A/N: Well, this is something I have never tried before, so I might as well experiment on it: a multi-chaptered fic filled with OCs.
I don't think I've found any story that focuses on Ichiraku Ramen Bar. That place is usually only used as an additional setting for, let's say, a dating site, but never actually become the spotlight. So I decided to come up with one. Anyway, this is a future fic, so the OCs are mostly the children/relatives of the present Naruto characters, but don't always have to be the main ones. Instead, I'm going to concentrate on the ones that are rarely discussed. For example, the first chapter will introduce you to the granddaughter of Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku.
This is originally intended to be said OC-centric, but I'm gonna see where it'll take me. Of course, your feedback would be very influential too.
Right. I'll quit the rambling. Happy reading, minna-san. ;)
Takari had never considered herself special.
Her late grandpa used to call her his 'little ramen angel', whatever that means. She hadn't got the chance to ask him as he passed away about nine years ago.
Her mother, Ayame, had become the owner of Ichiraku Ramen since. The place is now more popular amongst younger generations than Takari had ever remembered. When she was little, the only regular under-thirty was the then-newly-appointed Hokage, Naruto-sama. The rest were just a few much older people, mostly jounins or senseis whom she was never really familiar with.
Her mother once told her that Naruto-sama had been their favorite customer since he was just a kid. There's no doubt that the Shidaime had been, and still was, a total ramen freak. Takari vaguely remembered she used to climb on his back while he devoured his umpteenth bowl, calling him kiiro-jisan because of his blond hair. He would give a tinkling laugh whenever she did it, tickled her nose and commented about how he 'wanted one just like this at home'. Not long after, he brought his wife along—a very shy but very pretty dark-haired lady—and announced very loudly so the entire village could hear that he was about to have 'another Hokage brat on the way', adding that he'd treat everybody to free ramen for the whole day, which earned a half-irritated, half-amused look from Ayame. Takari recalled tugging at her mother's skirt, asking what made kiiro-jisan so happy. She responded by stroking her hair lovingly and whispered, "He's going to get something as special as you, sweetie."
Of course, every mother would say that their child is special. But Takari grew up to see that in her case, it wasn't always true.
Why would anyone, in spite of her own mother, think she's special?
Certainly not him.
Takari sighed as she dredged the already-boiled noodles with a wire-basket, drying them before putting them in a bowl. She was fifteen now, and being a ramen-girl who smelled like pork broth all the time didn't really help in building social relationships—
"Takari! Is the shōyu ramen ready?"
"Coming, kaa-chan!"
She lifted the steaming hot bowl and delivered it to the counter. "Sorry for the wait! One deluxe portion of shōyu ramen with extra meat toppings, douzo!"
"Ah!" the fleshy man who ordered said ramen beamed brightly. "It looks really delicious! Arigatou, Takari-chan."
"You're welcome, Akimichi-san," Takari bowed a little. "Enjoy your meal,"
—but she couldn't complain, really, because every time she saw the look on the faces of her customers after getting their order, she always felt slightly better. It was definitely worth all the hard work.
Still, as a normal teenager, somehow, romance is bound to be top priority.
In which she was seriously lacking of.
And desperate for having.
Well, she thought, heading back to the kitchen to prepare some more orders. At least I've gained quite a reputation as the 'ramen girl'. I guess it's sort of a good thing.
She shrugged to herself.
Maybe.
"Irashaimase…!" amidst the sound of the boiling noodles and chit-chattery of the customers, she could hear her mother greeted a new customer. Her heart suddenly thumped fast. She set her ears alert. Could it be…?
"Ayame-bachan, one miso ramen, please," said a voice. "And don't forget the…"
'…additional bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, and extra green onion toppings,' having memorized it by heart, Takari continued the sentence soundlessly as her insides cheered. It's definitely him! Always order the same thing... He is such a healthy person, ne?
She quickly set out for work even before her mother poked her head into the kitchen.
"Takari, one miso ramen—"
"I'm on it, mum!" she exclaimed rather cheerfully, causing her mother to raise her eyebrows. Ayame did realize the change of her daughter's expression, but she didn't say anything.
He's here again! Takari practically sang in her heart as she prepared his order and added the required toppings. Her heartbeat seemed to be multiplied tenfold; she was struggling not to spill anything while carrying the bowl to the special customer.
The young man ordering the ramen was too preoccupied with something on his hand to notice her. It looked like a scroll full with writings on it. She put the bowl slowly in front of him, trembling slightly, and with a small voice said, "Your order, Kama-kun, douzo."
He nodded briefly, eyes still on the object. "Arigatou."
"Ano-" her mouth already moved before she could stop herself. "Do you- do you need anything else?"
After a moment, he looked up—finally!—and gave a smile capable of instantly melting Takari's insides.
"No, I'm fine here, thanks."
Her smiling back must look like nothing but a huge creepy grin, Takari was sure of that. Forcing herself back to reality, she managed to reply, "Okay then. Um, I hope you enjoy your meal, Kama-kun."
"Thanks, Takari-chan."
She took three steps back and, making sure he didn't say anything more, sprinted to the kitchen before remembering to breathe.
Kama-kun. Gorgeous as always. Takari peered from behind the kitchen curtain. Kama was still studying whatever it is he is looking down at. She giggled a little when his hand reached out for the chopsticks on his bowl without really looking, accidentally spraying himself bits of hot ramen soup.
"Admiring the view, aren't we?"
Takari yelped when her mother's head suddenly appeared on her right shoulder. "Oh, so that's why..."
"Mum!" she quickly threw back the curtain, spluttering. "It's not- I'm not- you're- oh please don't tell anyone!"
"Hmm, no wonder why you get so giddy all of sudden whenever he's here."
"Muuuum..."
Ayame pinched her daughter's cheek, laughing. "Relax, my dear, I will not tell. I'm just happy to see my daughter had grown. And what a fine choice she makes too!"
Takari blushed redder than ever. "We haven't even talked yet, mother..." she mumbled.
"Oh, is that so? You want me to go fetch him and-"
"NO!" Takari leaped to her mother's front. "No, no, no, no! Please, mum, don't make it even harder for me!"
"Alright, alright, I was just joking, honey... Now come on, we need to get back to work! Three starving customers' stomachs are roaring protests as we speak. Off you go, waste no more time, hop hop hop!"
Takari sighed and let out a halfhearted response. She waited until her mother walked out of the kitchen before throwing her last glance on Kama, and eventually resuming her work with swelling delight for the remaining day.
(-)
"Yo! Ramen girl!"
Here came the ringleader of the name-calling.
Takari turned around to see the beaming boy, only several years older than her, pacing under Konoha evening sunlight. Inuzuka Yasei never failed to leave an impression on Takari every time she saw him. She did silently admit that Yasei was pretty cute, in a wild sort of way. She liked his bark-like laugh, or the way he bared his unusually sharp canines every time he smiled. He always reminded her of a friendly adorable pooch her neighbor once owned when she was little. She remembered how he—the pooch—always greeted her; his tail wagging madly as he jumped to her lap, begging to be hugged. Of course, she never told that to Yasei. Particularly the adorable part.
"Yasei-san! Back from your mission on the Snow Country, I suppose?"
"You bet," Yasei exposed his doggish smile. "Anyway, I have something for you..."
He thrust a wrapped package to Takari's hand.
"Just a little trinket from the Snow Country I thought you might like,"
"You really shouldn't have."
"Come on, open it,"
Takari tore open the package to reveal a palm-sized snow globe. Inside the sun-reflected glass dome, countless of minuscule white flurries enfolded a much bigger snowflake, which alone stood unmoving in the middle of the circle.
"This is… beautiful," Takari was almost breathless with glee. "Thank you so much, Yasei-san!"
He couldn't have given her a stuff thatpretty without any hidden intention, right? Is Yasei-san trying to tell me something? Has he been having a crush on me all along? (At this point delusional images started forming on her mind) It'd be awesome to get a boyfriend as cool as Yasei-san... Wait, but how about Kama-kun?
"Ah, it was nothing. Besides," Yasei's voice grabbed Takari back to reality. He lifted a stuffed sack Takari hadn't noticed was there before from his side, "It's sold everywhere there! They even gave me a crazy discount on these things! Look how many I've gotten,"
Takari squinted at the twenty or more identical packages crammed inside the sack with mouth half open while her daydream was crashing hard around her ears. This is why you mustn't so easily get your hopes up, her inner mind piped in with a sarcastic sneer.
"Oh, by the way, why are you out on the streets? I thought you are supposed to be in Ichiraku?"
"We're closing early," Takari tried to sound nonchalant as she was mentally slapping herself for being so stupid. "Mother had to go visit her friend on the southern border, and since she doesn't trust me to handle the restaurant by myself, now I'm heading home." She finished her sentence with a sigh. It would be another forlorn night staying up while waiting for her mother to come back.
"That's too bad," Yasei blinked. Surely it wasn't disappointment Takari detected on his voice?
"Well, anyway, I'd love to stay and chat, but I kinda have to go," he rattled the sack on his hands with a splitting smirk. "Plenty more snow globes to give away! It's been great meeting you, Takari!"
He gave her head a swift pat before dashing off to another direction. She could only watch him go, lamenting on the fact that ramen smell on a girl had now officially proven to be the worst aphrodisiac. She so felt like bashing her head against a nearby wall.
That's about it for now. And oh, no, it's not a love story—at least not merely.
I'll introduce more characters in the upcoming chapters. In the meantime, thank you for reading. :D