.
[-Continuation-]
.
[Third Person View]
The incident unfolds on a chilly night outside a hotel.
The polished stone steps leading down from the elaborate wooden doors are lit softly by lighting.
Two young men have just exited the building, their formal dresses a little wrinkled after hours of celebration inside.
As they descended the steps, an old voice's loud and angry shout passed through the wooden doors to the outside.
"JIM! Where is Ryota?"
The shout echoed through the night, certainly reaching the two people outside.
When Ryota and Hachiman hear this, they both stop in mid-step.
They glance over their shoulders, but they don't turn around completely.
"...." - "...." When their eyes meet, a brief exchange of wordless understanding occurs.
They freeze for a few anxious seconds, listening for any movement that might indicate a chase.
Without a word, they simultaneously turn back and quicken their pace. They move like seasoned criminals, making a quick escape from the crime scene before the cops arrive.
The peaceful street appears to reverberate with the gentle patter of their dress shoes on the concrete.
….
.
Suddenly, the silence is broken by a loud, unmistakable growl.
"Gaahaaha..." The sound of Hachiman's protesting stomach ripples between them, causing both to stop in their tracks.
Ryota turns to face Hachiman, his eyebrows raised in a mixture of amusement and disbelief.
"So, you are hungry? Is that what you're saying?" He asks, sounding halfway between amused and offended.
Hachiman shamelessly crosses his arms defensively as he retorts. "Hey, what do you want me to do? The food there, although good, was too grand and plain for my tongue."
As Ryota's face softens, a tiny smile tugs at the corners of his mouth.
"Okay, I get it." He said, deciding to let the matter drop.
Pausing in his step, Ryota looks around, taking in their surroundings.
Even at this late hour, the city is bustling as office workers make their way home after finishing their late duties. Neon signs flash in the distance, indicating the possibility of many late-night activities.
"So what do you want to eat..." Ryota muses aloud, his eyes scanning the nearby storefronts for options.
Meanwhile, Hachiman, right now, was facing one of his greatest dilemmas- What should he eat?
….
.
What was the greatest food of them all?
Curry, shabu shabu, sushi, soba, sukiyaki, tempura, yakiniku, or sweets?
The answer - none of them.
Why?
Because ramen was the greatest of them all. Ramen.
It's one of the many delicacies that any high school boy would find to be their greatest companion.
First thing that came to mind when you worried about what to eat? Ramen.
Basically, ramen was befitting for someone of my stature.
One supreme bowl that cured my noble soul that abides by isolation.
They called it - Ramen.
…..
.
Hachiman decides what to do, and his smile widens.
With the word 'Ramen' ready to be said, he turns to face Ryota.
"Ramen. Let's go get some ramen."
Now that they had decided on a choice of food, Hichiman's stomach wasn't in the mood for anything but said choice.
With their quest set - 'Find the perfect ramen for dinner' - the two of them headed out.
They hopped on a bus.
For some moments, the bus shook back and forth.
The seats were a bit hard, and every bump in the road made them bounce a little.
When they finally got to their destination, Kaihin Makuhari, they stepped off and walked.
Nothing but walking.
Walking down the street, Hachiman and Ryota passed by loads of restaurants. They peeked into windows and checked out menus, but nothing seemed quite right.
Hachiman would scrunch up his nose at one place, while Ryota would shake his head at another. They were both pretty picky, and it showed.
As they were on their pursuit, they reached a location.
That area was populated with lines of expensive hotels and many wedding halls.
The buildings were all shiny and important-looking.
Suddenly, they realized they were right next to one of these wedding places.
They could hear joyful voices and music floating out from inside.
A real wedding was happening right there!
Hachiman and Ryota looked at each other, both trying to act like they didn't care. But deep down, they were super curious.
Hachiman had never seen a real wedding before, except on TV, at least in this life.
And Ryota, well, he was always complaining about being single, so weddings were kind of a sore spot for him.
They tried to sneak a look without the other noticing.
Hachiman slowed down, pretending to check his phone while his eyes darted towards the wedding. Ryota, meanwhile, pretended to tie his shoelace, stealing glances at the ceremony.
It was pretty funny - both of them knew exactly what they were doing, but they were still so sneaky, doing the exact same thing.
When they finally got a better look, what they saw was like a picture of pure happiness.
It was beautiful, like something out of a movie.
The wedding itself was over, and some people were already heading home. But the bride and groom were still the stars of the show. They stood on a stage, smiling and laughing.
Every now and then, guests would come up to take photos with them, wanting to remember this special day forever.
The air felt warm and happy. You could hear people cheering and calling out best wishes from beyond the fence. It was all so joyful.
Hachiman and Ryota, both single guys, felt weird inside.
They couldn't quite explain it. Whatever this feeling was, they didn't want to feel it anymore.
So they just thought of awaiting their eyes, and just as they were about to do something, something caught their eye, especially Hachiman.
Heh? Who was that? The female in the black dress looks familiar.
Hachiman noticed it first. There was a dark smudge at the edge of what he could see.
He rubbed my eyelids and strained his eyes for a better look, but it was still the same picture.
Ryota thought something similar, but not as strong as him.
In the middle of all this happiness, there was one person who looked different. This person was all in black, like a shadow. They gave off a feeling of being a total loser.
And right there, surrounded by all the joy and celebration, this shadowy figure….. seemed angry?
It was like they hated everything about the happy wedding.
Hachiman squinted, trying to see better.
The dark, figure-like blot stood out so much from everyone else. While others were smiling and having fun, this person looked like they wanted to disappear.
"Go to hell, aaaamen…"
Then, Hachiman heard a low voice muttering from the 'dark bolt', which he by now confirmed to be a simple 'female' wearing a 'dark dress.'
Yep, that's definitely someone I know…. He concluded on closer inspection.
She was a beautiful older lady clad in a black dress while many voices buzzed like annoying mosquitoes around her-
"Now if only you could hurry up and get married already." A middle-aged woman's voice was tinged with false sweetness.
"I am sure it will be Shizuka's turn next!" An elderly man chuckled, oblivious to the pain in his words.
"Hey Shizuka, I managed to find another good person. I am sure it will go well this time, so do you want to try meeting him?" A well-meaning friend, perhaps, but the suggestion felt like salt in a wound.
"Shizuka. You see, dad's already putting money aside for our grandchildren…" A father's hopeful words, landing like lead weights.
With each comment, Hachiman watched the woman, now confirmed to be his homeroom teacher, Hiratsuka Shizuka, flinch and shrink.
It was like watching someone deflate, their very essence seemed to fade away.
Hachiman felt a surge of pure rage coursing through him as he watched the once-strong presence of the woman he knew vanish before his eyes.
To his side, Ryota's eyes were also fixed on the same spot with an intense stare.
Without looking at each other, Ryota whispered, not wanting to point.
"Hey, do you see that?"
Hachiman nodded slowly, still trying to make sense of what he was seeing.
.
.
[To be continued…]
★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★
[Author Reminder : 10+chapters advance in Patreon.]
-->patreon.com/WrightBrothers