CH 120

Invited by Kazaguruma, Tsugumi took a cab and after an hour in the car, he arrived at a single ramen shop in an intricate alleyway.

–He liked ramen. However, ordering a large quantity of ramen would cause trouble for the restaurant, so he rarely went there as Hagakure Sakura. Even if he went there, he usually stopped after about five bowls.

On the signboard of the store, the name of the store was written as [Tasty Ramen Shop] and gave an indescribable impression. The lights were still on, but there was a “closed for business” sign posted outside.

“Um, there’s a sign saying this place is closed for business, is that okay?”

“It’s okay. I made a reservation in advance.”

…As he thought that ramen shops apparently could be rented out, Kazaguruma pushed Tsugumi’s back and opened her mouth, looking slightly embarrassed 

“Come in quickly.”

“Ah yes. I understand.”

Puzzled by Kazaguruma’s atmosphere, he passed through the curtain, which looked a little deserted, and saw a small, but more beautiful restaurant than he had expected. The owner, a young man with a mild air about him, invited Tsugumi to come in.

Kazaguruma slightly raised her hand and said, “I recommend two”. She sat down at a table in the back with a satisfied look. Perhaps the owner was used to it, he shrugged and turned away and walked to the kitchen in the back.

–The owner didn’t make a fuss when he saw Magical Girls. It was just a normal reaction. He wondered if this was a famous place that he didn’t know about.

With these thoughts in mind, Tsugumi took a seat in front of Kazaguruma and discreetly asked as he poured two cups of cold water into the cups on the table.

“Are you a regular here, Kazaguruma-san?”

“Mmm, I’m not a regular; that was my brother just now. It’s a small restaurant, but the taste is good. –Besides, you don’t have to worry about our conversation leaking out.”

Kazaguruma began to speak haltingly, then said in a hushed voice.

“Sorry to say it’s just my family’s restaurant, but I hope you’ll bear with me. ….If you go to a high-class restaurant on the day someone dies, people will make a fuss. Better to stay out of trouble.”

“I see. That may indeed be true.”

Indeed, on the day a colleague, a Magical Girl, died in front of her eyes, it would sound strange if they acted like usual.

In Tsugumi’s case, he separated work and private life, so it didn’t bother him that much when people complained about him, but considering the future, he wanted to avoid lowering Hagakure Sakura’s image as much as possible. He didn’t know what the upper management – Toono – was up to, but it would be better not to make a bad mistake.

Thinking about this, Tsugumi nodded solemnly. Then, looking around the warmth of the restaurant, he let out a small sigh.

Perhaps it was because he had been in a fierce battle just an hour before, but somehow he felt very calm. Then, remembering the battle just now–the end of Shiraki, he opened his mouth, feeling a bit sad.

“I’m sorry about Shiraki-san.”

“It happens all the time. There’s no point in worrying about it.”

When Tsugumi muttered this, Kazaguruma said in a crisp voice and shook her head slightly.

“I know it’s a little late for this, but how’s your appetite? If you don’t have much appetite, I’ll tell them to cut back a bit.”

“I’m fine. I can eat normally.”

Witnessing someone’s death made him somewhat discouraged, but it didn’t affect his spirit that much. It was Shiraki herself who decided to fight an A-class. Regardless of the outcome, it seemed rather rude for a complete stranger to worry about it.

In fact, he was hungrier than usual because of the fight with the Demonic Beast. When Tsugumi told her this, Kazaguruma smiled slightly with an air of exasperation.

“Hagakure Sakura is really bold. No, everyone at Jukka is like that. In other words, I am the only normal person. Good grief, this is a lot to bear.”

‘Well, there are a lot of unique people in Jukka.”

As for Tsugumi, he thought “Hagakure Sakura” was a rather normal person among those members with strong personalities, but it would be better not to say that. He didn’t want to poke snakes out of the bushes.

“No, no, no, I can’t compete with someone who has become the cafeteria specialty. –By the way, this is a small restaurant as you can see, so don’t expect such a large quantity. We won’t be able to open tomorrow.”

“I-I can at least control how much I eat! Please don’t tease me anymore.”

In the meantime, the dishes were brought to the table. The menu included ramen, fried rice, dumplings, fried tofu, and other items that were typical of ramen shops. The amount of food was somewhat inadequate for Tsugumi, but it wasn’t a problem, since not eating a lot of food wouldn’t make him collapse.

–This hunger was surely different from the body’s fuel consumption. He was little concerned about it, but Magical Girls tended to be easily influenced by their contact Gods. There was no real damage so far, except for the cost of food, and Bell hadn’t said anything in particular, so there should be no problem with just watching the situation for the time being.

He held the bowl of ramen and picked up his chopsticks before the noodles got stretched. He blew the ramen to cool it down then took a small sip of the noodle. He took two bites, then three, and then Tsugumi stared at it in surprise.

“–It’s very delicious. Eh, this is really ramen, isn’t it?”

A light seafood soup with a mellow dashi aroma. The perfect balance between the char siu that melted in his mouth and the crispy noodles. It felt like sipping a high-class soup rather than ramen.

…He finally understood why some people often said that ramen was a beverage. With trepidation, he picked up some other snacks, but they all tasted more complex than they looked, and he never got tired of them.

Kazaguruma smiled with satisfaction at Tsugumi, who was surprised but didn’t stop eating.

“That’s good to hear. …I was wondering what would happen when my foolish brother quit his job as a hotel chef and suddenly started a ramen shop, but if that Hagakure Sakura says so, he may be able to make it work. I feel a little relieved.”

“I see. I think this will definitely become popular.”

“But the price tag is unreasonably aggressive. The price is about five times higher than in a normal restaurant.”

Saying that, Kazaguruma shrugged and let out a sigh. According to her, the cost of ingredients had increased because of the taste, and it wouldn’t be profitable unless the price was around that level. Even if it wasn’t the case, it seemed that the funds were always tight for buying ingredients to research tastes. …He probably really wasn’t suited for management.

“A bowl of ramen and a side dish alone would cost more than 10,000 yen. Well, you could lower the unit price or something like that…”

As Tsugumi said that, he glanced at the owner, who crossed his head and shook his head quietly. It seemed that he never intended to give it up. … He didn’t know what kind of target he was aiming for, but he couldn’t see any prospects for it to go well.

–I like the taste, so I’ll come here once in a while to make sure it doesn’t go out of business. Thinking of this, he continued to eat with his chopsticks. After finishing the dishes at the table while chatting, Kazaguruma opened her mouth to mutter a few words as she ate the gelato served for dessert.

“Hagakure Sakura is a nice person, so I’ll give a warning.”

“Eh?”

“Be careful with Agatsuma Suo. –That thing has really disgusting eyes. Her eyes seem to simmer with stagnant malice. It’s best not to get involved.”

“What does that mean?”

He didn’t understand why, and when Tsugumi raised his voice in bewilderment, Kazaguruma stared into Tsugumi’s eyes and said.

“Hagakure Sakura is dull. –She’s been looking at you that way for a long time. Did you really not notice?”

“…No, not at all. But, I see. Agatsuma-san was looking at me like that.”

Saying so quietly, Tsugumi tightly grasped his chest with both hands.

–Agatsuma Suo was a victim of that great fire. She, too, was searching for the truth about the great fire, just like Tsugumi. Perhaps she might have found the truth, or a piece of it, through a different route. Just thinking about it gave him chills that made every hair on his body stand on end.

–Hagakure Sakura’s face bore a striking resemblance to the main culprit in the case, Shikabane Sakura. He didn’t know how much of the truth Agatsuma knew, but that was a good enough reason to be hostile.

“Thank you for your concern. …I think I will try to have a proper talk with Agatsuma-san someday. Whatever the outcome, I’m sure it will be better that way.”

–He didn’t have the courage to speak just yet. Besides, many mysteries remained about the great fire. As long as those aspects weren’t clarified, nothing he said would solve anything. He knew this was just procrastination, but Tsugumi couldn’t afford it right now.

Feel guilty for being a relative of the perpetrator, and feel victimized for being raised as a sacrifice. Even Tsugumi himself hadn’t fully grasped the contradiction that slowly chipping away at his heart. Talking to the victim in such a situation was suicidal.

–He still had a lot of things to do. The truth of the case. About Chidori. Toono’s plan. He couldn’t face Agatsuma until all of these things were settled, at the very least. But maybe someday they would have to talk. He would have to make up his mind by then.

Tsugumi smiled wryly and scratched his head. Kazaguruma, who had been watching Tsugumi silently, let out a loud sigh and scooped up a spoonful of gelato, and popped it into Tsugumi’s mouth. A sweet aroma filled his mouth.

“Mmmm!?”

“Haha, what a stupid face. –I don’t know what happened between you and Agatsuma Suo. Just move on and be satisfied with yourself. Hagakure Sakura is doing well enough.”

Kazaguruma said this with a rare smile. Tsugumi swallowed the contents of his mouth, blinking his eyes as he stared at Kazaguruma. He could feel his cheeks slowly turning red from the straightforward comfort and praise.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, he looked away to hide his embarrassment and said in a sulky tone.

“What are you doing, treating people like children?”

“As long as I am tall, you are a child. You can take advantage of your Oneechan as much as you want. Here.”

Kazaguruma spreads her hands mockingly, and Tsugumi said with a pouting face.

“Who is an oneechan? I’m older than you.”

“Hagakure Sakura is, by all accounts, the youngest child. Besides, two years or so is like a margin of error. It doesn’t make much difference.”

Then, Tsugumi and Kazaguruma looked at each other and chuckled. The easy-going, mindless exchange was terribly comfortable.

After that, they chatted about other things while eating their extra desserts, and then disbanded when the night was late.

After thanking Kazaguruma and the owner, he left the restaurant and walked alone along the empty night street after transforming himself. He didn’t eat enough to fill his stomach, but for some reason his stomach was full.

“…Come to think of it, I called Chidori to let her know that I’m staying over today. Then I guess I can’t go home today.”

Muttering this, Tsugumi took out his cell phone. He then selected one of his contacts.

“Hello, Yukitaka? I have a favor to ask-“