"Koyōte nakama no rūkīsupesharu, tanoshinde kudasai!" said the stand vendor.
"What did he say?" I asked.
"Oh he practically told ya enjoy!" responded the girl.
In front of me I had a big bowl of noodles in a dark soup, some dried seaweed, mushrooms, pickled ginger, some green leaves of sorts and a generous portion of Breaded pork, I was mostly scared of the black soup but I could deduce it was from the soy sauce, at this point I could not care anymore as I was desperate for some food, so I took a bit of soup and noodle into the chopsticks and took the first bite.
And although me being a smoke spirit and lacking some organs to actually process this food, my "core" asked for food, maybe it's not the stone itself but my soul within it that still operated as my normal body, I could probably go for weeks without eating but my "mind" if I still had one asked for its normal intake, it's basically mental, but boy... that first bite felt like I was eating like used to back in my day, better yet, it felt divine!
Not even a moment I started munching the meal down, combined with my hunger and the deliciousness of it, I forgot about my urge to smoke.
"sheesh, take it easy! It's like you've been without eating for 2 days!" the girl eeks in surprise
"3 days actually, I came here via hitchhiking from Russia and the oversea trip here was not forgiving, can't help it!" I said while I had a piece of breaded pork in my mouth.
That bento from the train ride was the only thing I have ate for a long time, my manners were nowhere to be seen, even so that the vendor looked satisfied and happy as he was proud his meal satisfied another customer.
"Never caught your name, my name is Renko, Usami Renko. What's yours?" she curiously asks
"Plyush, pleasured to meet ya." She then asks another question that stops me in my track down to noodle town.
"Just Plyush? Any surname to know?"
"I well... really got none" I thought, back in my guerrilla days, I was just given the name of Plyush but that's all, we never got a surname because they gave us names just to identify ourselves in radio communication and in case we got captured, I don't even remember my original name, let alone make a surname in the fly, I knew the Japanese used the surnames the most to talk to each other a lot so I had to make it quick
"Uhhhhhh... c-c-Canmoore, Plyush Canmoore''
Canmoore came from the cigarette boxes I brought from Russia, why Canmoore is a Russian cigarette brand name? maybe they were trying to westernize to appeal to a newly converted Russia, but I digress, Canmoore it is.
"Nice to meet you Canmoore-san" she puts her hand on, waiting to shake it.
San? I just met this girl and she is treating me like a well known friend? I thought that to be called like that it took commitment to a relationship, maybe she is more friendly than others?
"likewise," I said as I shook her hand
"so, what brings you to japan? Business? Visiting? Or something else?" She awaits my answer.
"To be honest... I don't even know, how can I say this? I'm looking for a place in here that I don't even know where it is." I don't even know where to start my search but all I got from the tip was about this girl with the dreams of the certain world I was looking for, not even HIM could know where she is.
"And since this is my very first day around here, I am very lost on where to rest the night, I was in the middle of looking to eat and I don't know if I even got the time to look for a room." I continued
"Well... do you mind if you stay with me? I was actually here waiting for a friend of mine but she just called me she won't make it tonight, we were going to spend the night in a hotel here in the city and I booked for 2, and it really seems that you need rest"
I was shocked that she just casually asked me if I wanted to stay with her, why she would ask that when she just met me? Could it be... has she already figured out my ability? Have I been too careless when eating? Or well again, she was just being too generous? And well, I couldn't say no, I am very tired despite the big meal I just munched down.
"But unfortunately, I will not pay for your meal though" she smugly says. "fair enough hehe, I do have some money with me." I say in a faux disappointed tone.
After we paid for our respective meals, we went on our way to the hotel. Usami told me the hotel was about 2 blocks away from where we were eating, but it struck me as weird that she did not do small talk or converse on our way there./
Maybe I was too tired to even open my mouth to talk...
"GOSH WHAT AM I THINKING?!" Usami thinks frantically after her whole interaction with Plyush.
"I can't believe that I just invited a stranger to be with me?! I don't even know where he is from or how old is, he... I don't know what came over me but he seemed like he needed all that, he seemed too tired to even walk, will he even reach the hotel? gosh what have I done?!"
Usami can just only imagine what will happen afterwards, as it is very weird to invite a shady looking character to rest, and for worse, people are starting to look at them, judgmental stares and looks of surprised passersby are traded to everyone who was in their eyeshot, but Usami only prayed to reach the hotel as soon as possible, but the she started to wonder
"maybe because there is something off with him, he smells strange, like smoke, but not cigarette smoke, more so like slightly burnt birch wood and ashes, maybe his clothes but I sensed it from a bit away from him, and well... I am unsure what else is wrong with him, he seems like an interesting person to take your time to know. Maybe I am being too paranoid..."
"oh, we are here!" Exclaimed Usami. I looked to where Usami was looking, the hotel in mind was more of a small building from the front, which would make sense, since for a girl her age, I don't think she would afford something a bit expensive, but anything would suffice, if it not were for her, I would probably be sleeping under a bridge right now. So then, I will drop dead to the bed as soon as I arrive.
We got through the reception where a middle-aged looking lady was attending the desk "Good evening, welcome to the Light Rest hotel, how may I help you" asked us the lady, "I have reservation for a room for two at the name for Renko Usami" she told the lady as she hands her smartphone with a QR code to which the lady responded with scanning said code.
"Oh, welcome back again Usami-san!" exclaimed the lady "did Maribel-san not make it?"
"No, she is very busy with essays due tomorrow, but we should be returning together soon" Usami exchanged with the lady.
"That's a shame, and who is the hotshot here?" the lady mockingly asks Usami.
"H-hey! Don't get wrong ideas! he just needs a place to stay the night, he just arrived and he looks like he needs rest, I met him at Kobayashi's stand trying to order"
"Let me guess? Rookie special?" the lady still teasing Usami
"S-shuddup" a blushed Usami responds.
"Anyhow, since this is your 20th visit in our system, we have added a reservation for the onsen tonight free of charge! since you are pretty much the only one to have reserved today, expect a nice relaxing time, looks like your friend really needs it" The lady tells as she hands Usami keycards for our room.
"Thank you so much Watanabe-Sama!" Usami excitedly exclaimed.
"Are you a regular here? I asked.
"I come here very often when I meet with Maribel-San, they have a great coffee parlor on the roof that acts as a café in the morning, and my favorite is the matcha tea they serve." She explained to me
"Since my home is quite far from my college, sometimes on the weekends I have time to lodge in here to rest properly, and we got an onsen reservation too! You're in for a treat!" she tells with excitement.
"Sounds wonderful!" I Conclude, both of us entering the hallway on our way to our room.