The place we ran into, hands clasped together, was a weather-beaten ramen shop. I wanted to treat her to something nicer, but because it was so late, this was the only kind of place still open.
'Well, I guess it doesn't matter.'
Ramen in Japan is much like a hot bowl of rice soup—cheap, quick to eat, and a reliable meal you can find anywhere. Thinking that the money I saved on dinner could buy her another pint of Häagen-Dazs later, I raised my hand.
"Excuse me, one miso ramen and one tonkotsu ramen, please."
Ai seemed like she had never been to a place like this before, glancing around with wide, curious eyes. It made sense; for a young girl like her, a shop thick with such a quiet, nostalgic atmosphere was likely a first.
Children need to experience many things. The world expands and allows one to grow only as much as one has experienced. I was just thinking that I should bring her to places like this more often when she spoke up.
"Do you like ramen?"
"I think I prefer spicy ramyeon over ramen."
"Eh? Aren't they the same thing? Σ(・Д・)!?"
Ramen and ramyeon are fundamentally different. The highlight of ramen is its thick noodles and a calm, clean broth, whereas 'ramyeon' is defined by its spicy, punchy soup and thin, springy noodles.
"They're totally different. I'll buy you some later. Though, a kid like you probably couldn't handle the heat."
"Ai can eat spicy food much better than you think! (๑•̀༚•́)ฅ"
Our banter continued until a chef with a gentle face and a white hat served the noodles, bringing our conversation to a halt. For some reason, he had a warm, satisfied smile as he set the bowls down.
.
.
.
.
.
"Aaah~ I'm stuffed! ☆"
After lifting the bowl to drain every last drop of broth, Ai took a sip of the matcha served as a palate cleanser and leaned back in her chair with a melting expression of bliss.
'Is an idol really allowed to act like that...?'
Ai, patting her stomach and sprawling out in her chair, gave off the exact energy of a middle-aged man picking his teeth with a toothpick after a heavy meal.
"Does your agency... starve you or something?"
"Eh? No? (」゜ロ゜)」"
Ai looked genuinely puzzled, but that reaction convinced me she was definitely being starved. Otherwise, there was no logical explanation for how two extra-large bowls of tonkotsu ramen could vanish into that tiny frame. I looked at Ai with an expression of pure pity.
"No, really? I eat quite well??"
This wouldn't do. Watching a child in her prime growing years go hungry was something I couldn't permit as an adult. I raised my hand and presented the Shop Owner—who also seemed to be the proprietor—with four 10,000 yen bills I had received as today's performance fee.
"If this girl comes by later, please take good care of her."
"Ai, whenever you're hungry, feel free to come here. I can cover this much for you."
When I relayed this to the Shop Owner, he looked at Ai with a heartbroken expression and suddenly seemed to steel his resolve.
"You can come to our shop anytime, child... To be so poor you can't even afford proper clothes... I'll make sure you never go hungry!"
"Eeeeek?????!!! ヽ( ຶ▮ ຶ)ﾉ!!!"
Indeed. The man known as 'Hide' possessed a body that was sixteen years old, but the soul dwelling within was a stubborn, old-fashioned geezer well over thirty.
Back home, the girl with the violet hair let out a sigh while eating her Häagen-Dazs. This ice cream was also something he had bought for her with that same pitying look on his face.
"I really do eat well, though..."
However, as someone who had never been looked after by another person, she didn't find the boy's clumsy kindness unpleasant. In fact, because it was so unrefined, she could feel the [sincerity] behind his concern for her, and it made her chest feel warm.
On that midsummer night that felt sweltering to everyone else, the girl was unknowingly cultivating a deep affection for the boy.
'A-choo!!!!'
Even if the person in question didn't seem to notice at all.