As he opened the door—slouched, one hand in his pocket, like usual—warm air and chatter brushed across his face. A welcoming sensation he always enjoyed, he soaked in the atmosphere and discreetly inhaled the heady scent of ramen. Slowly, he sauntered across the tiled floor to the counter facing the kitchen. As he walked, he nodded respectfully at the regulars, who would smile back to the 'Young Master Red Lion', and glared at the high schoolers causing a ruckus, thoroughly amused at the fear he caused them.

Flopping down on the counter stool, he shifted his sunglass-hidden gaze to the rotund chef in the kitchen, who manically stirred the contents of pot, oblivious to the gangster's presence. The domestic image his former-delinquent friend portrayed caused Shin to smirk at the irony of the situation, although it only made sense that Kuma would go into culinary. As long as Shin had known Kuma, his life had revolved around food. Eventually, his musings were interrupted by the soft 'clink' of a china bowl set on the counter in front of him. He looked up at the woman who placed the bowl of ramen in front of him every week. "Thanks, Ami," he said as a greeting, while she simply smiled in return. Walking away to serve other customers, Shin watched her, contemplating the fact that Kuma ended up with a woman so perfectly suited to him.

Per usual, he left the bowl of steaming ramen untouched, instead choosing to observe the others surrounding him. They followed a predictable pattern he had always found boring-enter, eat, leave, repeat. He was almost tempted to lay his head in his arms in order to nap as he did in high school, but now he is a respected Yakuza, so he just sits back and observes.

The customers come and go; some quickly, while others eat at a snail's pace. The obnoxious antics of the high schoolers amuse him, reminding him of his own rebellious teenage days, but he would refuse to admit it aloud. A little girl plays with her doll at a table with her parents, and across the shop sits an elderly couple. Some of these people he knows, either through his walks through town or his affiliation with the Kuroda-gumi. They offer him fish, bread, sake, and money as a traditional "Thank you" to the type of services he provides. He smiles, his first true one of the night, because the life these people give him is the life he only ever dreamed he could have.

Slowly, the customers trickle out, signaling the arrival of closing time. Full of food and contentment, they wander out, leaving Shin with his cold ramen as he waits for the second part of this weekly ritual to commence. In the kitchen, Kuma cleans up the workspace, salvaging what can be reused and discarding what cannot before he begins to wash up and wipe everything down. Meanwhile, Ami flits around the dining area, picking up the remains of the customers' dishes. Her humming and the tinkle of china bowls being washed put Shin's mind at ease, relaxing him fully for the first time all week. As the clean-up for the day comes to a close, Ami shuts the light off and heads upstairs, waving at Shin and kissing her husband on the cheek. Once gone, Kuma prepares a bowl for himself and sits down on the stool to the right of the red-haired man, greeting him with a quick, "Hey Shin-chan." Together, they chant "Itadakimasu" and begin eating.

In between bites of their meal, the two filled the silence with comfortable conversation, talking about anything under the sun. Or rather, Kuma talked and Shin listened to his friend, adding the occasional "Ah," when he saw fit. Ranging from Ami's pregnancy to the shop's increasing popularity and then to Shin's bachelor party the night before, Kuma chatted on as he slowly ate. Shin, long finished with his bowl, pulled out a cigarette and joined his friend in reliving the stupidity of Noda, Minami, and Ucchi's actions. The conversation lulled, with Kuma continuing to eat and Shin beginning to smoke.

They sat in silent contentment for a second, Shin smoking his cigarette while Kuma finished his bowl. Once, Shin would have offered Kuma one, but with a wife and baby on the way they both knew better. Then, with no preamble, in the blunt manner Kuma always spoke, he asked, "Shin, are you sure about this?" Slowly, Shin inhaled and exhaled, looking straight ahead. Kuma's omittance of his favorite suffix revealed how serious this part of the conversation was. As the pause drew out, Kuma almost thought his friend wasn't going to answer, but knew otherwise. "Do you remember that conversation on the stairs?" Shin asked.

Kuma blinked, trying to gather his thoughts. He didn't need to ask what "that" conversation was; he could vividly remember every detail.

The silence of the school rang through his ears, if that was possible. He glanced over at Shin, reclining across the stairs as if they were a throne, wondering if the silence ever bothered him. Kuma shook his head and took another puff of his cigarette. Probably not, this was Shin-chan after all. At that thought, he glanced over again. Shin was staring off into the distance, his eyes focused on the window.

'Not on the window,' Kuma thought, 'but the woman visible through the window.' Outside, Yankumi walked along, oblivious to the ardent gaze that followed her. Kuma sat there, slowly pondering the current situation, and the one that had happened a few hours ago. While he had a hunch that Shin felt something for the weird teacher, he had been ignoring it until Minami had asked the question. Now, with Shin so obviously mooning after her, it couldn't be ignored any longer.

"Oi, Shin-chan."

"Ah."

"It's more than just 'like' isn't it."

Shin stopped smoking, but his eyes still followed Yamaguchi's figure as she walked out of the school. He sat in silence for a moment, contemplating the right words to say, before settling for a very plain "Yea. Probably."

Kuma gulped, "What about that yakuza group she owes money to? I know we can't take them; those guys are serious."

Shin almost laughed at his friend's denseness, before deciding enough was enough. "She doesn't owe them any money. She's the heiress to the gumi."

"Aah, I see," Kuma nodded sagely, before his mind caught up with Shin's words. "NANI?"

"Ah," Shin replied in a bored tone as he reclined back on the stairs to continue his cigarette.

"Shin-chan, you can't get involved with that. Being in a relationship with her could get you into some dangerous situations!" Kuma fretted, speaking rapidly. Shin, on the other hand, just huffed.

"The gumi supports me. They want me to join the family the traditional way-by marriage."

Shin allowed that information to sink in, knowing that if anyone would understand, it would be Kuma.

Kuma sighed, worried about his best friend's mental health, before responding. "Shin, man, are you sure?"

"Ah," Shin said as he released the smoke from his lungs. Some doubting, but reluctant acceptance in order for Shin's happiness. He knew Kuma too well. Slowly he smirked, and looked at his bear of a friend with half-lidded eyes. "Besides, we always joked about me joining the yakuza anyways." Beside him, Kuma just shook his head, smiling at his friend's ridiculous love.

The familiar smell of Shin's cigarette brought him back to the present, questions invading his mind, demanding answers he knew he would never receive. Shin just didn't share his emotions or information like that. With determination, he pushed them back with a simple "yea". Shin inhaled the smoke once more, staring off into the kitchen. "Probably since then."

Kuma just hummed in agreement, before moving on to an unrelated topic. There was no point in arguing or questioning any more. The wedding tomorrow would be perfect, everyone would have fun—in a drunken haze, and Shin would begin the chapter of his life everyone had been waiting on. Kuma shook his head, 'I always said he could be yakuza.' With that thought, Kuma stood up with a smile to refill the bowls and retrieve the expensive sake. It was time to celebrate.