Kuidaore

Sasaki and Nara are walking back to their apartment together after a long day at school. After all of Sasaki's efforts, there were still no leads to their case. 

For a brief while, Sasaki's stomach began to grumble. Nara, who had been bored alongside him, quickly changed her look to a mischievous grin. 

She actually had been craving food all along while they were on their way home, and she had found the perfect chance to ask Sasaki out. 

"Hey, let's eat outside!"

Sasaki glanced at Nara while he was strolling with a fatigued expression. 

"No."

Sasaki was broke; he had already spent his money on Miyuki's allowance a few weeks before. 

"Dude, you're clearly hungry, and I'm hungry. Can't we just eat outside? The apartment is a few miles away."

"Eat the wasted food in the garbage then."

Nara let out a disappointed sigh and continued walking with as she thought of an idea. 

"Wait, I have an idea!"

"Okay?"

"Let's split the bill!"

"Fine, where do you want to eat?"

Nara considered Sasaki's question for a moment as they walked, looking around for restaurants. 

While wandering, they came across a ramen shop called Kuidaore from the other street.

—although there are many branches of Kuidaore, this branch was distinct from the original because the restaurant itself appeared local and inexpensive. 

"Hey, why don't we eat at that Ramen place?"

"Sure, it seems affordable."

The two crossed the bustling streets with caution and arrived at the restaurant, where they could smell the pleasant aroma of beef and ramen as soon as they stood near the entrance. 

Without thinking twice, Nara stepped inside, followed by Sasaki, who had a curious expression. The bells chimed the moment they entered, slightly looking around the area. 

There were no customers in the vicinity, the seats around them were empty, and there was a stunning woman reading a book at the counter. 

Her hair had a shade of brown, and she wore browline glasses. Her skin was pale as snow, with faintly hazel eyes. 

"Welcome, what would you like to order?"

Sasaki turned to Nara with a somewhat annoyed expression, subtly shaking her shoulder. 

"Oh, um, give me a moment."

Nara looked through the woman as she read the menu. (Tonkatsu: 800 yen; Ramen Set A: 950 yen; Ramen Set B: 950 yen; Ramen Set C: 975 yen; Best Seller) 

"Hey Sasaki, help me a little here..."

"What, you can't read?"

Nara leaned in to speak into Sasaki's ear, nervously smiling as she supported her balance from his shoulders. 

"Sasaki, I only got five hundred on me."

Sasaki gazed at Nara, and, unable to conceal his confusion, he shouted:

"Huh?!"

She moved in closer, knocking down the seat he was sitting on while glaring at him with a frenzied yet desperate expression. 

Nara desperately needed and desired those noodles, and she was willing to kill Sasaki if he had responded that he was broke. 

"You at least have four hundred right, right?!"

"You said you had money, you fucking devil!"

"You said you'd contribute, you liar!"

The woman went out of the counter and tapped Nara on the shoulder, her face worried as she wrapped her small book over her bosom.

"Uhm, you know you can put it on your tab, right?

The two glanced at the woman with a straight but thrilled expression as they rose up from the floor to flip back the stools sitting at the counter.

The woman stared at them with a confused smile, asking them a question:

"So, you both are from Sumidagawa High?"

Sasaki replied with a straight yet delighted expression:

"Yeah, we are... also, can we get Set C?"

"Sure thing."

The woman began cooking the ramen, and the wonderful aroma spread around the small diner. 

Sasaki asked the woman cooking with a questioning gaze and a plain tone:

"So, you go to Sumidagawa too?"

"Yeah, I do; also, I just had to confirm whether you two were the transferees who immediately caused trouble or not."

Nara scoffed. 

"You see, Sasaki, I told you they think we're cool!"

"No, two aren't cool at all."

She responded with a serious expression, without breaking her gaze from the dish as she proceeded to cook their ramen. 

Nara with a disgusted face replied:

"What do you mean? You already know the entire school knows us, which means they think we're cool!"

Sasaki groaned and responded with an annoyed tone that appeared to be getting used to Nara's antics. 

"There's a difference from cool and popular dumbass."

"Whatever Sherlock."

The woman chopped her toppings as silence envelops the room for a minute, while the two boringly wait for the ramen to be cooked. 

Sasaki considered breaking the silence since he was bored for several minutes while the woman prepared the ramen. 

Sasaki, in an attempt to break the silence, asked her with a curious expression:

"Hey, what's your name?"

"Megumi."

"Ah, I'm Sasaki."

"I already know you name dumbass."

"Oh, well, nice to meet you again."

The room was silent again for a minute, Sasaki struggled to come up with a topic to relieve his boredom, and Nara was about to fall asleep. 

Sasaki tapped Nara on the shoulder with a desperate expression and began whispering something while slightly staring at the beautiful woman. 

Nara nodded at Sasaki with a mischievous grin. 

"Hey Megumi, you want to see something cool?"

While mixing the toppings on the pot, Megumi gave Sasaki a little stare and sighed in agreement.

Sasaki pulls out a rose made of polished bones from his backpocket, beaming with glee. 

"You sculpted that? Cool..."

Megumi replied with a sarcastic expression as she shifted her vision back to her dish. 

"Wait, there's something special about this rose. Check it out. I can make it bloom."

Megumi glanced at the polished rose as she stirred the meal in the pot, while Sasaki covered the tip with his palm. 

Megumi covered the pot and glanced at the polished rose with a somewhat curious expression. 

Sasaki immediately blew the tip of the flower, removing his palm as the veins gradually colored the tip of the rose, making it appear to be in bloom. 

"Hm, impressive. Where'd you learn how to do that?"

After hearing such comments, Sasaki smiled confidently and responded in a regular tone.

"Well, it was from a manga I've read."

Megumi turned off the heat and put the ramen into two separate bowls for Sasaki and Nara. 

Sasaki and Nara took the chopsticks from the counter and thanked for the food, while Megumi leaned in closer to Sasaki with an interested glance while they ate the food. 

"So, what's the manga about?"

Sasaki chewed up his food for a moment and replied,

"Well, it's about a man who can turn into a chainsaw. The idea may sound stupid, but the plot is really good."

"It sounds interesting; I'll probably borrow it from the bookstore when I see it."

"You should, it's a work of art! Also, your food is also a work of art."

"My thank you."

Sasaki soon ate all of the noodles and began slurping the bowl loudly before dropping it and letting out a sigh of relief.

"I mean, this is really good."

"Is it that good, or are you exaggerating it so you won't pay your tab?"

Sasaki chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. 

"It's incredibly good; I swear he isn't lying!"

Nara yelled as he mimicked what Sasaki had done previously, slurping the bowl loudly after eating all of the noodles.

"Hm, okay, I am convinced. But you'll still be paying your tab tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah, we will!"

Nara looked at the clock atop Megumi (it stated 7:34 PM), realized something, and tapped Sasaki on the shoulder. 

"Hey, Miyuki!"

Sasaki, confused, stared at Nara for a while.

"Miyuki has Ryuji; there's nothing to worry about."

"Dumbass, Ryuji is gone for work, plus we haven't picked Miyuki up from school yet!"

Sasaki had a moment of realization and immediately took out his phone to call the school—Miyuki and Sasaki go to the same school; they just forgot to bring her along. 

"Yeah, hello, this is Sasaki Jiketsu. By any chance, is the school still open?"

"Huh?! Okay, well, by any chance, is there a woman waiting outside the school?"

"Okay, I'll be right there, thank you!"

Sasaki and Nara dashed out of the restaurant, but Sasaki quickly returned inside, clutching a bone-made card and handing it to Megumi. 

(Sasaki's number was carved on the card with the words "CALL ME LATER" engraved on it.) 

Sasaki dashed back outside, running to the school with Nara, as they forgot to pick up Miyuki after school.

After the chaos, they finally returned home, with Sasaki carrying Miyuki on his back and the two panting for air. 

The two then began to argue as they tidied up the apartment and put Miyuki in her room. 

"Why didn't you remind me earlier?!"

"You're the one who was flirting with that woman; you just weren't focused!"

"Well, talk about focus; you're the one dying for food!"

During their disagreement, Sasaki's phone rings from his pockets, and he picks it up with an angry grimace, revealing an unknown number. 

"Alright, who the hell is this?"

"Hello?"

"Hey Sasaki, this is Megumi. Are you free tonight?"

Sasaki paused for a time and shushed as he strolled to the balcony, seeing the stars and city lights while the two talked on the phone. 

"Yeah, I'm absolutely free tonight. Also, I'm sorry for the commotion earlier. I forgot to pick up my sister from school, so it happens."

"Ah, I see."

"By any chance, can I ask a personal question?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Where are your parents? I can't help but notice it because you're operating the shop alone."

"They're still alive; they're just out of town."

"So wait, they just let you leave alone like that?"

"Yeah, I guess, they send a hefty sum of allowance from time to time, and it's just up to me to conserve my money."

"Aren't these things supposed to happen when you're in college and not high school?"

"Meh, what do we care? It's their idea; they may have their own reasons."

"You have a point."

They then talked for hours on end, and Ryuji arrived home late to find Nara asleep on the couch and Sasaki strolling back and forth on the balcony while chatting on the phone to Megumi.

"Hey Sasaki, how was school..."

Ryuji waved as he noticed the bright smile on Sasaki's face towering over the exhaustion in his eyes as he spoke to a woman on his phone.

"Hm, I guess I already know."

Ryuji proceeded to his room and went to bed, while Sasaki continued to talk to Megumi on his phone. 

Midnight had already gone a few hours ago, and Sasaki and Megumi were still talking while he was holding a cup of coffee. The sun was slightly rising as some of the lights in the city began to turn off.

Miyuki stood up from her chamber, yawning with a lazy expression, and glanced at Sasaki, bewildered and lightly expressed. 

"It's 5:30 in the morning, don't tell me you've been talking to her the whole night!"

"Wait gimme a sec."

Sasaki placed his phone on mute for a moment as he talked with his sister. 

"Huh?"

"You're even holding a cup of coffee!"

"Wait, first off, how'd you know it's a her second? How'd you know I was up all night?!"

"I couldn't sleep because of your booming voice!"

"I don't have a loud voice!"

"Yes, you do!"

Nara let out an annoyed hum as she slowly awoke from her sleep, stretching her arms and legs while lying down. 

"Can't you guys tone it down? It's still dark."

"How could you sleep with this man talking so loud?!"

"Exhaustion."

"Okay whatever, just make sure you'd make breakfast; I'll go and shower."

"School starts at seven."

"I want to go early!"

"Jeez, alright."

Miyuki collected her clothing from the living room drawer, went to the balcony to get her towel, and then headed to the bathroom to shower. 

Sasaki unmuted himself and resumed talking to the woman while he started making breakfast; while he was cooking, she told her the recipe for the ramen they had the night before. 

"Okay, so cook the noodles for another five minutes or so, and after that you may now place the toppings."

"Alright... wait, so when do I place the eggs?"

"After you cook the eggs, just leave it on a plate and wait for the ramen to cook, then you place the eggs in the bowl after it's cooked."

"Ah, I see."

Miyuki exited the bathroom with an irritated frown, heading to her room to blow dry her hair, while Sasaki cooked the ramen as Megumi had taught him. 

"Miyuki, can you wake up Ryuji for me? I've already cooked breakfast!"

"Yeah wait!"

While Sasaki was preparing the bowls, Megumi asked him a question.

"Wait, so what's your relation with Nara?"

"Hm? Well, she's my cousin."

"Ah, so you're a whole family living there in your dad's apartment?"

"If you think of it, yeah."

"Well, I'll see you later, Sasaki; it was nice talking to you."

"You too, goodbye."

Sasaki was about to end the call, but then Megumi stopped him. 

"Wait, before you go, can we hang out later tonight?"

"Sure, where do you want to go?"

"Hm, I know a good place you'll just have to find out later."

She chuckled from the phone. 

"Ah, okay, I'll see you later, goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Sasaki ended the call with a smile on his face, as he can't wait to spend time with his "potential" girlfriend tonight. 

Nara stared at him with a proud expression as she said with a reassuring tone:

"I'll pick up Miyuki later; you go have fun with that new girl of yours."

"Oh, thanks, I guess."

Sasaki was so hyped for later that he lacks the need for caffine to keep his heart beating, as it's already beating quickly itself. 

And for a moment he wondered. 

' Is this what it feels like to go out with someone? Anyways, it's a weekend today so let's start with these... '

TO BE CONTINUED——————————