It was on the outskirts of the city, so it took a little while to find, but I was determined to locate it, thinking it was a must-visit place in Abydos.
The place I arrived at was—.
A ramen shop known as a specialty of Abydos, officially recognized as a great restaurant.
Shiba Seki Ramen.
For the record, that's not a swear word.
The shop's name is really Shiba Seki Ramen....
I don't know why they chose that name, but it seemed like it would be great for attracting attention during promotions.
'Of course, that's only in Korea....'
It was a hit in Japan, so some people might not know, but since it's originally a Korean game, I just went with it.
"Phew...."
'Guess I'll go in.'
Was it because of the excitement? I placed my needlessly trembling hand on the doorknob. I carefully pulled the door.
*Tinkle~*
"Welcome."
The clear sound of the bell on the pulled door announced my arrival.
Simultaneously, a firm yet gentle voice greeted me.
"Ah, yes. Hello."
"Hmm.... A face I haven't seen before in Abydos."
"Huh? Ah... Yes, I just moved here not too long ago...."
"Moving to Abydos, of all places. How peculiar."
"Haha...."
Should I call this being blunt...? And this is coming from someone who runs his own business in Abydos.
Well, he has a point....
"Are you alone?"
"Yes, just me."
"I see. Then what would you like to order? For the record, since it's your first time, I recommend the signature dish, Shiba Seki Ramen."
"Uh... Then I'll have one Shiba Seki Ramen...."
"Alright. There are no other customers, so sit wherever you like and wait. It'll be out shortly."
"Okay...."
It was a rather long, seamless conversation, full of friendly banter. I got the feeling that he must have a lot of regulars.
I hadn't expected him to be so chatty with me, a total stranger.... ...But still.
'That beastman is Master Shiba...!'
Master Shiba
The owner of Shiba Seki Ramen. Contrary to his cute appearance resembling a Shiba Inu, he is a resourceful and highly skilled ramen artisan.
'To think I'd meet a character from the story...!'
Even though a lot has happened, I suddenly started to feel excited and joyful. It was as if it brought comfort to my soul, which had been worn down after being dropped here so suddenly...?
Anyway, it wasn't a bad feeling....
Riding the wave of dopamine, I gave a small smile and sat down at a single-person seat in front of the kitchen, ready to eat the ramen as soon as it came out.
While waiting for the ramen to arrive, I looked around to pass the time.
The interior was predominantly wood, with Japanese-style orange lanterns hanging from above.
The kitchen was rectangular, surrounded by seats just like the one I was in, and it was wide open like a street food stall, giving a clear view of Master Shiba as he cooked.
'Is it because it's the morning...? Or just because this is Abydos, or because it's on the outskirts...?'
Most importantly, there were no other customers besides me.
"Is it strange that there are no customers?"
"Ah— No, that's not it..."
"Haha, no need to be tense. It's a common occurrence here."
"Right...."
I guess I was staring too much. That was almost rude of me.
"Here's your ramen."
"Yes, thank you."
'Oh!! This is the Shiba Seki Ramen!!'
I've only had ramen once in real life, so I'm no expert, but from its wafting aroma to the neatly arranged, mouth-watering ingredients.
It was more than enough to stimulate my appetite.
Following my appetite's lead, I immediately picked up my chopsticks, lifted some noodles, and put them in my mouth.
"—!"
The perfectly cooked noodles were firm and chewy, and the broth was clean and savory, not heavy at all.
The noodles had soaked up the broth well, blending together harmoniously instead of feeling separate.
The chashu was moist and incredibly tender; it melted in my mouth.
Besides that, I tried wrapping the piece of seaweed on the side with the other toppings, and eating the noodles and toppings together.
I was a complete novice when it came to ramen, but I enjoyed it in my own way. After finishing all the noodles and toppings, with the boiled egg as the last bite, I regretfully lifted the bowl and drank the broth in one go.
"—Ahhh~!"
I'm not one to eat much for breakfast. But he went through the trouble of making it, so I couldn't just leave it.
Besides, leaving food behind is a luxury I can't afford right now. I have to eat whenever I get the chance.
*Thud.*
The sound of the bowl hitting the table marked the end of my meal.
"So, what did you think?"
After I finished my meal, I heard the master's question... I simply responded without a word, my eyes shining.
*Thumbs-up~*
"...Hehe, I see."
I could say it was a very happy moment.
"Phew.... Um... so, how much is it?"
However, that happy moment was brief. In life, a 'moment' of happiness is like the first snow of winter.
Actually, I already knew.
That one bowl costs 580 yen.
Spending money that I desperately needed to save was painful, but it was a satisfying expense nonetheless.
"It's 580 yen, but..."
'...?'
"I won't take your money."
!?"
"You're a new customer, and I'm also indebted to the students of Abydos. I have to make sure you remember Abydos as a generous place."
"And it's also a personal reward for enjoying the ramen so thoroughly, not leaving a single scrap behind. Don't mind it."
"......"
"Hm? What's wrong?"
"Ah— It's not that... It's just the first act of kindness I've received since coming here... Haha...."
Warm food. Warm kindness. Given by someone....
This should just be one of those heartwarming stories that could happen in reality... just a simple act to be thankful for.
My heart felt overwhelmed.
My hand had unconsciously moved to the back of my neck, and something was welling up inside me, but I forced myself to express my gratitude.
"Th-thank you very much...!"
I bowed a full 90 degrees. Because I realized what that 'something' was....
"Hmph... Right. See you again."
With Master Shiba's voice as the last thing I heard, I turned toward the door and stepped outside.
My steps on the way out....
Were quite fast.
______________________
In the game's story, Master Shiba doesn't even get mad at the students who blow up his shop,
Instead, he forgives them as if nothing happened and serves them ramen. He's an incredibly magnanimous person, known among the fandom as the second Sensei, an ideal adult.
'So that's what a true adult is....'
I roughly wiped away the small beads of sweat that had gathered at the corner of my eyes.
It's sweat....
"Hah.... Anyway, is Serika not here? Is it because it's not her shift today?"
Kuromi Serika
A first-year student at Abydos High School, known as the poster girl for Shiba Seki Ramen. She works to pay off the debt Abydos High School incurred from loan sharks in the past due to desertification.
Approximately 962,350,000 yen.
It's an insane number no matter how you look at it, but to protect her school, she's an admirable 15-year-old girl who works part-time every day.
"Come to think of it, has Sensei arrived yet...?"
Could Sensei be here already? With nothing better to do, I turned on my phone to check.
[77%]
[9:02]
"No—! My battery—!!"
Seeing that the battery had drained by 2%, I resolved to just turn the phone off when I'm not using it.
"Haa... No, more importantly, I need to hurry...."
Putting my frustration aside, I quickly browsed through news articles, even if it meant draining more battery.
But... it feels like the scenario is all too predictable, doesn't it...?
Usually, it would be something like, "Sensei hasn't arrived yet. I should get things ready," or, "Not yet... Sensei. This time, I will surely...." right?
As the feeling of a fated plot development started creeping in, I scrolled down through the news articles without much expectation.
As expected, there were no articles about Sensei to be fou—.
? Wait.
'Did I... see that wrong...?'
I hurriedly scrolled back up.
'General Student Council Missing...?'
This is definitely the event that signals the beginning of the game.
"What is this...."
I started frantically searching for articles with related keywords.
I had no time to worry about things like my phone's battery. There was only a gamer's sense of duty telling me I had to know about this.
"…! No way…."
Is this what it feels like to live without a device in an information society...?
1 day ago, 16:43
Breaking News!! A New Wind in Kivotos!?
With the General Student Council President's disappearance throwing Kivotos into chaos, a figure has been active, leading the students....
The text, still freshly printed in a neat font, was dated just one day ago. And....
"A picture...."
A single photo, the kind you'd see in a gossip column.
The photo showed Sensei directing the students.
"I see... so it's already...."
Yesterday, the day I fell into the world of Blue Archive,
The story had already begun.