Fox Ramen Shop

Makio pushed open the glass door of a small, weathered ramen shop in Northern Tokyo. The place was modest, with just a few tables, clearly family-run. He glanced around—the shop wasn’t open yet. Striding to the wooden counter, he knocked three times, firmly. A moment later, a boy with ginger hair, no more than eight years old, peeked out from the corridor. His eyes widened in recognition before he darted away without a word.

Footsteps followed, and soon an older woman appeared from behind the counter, her long white braid draped over her shoulder, smiling warmly.

"Okamura-san," she greeted him. "It’s been a while!"

"Hideki-sama," Makio replied, bowing politely. "Indeed, a few months. But I’m here with a question," he added, his tone sharpening with purpose. "It concerns a fox."

The woman's smile faltered, though she quickly tried to mask it. Still, Makio noticed. She nodded, accepting the box he offered, bowing slightly as she took it and lifted it to her nose. Her expression darkened as she inhaled.

"You recognize it?" Makio asked, watching her closely.

The woman hesitated, as if wrestling with something, before returning the box. "I...I don’t know where he is," she said softly, her voice heavy with an old sadness. "I just hope he hasn’t done anything wrong."

"Who exactly are we talking about?" Makio pressed, leaning in slightly.

"My son," she murmured, glancing back over her shoulder as if afraid of being overheard. "I haven’t seen him in forty years..." A melancholic smile crept across her face. "We haven’t spoken since he left."

Makio remained calm, his tone steady. "May I know his name?"

"His name was Tezuka," she said, her voice quieter now. "But I’m sure he changed it. He wanted nothing to do with us. I thought he’d left the city, but now, seeing this..." She looked at the box again, her eyes brimming with tears. "He must’ve stayed. Please tell me he hasn’t done anything terrible?"

Makio sighed softly. "No, nothing like that. Thank you for your help, Hideki-sama." He bowed, ready to leave, but she stopped him.

"You should stay for some ramen," she urged, her tone more insistent than kind. "We’re opening soon, and my daughter would like to speak with you." She emphasized "daughter" in a way that made Makio pause. Sensing there might be more to learn, he nodded.

"I’ll stay, then."

The old woman’s shoulders relaxed slightly as she whispered, "Just...don’t ask my husband about Tezuka, please." With that, she disappeared into the back, leaving Makio to sit at one of the small tables.

A few minutes passed before the sounds of movement emerged from behind the counter. The boy from earlier reappeared with a teenage girl, who carried a steaming bowl of ramen. She was petite, with long brown hair braided down her back, her big brown eyes accentuated with blue eyeliner, and lips painted a dark pink. She approached with a bright smile, her excitement palpable.

"Okamura-senpai!" she chirped, setting the bowl down before sliding into the seat across from him. "I made this especially for you!"

Makio hesitated but then smiled politely. "Thank you, Nami-san. You always make the best ramen in Tokyo." He began to eat, missing the flush that bloomed on her cheeks as she stared at him, beaming.

"You’re too kind," she giggled, making a playful gesture with her hand. "I just try to make sure you enjoy it and come back often."

Makio looked up from his bowl, smiling slightly. "I’ll do my best to visit more often. Actually, I wanted to ask you something."

Nami leaned forward eagerly. "Of course! Whatever you need, Okamura-senpai!"

Makio cleared his throat. "Do you still speak with Tezuka?"

Her smile vanished instantly. She glanced toward the back, her voice lowering to a near whisper. "Finish up, senpai, and we’ll walk out together. You can take me for coffee before the shop opens if you’d like."

Makio caught the shift in tone and nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Nami-san. I’ll make it quick."

After a silent meal, the young boy reappeared to clear the table. Makio rose to pay, but Nami waved him off, insisting the meal was on the house.

"Mom, I’m going out with Okamura-senpai!" she called back as they left the shop, her voice tinged with glee.

Nami looked thrilled. Even if she knew this was not a real date, it sure felt like one. And with the best person she could have ever imagined. She felt a tinge of jealousy though when she heard Makio asking about that brother of hers. Hoping that her brother did not do anything to embarrass her, she walked confidently after Makio. He looked so good, under the sun, wearing a cute brown cardigan, brown pants, and sneakers; his beautiful hair in a bun. As he put on his dark glasses, she thought he looked like a main love interest from a school shojo anime. She smiled, immediately hugging onto his elbow, which he did not take away in disgust, as she thought he would. This made her happy. They walked further away from the ramen shop, still quiet. Eventually, they found a quiet café. Makio ordered her coffee, setting it down in front of her before taking the seat opposite.

Nami stirred her drink absentmindedly, eyes downcast. "This is the most time we’ve spent together in years," she sighed, "and it’s because of my brother, not me." She forced a smile before continuing, "I couldn’t talk about Kōga back there. He’s been banished, you know."

"Kōga? So that’s his name now?"

She nodded, her expression darkening. "Oh, Mom doesn't know, right. But yes, Father basically took everything from him, dishonored him, and just left him there, in the world, with nothing, no name, and no family because of his stupid ideas. It has been forty years, and times have changed, and the argument seems so stupid now, but you know those old people, with their pride." She sighed, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "I was the only one who stood by Kōga. Everyone else was too afraid of Father. I was still a teenager back then, but I already knew of these things, you know. We’ve stayed in touch, though, and I could tell you where he is. But first...why do you need to find him?"

Makio smiled reassuringly. "I promise, Nami-san, I mean no harm. It’s just part of an investigation involving a woman we’re working with. I only want to ask him a few questions."

Nami exhaled, visibly relaxing. "Ah, a woman. Figures he’d try to help and probably scared her half to death." She rolled her eyes fondly. "He means well, but it never turns out right."

"That seems to be the case."

"It's okay, you can tell me. He did this before, trying to help people you know. Never worked out properly..." She paused looking at her fingers as if remembering something from the past, "I think, it is okay then if you see him. He will be glad if he can help. He is all about these appearances, making himself seem so cool, and uninterested, but his heart is pure, he is too vulnerable, and he does not want to show it to anyone. Thus, he tries to make up this persona that would be liked by everyone but never reveals anything about himself. Never gets close to people. He is too good, I think. Our father made a huge mistake back then."

Makio listened attentively, one annoying fox from the other day popping up in his mind, while she was talking. He shook his head, slightly irritated with this thought. It could be the other person, that one was not kind at all. The girl did not notice his attitude, still deep in thought, she continued.

"I will tell you how to find him, I so happen I know about his whereabouts for today. He is working, so you can come there. You will have to wait though, after he is done."

"Nami-san, thank you so much, it would be of great help. I will do what's needed."

"You are always so polite, senpai, I envy you. I wish I had all that patience. Alas, I can not even stop waiting for you to come and eat at our place again, counting days..." She stadied her coffee, smiling with sadness. "I know, Makio," she looked at him, "you never liked me this way, but well, this was my opportunity to see you alone for once, in years maybe."

Makio looked at her, slightly red in the face, as he did not expect a confession from her. From a fox, from all people. Also hearing his name like that from a girl's mouth was very unusual. He was not sure what he should be doing, as he was not ready for such an event. At a loss for words, he averted his gaze.

"Makio, I know, I am younger, and I will never raise this topic again, I think you are great, and I really liked you from the moment I saw you, maybe ten years ago now? I know I look young too, and I might be considered a teenager in the yokai years, but I am almost fifty. I thought that maybe several decades later you might think about, well, marriage, and if you... well..."

He could not continue listening to this, he stood up, fully red. Gazing at her very seriously, he could not believe that she was doing this to him right now.

I guess, I have to do it then, he thought.

"I, I..Nami, you have to know that I am... gay. So this marriage.. It would have never been possible to begin with."

He was so embarrassed, he looked away, looking like he was in pain. Nami looked up at him, her eyes widening in surprise. She stood up too, her coffee falling to the ground.

"I...I understand." She paused. "It's okay, I understand, I was a fool, but I appreciate you telling me this at least now. I will be able to let go, eventually... I think. Then it means..." Her eyes were like two big lakes, "My brother..."

"What does this have to do with him?" Makio looked at her from the top, confused, his face still in a grimace.

"N-nothing, nothing!" She threw her hands out, waving them. "It's fine, forget about it. I will give you his address now, please, Okamura-senpai, give me your phone." She put both hands in front of her, bowing down, trying to avoid his eyes. When she felt a phone in her hand, she quickly put in the address, said a fast goodbye, and ran off so fast, that he could not see even her braid behind her.

He stood there, dumbstruck, thinking that it was a crazy beginning of a Sunday. He had never would have thought that this would happen.