The only good Ramen Store I know is Oba Ramen. It is not a cheerful place, people barely come to this place. Probably because it looks old and not fitting in Acadasia's modern world. But it reminds me of the home I had back in the exorcist world. And I don't eat well with strangers around, so that this ramen store is unpopular makes this the best store ever.
"This place looks like the place where they're hiding an underground world," Alyssa says.
Ayane steps forward, her eyes glowing at the name of Ramen. "Is this the ramen paradise? I like the style."
"I think that's just how unsuccessful their shop is." Alyssa adds.
I sigh. "Can we just get in now?"
Ayane and Alyssa nod. Did I say that right? I mean, their names sometimes get mixed up in my mind. I have to be careful not to call them by the wrong name. It would not end well for me.
We walk into the store.
The old granny would be happy to see me here again.
"Welcome to Oba Ramen, Onii-chan!"
There's a 16-year-old girl in a KFC hat who's way happier than me to be here. Her long cyan blue is bouncing.
I mutter, "O—Onii-chan?" It's very rare for someone to call anyone Onii-chan. Though it looks easy in anime.
Alyssa has her eyes squint, "You know, Senpai… I doubt this, but is this the real reason you chose this place?"
Ayane stares at the girl as if she's an alternative species of human. "Wow. She really just uses the Onii-chan. Sensei probably likes this."
These two…
I whisper to them, "Can you stop embarrassing me now? I know nothing about this. Last time I came here, there was only an old lady and a ramen. And I'm pretty sure this is just a marketing strategy."
The girl gasps when she sees two fellow females behind me. She bows down. "I'm sorry for not realizing you two first. Welcome, Onee-chan, Obaa-san."
Ayane raises her eyebrow and asks the girl, "Oba-San? That's one a or double a?"
"Hmm…" The girl gives it a thought and comes up with an answer, "Two is better than one, so double A's!"
That's…
Alyssa whispers as her eyes dull, "Is this a marketing strategy or a death strategy?"
Her eyes are always dull, but this one has fire in it.
"Chill, Alyssa." I say.
Ayane gives a shaky laughter. "I'm pretty sure I'm the Onee-chan."
The girl's face sinks, looking back and forth at our expression, "Is… Did I say anything wrong?"
Alyssa smiles for a second and returns to her apathetic face. "No. I'm pretty sure I heard you wrong. Pretty sure it's Onee-chan, Onee-chan."
The girl tilts her head, "But I said--"
I laugh hard and forcefully. "Now, now. Let's just take a seat before we're going to stand here until the end of time."
We walk toward a three seat table, but only Ayane is following me.
Alyssa is still at the entrance, staring down at her phone.
I call her, "Ayane."
Ayane tilts her head. "Sensei?"
But my head is already facing my colleague. "No—I mean. Shit."
Ayane furrows., "Shit? How can you mix my name with shit?"
"No. I don't mean it like that." So then I explain, thinking it'd save me trouble, "I—I was trying to call… Alyssa."
"Oh, now I see it," Ayane says calmly.
"You do? Sometimes your two names get mixed up and—"
Ayane pushes away her chin from me. "Asshole." Then she walks past me.
Alyssa walks toward me and makes a concern expression, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, Aya—Alyssa."
But she caught on, "Fuck you."
We three finally have a seat together.
The girl comes to us with a menu. She puts it down. "Order?" She says cheerfully, "We have many wonderful things!"
The menu, however, shows only one thing. Ramen.
Ayane points it out, "Um, but there's only ramen here." Her lips are wet, "But It's all right."
The girl claps her hand, "Ah yes! I put many wonderful things in the ramen."
Alyssa mumbles with her hand, pushing her cheek, "Why does that sound as if she's putting heroin in our ramen?"
I nudge her. "No need to be rude to a girl."
"She called me Obaa-san with a double A. I have every right to not like her."
So you heard.
I say to the girl, "We'll take three ramen."
"Okay!" the girl replies. She takes back the menu.
Last time I came here, the granny didn't show me any menu. I wonder where she is now? Did she ask her granddaughter to look out for her store?… Granddaughter? I think I remember the old woman telling me about her family's lore.
Ayane takes a glance at Alyssa, who is busy tapping her phone's screen, cups her hand toward me and whispers, "Sensei. Sensei. I've been meaning to ask you this, but wasn't this supposed to be our eating-ramen-together?"
When I try to answer, Alyssa beats me to it. Still staring at her phone, she says with a tight tone, "Onee-chan. I'm very well at my hearing. Know that I'm also a teacher in your school and my words could doom your school life."
Knowing the young must respect the older, Ayane bows. "I'm sorry, Alyssa sensei."
In a whisper, Ayane clicks her tongue.
Alyssa chuckles, "Call me Alyssa. I don't like the sound of my name with sensei. It makes me old."
Joke on me then, almost everyone calls me sensei. Just Sensei.
I mumble, "Yet you were a teacher."
Alyssa ignores me and continues, "And there's nothing wrong with me being here. Your Sensei is also my friend. And why not enjoy it together? The more the merrier, right?"
Ayane nods.
The girl claps her hand and gleefully agrees, "Yes! Eating our ramen together with friends and family and Sensei will make the ramen more, more delicious!"
The KFC hat girl is right, but—
…
Wait, how long has she been there hearing our conversation when she's supposed to be readying the ramen now?
I ask her, "Aren't you supposed to be ready for the ramen?"
"I will! But I sense questions from you, so I stay here. My grandma says, never run from a problem. Face it! Face it, you dumb fuck."
"O… Okay?" Never thought the grandma would say such things.
She's right though. I do have questions.
"Where's the old granny?" I ask.
The girl answers with a sad smile, "Grandma… is very sick. She's staying home for now. I hear it's C*vid."
I'll just ignore the censored word and point out my doubt. "I thought she didn't have a granddaughter."
Ayane and Alyssa look at me. The girl tilts her head. When she had done processing what I said, her little white hand flew to her mouth. And her blue eyes widen. "Tha—That's not true! I am her lovely granddaughter!"
The granny has told me her story. I didn't care then, but I had to hear her. She says her daughter ran from home and she never saw her again. It's so sad, she had hoped for a granddaughter to love.
And this girl claims she is the granddaughter that the granny had wished for. Suddenly popping out from nowhere.
My forehead tightened. "Now that I watch you closely…"
Sniff…
Sniff…
I mumble as I glance in Ayane's direction, "You smell different"
Getting the hint, Ayane slowly touches her guitar case.
"You don't smell like — Ouch!"
Alyssa just hit me with a karate chop on my head, snapping at the intense atmosphere.
She looks at me weirdly as if I'm the one who surprised her. She says, "I know little about law, but I'm pretty sure smelling a girl is not what to do as an Acadasia's gentleman, Senpai. It wouldn't be good for your career."
I wave my hand in denial. "This is different."
"Sure." Alyssa rolls her eyes.
Both Ayane and I calm down. Even if our hunch is right, we couldn't really do anything with Alyssa being here with us.
The girl stifles... and breaks into a laugh. "I'm sorry, you three are just funny. I like funny people!" She glances at Ayane's uniform. "Black… Book High?"
Ayane nods. "That's the name of our school."
"Will there be many more funny people in the school?" The girl asks.
Ayane glances in our direction. "Well, I'm not so sure…"
Alyssa stares at the girl, "Interested in getting transferred there?"
The girl nods three times. "It sounds fun! I want to have fun!"
Is… school fun?
Alyssa replies, "Then you need to know that you must be at the right age and have the money too. And good at science."
The girl smiles closer to Alyssa's face that she has to lean back.
The girl says, "Money? My brother has some of those. I'll ask him later! And my science is awesome! I can draw the whole periodic table right now!"
"That's the spirit." Alyssa says, "But what I would like to do now is our ramen."
"I will do them right now!" She bows down, dropping her KFC hat to reveal her shiny cyan head, picks and put them on back, and runs to the kitchen.
Suddenly… The store is silent now.
Alyssa says to me, "You have to look out for a new transfer student this month. I know Acadasia's student when I see one and she looks like one."
"Are you serious?"