It's A Primal Urge Called 'Hunger.'

6:45P.M. Tachibana Station platform. The cold, quiet platform.

Characters:

HASHIMURA YUTA (15): Executing a calculated move, pretending to prioritize his own needs.

KARUIZAWA RIN (15): Conflicted, driven by hunger, and terrified of being left alone.


(Yuta remains seated for another few minutes, his eyes closed. His mind, however, is a whirlwind of analysis, fueled by Rin’s audible distress.)

[MONOLOGUE - HASHIMURA YUTA]

Hypothesis: Karuizawa-san is severely stressed and food-deprived. She explicitly refused my offer to buy her food. She will not accept a handout. She will not risk being alone in an unfamiliar place. Therefore, the only way to get her to a place where she can eat is to make her follow me, and to frame the action as being for my benefit, not hers.

(Yuta slowly opens his eyes. He deliberately avoids looking at Rin. He stretches, making a show of his own hunger.)

HASHIMURA YUTA

(Yawning slightly, deliberately loud enough to be heard across the bench) Right. I can't wait like this.

(He grabs his school bag and slings it over his shoulder, then walks toward the edge of the platform and the stairs leading down to the main concourse. He is moving with purpose, clearly preparing to leave the platform.)

(Rin, who has been trying to settle her stomach, snaps alert. The sudden, unilateral movement terrifies her. Being left alone in a strange station, where the only source of security is the person she hates, is unacceptable. Her composure shatters once more.)

KARUIZAWA RIN

(Startled, her voice sharp and involuntary, revealing her panic) W-wait!

(Yuta stops immediately at the top of the stairs, turning back slightly to face her. His expression is one of mild inconvenience, a perfect mask to hide his intense concentration.)

HASHIMURA YUTA

(Casual, slightly impatient tone) Yes, Karuizawa-san?

KARUIZAWA RIN

(She quickly tries to backtrack, embarrassed by her display of weakness, but unable to voice her fear.) Nothing. Never mind.

HASHIMURA YUTA

(He steps down onto the first stair, forcing her hand.) I’m heading down to the ground floor. There’s a Ramen outlet connected to the station right below these stairs. Your train is still over an hour away, and frankly, I'm starving.

(He pauses, his eyes meeting hers—a brief, direct challenge.)

HASHIMURA YUTA

You should stay put. I imagine you wouldn't want to leave the security of the platform.

(He delivers the 'stay put' order with deliberate reverse psychology. He knows the fear of being left alone and the primal urge of hunger will now conflict with her hatred and pride.)

(Yuta turns and descends the stairs without waiting for an answer. Rin stares at the empty space where he stood. She has two clear options: stay alone, hungry, and vulnerable, or follow the 'monster' to a well-lit, populated area where she can anonymously eat. The calculus is simple.)

[MONOLOGUE - KARUIZAWA RIN]

No. He's not doing this for me. He is hungry. He is going to eat. I hate him, but I hate this empty station more. I am not going to the ramen outlet. I'll just get a small snack at the kiosk, then return. I am not following him. I am simply using the station's facilities.

(Rin grabs her bag and follows him down the stairs immediately, maintaining a safe, visible distance. Yuta, having successfully executed the first phase of his plan, allows a flicker of grim satisfaction to cross his face as he descends. He knows she's behind him.)

(Yuta reaches the bottom of the stairs. His eyes immediately find the familiar, steaming windows of "Ajisai Ramen." He maintains his pace, walking directly toward the entrance, making no attempt to look back or check on Rin.)

(He slides open the glass door and steps inside. He selects a small table near the window, placing his bag on the floor beside him. He pulls out the menu, his expression settling into a look of focused anticipation—all for his own benefit.)

(Rin reaches the bottom of the stairs a moment later. She spots Yuta disappearing into the ramen shop. She grits her teeth, reminding herself of her original, superior plan.)

[MONOLOGUE - KARUIZAWA RIN]

The kiosk. I'm going to the kiosk. I will not sit with him. I will not reward his disgusting attempts at proximity.

(She forces herself to walk past the ramen outlet's open glass door, heading toward the small convenience kiosk 30 meters away.)

(SOUND: The moment she passes the doorway, the intense, savory aroma of hot pork broth, simmering with rich soy and fresh scallions, hits her like a physical wave. Her stomach gives another, louder, more demanding grumble.)

[MONOLOGUE - KARUIZAWA RIN]

It smells... too good. The kiosk only has cold rice balls. I haven't eaten a proper meal all day... I need to be sharp for tomorrow's mock exam. This isn't about him... Yes, this is about academics.

(Her academic resolve, paradoxically, defeats her emotional guard. She stops abruptly, performs a sharp mental U-turn, and slides back toward the ramen shop's door.)

(She enters the shop. She sees Yuta at his table, still absorbed in the menu. She quickly scans the room, spotting the only vacant two-person table parallel to his, separated by a narrow aisle. She takes it, planting her bag on the chair opposite her—creating a visible, symbolic barrier.)

(The two of them are now seated in the same small, warm space, facing opposite directions, separated by a few feet of wooden flooring, the air vibrating with the sounds of slurping and the aroma of food. The forced proximity is complete.)

(Yuta looks up from his menu. He meets her glare—a mix of cold hatred and deep-seated embarrassment. He offers a slight, almost imperceptible nod of acknowledgment, then immediately returns his focus to the menu, honoring her desire for distance.)

HASHIMURA YUTA

(Without looking up, speaking softly so only she can hear) The Spicy Miso Ramen is good here. It’ll heat you up.

(Rin says nothing, snatching the menu off the table with a furious rustle of paper. She stares at the options, her mind racing, realizing that he is completely in control of this situation, and she allowed it to happen.)



7:00P.M. "Ajisai Ramen". The small shop is warm and noisy with the communal sounds of eating.

(A SERVER approaches Yuta's table and slides a steaming bowl of Spicy Miso Ramen in front of him. Immediately after, a different SERVER places a bowl of simple Shoyu Ramen (Soy Sauce Ramen) in front of Rin. The ramen bowls are large, comforting, and visually appealing.)

(Rin stares at the food, the smell now overwhelmingly delicious, but she hesitates. Her hands hover over the chopsticks, unwilling to start while he is there.)

(Yuta, sensing her pause, lifts his hands and his chopsticks. He takes a deep breath, preparing to eat.)

HASHIMURA YUTA

(Softly, automatically, a perfect echo of traditional Japanese manners) Ittadakimasu.

KARUIZAWA RIN

(The familiar word breaks her paralysis. Her own ingrained manners kick in, overriding her hatred. She lifts her hands and mutters, her voice barely audible.) Ittadakimasu.

(The two words overlap perfectly, a moment of unsettling, involuntary synchronization. Rin instantly flinches, ashamed by the unexpected intimacy of their shared ritual.)

(They both begin to eat. Yuta immediately lowers his head and focuses on his bowl, pulling the thick, hot noodles with a practiced, quick rhythm. He uses his mealtime to give Rin the space and privacy she needs.)

(Rin, however, cannot relax. She takes small, tentative bites, chewing slowly, her guard still fully up. Despite her overwhelming hunger, she treats the food as a necessary distraction, not a comfort.)

(She risks a quick, subtle glance at Yuta. He is focused, his expression calm, his brow slightly furrowed in concentration. The angle of his jaw, the movement of his hands—all are completely unfamiliar, yet tied to the hated name.)

[MONOLOGUE - KARUIZAWA RIN]

He eats like a proper adult. Not the slob I remember. Even his chopsticks technique is flawless. It’s all part of the act. The 'reformed' gentleman. But why? Why go to all this trouble? To apologize to me? ..No. He's plotting something bigger. This is all to impress some target, and I'm just the inconvenient witness he can't get rid of.

(She takes another glance. He’s reaching for the chili oil, adding a careful measure to his already spicy ramen. He is so utterly self-contained, so completely unlike the manipulative, childish boy she remembers.)

[MONOLOGUE - KARUIZAWA RIN]

He looks... intelligent. Focused. Like a different person. But that's the point, isn't it? The perfect mask. I won't let his disguise trick me into forgetting the feeling of his cruelty. I won't.

(She forces herself to look down, eating with renewed speed, desperate to finish the meal and escape his contaminating presence. The silence is heavy, punctuated only by the slurping of noodles and the clatter of porcelain.)


(5 minutes pass, Rin finishes her bowl, downing the last of the broth with a small, quiet gulp. She places the bowl down with a controlled clatter. The heat and nourishment have restored her clarity, but not her kindness. She closes her eyes for a brief second, gathering the final fragments of her resolve to leave.)

[MONOLOGUE - KARUIZAWA RIN]

Done. I ate. I survived his proximity. Now I pay, I leave, and I put the fortress back up. No more contact. No more weakness.

(She stands up quickly, intent on sliding past the narrow space between the tables to reach the counter. At the exact same moment, Yuta, who has also finished his meal and calculated the remaining time, pushes his chair back and stands up.)

(The aisle between the tables is barely wide enough for one person. They misjudge their movements in the cramped space.)

(SOUND: A soft, solid thunk.)

(Their heads gently collide. Rin, moving quickly, hits the side of Yuta's forehead. It’s not a violent impact, but it’s sharp and entirely unexpected.)

(Rin gasps, staggering back a step. Yuta, more physically stable, catches himself immediately, his hand instinctively flying up to rub the spot where they connected.)

HASHIMURA YUTA

(Wincing slightly, his voice a genuine apology) Ah! Sorry! My fault. The aisle's too small. Are you okay, Karuizawa-san?

(Rin is frozen. The collision, the pain, and the renewed, sudden intimacy of the contact completely dismantled her composure. She doesn't feel pain; she feels a searing, uncontrollable wave of panic and hatred.)

(She takes two quick steps back, putting her arms up across her body as if physically warding him off, her ramen-fueled composure instantly replaced by the raw, fearful girl from the train.)

KARUIZAWA RIN

(Voice tight, trembling with suppressed rage and fear) Don't touch me! Don't come near me! You—you did that on purpose!

(Yuta's hand drops from his head. He stares at her, his expression twisting from simple apology to deep, desolate regret. Her accusation—that even an accidental bump was a calculated attack—is the final, painful proof of the damage he inflicted.)

HASHIMURA YUTA

(Quietly, his voice hollow) I swear I didn't. It was an accident.

KARUIZAWA RIN

(Ignoring him, her eyes blazing with the conviction of her trauma) Everything you do is on purpose! The food, the waiting, the touching! You think you can control me! You think your little apology means I'm going to forget everything! I hate you! I hate you for what you did! And I hate you for pretending to be someone else!

(The entire shop falls silent. A few diners look up from their bowls, startled by the sudden, intense verbal explosion.)

(Yuta bows deeply, a gesture of profound shame and public apology, his back to the curious patrons.)

HASHIMURA YUTA

I apologize for the accident. I apologize for my presence. And I apologize for the fact that my very existence causes you this pain.

(He straightens up, his eyes meeting hers—but he sees only his own monster reflected in her fearful glare. He walks immediately past her to the counter, pulling out his wallet to pay for both meals.)

(Rin stands there, shaking, breathing heavily, completely exposed by her outburst.)



7:08P.M.

(Rin takes a few shuddering breaths, using the shock of the onlookers to force her composure back into place. Her face is pale, but the fury is tightly controlled. She will not leave until she has paid for her food.)

[MONOLOGUE - KARUIZAWA RIN]

That insolent idiot. Thinks he can get away with hurting me, even if it was 'accidental'

(She walks purposefully to the counter, pulling out her wallet and placing the money down.)

KARUIZAWA RIN

(Icy, measured tone) My table. The Shoyu Ramen.

CASHIER

(A kind, professional smile) Thank you, miss. But the gentleman before you already took care of it.

(Rin freezes. Her hand, clutching the money, trembles slightly. She stares at the cashier, her initial rage instantly boiling into a fresh wave of blinding fury.)

KARUIZAWA RIN

(Her voice drops, dangerously quiet) What? No. I didn't authorize that. Take my money.

CASHIER

(Gently shaking her head) I'm sorry, miss. He insisted. He paid for both meals and left immediately.

(Rin looks toward the door. Yuta is gone. He executed the perfect, final, and most humiliating manipulation: a selfless act of kindness that she explicitly forbade, using her moment of public weakness to exert control one last time.)

[MONOLOGUE - KARUIZAWA RIN]

He knew! He knew I would hate this! He knew I would feel indebted! This wasn't kindness; this was a power move! A final, disgusting way to prove he still owns the terms of our relationship!

(She slams her wallet shut and whirls away from the counter, the hatred now an uncontrollable inferno that scorches her face. She sprints toward the door, bursting out onto the concourse, desperate to find him.)


7:10P.M.

(Yuta is standing halfway up the stairwell, leaning against the cold concrete wall. He is not moving. His composure is utterly gone, replaced by a devastating cocktail of negative emotions.)

(His face is a battlefield of intense, conflicting feelings: shame from the public outburst, deep regret for his accidental touch, and profound despair that his every attempt at penance is seen as further manipulation.)

(His eyes are wide, glassy with unshed tears, but he doesn't cry. He is rigid, forcing himself to feel the full, crushing weight of his failure.)

[MONOLOGUE - HASHIMURA YUTA]

I should have never stayed here. I should have respected her distance. I tried to help, and all I did was remind her of the person who broke her. The fact that my existence alone, my breath, my accidental touch, is enough to cause her to hyperventilate...

(He closes his eyes tightly, the self-loathing a physical agony. He sees her terrified flinch in his mind—the true price of his 2024 arrogance.)

HASHIMURA YUTA

(He mouths the words silently, a tiny laugh escaping, even though nothing was ever funny.) ...I am a curse. Aren't I..?

(He remains frozen in his shame. He hears the restaurant door slide open below and the sound of frantic footsteps—Rin's pursuit. He immediately forces his expression blank, straightening up, and begins to walk quickly up the stairs, disappearing onto the platform—back to his post as her silent, self-appointed guardian, now hidden under a mask of icy composure.)