16 - The Offer (of a secret flavor?!)

I had so much fun with my best friends that I didn't even realize that Rika-san had called me, until checking my phone on the train back home. I hastily texted her to let her know about the reason for my lack of response. How peculiar it was—all the fun and laughter of today got struck with a lightning bolt of worry in an instant. After roughly five minutes, she replied.

Rika: oh, i'm so glad that you were enjoying your time outside w friends!

Rika: it's not important, i just wanted to hear your voice a bit (smiling sticker)

Eh? My voice…? Was she perhaps still feeling bad?

…would hearing my voice help?

Yuuma: oh, if you want to talk, we can do so when i'm home! could you wait a bit longer?

It was rather quiet on the train, so I didn't want to disrupt it in any way. I'd feel self conscious talking like that, anyway…

Rika: oh, actually it's alright. it's not urgent. you must be tired too

I didn't reply, seeing that she was typing something. She was either writing something super long, or editing her sentences for a long time. I waited patiently.

Rika: this might be too sudden, but how about having dinner together tomorrow evening?

Rika: not to discuss our manga, to just…

Rika: idk, i just feel like i can easily talk w you, and i need some company

Oh.

I blinked a few times to see if I read the words on the screen correctly. Did this mean she saw me as a reliable friend after all? Forgetting all about my tiredness, I replied that I was totally down for it.

Yuuma: is there any place in particular you would like to go to?

Rika: ooh, well—there's this absolutely delicious ramen place i know. it'll be my treat, and i guarantee the taste~

Yuuma: no no! what are you saying, rika-san! if anything, it should be my treat for you!!

Suddenly it dawned on me that I had spent all of my spare money of this month on clothes and food. Oh well, two more meals wouldn't hurt… However, she insisted, so I thought it'd be bad manners to refuse her offer one more time.

My emotions that day felt like a violent rollercoaster ride. This time, I was flying high with excitement—plus Rika-san saw me to be reliable! It was easy to talk with me! She asked to have dinner with me! And I even had a fresh new outfit ready to go, hehe~ One side of me nagged me saying that she was still in trouble, so I should be more concerned, but one side of me was totally convinced that I could help her with all her problems! In this unstable seesaw, I just couldn't wait to see her again.

The next evening.

She had shared the restaurant's location with me, and it was in a rather quiet neighbourhood, despite it being sunday evening. I wondered if it was always like this around here, and if she deliberately wished for this quiet atmosphere. Well, I'd be fine with it even if it were the most crowded or deserted place—I would be satisfied as long as I could see her!

My heart beat faster and faster, anticipating her reaction to my outfit. I had actually somehow found the courage to go out in my new overall dress today! Combining it with the heart patterned shirt, rather than shame, I just felt excitement about my fashion choice. My eyes constantly gazed upon the direction I expected her to arrive from, but to my surprise, she came from the other direction. Maybe she came here from visiting somewhere else first? Either way, it didn't matter! She looked absolutely gorgeous in her black jacket, striped shirt and faux leather skirt. This time, her hair was down instead of her signature ponytail. I held my breath. Did I deserve to see such beauty?!

If my breath being taken away wasn't enough, she aimed to stop my heart completely with her fatal smile! "Yuuma-kun, what a pretty look! Are we just eating ramen or are we going on a runaway?" I scratched my neck, grinning happily like a child. "Hehe~ Look who's talking. You look amazing as always… but maybe a bit more today? Your hair…" She gently played with a section of her hair. "Oh, this? Well, I just came from the hairdresser's. I got some trimming done for the split ends, and some straightening. Didn't want to mess it up with the usual ponytail!"

I complimented her hair, and mentioned that I wanted to visit the hairdresser soon as well. "Oh? Will you get something done?" I pointed at the dyed dark ends of my hair. "Oh, I was just thinking if I should change these parts. It's been quite a while so… Maybe I will try something more colorful."

"Oooh, I think this style looks great as it is, but it's always fun to try new stuff. Speaking of," She gestured towards the restaurant. "I'm sure you'll love this place too. Come on in!" We entered the ramen shop and the owner immediately recognized Rika-san. "Oooh, welcome, welcome my girl! Did ya do something to your hair?"

"Hehe, sharp as ever, Watanabe-san! Today I'm here with a dear friend so you know what to do~"

The friendly woman bowed down playfully and smiled. "Yep yep, two special bowls of ramen, coming right away! Please, my children, do sit down."

After bringing us to our seats, Watanabe-san asked me for my name. I answered and she commented that it suited me a lot, and didn't forget to compliment my dress while she was at it. Hehe… I felt kinda flustered. I was already happy that Rika-san had introduced me as a dear friend, and all the compliments on my fit just made my heart dance more!

We patiently waited for our meal, and I looked around inside. It was a small yet cozy place. Other than us, there were five other customers sitting around, enjoying a friendly chat. I… wanted to chat with Rika-san too, but since this time we weren't here to discuss our manga, I kind of didn't know what to talk about…! So, I waited for her to open a topic.

"Yuuma-kun…" My ears immediately perked up. "Ah, yes, Rika-san?"

"There's something I want to talk about. Something to do with my personal life. It might be a bit boring, though." I waved my hands in front of me, how could that be? I was always eager to hear her side of things! Once I reassured her that she could talk about anything she wanted, she smiled. It was a tired yet genuine smile. "You… I don't know what it is about you, but you have such a kind and gentle aura. I feel like I could tell you anything about myself and you'd listen… Without any judgement. Just like an angel. However—" She clapped her hands, and looked at Watanabe-san bringing our bowls to the table, "Of course, I won't use your 'angel services' all for free! Let's get eating first, it's my treat!"

I inspected the contents of the ramen bowl. It actually looked like quite the standard one: with eggs, green onion, some meat and other expected ingredients. Perhaps there was a secret spice combination in the broth that made it special…?

Watanabe-san proudly joined her arms in front. "There hasn't been even one person who didn't fall head over heels for this secret recipe." Rika-san nodded along. "Best ramen in the country, that's for sure!" Hehe, their passion was so cute. "Well then, there's only one way to find out what the hype is about! Itadakimasu—!!

One slurp in, and I already understood what they meant. I couldn't describe it well even if I tried, but there was this sweet yet spicy quality to it. Not to mention, it held the perfect degree of saltiness and sourness, too…? Just what was this flavor?! I got completely immersed in eating it, I couldn't stop myself even if I tried. Rika-san was lost in the flavor as well, making me feel relieved to see that she was enjoying her time. Once she was done, she sighed and stretched her arms upwards.

"Mhhhhm, delicious as ever~ It's almost a waste to talk about negative stuff after this…" While I understood her feelings, I didn't mind it one bit. In fact, I could say that I was getting quite curious about what kind of things she'd tell me at this point. Without any warning, she dove straight into the topic.

"So, uh. My boyfriend broke up with me." She flashed a smile, one where I could tell that she was doing her best to hide her pain behind it.

I gasped softly. "Oh… Rika-san… I'm sorry…" She shook her head, still smiling. "It's fine. Saw it coming from a mile away. I was prepared for it all this time." She paused for a bit. "... not that it hurt any less."

My eyebrows took on a worried arch, making her chuckle softly. "You look like a sweet, concerned little puppy right now… Well," she offered to go outside and take a walk as she told me more on this topic. Despite my protests, she still insisted on paying for our meals, and so she did. I puffed my cheeks and told her I'd treat her to something next time. We exited the restaurant.

She looked up to the dark evening sky. "Clouds… Think it might rain soon?" I looked up as well, inspecting the clouds. "They don't look too heavy, maybe they'll just pass by…?" Either way, we decided to take a stroll around in the street. If it started to rain, we'd simply take shelter under some buildings around us, no problem.

I wanted her to know that she was free to talk about her feelings anytime she wanted, but I didn't know how to say it in a way that didn't sound pushy.

"Rika-san… About what you wanted to talk about…"

"Yeah, I know, I know. This is not exactly the happiest matter to deal with. But I'll be fine. Would you just… listen to me? I want to share some things with you." I nodded earnestly. "Please, go ahead. It is a rather difficult situation, but I'm all ears. Tell me everything you're comfortable with, and ready to share."

She put away her signature sunglasses, which were on top of her head all this time, into her bag, and started speaking—all the while looking straight forward. "Right, right… I'll take it a bit from the past, but I promise it'll all connect to my current situation."

Frankly speaking, I was fine with listening to anything, no matter how much explaining it took. That way, I could get to know her better, and help more effectively— just maybe…