"Mari, actually I—"
Before Haruto could finish, the notification sound from his phone interrupted him. He paused, his brows furrowing slightly.
"Ah, sorry, I need to check this. It's important," he said, pulling out his phone. The message was from Enji:
"Got an idea. Stall Mari. Get her upstairs somehow. I'll keep Asuka downstairs. Don't screw this up, man."
Haruto frowned. With their ramen already on the table and the shop packed with customers, switching tables seemed impossible.
He quickly typed back:
"Can't. Too many customers. We can't change tables."
He paused, glancing around the restaurant for alternatives. His gaze landed on the restroom at the back of the shop.
'Maybe I can hide there until Enji gets Asuka upstairs,' he thought.
But the idea was risky. If Mari spotted her boss, things could spiral out of control fast.
'Damn, no back door either,' he realized, his frustration evident on his face.
Noticing his troubled expression, Mari tilted her head in concern. "What's wrong, Haruto? Is something the matter?"
"Ah... it's nothing," he replied with a forced smile. "Just a message from a friend dealing with some personal issues."
He returned his focus to his phone, tapping his fingers against the screen as he brainstormed.
Then, an idea struck.
'Maybe we should leave the shop entirely. That way, Enji can handle Asuka while I get Mari out of here.'
He typed out his new plan to Enji: "Change of plans. I'll take Mari out of the shop. You take over from here."
Enji's reply came almost instantly: "Alright, but if this goes south, it's not my fault."
Haruto rolled his eyes and slipped his phone back into his pocket. Clearing his throat, he turned to Mari with a sheepish look.
Her words trailed off as Enji's attention shifted sharply. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Haruto emerging from the shop with Mari, her blonde hair catching the light.
Haruto winked subtly in his direction, signaling that their plan had worked. Enji responded with a small nod.
But Asuka, as sharp as ever, noticed his distraction. Her brows knitted slightly as she began to turn toward whatever had caught his eye.
Acting on instinct, Enji blurted out, "AH! YEAH! LET ME TELL YOU THE SHOP NAME!"
His sudden outburst startled her into looking back at him, her expression one of mild confusion.
"And here's the owner's contact info too!" he added quickly, pulling out his phone.
"Tell him you're a friend of mine, and you'll get the discount."
Asuka blinked at him, her suspicion momentarily quelled by his enthusiasm. Still, her sharp instincts nagged at her.
She glanced back over her shoulder, finding nothing but an empty street. Something was off, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
"By the way, where's Haruto?" she asked casually, her tone laden with suspicion.
Though she avoided saying his name outright—likely because of her husband's presence—her intent was clear.
Enji froze for a split second, his mind racing. He hadn't anticipated her bringing up Haruto so directly.
"He, uh... he's not a fan of spicy food," Enji said awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.
"So he went back to the ryokan to rest."
Asuka regarded him with narrowed eyes, then slowly reached into the small bag slung over her shoulder to pull out her phone.
'You're dead, Haruto,' Enji thought grimly, watching her unlock the device and start typing.
'And this? This is officially out of my hands.'
Having a sister made him learn many things about women, one of them was never messing with their instinct.
They were terrifyingly accurate.