep his emotions in check. But Kenta was having none of it.

"Well, well, Ryo," Kenta said loudly enough for everyone to hear, "looks like someone's here to steal Hana's heart." Ryo didn't respond, but his eyes narrowed, a subtle shift in his posture telling everyone just how much he disliked the comment.

Mei, ever the instigator, grinned. "Maybe we'll have to change your usual seat, huh? Tatsuya might take it over if he becomes a regular."

Ryo shot them both a sharp look, but Kenta and Mei were undeterred. They had a front-row seat to Ryo's rare moment of vulnerability, and they were enjoying every second of it. Tatsuya, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, turned to Ryo with a polite smile. "I've seen you here before. You're always so quiet, aren't you? I'm just here for the ramen today, but it's nice to meet you."

Ryo nodded curtly, his voice flat. "Mm."

Tatsuya, undeterred by Ryo's lack of enthusiasm, turned back to Hana, his attention fully on her. "You know, Hana," he said with a slight smile, "I've been meaning to ask if you'd be interested in grabbing coffee sometime. I've heard so much about how hardworking you are, and I thought it'd be nice to get to know you better."

Hana blinked, slightly taken aback by the sudden suggestion. "Oh, um… that's sweet of you, Tatsuya. But I'm pretty busy with the shop these days." Tatsuya's smile didn't falter, though a slight blush appeared on his cheeks. "Of course, of course. Maybe another time, then."

At that moment, Ryo's patience finally snapped. He stood up abruptly, his tall frame looming over Tatsuya, who looked up at him with a surprised expression. "Ryo?" Hana called, confused by his sudden movement.

"Excuse me," Ryo said coldly, his voice laced with a rare edge. "I'll take my usual and go." Kenta and Mei exchanged wide-eyed looks, realizing that they had just witnessed a rare sight—Ryo Kobayashi, the unflappable hitman, was jealous. They both struggled to suppress their grins, trying not to make the situation worse.

"Ryo, wait!" Hana called, rushing to catch up with him as he headed toward the door. But he was already outside, the door slamming behind him. She turned back to Tatsuya, who was still sitting at the counter, looking unsure of what had just happened. "I… I'm sorry. Ryo's not usually like this."

Tatsuya waved it off. "It's okay. I didn't mean to cause any trouble. I'll come back another time." As Hana served Tatsuya his ramen, Kenta leaned over to Mei, his voice barely a whisper. "This is just the beginning. We've got to give Ryo a little push."

Mei smirked. "Oh, I think we've already given him more than enough of a push." As Hana finished serving Tatsuya, she couldn't help but feel the strange knot in her chest. She didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but there was something about Ryo's reaction that made her heart race in a way she couldn't explain. Was it possible that he felt something for her too?

But before she could dwell on it any further, Kenta and Mei were already on their next round of teasing. "Looks like you've got yourself a fan, Hana," Kenta said, barely containing his laughter. "Better watch out, or Ryo might start getting territorial!"

Mei joined in with a mischievous grin. "Yeah, you wouldn't want Ryo getting jealous, would you?" Hana felt her face flush at the teasing, but she couldn't help but smile. Maybe, just maybe, this was the beginning of something interesting.