My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 620

Uh... I've never experienced anything like this before, but she probably felt incredibly uncomfortable. If I graduate and become a NEET, I'll have to be careful not to go to any family gatherings. But I almost never go to parties anyway.

"Ever since that day, my parents have been sending me pictures of my cousin's child on LINE non-stop, probably because they exchanged contact information with her. They haven't said a single word to her."

"Didn't say a word?"

That was the biggest hint... I thought to myself, but didn't say it aloud.

"The biggest resistance I can do is to ignore those photos."

Hiratsuka-sensei, it's definitely dangerous for you to be looking into the distance. You might not even be able to see the car in front of you anymore.

I tried to change the subject.

"Oh right! I never expected that the promise we made back then would be fulfilled in this way."

"A promise?... Oh, to go to the ramen shop I recommended? I remember. But this time it doesn't count, this time it's more like a spin-off."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I've almost finished planning the ramen I wanted to take you to after you graduate. If something like today's unexpected situation counts, then my plan has been wasted."

A plan? That's outrageous! Hiratsuka-sensei is so passionate about ramen that if you ask her casually, she'll give you a response ten times—no, a hundred times.

"Because I've reduced the number of stores on the waiting list to forty."

"There are still forty companies left after the deletions? That's a lot!"

"Don't talk nonsense. According to the data, there were 1,298 ramen shops in Chiba Prefecture in 2018. I picked out 40 of them."

"Uh, but—"

"Alright, alright. Anyway, please look forward to what happens after graduation."

The sight of Ms. Hiratsuka laughing so happily terrified me. Perhaps the clue to why such a beautiful teacher has no luck with men lies here.

"But as I just said, today's encounter was more of a coincidence. I was just going to a store I wanted to visit, so there's no need to be so nervous."

"I see. Okay then."

I breathed a sigh of relief and looked out the window at the scenery.

"We're here, that's the place."

Hiratsuka-sensei parked her car in the parking lot and soon saw a ramen shop.

"Huh... teacher, what's that shop—"

"That's right. That famous store."

My first impression of that shop was its red color scheme; everything from the walls to the sign was red. The sign was also in gold, making it so ostentatious that it deterred me from entering.

The signboard has a line of text written on it.

"Nakamoto Funabashi Store: Japan's No.1 Spicy Ramen Mongolian Soup Noodles".

"Isn't this Nakamoto's shop?!"

"I knew you'd heard of it."

"Of course I've heard of it. This is the spicy ramen restaurant that's always on TV."

Oh right, I heard that Nakamoto recently opened a store in Chiba, but I didn't expect it to be in Funabashi.

"I've never been here before, and I was thinking of coming to check it out today."

"Really? But is it okay to eat spicy food?"

Hiratsuka-sensei chuckled.

"Hmm, it shouldn't be that spicy. Don't worry."

"I think so."

That's what they say, but this restaurant has been on TV, which means it must be quite spicy. I'm a little uneasy.

"Go and queue up first."

I followed behind the teacher. Although it wasn't exactly a long line, there were a few people ahead of us, so we moved to the very back.

"I mean, this team is really impressive."

"No, no, no, Hiratsuka-sensei, this level is alright."

"You idiot, Hachiman. Look at the time."

After she said that, I looked at the clock and saw that it was past 2:30 in the afternoon.

"From 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., there is no 'free time' for ramen shops. Shops often take a break during this period."

Indeed, based on my recollection, many ramen shops were closed during those three hours.

"There's a queue at this store even during off-peak hours, which means there shouldn't be any problems."

"I see, I understand now... But Hiratsuka-sensei, what do you say about this?"

I pointed to a photo posted on the exterior wall of the store, which I guessed was of the store owner, a handsome middle-aged man wearing a red martial arts uniform and raising his index finger.

"Didn't you say at that shop in front of the station that it was a bit much to print your own photo on the signboard?"

"Oh, I see. But I remember he's President Shirane, the second-generation successor of the Mongolian noodle shop, Nakamoto. So it's alright, isn't it?"

...Uh, I don't understand that reason at all! Is that okay? Aren't you being a little too biased towards this store?

As we were thinking, the group moved forward faster than we had imagined, and we soon entered the store.

"Welcome!!!!"

The shop assistants were also very enthusiastic in greeting us. If a gloomy guy like me came alone, I would probably have been scared away by their enthusiasm at the entrance.

The store is predominantly white, and the counter is U-shaped. A full glass wall allows ample natural light, making the space feel very bright. Looking around, I saw Professor Hiratsuka standing in front of the vending machine.

Which dish would you like to order?

"Uh, to be honest, I'm annoyed... This one called the Arctic seems to be the most famous."

I looked at the button on the meal ticket, which indicated the spiciness level. It said "Arctic Ramen, spiciness level 9".

"Teacher, this ramen is rated 9 for spiciness! Can you handle it?"

"Don't worry. The highest spiciness level is 10. It should be alright."

"is that so?"

"The famous ramen connoisseur Mr. Mentababe Ryuzō (Note 34) also said... When you step into a ramen shop, you should feel the heart of the ramen shop and follow the owner's ideas. That is the true way to eat ramen."

"I've never heard of such a famous saying! Who is this 'Mendabe Ryuzō'? That name looks completely random!"

"Anyway, I want to go to the North Pole. What about you?"

"What Mr. Mentaba Ryuzō said didn't sway me... so I'm ordering this Mongolian soup noodles with a spiciness level of 5."

Upon hearing my choice, Hiratsuka-sensei lowered her shoulders.

"You're really a coward...that's why you can't make a choice."

"Can't make a choice?"

"...It's nothing. I was just talking to myself."

The teacher pressed the button on the meal ticket and handed it to me. I didn't know what to do, so I looked around suspiciously and made eye contact with the clerk.

"Please, both of you."

The staff member kindly led us to our seats. I sat next to Professor Hiratsuka at the counter. When the staff member came over, we handed him our meal tickets.

"Sorry, the Arctic requires 'half a bowl'."

"Understood."

"And there's LINE's 'egg cutting'."

"Understood!"

With a smile, the energetic staff member greeted the guests and returned to the kitchen.

"Okay, now we just wait for the noodles to be served."

"Uh, teacher, you seem like a regular customer!"

I was quite surprised by how fluently Hiratsuka-sensei pronounced words that I had only heard here before.

"Is this really your first time visiting this store?"

"certainly."

"Then why did you speak so fluently?"

"It's important to do your research before visiting a store you've never been to before."

The teacher answered with her chest out.

"Shall we do some pre-reading?"

"That's right. Before going to Nakamoto, I searched for a lot of information online. 'Half-strength noodles' means the amount of noodles is halved, and LINE's 'sliced ​​egg' means that if you show the staff a picture of yourself with Nakamoto's official LINE account, they will give you a free sliced ​​hard-boiled egg."

Oh, I see. That's how it is. I hadn't even thought about preparing beforehand. But now that she mentions it, it's not surprising that if you prepare beforehand, you can answer these questions as fluently as the teacher.

I looked around the shop. Photos of the company president on television were displayed, along with autographs from many celebrities. It was clear how popular this ramen shop was, with media coverage to its name.

However, as my expectations rose, I also had this thought: "If the store is only on TV for convenience, that's really annoying." Besides, like the manager of the first store, handing the store over to someone else to manage, the feeling of "Isn't this just wrong?" lingered in my mind.

"...How is the Service Society operating?"

The teacher suddenly asked a question, and I turned my gaze back to her. She picked up the water bottle on the table and poured water into my cup.

"Who knows? I don't think so."

"why?"

"If things go smoothly, it should be even more uncomfortable to stay here."

Upon hearing this, Hiratsuka-sensei gave a mature smile.

"Youth is all about imperfections."

She happily ruffled my hair with her left hand. I didn't know what she was so happy about. It's good that she's happy, but if youth isn't all smooth sailing, then even a second sooner is better. I want to escape that youthful stage as soon as possible and live a happy life on the NEET stage. I'll play around as long as my parents can support me.

"Here is your Mongolian noodle soup."

While we were chatting, the waiter stood in front of me with a large bowl. Wow, the food came out faster than I expected!

As I pondered this, I looked at the Mongolian noodle soup placed before me, speechless.

"Excuse me, did you deliver the wrong order? I ordered Mongolian noodle soup, and the Arctic dish is for the lady next to me."

"Ah, that's right. That's Mongolian noodle soup."

The clerk answered with a smile, and I gasped. The broth of the Mongolian noodles was so red it made me think it was extremely spicy.

Everywhere you look, there are piles of red Mapo Tofu, and you can barely see cabbage and other vegetables between the Mapo Tofu.

"It looks so spicy... but it looks delicious too."

The moment I felt the delicious aroma surpass the red broth, the fragrance emanating from the large bowl, with the flavor of miso and the sweetness of vegetables, made me want to start eating immediately.

"Sorry for the wait, here is your Arctic pasta half, with a complimentary LINE sliced ​​egg."

Just then, Hiratsuka-sensei's ramen was served. Seeing that bowl of noodles, I wished I could take back what I had just said.

What am I saying? That's right. This is the Arctic.

In front of the teacher was a bowl of noodles topped with bean sprouts in a bright red broth. The white bean sprouts contrasted beautifully with the red broth, making the red color of the broth stand out even more.

"Wow—it's so red. It looks delicious."

Upon seeing the bowl of noodles, Hiratsuka-sensei appeared unusually excited.

"Teacher, can you eat this? Judging by the color, it must be quite spicy."

I asked hesitantly.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to try it."

As soon as Ms. Hiratsuka finished speaking, she left her seat and took two paper aprons from the vending machine next to the meal ticket machine and gave them to me.

"Thanks."

"Okay, let's eat."