Chapter 50 – Mugi's First Ramen Experience

Mugi's POV

*MEANWHILE…*

"So, how's your leg? Feeling any better?"

"Yeah… A LOT better, actually. I told you all I had to do was sit out for a day. Nothing to it."

"*giggle* Yeah, yeah. You proved me wrong."

The next day after Honoka did that publicity stunt for me (still kinda mad about that), we were given a day off before the festival preparations begin tomorrow. With the actual event beginning the day after.

I'm still nervous about the whole thing…becoming an idol. I know I've said this multiple times already, but…this isn't something you can just brush off like it's a simple little hobby. Especially with what I've been through as of late.

So, I'm guessing that this one day off is supposed to ease me of these debut nerves. But I'm not keeping my hopes up.

At least I get to see more of Odaiba with my own eyes. Sumire was right about it being like that yuri manga!

"So, uh…Chika-san. What exactly are we doing today?" I asked as I was traveling with her today. Along with Azusa-chan, Sumire, Honoka, You-san, and Riko-san. "You seemed pretty eager when you dragged me out of the dorm room this morning."

"Don't you remember, Mugi?" Chika-san said. "Today's the day we rearrange your tastebuds!"

"Uh…"

"What she means is…we're going to help with that thing you mentioned last night." Honoka said.

"Last night?" I thought about it for a bit. "Oh, yeah…I remember." I then started thinking about what happened shortly after Honoka did that publicity stunt for me.

*LAST NIGHT…*

"Aw, man! That was so awesome! You really are a great singer, Mugi!"

"Hehheh…thanks, Yu-san." I said while rubbing the back of my head. "Though, I wasn't really expecting for the entire dorm to hear that. I hope I didn't disturb anyone."

"Nah, it's perfectly fine. Everyone loved you out there."

"Hmph. Even I gotta admit, you were pretty good." Kasumi-san said. "Now, I really gotta keep my eyes on you."

"Uh…"

"Don't mind her." Yu-san said. "Kasukasu's just full of herself as always."

"I-I am not! And don't call me Kasukasu!"

Still, though…singing like that in front of everyone was rather nerve-wracking. My stomach's in knots just thinking about it."

"You sure you're not just hungry, Senpai?" Azusa-chan asked.

"Well…maybe. I haven't really eaten anything since at that restaurant earlier."

*LOUD SLURPING NOISE*

"Huh?"

*REALLY LOUD SLURPING NOISE*

"Ahhh~…so good~."

"Geez, Chika. That's already your third cup tonight." You-san said as the two were sitting in a corner. With Chika-san eating…something from a cup?

What is that stuff?

"I know, but…man, I can't get enough of this stuff! Ramen is truly the best thing ever made!"

Ramen?

"Where did you even get that?" Yu-san asked. "We don't have ramen in the school cafeteria."

"Well, when Ruby, Sumire, and I went with Aoi to return the knife to the kitchen, we saw a whole stack of ramen just sitting there."

"It felt like a waste for all of it to just sit there. So, we just took it all." Aoi-san said.

"Geez, Aoi…stop stealing from our school!"

"I'm not stealing. I'm only borrowing these things."

"You can't "borrow" ramen, Aoi." Hiro-san said.

"Tch. W-Well, it's not like they're going to miss it or anything. Especially since they planned to leave it sitting there for a whole month."

*BEEP*

"Ooh~! My cup's done!" Aoi-san then took her own cup from the microwave (pretty sure that wasn't here before) and took a huge long slurp of that ramen stuff.

"Ahhh~…so freaking good~…"

"You guys are welcomed to have some." Ruby-san said.

"*sigh* Why not. It's not like Aoi's going to listen to me, anyway." Yu-san said in defeat.

"Huh? Did you say something?" Aoi-san asked while still eating.

"Nothing, Aoi."

As everyone received their own cup, I kept staring at mine with the biggest look of confusion I've ever had in my life. And that's saying something, coming from me.

"What's wrong, Mugi? You're not gonna eat?" Honoka asked me.

"I-I am, but…what is this stuff?"

"It's ramen. Weren't you listening to the conversation?"

"I was, but…" I then looked at the cup again. "…what is this "ramen" stuff?"

And at that moment, everyone stared me down with the biggest looks of shock I've ever seen on a person. Probably more than when I told the others that Miharu was my sister.

"Wh-What?"

"A-Are you serious? You don't know what ramen is?" Honoka asked.

"No…not really."

"Seriously, Mugi-senpai?" Azusa-chan asked. "Ramen's like the most common thing in this country. How could you not know what it is?"

"Uh…"

"K-Keep in mind that Onee-chan didn't have much access to common things like ramen when she was younger." Sumire said.

"Yeah, but still…to be Japanese and to have never heard of ramen is like not knowing what an anime is."

"What's an anime?" I asked.

"Seriously?! How sheltered were you?!"

Enough to not know what ramen and anime are, I guess…

"Well…" Yu-san said. "…putting aside the anime part, ramen is pretty much noodle soup. It's got noodles, meat-based broth, miso, and is topped with sliced pork, nori, menma, and scallions. Though, nearly every region of Japan has their own version of it."

"I see…" I then looked at the cup in front of me again. "…so, is it good?"

"Is it GOOD?!" Chika-san yelled. "Ramen is like…the BEST cuisine to ever come from a human being! Nothing beats the warm succulent noodles slurping into your mouth, the juicy broth-covered meat being devoured whole, and then the finisher of chugging down the soup nonstop until you end up with an empty bowl! It's the best 30 minutes of your life!"

"I-It takes 30 minutes to eat ONE bowl?"

"Well, that's only if you're in a hurry. It usually takes 45 minutes to an hour to eat a single bowl. If you're an enthusiast like myself."

"A ramen enthusiast?" A bunch of us questioned that claim.

"More like a ramen loon." You-san said.

"Hmm…" After hearing that rather long love sonnet about this stuff, I decided to just eat some of it and see how it tastes. "…I-It's cold."

"Oh, yeah…instant ramen doesn't say hot as long as regular ramen." Chika-san said. "With that, you gotta eat it fast, or else you're just stuck with a cold drink with stuff in it."

"*sigh* Really?" I grew exasperated. "And listening to you geek out about this stuff made me waste it all."

"Sorry, Mugi. But I can make it up to you."

"Huh? How?"

"Hey, Yu. Are there any ramen shops around here?"

"Huh? Well…" Yu-san thought for a moment. "…I think there's one in Ariake. Not that far from the school, to be honest."

"You mean Big Sight?"

"You two just won't let that go, huh?" Yu-san responded to her cousins with an exasperated tone.

"I see…" Chika-san said before turning back to me. "Don't worry, Mugi. I've got everything covered." She then gave a huge smile and a thumbs up. Sparkling in this sudden confidence she gained.

"Should I be worried?" I whispered to Honoka.

"It's Chika, so…yeah. You should."

*PRESENT TIME*

So, yeah. That's what led up to today. As we're now going to a ramen shop just so I can experience this "BEST cuisine to ever come from a human being!" that Chika-san was swooning about last night.

I believe that title belongs to yakisoba. But I'll still give this ramen stuff a try…

"Still, though. Going all the way to Ariake just to get some ramen…I know it's adjacent to Odaiba, but it still kinda far." Riko-san said.

"Well, Yu did say that it's the closest one." Azusa-chan said. "Plus, Odaiba isn't really that big, to begin with."

"True…"

"Let's see…we wait for the Bayshore Route. Get on that train and get off at Ariake Station. Then from there, it's a 10-minute walk…"

"You sure you know where you're going, Chika?" You-san asked her.

"Of course, I do. I mean, I'm 18. I should definitely know how to navigate through places."

"You're 18?" Azusa-chan asked with a look of total shock. "Wow…"

"H-How old did you think I was?!"

"It may be hard to believe sometimes, but Chika really is 18." Honoka said. "In fact, we both recently turned 18. Chika's 2 days older than me."

"2 days, huh?" I said.

It's kinda like how I'm a day older than Miharu…

"Right!" Chika-san yelled out. "So, that means that I should 100% know where I'm going! Watch me now, ladies!"

"*sigh* Sometimes it hurts to be a month younger than this girl." Riko-san said with a facepalm.

"I can tell…" Sumire said with a sweatdrop.

It was at this time that the train had pulled up and we all boarded inside. I was the last to get on…but then I suddenly heard something that caught my attention.

"But why can't you just tell me what it is?! I'm old enough to know!"

"No!"

"Aw~…"

Huh? Wait, was that…

"Onee-chan. Are you okay?"

"H-Huh? Oh, yes. I'm fine." I said to Sumire. "It's just…I thought I heard Yui-chan's voice just now."

"Hirasawa-senpai? Why would she be here?"

"I'm not sure…maybe I was just hearing things. Let's just get on the train."

"Okay, Onee-chan."

And besides…I don't think Yui-chan would be doing much traveling with what's she's dealing with right now…


After the somewhat short train ride, the 7 of us arrived in Ariake and were currently standing in front of the ramen shop Yu-san had told us about. It…kinda looked old and run down. Meaning that it's been here for quite a while.

But I gotta admit…the smell coming from inside was pretty damn good. My mouth was starting to drool from hunger.

Now, I REALLY want to give this stuff a try…

"Tada! Here we are, ladies! Momozuki Ramen House! Told you I'd find the way!" Chika-san cheered.

"Woah…" Sumire said.

"Gotta admit, it does smell kinda good." Azusa-chan said.

"Oh, trust me. Nothing beats the smell of freshly-made ramen at an official ramen house. This is where you get to experience the REAL taste of ramen."

"The REAL taste, huh?" I asked. "Well, I guess I'll have to take your word for it, Chika-san."

We all went inside the place to easily confirm my earlier thoughts about this place being here for a good while. It was rather small…only having five booths on the right side and on the left were stools that let you see the food being prepared.

It was…a bit of a disappointment, honestly. Compared to how restaurants like this tend to look in the manga I read, this was rather lackluster.

I guess that's why they say don't believe everything you see in media…

"Ah, man~…I wonder which one to get first? The standard Tokyo-style or the thick, flat, and curly Kitakata ramen? Maybe the rich, milky, pork-bone tonkotsu broth of Hakata ramen or the Wakayama broth made from soy sauce and pork bones. Aburasoba and Takayama…Tsukemen and Muroran curry…Gah! There's just so much to choose from!"

"Chika…you're only getting one bowl." Honoka said to her.

"What?! But why?!"

"May I remind you that the four of us couldn't even afford a single room to stay in. No way in hell can we afford more than one bowl each. Especially since I'm the one paying for it all."

"Well…yeah. That's true."

"Are there really THAT many types of ramen?" I asked.

"Yeah…pretty much every region has their own style of it. Making it kinda difficult to keep track of it all."

"I see…"

"Hey, look. They got a special today." You-san said. "Now serving Sapporo-styled! Get it while you can!"

"Aw! Sapporo-style?! That's so overrated!" Chika-san whined.

"Get over it, Chika."

"Excuse me. We're ready to order." Riko-san called out to whoever's in charge of this place.

"Hello?"

"Ahoy! We're here for some ramen!" You-san yelled out.

"Uh…is anyone even here?" Azusa-chan asked.

"The sign said it was open." Chika-san said.

"S-Sorry…c-can I…t-t-take your order?" Then, suddenly, we saw someone slowly rise up from behind the counter we all sat across from. Shaking highly nervously and even wearing some kind of jester mask.

"Wh-What's with the mask?" Riko-san asked.

"Wait a minute…I know that scared voice." Sumire said. "Mikuru-san, is that you?"

"S-Sumire-san?" The girl then slightly removed her mask to reveal the familiar face that I didn't expect to see here.

"Woah…it really is Mikuru-chan!" I said in shock.

"K-Kotobuki-san and Nakano-senpai are here, too."

"You guys know this girl?" Honoka asked.

"This is Mikuru Tamura. She's the daughter of the hotel owner I'm currently staying with."

"Wait, so she was here the whole time?" You-san asked.

"She was probably hiding due to her anxiety acting up. It happens a lot."

"S-So sorry about that…" Mikuru-san said while hiding behind the serving tray she had in her hands.

"Oh, it's fine by me." Riko-san said. "I can actually relate to an anxiety problem like yours. Though, it's not as often."

"I-I see…"

"So, what are you doing here, Mikuru-san?" I asked. "I thought you were on vacation somewhere."

"I-I am. W-We are staying with…m-m-my grandparents. Th-This is their…r-ramen shop."

"Oh. So, you're just helping out." Sumire said.

"I-I never wanted to. B-But my grandfather…k-keeps insisting that doing this…w-w-will cure my anxiety. I-I-It's really hard."

"Yeah…I can see how you're struggling."

*SOUND OF A DOOR CHIME*

"Meep!" Mikuru-chan ducked down in a panic as someone else came inside the shop.

"Mikuru…it's just us."

"O-Oh…s-sorry, Mother."

"Tamura-san!" Azusa-chan, Sumire, and I said.

"Wow…talk about a surprise. Didn't expect to see you girls here."

"Yeah…some rather insane reasons have brought us here. Mainly for me." I said.

"I see…"

"Well, if it's an insane reason, then there's nothing like a good bowl of ramen to fix it all up." Said a man standing next to Tamura-san. "How's about we make you girls some?"

"Yes, please!" Chika-san cheered with high spirits and an empty stomach.

"*sigh* Way to push ramen into every little thing, Dad." Tamura-san said.

"Her FATHER?!" The three of us that knew the Tamuras whispered in total shock.


Once everyone got their own bowl of ramen, I took my first ever taste of it being freshly made with the broth and toppings and all.

It was pretty good. Can't really describe it all too much since it's my first time eating this stuff. But it really was delicious.

Still not as good as yakisoba, though…

Anyway…while we were eating, I ended up telling Tamura-san and Mikuru-chan why the three of us were here. And as I expected, they were pretty shocked.

"Wow…so, you're going to become an idol, Mugi? That's rather unexpected of you." Tamura-san said.

"Yeah, it is." I said. "Apparently, my performance in Okinawa was so popular that it made people believe that I was a newly upcoming idol about to take the industry by storm."

"It was actually my cousin that asked her to participate in this idol festival that's happening the day after tomorrow." Azusa-chan added. "She's even been compared to Lyrica and μ as their rival." Sumire added.

"R-Rivals to Lyrica and μ? Th-That is amazing, Kotobuki-san." Mikuru-chan said.

"Yeah…but I still got some nerves about the whole idea."

"Which is why I've been helping her out as of late." Honoka said as she wrapped her arm around me. "My name's Honoka Kosaka. AKA μ."

"S-S-Seriously?!" Mikuru-chan yelled in shock.

"Wow…to become friends with an already popular idol is pretty lucky of you, Mugi." Tamura-san said.

"Yeah, it is."

Though, this isn't the first time this happened. With Yui-san being Lyrica and all…

"Her performance back in Okinawa was really amazing." Honoka continued. "With a voice like that, I can easily agree with the people calling Melody my rival."

"Melody?" Both Tamuras asked.

"It's the name I've gone with." I said. "Pretty much the only thing I could think of."

"I see…" Tamura-san said. "Well, it's rather cute, Mugi. Totally fits you."

"R-Really now? Th-Thanks, Tamura-san…" I said with a light blush of embarrassment on my face.

Still not used to the whole "cute" thing…

"You know…the more I think about this "becoming an idol" thing, the more I think about how am I going to tell the others about this. There's no way I'll be able to hide it from them."

"Oh, yeah. About that…" Azusa-chan said. "…Yu said that the whole thing's going to be live-streamed alongside the live performance."

"Live…streamed?" I honestly had no idea what that was.

"She means that it will be on the internet, Onee-chan." Sumire said.

"On the internet, huh? The same way that got me down this path, in the first place. *sigh* This is so nerve-racking…"

"Don't worry too much about it, Mugi." Honoka said. "If you can get millions of people to like you by just singing one song, then you're gonna do just fine. Hell, even better than the Okinawa performance."

"Honoka…"

"If this is coming from μ, of all people, then I think you've got nothing to worry about, Mugi-san." Riko-san said.

"Just believe in yourself, Mugi. We all know you can do it." You-san said.

"*BURP* Yeah…what they said." Chika-san said. Not really paying attention to the conversation due to her being very relaxed from the ramen bowl she ate.

"I have faith in you too, Mugi-senpai." Azusa-chan said.

"I'll cheer for you all the way, Onee-chan." Sumire added.

"Everyone…" With all of them cheering me on, it was hard not to get emotional about this. But they're right. I've gotten this far…not just in this idol thing, but in this abnormal life of mine as a whole. It would be stupid of me to quit all of it now.

So…whether I'm fully ready or not…it's time to take this new chapter in my life into full throttle. And there was no going back now.

Plus…the thought of shocking Miharu with me becoming an idol is just too funny to pass up. I can only imagine the look on her face.

That would TRULY make my summer!

Author's Note: Holy crap! The 50th chapter…it was never originally planned for this story to be this long, but the popularity for this one just shot up out of nowhere. I'm still shocked to this day as to how much you guys like this story. I honestly thought it would just slip under the radar…

Anyway…the next chapter will begin the (possibly 2-part) finale of the Summer Break Arc. The School Idol Festival and Mugi's path of becoming a J-Pop idol are about to begin!

Thanks for reading. Later.