"Ugh..."
The fact that the problem plaguing her for so long finally had a light at the end of the tunnel made Miko lose herself in a bit of over-excitement. So much so that, without any self-awareness, she ordered the same portion of Jiro-style ramen as Fujiwara Chika and Yurikawa Hana. When that steaming bowl of ramen, piled high with bean sprouts and chashu, was actually placed in front of her, the young girl was dumbstruck. The somewhat murderous glares from the surrounding customers and the owner made it impossible for her to say, "The portion is too big, please give me a little less..." so she could only brace herself and start eating.
A major characteristic of Jiro-style ramen is that if you don't know how to eat it, after burying your head and struggling for a long time, you'll find the portion in the bowl hasn't decreased at all; instead, it looks like there's more because the noodles have soaked up the broth and expanded. Consequently, after experiencing the three stages of "the noodles are squirming..." "I can't fit another bite..." and "Guh, just kill me..." Yotsuya Miko finally succumbed to her own recklessness, to the point where her burps now tasted like lard.
After finishing the noodles, Yotsuya Miko planned to follow Fujiwara Chika to see the person who could reportedly solve the issues with her body. However, Yurikawa Hana isn't someone from "this side" after all, and it would become troublesome if she followed along, so after some consideration, Yotsuya Miko managed to persuade her to head back. Seeing her best friend's incredulous expression—as if saying "What do you mean I ate a bowl of noodles and my best friend disappeared?"—and her somewhat lonely silhouette as she left made Miko feel a subtle sense of guilt.
When I get the chance, I'll go to that rumored Rabbit House and buy her those limited-edition dreamlike Rabbit Dango, the girl thought to herself. Then, she was packed into a taxi by Fujiwara Chika and taken away.
"Is it really okay to go and disturb them so abruptly?" Yotsuya Miko asked somewhat apprehensively. She was calculating whether the pocket money in her wallet would allow her to assertively suggest "going Dutch" to the driver when they arrived (taxis in Japan are very expensive), while looking at Fujiwara Chika, who seemed very happy, as if she had finally found an excuse to see the other person.
"I called and asked. He said, 'Mm, ah, oh, pfft.'"
"That's a super perfunctory way to answer! And I feel like he was mocking us? Doesn't that mean he didn't agree to meet right now at all?!"
"It's fine. Based on my understanding of that person, those words mean: 'Mm, I understand. Ah, so there's such a thing. Oh, you can come over.'"
"What kind of encrypted communication is this? And the final 'pfft' actually disappeared?"
"That was probably the sound of a carbonated drink spraying out of his nostrils."
"Can someone who does that really solve the problem with my body?!"
However, since she had already "boarded the pirate ship..." Yotsuya Miko had no way to jump out halfway and could only follow Fujiwara Chika with trepidation.
"Um, why are you braiding my hair into pigtails..." Miko asked softly as she watched Fujiwara Chika playing with her hair.
"Because Miko is very cute, to prevent... ah, no, I just think braids suit you better."
"But my hair color is pure black. Won't these braids look a bit plain and dowdy?"
"Being plain is exactly what's good... I mean, fashion is a cycle. With the changing of eras, local things that were originally plain become seen as trendy, while trendy things fall into obsolescence. Therefore, the plainer it is, the more trendy it becomes. Q.E.D."
Is... is that how it works? Miko felt something was off but didn't dare ask. She allowed herself to be braided into a plain look and arrived at the destination with Fujiwara Chika, who wore an expression of "mission accomplished."
"Wagnaria? A family restaurant?" Could a being capable of solving her problem really be in such a super-commonplace family restaurant? She subconsciously stroked the frame of the glasses on her face, making a firm resolve in her heart: regardless of anything else, she at least had to get that person to agree to lend her these glasses...
The family restaurant was quite crowded on the weekend, but only one group of people was particularly eye-catching. It was a large group of youthful, beautiful girls and a boy who, at first glance, looked somewhat ordinary.
What kind of harem situation is this?! Don't tell me I'll end up becoming one of them too? Yotsuya Miko's honey-colored eyes were full of shock. A few of the girls greeted Fujiwara Chika kindly; from their expressions, it seemed most of them also knew Miss Chika. Fujiwara Chika happily chatted with them for a moment before turning her gaze to the boy.
The boy spoke to Fujiwara Chika with a gentle smile. "Sorry, carbonated drink just came out of my nose."
"So it was actually true?!" Yotsuya Miko couldn't help but complain.
The boy's gaze shifted toward her in her black-framed glasses, and his pupils shook with shock. "Saki Yoshida?!"
"Who is that?" Yotsuya Miko was stunned.
"Did I mistake you for someone else..." the boy murmured to himself. Then, he suddenly reached out and patted Yotsuya Miko on the shoulders, saying earnestly, "I don't know who you are, but I hope you can live a normal life with this appearance from now on."
"Eh? Ehhh?" Yotsuya Miko's mind was in a whirl, and her eyes nearly turned into dizzy spirals. What did he mean? Could the price for getting rid of those eerie, distorted monsters be that she has to live in this plain, dowdy manner? Does this mean she can never wear beautiful clothes or dress up nicely again for the rest of her life? Miko recalled the monsters she had encountered and the many experiences of hovering on the edge of death and terror; suddenly, she felt like this might not be unacceptable.
"Um... excuse me, guests?" Before Yotsuya Miko could decide whether to agree, a waiter from Wagnaria arrived at their side and looked at them with concern. "If you have something to discuss, could you please sit down? Standing like this might disturb the other customers..."
Only then did the boy seem to realize his actions were inappropriate. "Sorry, I got too excited..." he said, scratching his face with a somewhat embarrassed look. "Let's find a quiet corner." Fujiwara Chika nodded vigorously, a large, sunny, and brilliant smile appearing on her face.
Meanwhile, among the girls who had been sitting with the boy, several showed subtle looks of resentment. It made Yotsuya Miko feel... well, was it weight, or a stinging sensation? In short, she had the feeling of being "watched like a thorn in the back..." as if she were having an affair with someone's husband right in front of the wife...