Hot Summer and Cold Noodles

I shouldn't drink that much, especially in my grandma's house, she has to clean all the mess that I made last night. I think Tomori drank too, not as much though, and she still functions properly.

I apologized to both of them this morning because I went too overboard.

I literally have nothing to do right now, Grandma is chatting at the neighbors' house, and I don't have my drums with me so I can't play drums.

Should I go for a walk in this blistering heat? I'll get sunburnt if I go out without any sunscreen or sunblock right now, but I don't have one.

Oh I remember, Tomori gave me her number yesterday.

I picked up my phone, my mom sent a lot of messages when I was hungover.

"Are you free?" My text to Tomori.

"Yeah, why?"

"Let's go out, somewhere."

"Where?"

"I don't know."

"Have you had lunch yet?"

"No."

"I know a place."

"Can you go here with your sunscreen, please? I forgot mine."

"I'm coming."

She responds with a cute Tanuki sticker saying "Idiot". I'm going to shove that tanuki into the meat grinder.

I stare at the ceiling with my head empty, that old ceiling fan is still spinning even after all these years. I'm trying to follow the blades with my eyes, it just makes me feel dizzy.

In this quiet place, I can even hear its spinning, droning like a wind blowing past me on a quiet beach.

I can't believe that one time when I dragged Ruru to the beach to shoot a terrible video changed my life this much.

I am now having fun with my friends doing this passion project, capable of sustaining ourselves and having people who root for us.

The world is weird, but I like it.

"Olivia! I'm here!"

Tomori is here, I don't know where she's bringing me to, but wherever that is, I have a feeling that it's probably a good place that I'll remember.

I apply the sunscreen that she brings, and we walk to the place wherever it is, she doesn't want to tell me.

She's wearing a round hat, I wish I wear one in this sweltering heat.

It's a long walk of almost 30 minutes, but at least the views are pretty in this village. We're surrounded by mountains despite being on a mountain, and the clear blue sky colliding with the green mountains is a rare sight for me. I can see vast golden rice paddies and green vegetables around us.

I want to steal one, not gonna lie.

We arrive at a soba shop, I think I know this place. My family used to visit this place whenever we visited Grandma.

"Welcome!" The owner greets us as we enter the place. The owner looks at me very closely, "Are you, are you Misaki's daughter? I think your name is Olivia right?" He's asking me.

"Yes."

"Ah, it's been a while, I am now a little forgetful in my old age." As he laughs, "Now, what do you want?"

"Cold soba noodles for me, and a large cold beer," Tomori says. I thought she didn't drink, maybe she did but not as much as me.

"Me too."

"Alright, I'll get your orders ready."

We sit at the table near the open window, to get some wind blowing, because this place doesn't have an AC.

"Tomori, I thought you don't drink alcohol," I ask her.

"I never said that, I do drink every once in a while to make myself loose."

"It does make you relax."

"I try to limit them though, I don't want to become an alcoholic."

"You'd be a terrible role model for your students."

"Yeah, and then get fired."

"By the way, how does it feel being a teacher?"

"It's fun for me, because I get to teach something that I actually like, and I think because art is less rigid than other subjects, the students are enjoying it too. I'm sure other subjects are way different though."

"Before this, I wanted to be an English teacher because mom said so, I think teaching English would be way less fun."

"Yeah, English is tough."

"I'm happy to be doing what I'm doing right now though."

"You guys should do a live show at the town."

"Maybe if we're big enough."

"Have you guys signed to an agency or something?"

"No, our leader absolutely hates them."

"Why? Isn't it better to have an agency?"

"She doesn't want any outsider to control what she wants to write. She writes all of our songs and pours her soul into it."

"What's your band name?"

"Natsuzora Cider."

She turns on her phone and I think is looking for us. She watched one of our videos, "Is your band leader the vocalist?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Nothing."

"What do you think?"

"How do I put it, it feels a little bit disturbing listening to it."

"I feel a little bit disturbed too with some of her songs, but that's just how she conveys her feelings I guess."

"You look way cooler than in real life, what's up with that."

"That's the drummer aura."

"That's definitely video editing trickery, you made these videos, it's there in the credits."

"That's not edited! I look cool when I play drums!"

"Lies."

"You should check our live videos then, it's unedited."

The owner comes out of nowhere with our orders, "Here's your orders ladies!" He then puts them on our table, "Sorry for interrupting your fun talk." He says with a massive smile, before going back to the kitchen.