Cheer for the rematch

I followed Jade until we reached what appeared to be a ramen restaurant. There, she ordered me to sit as two large bowls of ramen appeared before us.

"For the ritual, we are to finish our servings quickly and efficiently. Noodles, broth, and everything else MUST be consumed.

"So is it a competition to see who finishes first?" I asked.

"Give it up. You hail from a past era, yes? This ramen is not only spicy, but I can effortlessly eat it a a quick pace. Now, we are to begin."

We both grabbed our chopsticks and said thanks for the meal, before digging in. The ramen really was spicy, but that was nothing for me, Jade has no idea just how much ramen I ate on my travels. But what shocked me was when I briefly glanced over, Jade wasn't even anywhere close to beating me. Sure, she appeared to be slurping up the noodles quickly and silently, but I was slurping way faster.

Maybe she'd pick up the pace, but I wasn't going to let up. I had to win to avenge Irina.

...

I couldn't believe what I was seeing; Hana was beating Jade! Jade's the fastest ramen eater I know, and that's saying something considering how any folks are out there in the galaxy. But Hana's slurping up noodles like crazy! Sure, it's messier and louder, but it's working.

Jade's also starting to take notice and based on that scowl, I don't think she's happy. She appeared to shift gears as the ramen appeared to enter her mouth a bit faster, but Hana was still slurping things up much faster.

Jade then shifted tactics and began eating up the meat and vegetables, even drinking the broth in between, but that multitasking was costing her. Hana was going to win.

"Thank you for the meal!" Hana smiled as she slammed her empty bowl down.

Oh the look on Jade's face as she stopped mid slurp. Priceless. Oh, I'm spreading that face online.

...

HOW!? How could this girl best me at the post-match ramen ritual!? None in this vast galaxy have even come close, yet her, she just finished it all before me and in such a sloppy manner too!

This is humiliation... HUMILIATION I say! I must rectify my loss!

"Care... for a rematch?"

I said that, yet the malicious smirk upon Irina's face gave me pause.

"Huh? Is Jade asking for a rematch? No, must be a joke right? Miss serious no-nonsense would never ask for a ramen-eating rematch... unless she's sore about losing."

That bitch!

"Besides, us modern humans have different stomach capacities than those from the past. Hana would be at a disadvantage since that bowl of ramen she just ate likely filled her up. So no, you don't get a rematch. Accept your loss, baldy."

"And why do you call me 'baldy' like it's some insult? Bald is status quo both for martial artists and those with holohair."

"Cuz banter's fun, especially if it can make the serious type like you crack."

"Irina, shall I have YOU take Hana Hangetsu's place in the rematch?"

...

It looked like Irina was starting to step into dangerous territory. Sure she was right that me rematching Jade was unreasonable, but it looked like Irina's provocations were going to land her in trouble.

I had to step in, but a ramen battle and martial arts battle were off the table, so what could I have these two compete at that would both not torment Irina and calm Jade?

It was then that I thought of something that both could do...

...

"And just WHAT is this outfit!?" Jade trembled.

"A good ole cheer uniform, that's what," I smirked.

Now decked in a traditional cheerleader uniform, Jade seemed like a different person. Gone was her stoic emotionless demeanor, replaced with an embarrassed and flustered one. Irina on the other hand was relishing in the moment, both due to her rocking the cheer uniform and enjoying every second of Jade's flustered state.

"Now rules are simple, you just gotta do a cheer for me and do some stunts. Lyn will grade you on technical aspects, I'll grade you on the emotional ones. If you wanna win, you gotta put your heart into it. Put on a performance that makes me say, "This girl's motivated me to go beyond my limits." Ready, go!"

First up was Irina who began smiling and shaking her pom-poms. "Alright, let's go! Hana, Hana, kick-some-ass! Slurp up all da ramen and make Jade a maldin' baldy. Yay! Yay! Ha-na-chan!"

Her acrobatics were decent and her cheer was on brand for her. Next up was Jade. Jade appeared as if she was too flustered to go, but her nerves calmed down as she began doing acrobatics. On that front, she had Irina beat, but unless she opened her mouth...

"You just gonna do stunts!? I wanna hear some cheering!"

"Geh! ...Yay... Yay..."

"LOUDER!"

"YAY! YAY! HA-NA-CHAN! FIGHT! FIGHT! HA-NA-CHAN! I LOVE YOU, SO FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT! YAY! YAY! HA-NA-CHAN!"

Perhaps I pushed the poor girl too far. Her face was redder than a tomato. My face was a little red too, but I knew better than to think Jade was truly confessing her love to me.

"And thus, after some deliberation, I declare Jade the winner of the rematch!"

A puff of steam emitted from Jade's head as she fell to her back, her face still flush red. "Hu- Humiliation.... That was humiliation."

"Nah, it was victory. So when you wanna get hitched with Hana?" Irina smirked.

"Irina!"

"N- That was just a cheer! I- I- AHHHHH!"

And with that, poor Jade fainted from embarrassment.

"Jade, down! Irina wins!"

Oh Irina... Welp, I can't say I was upset.

Lyn then took her leave, letting us know that we could call her anytime and she'd be there in a flash. Though I didn't let her leave until informing her on how sports stadiums of the past were like, specifically the noisemakers fans used to have. That was all it took to get her inspiration going as she was off in a flash.

"Well that was fun. So ready to head off?" Irina grinned.

"Trying to bounce before Jade wakes up?"

"You know it!" Irina grinned as she grabbed my hand and began running.

I couldn't say no to her logic. After all, my adventurer's spirit wanted to see more of what this world had to offer.