Chapter 37: Extra Garlic (And the Rest)

POV - Kazuto

Before I knew it, I was in a classroom in the middle of the afternoon.

The town broadcast announcing the evening echoed through the air, and I vaguely realized I had overslept. The buttons on my blazer sleeve scratched at my face as if to spite me, and with every shift of my posture, the classroom flickered in and out of my narrowing field of vision.

A question suddenly surfaced—was the school I attended really like this? Once the doubt took root, everything moved quickly.

I lifted my head and locked eyes with a pair of beautiful violet eyes, deep as the translucent night. Startled, I jerked back, nearly toppling over in my chair.

"Whoops."

I felt myself enveloped in a soft, sweet, and comforting fragrance as she caught me, holding me close. While I felt a surge of flustered heat from the sensation of her softness against me, I managed to mutter a thank you.

"You're very welcome. We meet again, Newbie."

"I thought you said we wouldn't be seeing each other for a while?"

"That was the plan... but things are starting to smell a bit fishy. Besides, you don't seem to mind, do you? Come on, be honest and tell me you're happy to see me."

The scent of shampoo wafted through the air whenever her silk-like hair swayed. Dressed in a sailor-style school uniform with her hands clasped behind her back, her presence was so commanding that even her smallest movements felt like a perfectly composed scene from a film.

"I am happy to see you again."

Her expression went blank for a fleeting second before a sly, satisfied grin spread across her face.

"So, do you have any plans for a hot, passionate kiss?"

She asked me while making a faint, playful popping sound with her lips. Though our time together had been brief, I had learned enough about her to know she was just teasing me.

"Not at the moment, no."

"Hmm? Fair enough then. Let's go."

Before I could even agree, I felt my consciousness twist. In an instant, I was standing in what looked like a dingy, grimy shop.

Looking at the interior, I could tell it was an old Chinese restaurant, but I winced at the thick, pungent smell permeating the air.

"..."

Are there people here...?

"Excuse me."

"..."

"Hello!"

"..."

Apparently, speaking to them was useless.

"What are you having?"

"...The same as her."

Before I realized it, Asuna was sitting on a circular stool with peeling leather, asking for my order. She was still wearing her school uniform, just as she had been a moment ago.

"Really? In that case... I'll take the extra garlic, extra veggies, extra sprouts, extra fat, extra salt, extra firm, and extra noodles!"

"Wait, what was that?"

She had rattled off those absurd specifications so fluently that I couldn't help but double-check. Even more surprising was the fact that as soon as she finished speaking, a bowl piled high with a mountain of raw vegetables appeared on the counter.

The sheer amount of vegetables here would be expensive enough to make an aristocrat cry tears of blood. I was stunned to think that, in the past, people could eat like this for a low price.

"Time to eat."

She had tied her hair back into a high ponytail so it wouldn't get in the way of her meal. From the corner of my eye, I watched her smooth, blemishless nape, which was beginning to glisten with a fine sheen of sweat from the heat of the shop.

"If you don't eat it, the noodles will get soggy, you know?"

Nudged by her as she tilted her head playfully, I picked up a small amount of the translucent vegetables and put them in my mouth. I nearly gagged at the raw, grassy flavor and the bitter liquid that burst forth.

"Ah, yeah, raw bean sprouts are pretty gross. I get it. They'll soften up soon enough, so start with the noodles."

Taking her advice, I managed to dig out a yellow mass from beneath the pile. After letting it cool slightly, I took a bite.

The first thing that hit me was the sheer intensity of the flavor. I was overwhelmed by what could only be described as a violent explosion of salt and umami. I was instantly hooked on the addictive, stimulating soup, which was heavily infused with the vegetable paste she called garlic.

I lost myself in slurping the noodles... It was difficult. Chopsticks existed in my time as well, but I don't think we ever really had noodle dishes.

"Is this Asuna's memory, too?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe...?"

"I can only vaguely recall the memories of when I was human. The memory transfer systems were pretty garbage back then."

I waited for her to say more. I knew that when Asuna was like this, asking questions would only lead to her dodging the subject.

Slurp, slurp.

The thick, curly noodles held the soup perfectly. The chewy resistance of the noodles felt like they were pushing back against my teeth, further stimulating my sense of fullness.

The sound of a bell chimed.

"Hello!"

"Welcome! I was worried since you haven't been by lately."

"I just wasn't in the mood for ramen. I brought a friend today, though!"

I heard voices. The moment that girl arrived, it felt as though color had flooded into the world.

"What can I get you?"

"Extra garlic, extra veggies, extra sprouts, extra fat, extra salt, extra firm, and extra noodles!"

"...And a small portion for me."

Another girl was stuck like glue to the first girl's back. I felt a strange sense of déjà vu looking at her face.

The sound of a chair scraping back echoed through the shop.

"Asuna...?"

She had suddenly stood up, her eyes wide as if she were seeing something impossible.

"...Until we meet again, Newbie."

"Wait! Who is this sister!? What do you want me to do!?"

Seeing her body begin to dissolve into particles, I rushed to ask my questions.

"You've already met A46—Esil, haven't you? Don't worry. You've already met the other one, too."

She pulled a cigarette from her pocket and asked me for a light—

The flame flickered and caught. With that final image, I woke in reality, lying on my back with my arm stretched straight up.

With the hand that had grasped at nothing, I pressed my thumb down toward the empty air. I did it in the hope—the belief—that she had received the light.