Yuzuru listened to the raindrops falling on his hood as he made his way. Pitter-patter. Pitter-patter. A couple of kids passed by him, splashing into large puddles of water and laughing cheerfully. He didn't even bother dodging; he wasn't in the mood to do anything. If only my past self was like that... If I had been a better student, maybe Hatohara-senpai would have a reason to stay... Even if I couldn't, if I were more cheerful, her life here could have been better before she left... He stopped in front of a certain shop, he pulled down his hood and walked in.
'One bowl of chicken ramen please...'
'Yes sir! Coming ri~ght up!'
He sat down at the table at the corner of the shop, lowering his sight and fidgeting with his fingers, once again lost in thought.
'...Yuzuru-kun?'
Yuzuru...
Did I just hear that? He pretended that he didn't. The ramen shop boss came over with a cheerful grin. 'Sir, here's your chicken ramen!'
'Chicken ramen?'
...Is that chicken ramen I see?
His raised his head to look at the seat opposite of him. He let out a relieved sigh, and focused on eating his ramen. It's just my imagination...
Footsteps thudded in his direction. I'm getting hallucinations...
'Yuzuru-kun, are you feeling all right?' A hand gently pushed away his bangs and touched his forehead. 'You're burning! And you're dripping wet!'
The chicken ramen in front of him blurred. Huh...? Why can't I see clearly?
'Boss! Could we get a cold wet towel please? I think this customer's got a fever!' Someone took away his chopsticks and made him sit back further in his chair. Sounds of tables being pushed, worried whispers, and someone saying 'don't worry' were barely audible to him.
Then he was being carried. He figured probably upstairs, where the boss lived. 'We need you to get dry first,' said the boss, as he took another clean towel, dried him up and started helping him change into new clothes.
And then he feel asleep.
Or unconscious.
And when he woke again, it was already dark outside. He struggled to lift his hand, and looked st his watch: 1:24 A.M. His other hand was being suppressed by another one. He rolled his head to the side. He was pretty sure the heat radiating from his face was hotter than the fried noodles he had burned the first time he tried cooking. Tamakoma's cannon, aka Amatori Chika, was asleep.
Right. Next. To. Him.
And their hands were touching.
Cue a mental volcano explosion in his head and all the magma and lava being plastered on his face.
He blamed it on the teenage hormones. And he could swear if anyone walked in that second, his life would be ruined. What the hell happened? Attempting to get up without waking his student, he slipped out of the covers, but fell face flat on the ground instead. Curses to my headache.
The sound of him falling woke Chika up. 'Yuzuru-kun! You're awake? Do you still feel dizzy? Or uncomfortable? Oh, and I already called Shou-senpai, so don't worry. By the way, why did you ignore me in the ramen shop?'
'That was you?' He gave a small humph. 'I heard Hatohara-senpai talking to me... You know, you have a voice similar to hers. I thought I was hallucinating... Hatohara-senpai used to bring me here every week; she loved the ramen here. And now I just can't stop coming here on a weekly basis; old habits die hard, I suppose...'
Chika beamed at him. 'Reiji-san brings me here a lot too! Something about the boss giving him a 75% discount...'
'I see... You know what? I'll let you sleep on the bed, I'll go downstairs and sleep on the couch.' Chika opened her mouth but was cut off by Yuzuru. 'No complaints. And no, I won't sleep with you.'
And so he headed down, leaving a bright faced Chika.
