I was tricked! - 31

"Look, I said I'm sorry. Nito-chan. I'll buy you ramen, so forgive me."

"..."

I don't know...

It's all your fault...

I got home, finally changed my clothes, and was resting when I received a Momotalk from Sensei saying that everyone was going to a ramen shop and that I should come out.

It's surprising that it's only 4 o'clock.

After going through so many things at once, it feels like a lot of time has passed.

Idols... Just thinking about it again gives me chills.

I even got seen by Momoi and Midori, got petted a lot, and was practically hugged until I got off the train.

"Here, wipe your mouth. Good girl~☆"

"I'm not a child..."

"...It's all good, but. Why did we come here again?"

Since Serika came here to work, she had already changed her clothes and was serving customers.

"Do you want more chashu, Nito?"

"...Yes."

I was eating what I was given...

Creak-

"Ah...u-um..."

A familiar, very timid-looking purple-haired girl entered the store.

"Welcome! How many people?"

"...Wh-what's the cheapest menu here, h-how much is it?"

It was Haruka.

"The cheapest one is... the 580 yen Shiba Seki Ramen! It's our signature menu, so it's delicious!"

"Ah, th-thank you!"

Haruka is asking questions properly...

Was my image of Haruka wrong?

Anyway, the fact that she asked that question means...

Creak-

"Huh?"

Serika was bewildered.

Creak-

And those guys came in.

"Hehe, we finally found it. A menu under 600 yen!"

"Fufufu. Indeed, there's a solution to every problem. I had already predicted everything."

"I-is that so? As expected of our president, who knows everything..."

"Haa..."

It was the Problem Solver 68.

"Are you all four? I'll guide you to your seats."

Serika tried to guide them to their seats, but Mutsuki shook her head.

"No, no, we're fine with one seat. We're only ordering one."

"Only one...? Still, I'll guide you to a comfortable seat. It's a slow time anyway, with plenty of empty seats."

"Oh! How kind. Thank you, thank you. We won't refuse."

Was that a formal refusal?

"Ah, since we're imposing, can we get four sets of chopsticks? Kind part-timer."

Hmm... I guess not?

"Huh? Four? D-don't tell me you're going to share one bowl?"

"S-s-sorry! We're sorry for being poor! We're sorry for not having money!"

Yeah, this is the Haruka I know.

But take it easy, Haruka.

Aru's expression is getting weird.

"What?! Ah, no... It's not really something to apologize for..."

"No! If you don't have money, you should die! You have no value in life! You're less than a bug! I'm sorry for being less than a bug...!"

What kind of life has she lived for a high school girl to say such things...

"Haa... Be quiet, Haruka. You're being a nuisance..."

Fortunately, Kayoko put the brakes on Haruka.

"What?! It's not a crime to be poor! Straighten up!"

"Huh? ...Yes?!"

"It's okay to not have money. You're students! But you all gathered your coins to come eat ramen, right? That's what's important!"

It's not a crime to be poor.

Serika, who has a sensitive spot for this kind of thing, gave an impassioned speech to Haruka.

"Wait there, I'll bring it to you quickly."

"...Somehow, I feel like I've been misunderstood."

Well, the truth is that our foolish president mismanaged the money and forgot to set aside money for food.

"What~ We're not really poor. It's just that Aru-chan spent all the money."

"It's not Aru-chan, it's President. Mutsuki, you have to use honorifics."

Aru retorted with some dignity.

"Huh? Even after work, you're still the president? Then what kind of president can't even buy her employees ramen?"

But it was nothing to Mutsuki, who was a master at teasing Aru, no, just teasing in general.

"..."

Aru was at a loss for words.

"We spent all our money hiring the contractors for today's raid..."

Kayoko, there are things you don't have to say.

"Fufufu. But we still have enough money for one bowl of ramen, right? This is all within my predictions."

"That's why you should have saved enough money for four bowls..."

"Be honest, Aru-chan? You forgot, didn't you? You forgot to set aside money for dinner, didn't you?"

"...Fufufu."

Aru just laughed, perhaps embarrassed that her true intentions were exposed.

"Nito-chan, what are you looking at? Try some of this!"

"Ugh...!"

I can't focus on the conversation anymore...

After that, Serika brought a bowl of ramen to the Problem Solver 68 members who sat down.

"Here's your food! Be careful, it's hot!"

Thunk-!

"Wow..."

The ramen that came out had so little broth compared to the noodles that no one would ever call it a single serving.

To exaggerate a bit, it was almost not 1 serving, but 10 servings.

Haruka was taken aback by the overwhelming amount and asked if they had taken the order wrong.

"No, no, it's correct. 580 yen Shiba Seki Ramen, regular size! Right, Master?"

A fluffy Shiba Inu (?) walked out.

"Well, I might have accidentally put in a little too much. Don't worry about it."

Since the owner said so, the Problem Solver 68 had no choice but to accept it.

Everyone is happy about the unexpected good luck.

By the way, they're really enjoying it.

How do you cook it so that there are so many noodles and so little broth, but the noodles are completely infused with the broth's flavor?

"Right, right? It's delicious, right?"

Nonomi had moved to the other table at some point.

"Huh...? The person who was sitting next to me..."

"Yes, yes, the ramen here is really the best! People come from other regions just to eat it."

Why is she doing their marketing...

Is she doing this for Serika?

"Ah. I agree. I've traveled to many regions and eaten, but it's hard to find ramen like this."

Aru's personality makes it unlikely that she's been outside of Gehenna much...

"Hehe... We're regulars here. It makes me happy when students from other schools come to eat..."

"That uniform is from Gehenna? You came from far away."

Shiroko recognized Aru's uniform, perhaps from riding near Gehenna.

But it suddenly occurred to me, wouldn't it have been pure chaos if Shiroko was a student of Gehenna?

"I've seen this scene somewhere before. What was it, One Bowl of Ramen...?"

"Uhe~ Wasn't that udon?"

Since everyone moved to the other table, I feel like I should go with them.

We've already finished the food at our table anyway, so it should be fine.

Ah, judging by Kayoko's gaze, she seems to have noticed.

Mutsuki seems to have noticed too.

"Fufufufu-! Alright, to think I'd meet kindred spirits here. I didn't predict this, but such unpredictability is the spice of life, isn't it?"

As expected, Aru seems completely oblivious.

No, more importantly, Kayoko started staring at me, making me uncomfortable.

She seems to be suspicious of my identity, as I don't look like a student of Abydos.

Meanwhile, Kayoko sighed as she watched Aru and the Countermeasure Committee laughing and having a good time.

"By the way, who's that kid next to you?"

Mutsuki asked.

She probably can't stand not knowing, so she chose to ask directly rather than ponder it alone like Kayoko.

"It's Nito-chan! She's going to be the best idol in Kivotos in the future-"

"Aaaaaah!"

I quickly cut off Nonomi before she could say anything else.

"Ah?"

She only heard up to 'Ah'.

That's a relief.

"Aoi Nito. P-please ignore what you just heard..."

"I see? Nito-chan, can you come here for a second?"

I'm anxious...

"Come, sit here!"

"Umm..."

I sat down for now.

I'll make a quick escape if I sense anything strange.

"This is too much for us to eat alone, do you want to share?"

Mutsuki is offering me a favor without any demands?

"Then... Would you all like to join us?"

I invited the Countermeasure Committee members who were still standing next to us and talking to Aru, and Nonomi, who looked somewhat displeased, to join us.

There's plenty of food anyway, so it shouldn't be a problem.

"I'm fine."

"This old lady is full just watching Nito-chan eat~."

"I'm okay too."

"I'll have to decline Nito-chan's request~♧"

Everyone said they didn't want any.

Why?

"Here you go~ Nito-chan? Say ah~."

That's a bit embarrassing...

"Ah~."

"...Ah."

She brought the ramen-filled spoon to my mouth, so I had no choice but to open it.

Nom- nom-

Wow, it's really delicious.

This is my first time trying this ramen today...

From now on, I should order this more often when I come here...?!

"Cough! H-huh?! Heuu..."

What is this!

It's so spicy!!!

"Heuu... C-can I have some water...!"

"Here you go!"

Mutsuki handed me a glass of water, and I immediately took it and drank it in one gulp. And then...

"...!!!!"

My nose!

My nose hurts so much!!

The water Mutsuki gave me was mixed with a lot of mustard.

"Ahaha! Sorry, I guess I gave you the wrong one."

"Keh...!"

Tears welled up in my eyes.

"Mutsuki, again..."

"I-I'm sorry! I'll get you some water right away!"

"Haa..."

"Kufufu~."

"Euuu..."

That damn mesugaki...