Disclaimer: I do not own Oregairu.
~ Eating Ramen, Haruno Follows ~
(NON-CANON)
Six days later...
Upon entering the ramen shop, nearest the station, a heavenly smell suffused the moist atmosphere. The scent of broth, among various other components wafting freely in the air (garlic, pork bones, miso, the list was endless); it was nothing short of a brilliant fusion. It could have been best described as divine, and made me all the more hungry. Which was to be expected, of course, as this was ramen.
True, while indulging ramen was one of my favorite pastimes and of the few occasions I was willing to go out someplace, the reason why I had paid a visit this time around had all to do with Komachi.
About an hour ago—when I was in the clubroom reading—Komachi notified me via text that she'd be out with some friends, to watch a movie. In other words, my cute little sister wouldn't be home tonight to make dinner. That was perhaps a roundabout way for Komachi to relay her message across; to provide Onii-chan an alternative.
Long story short: Either settle for last night's curry udon (snacks, instant ramen, attempt to cook myself even) or eat out. It goes without saying I chose the latter, given my current location.
Scanning the area for a secluded spot, only a handful of people filled the spacious dining room, so there were a great many seating options to choose from. Sitting literally anywhere, with the sole exception of the counter, where a good portion of the patrons dined, would grant the breathing room and isolation any loner sought. But—
Still, if I think too insouciantly and end up picking carelessly, the situation could, in a instant, change drastically... Uh, that table over in the corner seems especially safe.
—you could never be too careful.
Especially when regarding people-related matters.
Anyway, seating at the location of choice, far right corner, I dropped my bag into the chair beside me. Slouching back ever so slightly, I let out a conspicuous sigh, albeit for no particular purpose. Though I already knew what I planned to order—Kitakita ramen (large) and iced coffee—I looked over the menu. This was common, actually.
I mean, what else is there to do? Yeah, I suppose fiddling with one's phone seems logical for most; however, I wasn't one to use my phone as filler if I had nothing of importance to do on said phone. This applied to a multitude of situations. Besides, this ramen shop offered deals and specials at value price from time to time, so inspecting over the contents of the menu wasn't really much of a hassle. To add to that, with how slow it was now, receiving swift service should be rather unproblematic.
No deals, eh...
Soon, out from the corner of my eye, I sensed a female server leisurely walking toward me. When she reached the table, as if on cue, she gave a wide smile and lightly bowed.
"Hello. Shall I start you off with a drink?"
"Actually," I said, then setting the menu aside, managing somewhat respectable eye contact. "...I know what I'll be having, um, so I'll just order it all now..."
"Of course, no, not a problem. And so what would you like, then, sir?"
I recited the order I originally had in mind to the server, and she left once writing it down on a pad of paper.
Several moments later, she returned with a glass of iced coffee, informing me the ramen shouldn't be long—two minutes.
In ramen time, two minutes was practically nothing. If anything, the ramen would come out in no time. On the contrary, I wouldn't mind having it now. The sooner the better.
Twirling a straw into the glass, I sipped my chilled beverage as I waited. Ah, refreshing. Still not as tasty as a MAX, though, but adequate enough.
Thunk!
A huge porcelain bowl, steam rising from the top, was set down before me.
"Here you are, large Kitakita ramen. Thank you very much for waiting. Should you need anything else, do feel free to alert me."
I reciprocated with a small appreciative nod, and then she left.
Now all by my lonesome, I gathered a pair of chopsticks and plunged them into the treacherous depths of the cloudy, food-filled broth. The ramen looked—and smelled—absolutely sensational, especially so up-close; felt something like a pivotal moment as I scarfed down noodles, spring onions, bamboo shoots, vegetables, and barbecued pork at a galloping pace.
Ah, nothing like the taste of "authentic" ramen to properly warm my insides. It tasted amazing. Near seamless. What's more, the bowl still was about seventy-five percent full.
Had it been busier, or there were people sitting within a five-meter radius, I'd probably eat the ramen gingerly. So as to not attract any undesired attention. But I could rest easy... Loosen up a bit.
Allowing a breather, I refreshed with coffee then resumed stuffing my mouth—
"Oh my, Hikigaya-kun, is that you?"
Caught off guard by a sudden calling, disrupting my train of thought and ramen binging, I was unable to make out the person's voice. I knew it was directed toward me, though. Clearly heard Hikigaya somewhere in that sentence. Or was it Hikitani? Regardless—
Who could possibly mark me during such a vulnerable time? When I'm trying to enjoy ramen in peace.
Rather than speculate who could it be any further, I looked for myself. First...mouth embarrassingly filled beyond maximum capacity, I ingested the lingering food with an audible Gulp!
Then, flicking my eyes in the direction in which the voice sounded, the entryway—
"Wow, it is you. Yahallo, Hikigaya-kun!"
W-What the hell?! Don't play dumb with— No, don't come this way!
The figure rapidly approaching was Yukinoshita—
Couldn't it have been the icier Yukinoshita instead...at the very least?
—Haruno.
"Fancy meeting you here. It's not often I see that face. Small world, isn't it? Mind if I..." With a finger, Haruno points to the vacant chair on the opposite side of the table, across mine.
As if I'd let you sit. "Yukinoshita-san, I prefer—"
"—Don't be that way, Hikigaya-kun. Let me join, so you won't have to eat all alone, and neither will I. Win-win, don't you think? Onee-san will even pay the bill. Sounds good?"
"...N—" I was interrupted from declining. Not with words, but with the creaking of a chair.
Haruno sat, much to my dismay, and hummed as if to mock me. Nothing I said would've worked anyway...
Why is this happening? I know damn well this run-in wasn't born out of pure coincidence. The memories of the last encounter was proof of my suspicion. Notably when she said, "Well played, Hikigaya-kun. That won't work next time...," those days ago.
Like, who says something like that if they weren't following you, right?
I'm willing to bet not only had Haruno tailed me here, but when she did—in this case, to the ramen shop—she waited till the food reached the table before showing face. Windows fixed at regular intervals, my internal allegation wasn't totally far-fetched. Moreover, it was the likely scenario. The chance of this all being mere coincidence were as slim as Megumin commanding more than explosion magic in her arsenal.
"Aren't you going to continue eating? After all, ramen noodles get soggy real fast, you know. Isn't that why you were pigging out prior? Or was it because you thought no one would take notice? I did. It was awfully cute... Amusing, too. Seem I was in the right place at the right time. My, how fortuitous am I to have witness such a marvelous scene. Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"
This bitch...
Haruno's loud, obnoxious laughter brought over the attention of the server, who appeared from out the arc of a narrow passage between adjacent neighboring booths. Or rather, she was coming anyway, given the state of the restaurant and appearance of another customer, but the laughing solidified action.
"Hello. Shall I start you off with a drink?"
"Sure, I'll have a black tea. Also, an empty bowl, please," said Haruno. "That'd be great."
Empty bowl? Don't tell me...
"Empty bo—? Oh, I see. The two of you will be sharing, correct?"
"Yes," replied Haruno, shooting me a peculiar look, "we are."
Tch... At this point, I shouldn't even care. It's not worth the trouble of wasting my breath.
"Okay, gotcha. So, will that do it for you, then, ma'am?"
"Oh, I'll leaf through the menu first. I'm not so quite sure yet."
"Understood. No rush. I shall return anon. Please excuse me."
Once the server left to fulfill what she had written down on paper, Haruno scanned the menu, seemingly focus, while as I resumed, slowly and meticulously, to eat my ramen. Rather than abandon ship, I reckon finishing the food is what I ought to do before doing so. Despite what I believe was conspiring, I cannot let this woman dictate my behavior—at least in this particular instance. As long as she doesn't try anything shady (example: last time) or set off any major red flags, I'll tolerate her until then.
I came here to enjoy ramen like any normal ramen-loving Japanese person would, so that's what I intend to do, through and through.
To leave now, before anything even happen, would basically be admitting that some sort of "danger" was afoot. So, I wouldn't treat it as such in spite of the present details. If I did, it would only stress me out.
Still, that did not mean I gave her the benefit of the doubt or anything. If things somehow went south—
"Say, Hikigaya-kun."
Avoiding her eyes like I would the Geass, I murmured, "...Huh?"
"What else should I order? Is there something else you wanna eat?"
"...No." I snubbed her first question, answering only the second with a tone that suggested I could care less.
"Hmm, if I get spring rolls, care to split them with me? Two apiece."
"That won't be necessary... I'm fine with this," I said honestly, inwardly rolling my eyes.
"Positive, Hikigaya-kun? It's the very least I can do. Really, you made no fuss about having to share with me, so I would—in turn—like to humbly return the favor. I consider ordering my own, but saving money's extremely important, and eating out gets undoubtedly pricey, even in moderation. Wouldn't want to go broke, you know!"
Tch. As if you have to be frugal with money...
But I know she's just saying whatever she felt like saying, for the hell of it. Spewing utter bullshit.
"I'm sure, Yukinoshita-san. No thank you."
"Sa—"
Right then, the server returned, cutting Haruno's dialogue off short.
"A black tea. And, as per your request, a bowl. I stuck with a medium-sized one. Hope that does the job."
"Oh, whichever one was fine, really. Just needed a bowl, is all. Thank you so much."
"My pleasure. Will that be all?" asked the server and Haruno, toying frivolously with the purple tips of her hair, shook her head after some time to consider.
"Mmm, let's do a shrimp and vegetable spring rolls. Extra carrots on the side—sliced."
The server scribbled that down and subsequently exchange some words with Haruno before heading off. At that point, I wasn't really listening in (not that I wanted to in the first place). Tuned out, I took a swig of iced coffee to cleanse my palate and continued slowly shoveling ramen into my system. The apt course of action is to treat it as if nobody's around—as if Haruno wasn't right there, occupying my space...
But that would prove difficult—
"I'll be borrowing that, Hikigaya-kun! I'll return it in just a sec." Sliding the bowl toward her, midway of another helping, she began transferring noodles with chopsticks into the empty bowl. Barely half, but still enough to annoy me, though that did not display on my features.
Once the bowl was back on my side of the table, my thought was to finish what's left of the ramen, pay my side of the bill, and leave. I'll probably even skip out on slurping the broth, to leave as soon as possible.
"Wow, this is really delicious. Is this what you usually order?"
No it wasn't, but I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of saying, I switch it up a lot of times, and engage in a pointless conversation about menu options. That's what she probably wants. Nah, I'm just overthinking it.
"No."
"How rude! Why aren't you looking me directly in the eyes when you speak? Don't be shy, Hikigaya-kun, I won't bite. Promise... Anyhow, how are things with club?"
Making minimal eye contact, though just for an instant (not because of what she said), I replied, "Uh, okay." It was the most vague response I could have possibly given, without exhausting much energy.
Haruno tilted her head levelly, sipping on her tea stupidly, as if dumbfounded. "Just okay? That's not...very progressive. Surely there must have been some interesting developments in the works."
"Nope..."
"Really? What a bummer. Hmm..." Rubbing her chin followed with an odd, offbeat smile, she then asked, "So how's Yukino-chan doing?" The smile on her face turned cartoonishly fake; resembled something like Anpanman.
"Dunno. I can't speak on her behalf. That's something you'll have to ask her yourself." I glanced inside the bowl. Halfway done. I should probably finish up before the spring rolls come out, so I could ask the server for the check when it does, to quickly transition out here.
"Geez. Am I actually gonna have to grind to gather intelligence from you? Really? Making someone work harder than they should... My, Hikigaya-kun, where'd you learn to be so bad? You're such a bad boy, you know that. You're so baaad-duh!"
I internally cringed, nearly choking on a bamboo shoot. I held back coughs that threaten to escape. This again... Chiba Zoological Park's approximately 2.2 miles away. Perhaps you should've gone there instead if you wanna emit noises like a damn animal. Tch.
"But in all seriousness, can't you spare even the tiniest detail? Any crumb of information would suffice. To make it easy: Is Yukino-chan still brewing the three of you guys tea to drink? At least give me that much."
"Yeah, she is..."
"Oh, that's nice to hear. Because nothing quite beats cold weather like a piping hot cup of tea. Perhaps I should drop by for some one of these days. Bring cookies, too; it'll be a neat little American-style tea party."
How about...no?
A bit after she wrapped up her sentence, the server returned with a plate of food.
"Your spring rolls, shrimp and vegetables. Extra carrots, sliced, on the side there. Please do enjoy. Should you want anything else, feel free to—"
"Can I get the check...for my portion of the meal?" I still had some food in the bowl, but that mattered not. What I failed to consume here, I'll make up for it at home. It wasn't that much anyway, given some of it was stolen and I ate an adequate amount. With the server back sooner than I had expected, now was a good time to initiate Operation: Get the hell home!
The server—as well as Haruno—looked my way. Fixing my attention toward the former, she nods with a smile.
"Yes, of course. Allow me to grab it for you, sir. Be back shortly."
Right then, my ears processes what sounded like the clicking of a tongue. "Hikigaya-kun, are you about to waste food, just carelessly so? Come on, keep a girl company until she finishes her meal, why don't ya. I'm thinking afterwards, with you here and all, we could snack on sweets. Perhaps donuts, I have a place in mind. How about it? You in? My treat."
"No. Actually, I should head home. Komachi's expecting me pretty soon." Lying for a greater purpose, I pulled out my wallet from my pocket and withdrew money. It's not like I had to lie, since I wouldn't gone along with her anyway, but at this moment in time, it made sense.
"I'm sure your sister'll be fine for one night. We're just having donuts. It's not as if I said, 'Hey, Hikigaya-kun, I want you to kidnap me.'"
Kidnap?!
"Pardon the intrusion, but here's the check, sir." The server place the tab on the edge of the table and left.
"Oh, thanks..." Once setting the money on top, I slung my bag over a shoulder and stood. "Well, Yukinoshita-san, it was ni—"
"Hold up!"
Suddenly, pressure was applied around my wrist. Her voice was playful, but her grip around my wrist was anything but.
"Before you go, you oughta try this crazy delicious, exotic sugar. I put it in my tea a bunch; it works for coffee, too... You'll thank me once you catch a taste."
Using her free hand, she reached into her purse and produced a semi-translucent cylindrical shaker, something you'd see in the 100-yen shops, and sprinkled its content in the glass of iced coffee—a white substance. Sugar...supposedly.
Haruno smiled, then releasing my wrist. "Go on, have a sip."
As if, you spiked the coffee with some type of laxative, didn't you? That's not sugar. Soon as I sip, I'll probably feel the effects awhile after, be unable to function and be taken home, just not mines.
There were a plethora of other possibilities, too, but my focus was on leaving, not trying to decode her intent. I didn't have the wherewithal to do so. Now's my chance.
Walking away silently, Haruno laughed. "Ha-ha, you really are a bad boy. I'll walk you home."
As she stood, I reminded her, "You haven't paid for your meal yet," and exit the ramen shop without waiting for a response. The drastic change in air was proof I was outside, away from her.
Looking into the window—to where I ate my ramen—Haruno was nowhere in sight. Rather than speculate how or check my surroundings (which was dark)...
I should've rode my bike.
...I made my journey home, constantly looking over my shoulder to assure she wasn't there.
A/N: Hope everyone (or at least a majority) enjoyed Eating Ramen, Haruno Follows. I had fun writing it. It is NON-CANON, so obviously going into next chapter, it won't play a role in what's to come. I have an idea where I want to take this story.
Next update: Epiphany (Chapter 1).
Let me know your thoughts. What do you think? Anything you'd like to see in Chapter 1?
Thanks to everyone for the immense success of the previous chapter, I really do appreciate all the feedback.
As always, thanks for reading.