Chapter 10: In Search of the Ultimate Cup of Tea.

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Translator: Soafp

---

During class, we were told to split into our groups and assign roles.

We sat around a table in the library, facing one another.

Everyone wore a different expression.

Masaki looked cool and composed.

Amanatsu was flustered and fidgety.

Shinonome kept her face lowered awkwardly.

Katsurama kept following Shinonome with his eyes.

And Hiiragi… was smiling happily.

Why was she the only one acting completely normal?

“Okay, let's start by choosing a leader. They'll oversee the group, report to the teachers at departure and arrival, and make the final decisions in an emergency. It's an important role.”

Masaki said that as he read the handout we had been given. At the edge of my vision, the blonde gyaru started to raise her hand, so I spoke up immediately.

“I think Masaki would be good. He has everyone's trust too.”

The others seemed to have no objection and nodded.

Only Hiiragi clenched her fists in frustration.

Hiiragi, an obvious troublemaker, was unsuited to the role, so I had gotten ahead of it.

“…All right. I'll do it. Next, the deputy leader and timekeeper…”

Hiiragi's face immediately brightened.

But Masaki put a hand on my shoulder.

“Wouldn't Hatsukade be good? He seems like the type to keep things organized.”

“…Fine.”

Since I was the one who nominated Masaki as leader, I accepted it without complaint.

“Grrr…”

Hiiragi shot me a fiery, competitive glare.

How could she get so worked up over something like this?

After that, the other roles were decided smoothly.

Amanatsu became the navigator. Hiiragi was in charge of first aid. Katsurama was the record keeper, responsible for taking photos. Shinonome was in charge of daily necessities, such as extra snacks during the trek and managing luggage at the lodging.

After reporting the roles to our homeroom teacher, we each researched our preparations and received explanations about our respective responsibilities.

Throughout it all, Katsurama kept coming up with one excuse after another to talk to Shinonome.

She wore a polite smile so as not to seem openly displeased, but it was obvious she found him bothersome.

If Katsurama liked her, he should have been able to notice that much. Then again, love was blind.

“Hey, Katsurama. If you have time to spare, help me over here.”

“Huh? Oh… okay.”

The work wouldn't get done otherwise.

I kept Katsurama beside me and organized the schedule for the day of the trip.

---

“Ugh, this is so awkward. A group like this is impossible.”

After school in the clubroom, Amanatsu sprawled her upper body across the table and complained.

Fiddling with her perfectly decorated nails, she nervously fretted.

“Isn't this the most awkward combination in the entire galaxy right now?”

“Is it? I don't feel anything.”

“Ugh, I was stupid to ask you, Hatsukade-kun.”

That indirectly meant she was calling me stupid.

“Exactly! Nakina worries too much!”

Hiiragi, munching on rice crackers, patted Amanatsu on the back.

Why was she here as though that were completely normal?

Amanatsu must have agreed with me, because she stared at Hiiragi with a twitching face.

“Oh! If things are that tense, should I go settle it firmly? I'll tell them Nakina isn't mad at Shi-chan, and that Katsurama has no chance, so he should give up!”

“Please, Sakura, don't do anything!”

Amanatsu screamed, and Hiiragi put a rice cracker into her mouth.

As Amanatsu crunched it, Hiiragi laughed cheerfully.

“Then I won't. It could turn out like last time again!”

Was that really the attitude of someone who had reflected on her actions?

I seriously disliked her.

Also, apparently everyone in their group knew that Katsurama was in love with Shinonome.

Then again, with how obvious he was, anyone who wasn't exceptionally dense would notice.

“Oh, I forgot to mention it. I was thinking of inviting Nakina since it's a good opportunity!”

“To what?”

“My parents invest in stocks too, actually. They have some unused shareholder discount vouchers for a shop that sells trekking equipment. Let's use them together. Don't you want cute clothes and shoes for the trek?”

“I… might want some.”

“Right? Let's go after school next week. Aaaand, of course…”

Hiiragi paused, then gave me a suspicious grin.

“Hatsukade, you're coming too!”

“I'll pass.”

“Whaaat!? W-Why!?”

The answer was obvious.

Hiiragi was transparently trying to push Amanatsu and me together.

She hadn't reflected on anything after all.

“Well, I'm heading home.”

Turning my back on Hiiragi, frozen in shock, and Amanatsu, whose lips were pouted in displeasure, I left school.

---

Saturday, 2:41 p.m.

For me, that time was special today.

I changed my shoes at the entrance and headed toward the nearest station.

After reaching the platform, I boarded a train that stopped precisely on schedule.

I got off at a certain station, passed through the ticket gates, and narrowed my eyes at the hot sunlight shining between low-rise buildings.

Passing the scattered shops around the station, I finally arrived.

Looking up, a huge red sign filled my field of vision.

Menya Karakara-do

My stomach, delayed for lunch, protested that it needed noodles immediately. I swallowed the saliva gathering in my mouth.

The moment I opened the old-fashioned wooden sliding door, the sharp scent of spices pierced from my nose straight to my brain.

Unable to contain my excitement, I hurriedly looked around.

There were no other customers.

…Perfect.

Perfect timekeeping, calculated down to the last detail.

I had sniped a quiet moment like a professional, while still arriving thirty minutes before closing—late enough not to inconvenience the restaurant.

“Welcome. What'll you have, kid?”

“Tan-tan noodles with a seasoned egg. Mild spice, please.”

“Coming right up. Thanks!”

The owner's call was loud enough to be irritating in an ordinary conversation, but here it somehow felt natural and comforting.

Even this waiting time was precious.

This was my third visit to Menya Karakara-do.

The moment I happened to find it and took my first bite, I became captivated by the place.

To be honest, I'd been unable to sit still since Friday.

Ahh. So this was happiness.

Waiting in my seat, I smiled to myself.

That was when it happened.

“Hey! Stop taking breaks and come help clean up the shop!”

The owner shouted toward the back of the kitchen.

This restaurant was apparently attached to the owner's home.

The second floor was probably their residence.

“Okay, okay, Dad. I'm coming!”

That voice sounded familiar.

Then a short girl appeared from the back of the restaurant, saw me, and froze.

“H-Hatsukade…”

It was Emiri Shinonome, the member of our group responsible for daily necessities.

---

Shinonome stood frozen on the kitchen side, her eyes wide.

The owner looked up at her reaction.

“Oh? What's this? You two classmates?”

“Yes. She and I are classmates.”

When I answered, the owner smiled happily.

“Well, why didn't you say so sooner? Emiri, you're done helping out. Go sit next to the kid.”

“W-Wait, Dad!?”

“What's your name, kid?”

“Subaru Hatsukade.”

“Subaru, huh? Be good to my Emiri. I'll throw in five extra slices of char siu today!”

“Oh…”

When the bowl of tan-tan noodles arrived on the table, I couldn't wait any longer and broke apart my disposable chopsticks.

“Thanks for the food!”

One mouthful sent a criminally delicious sensation through my entire body.

“So good.”

“…How can you enjoy it so much in a situation like this?”

Unable to refuse, Shinonome sat beside me and stared with her mouth hanging open.

“Normally, you'd be too awkward to taste anything.”

“I was surprised, but I don't feel even one percent awkward.”

“What is your mental state even made of…?”

What could I say? Compared with a supreme bowl of tan-tan noodles, my interest in Shinonome was less than dust.

Ahh, it had been worth the wait. It was unbelievably good.

“Hatsukade, you can smile?”

“…What exactly do you think I am?”

“You always have a scowl in class.”

“That's because the people around me are boring.”

“Don't insult people while you're eating ramen.”

Before I knew it, I had finished the bowl.

I drank every last drop of the soup too, but guilt was powerless before this bliss.

I put my hands together and bowed to the owner.

“That was delicious. Thank you for the meal.”

“Heh, thanks. If you're friends with Emiri, you don't have to pay.”

“No, I can't accept that. I want to show respect for your skill.”

“Hah. You sure know how to talk, Subaru.”

The owner and I met eyes, and our lips curled upward at the same time.

Shinonome let her shoulders drop.

“What is it with men…?”

“Subaru, how has Emiri been at school lately? She's been down at home too.”

“Dad, stop it!?”

Shinonome shouted, her face bright red. But the owner did not seem bothered at all and smiled at me.

“She's always been like this. Never tells me anything. Subaru, you listen to her too, okay?”

“Uh…”

“Oh, I know! Emiri, take Pii-chan for a walk and see Subaru home while you're at it.”

“Whaaat!? W-Why? Hatsukade would be bothered too, right!?”

“Who is Pii-chan?”

The owner answered my question casually.

“Our dog.”

“What breed?”

“A Samoyed.”

“A Samoyed… A Samoyed, huh…”

I stood, paid the bill, and turned toward Shinonome.

“What are you doing? Let's go.”

---

I walked alongside Shinonome on the short route to the station.

At the end of the leash she held was a huge, fluffy white dog.

Pii-chan looked up at me with big, round eyes and gave me a cheerful smile.

S-So cute…

“Isn't the leash a little loose? It looks old too.”

“You're right, I should probably replace it soon… Wait, why am I just casually walking along and talking with Hatsukade?”

Pii-chan pressed up against my leg, making my body twitch involuntarily.

“…You said you wanted to go for a walk, so don't be scared.”

“Can't help it. A dog bit me badly when I was little, and it traumatized me.”

“Then you should've just said no.”

“I like dogs. You don't get many chances to meet a Samoyed, so I didn't want to let this one pass.”

“Then pet her.”

Taking her at her word, I thoroughly enjoyed Pii-chan's soft fur. Then Shinonome muttered:

“Haah… Hatsukade found out my family runs a ramen shop, the group assignment is the worst, and lately everything's been completely ruined.”

“There's nothing bad about the ramen shop.”

“There is! People will definitely think it's lame and make fun of me. I haven't even told Sakura and the others.”

If my family ran a place that wonderful, I'd cry with happiness.

It sounded like nothing more than an incredibly spoiled complaint to me.

“Is getting rejected by Masaki really that awkward for you?”

“Who do you think caused that?”

“You brought it on yourself.”

“Ugh… Yeah, it's all my fault. Are you satisfied now!?”

“Not yet. You still haven't apologized to me.”

Shinonome glared at me resentfully.

She seemed like an entirely different person from the girl who forced polite smiles in the classroom. Her expression plainly showed what she felt.

“What is your problem, seriously? Would apologizing now even mean anything? Do you think I want to bow my head and make up with you?”

“Of course not.”

“Right. Not just you—everyone feels the same. My old life isn't coming back anymore… School isn't fun now, and I don't even have the right to complain about that. Did you know? A video of me crying like an idiot and getting rejected by Masaki-kun is going around on social media, and everyone's laughing. At school, people act like they're being nice and say, ‘Don't worry about it, just forget it already,' but they laugh about it behind my back. But even if I told them to stop, they'd just say, ‘How can you say that after what you did?' So even if I apologize, I'm already completely screwed…”

As Shinonome piled up self-destructive words, as if sinking herself into a dark place, her eyes clouded over.

Pii-chan panted heavily, watching her with concern.

The friendly ramen-shop owner's smile came to mind.

…Then, despite having nothing to do with it, I again remembered the faces of that girl and her parents when they parted ways.

“I want to quit high school.”

Those deeply felt, negative words slipped through her lips.

“Don't play the victim. Reflect on what you did. You were only lucky because your target was me—this could have become a serious problem. I don't know what Amanatsu told you, but you were the biggest reason she couldn't come to school for several days.”

“…”

“She and I both have families. The person hurt isn't the only one who suffers or worries. Did you think that far?”

“…”

When she remained silent, I let out an exasperated sigh.

“Listen. Everyone makes mistakes.”

“…?”

“Sure, there are crimes that can never be forgiven, even once. But most of the time, whether someone can start over depends on whether they truly reflect on it.”

Shinonome looked at me suspiciously.

“What's this… Are you trying to encourage me while I'm vulnerable so you can hit on me?”

I looked straight at her and answered.

“I'm not hitting on you. But I am encouraging you.”

“…God.”

Shinonome's cheeks turned faintly red, and she took a step backward.

“Seriously, what is with you?”

“Anyway, you can stop seeing me off here. And thanks, Pii-chan.”

“Woof!”

After giving Pii-chan one final pat on the head, I headed toward the station.

I'd repaid my debt for those five slices of char siu.