Woah, it's been ages since my last fic... eh, whatever.
This is my first TWEWY fic; I figured I may as well try out a new series.
Anyway, enjoy :D
Neku slumped down on a stool in Ramen Don, sighing. He had just spent the whole day being pulled around 10/4 by Shiki and was completely exhausted.
"The usual, thanks," he muttered, staring down at the counter.
"Coming right up, Neku!" called out an unusually cheerful, clear voice. Neku raised his head, turning to face the speaker. It was a teenager wearing a bright blue-and-white apron, his hair tied back in a bandana similar to the shop's owner. His back was turned as he faced the boiler.
"Where's Ken Doi?" asked Neku, curious. He had never actually seen the old ramen chef outside his shop before.
"He's gone out to take a break. He hasn't been feeling well recently," replied the teenager, pouring sauce into Neku's bowl while talking. "It's quite humbling actually. He used to say that he'd never leave the shop to others during working hours, but yet he's decided to trust little old me."
Neku gazed at the teenager, studying him carefully. He could swear he'd heard that voice before somewhere...
"Here you go, Neku! Eat up while it's hot!"
The teenager whipped around and placed a bowl of steaming ramen before Neku, smiling. In response, Neku jumped backwards, shocked.
"J-J-J-JOSH!?"
Joshua tilted his head sideways questioningly. "Is something wrong?"
"WHAT THE HELL!?" shouted Neku, pointing at Josh frantically for a few moments before wildly dashing out of the bar.
Joshua stared at the shop entrance, perplexed. Then he shrugged, sat down and helped himself to Neku's ramen.
"I'm telling you, he was there! Josh! Working at Ramen Don!" Neku exclaimed, dragging a bewildered Shiki and a sceptical Beat down Dogenzaka.
"You're not high on anti-depressants again, are you?" queried Beat, poking Neku.
"No, I am not high! And what exactly do you mean by again?" responded Neku, punching Beat across the arm.
Shiki stared at Neku in confusion.
"But why would the Composer work in a ramen shop?" she asked.
"How about you ask him yourself?" Neku replied, striding into the shop. The others followed him in.
At the sound of customers entering, Joshua span around.
"Welcome! What'll it be today?" he called out cheerfully.
Shiki and Beat stared at Joshua open-mouthed.
"See!" declared Neku. "I told you he was here!"
"Did you at least ask why?" asked Shiki.
The three of them gazed towards Josh questioningly.
Joshua stared back at the trio straight-faced, just before completely breaking down into tears.
"Do you know how hard it was to play around with the lives of people day after day?" he cried, tears streaming out of his eyes. "All of them have hopes, and dreams! And I can hear every single one of them! They're human beings! You can't expect me to toy around with their futures like that!
"I always assumed you enjoyed that," answered Neku, raising an eyebrow.
"AND SEE HOW PEOPLE HATE ME FOR IT!?" wailed Joshua, pointing towards Neku.
"Awww, there there, it'll be okay..." responded Shiki, walking around the counter and comforting Joshua. "Neku hates everyone anyway."
Neku glared at Shiki.
"How about we actually try some of your ramen?" asked Beat, his stomach growling. "I haven't had a bite all day."
Wiping his eyes, Joshua smiled.
"Coming right up, Beat!"
Turning back towards the boiler, he began preparing the next bowl of noodles.
"Am I the only one who sees anything wrong with this picture?" Neku asked Beat and Shiki.
"You ought to be more supportive of him!" pouted Shiki. "He's-"
"And it's done!" exclaimed Josh, spinning around and handing Beat his ramen. "This one's on me."
"Fast!" exclaimed Shiki, eyes wide in surprise.
"Sweet!" exclaimed Beat, tucking in.
"Unnaturally fast," muttered Neku, gazing at Josh suspiciously. "Well, how is it, Beat?
Beat continued scoffing down the ramen for a few moments longer before answering.
"It's... amazing!" responded Beat, mouth filled with food. "How'd you get it to taste so good?"
"I guess I just must have a gift with ramen," Josh answered proudly.
There was movement at the entrance and Kariya and Uzuki walked into the bar.
"Welcome!" chimed Josh.
"Hey, pretty boy. I didn't know you worked here," responded Kariya.
"Only recently," smiled Josh.
Kariya shrugged.
"Well, whatever. Which ramen did you want?"
"I'll take the Tonkotsu ramen," Uzuki replied, facing Josh.
"Aww, really?" muttered Kariya, looking through his wallet. "That's the most expensive one here..."
"Hey, you lost fair and square. Pay up!"
"Fine, fine. Yen's just so hard to come by these days, with the Game gone haywire and all..."
Neku, Shiki and Beat all shot a glance at Josh. He shrugged apathetically and began serving Kariya and Uzuki.
Mr. Hanekoma dashed into the bar.
"Josh, you have to come back!" he exclaimed. "Without its Composer or Conductor, you've left the current Game Master we've transferred in to fend for himself! The Game's falling to pieces!"
Simultaneously, Uzuki and Kariya choked on their ramen.
"What, what!?" they spluttered.
"No way in hell are you dragging me back to the UG!" exclaimed Josh, ignoring the pair. "I've had it with being the Composer! Go run the game yourself; I'm not going back!"
"You know as well as I do that's impossible! The angels–"
"Oh, go have a cry about the angels. It's always about you, isn't it?"
"Think of all the players you're abandoning, Josh!"
"I'm sure they'll work out something themselves..." muttered Josh, pouting. "Now, if that is all, please leave."
Hanekoma shook his head.
"Is there no other chance I could convince you otherwise?"
"No way at all."
"Then I guess I'll have to force you," murmured Hanekoma threateningly. He closed his eyes and threw his head skywards, shining wings of light unfolding from his back.
"Fine!" declared Josh, raising his palms above his head and invoking a scintillating, red fireball.
Kariya's jaw dropped.
"They're powerful enough to affect the RG!?" he exclaimed.
Shiki turned to face them, nervousness clearly audible in her voice.
"I think we should leav–"
She was cut off as an explosion threw them off their feet.
There was a series of furious slashing sounds, and when the dust cleared the group saw Hanekoma standing over Josh, his index finger pointing down at him threateningly.
"Why have you risked everything we've built up so far over some stupid noodles, Josh?" asked Hanekoma. "What possible reason could you have?"
Hatred coursing through him, Josh's fists tightened.
"Some... stupid... noodles...?" he hissed.
"THIS. IS. RAMEN."
Josh pulled back his foot and booted Hanekoma bodily out of the bar. Violently, the angel was sent flying down Dogenzaka. He finally came to a stop when he struck a brick wall on the other side of the street, denting it with his body. Disbelief flashing across his face, Hanekoma gazed back towards the bar a moment before a giant pair of talons pinned him down.
There was wild screaming as people noticed the giant dragon perched in the middle of the street.
"Impossible..." Hanekoma gasped. "You... can use your Noise form... in the RG?"
Josh roared, flames singeing Hanekoma's clothing.
"You will never be able to beat down my desires!" proclaimed Joshua, adopting his Composter voice. "Escape now or face erasure!"
Defiantly, Hanekoma gazed back at Josh. Then, reluctantly, his wings faded away.
"... you win, Josh," he muttered, lowering his head in defeat. "You'll be a hard guy to replace."
There was a flash of light, and the angel vanished.
"This is going to be such a pain to clean up," muttered Josh, walking around the decimated Ramen Don. "Ah well, at least I shouldn't be disturbed from this point onwards."
"But what's going to happen to the Game?" asked Neku. "You're just going to forget all about it?"
Josh shrugged. "I'm sure it'll work itself out. It's been through worse."
And it did.
Due to absolutely nobody of power being left in the Game, it was soon hijacked by players who began harvesting the Noise for an endless supply of yen, and eventually triggering an economic crisis in Japan.
THE END, FOOLS.