At this moment, Hinata Ayane was happily devouring a bowl of ramen.
Her fair little cheeks were puffed out, making her look like a cute little squirrel.
On the two seats next to her, she had neatly stacked over a dozen empty bowls each, perfectly symmetrical.
Aokawa's eyes widened in shock.
Was a large appetite hereditary for girls of the Hyuga Clan?
She was eating so much!
He finally remembered the first time he had met Hinata Ayane.
He now knew where that inexplicable sense of familiarity had come from.
She was practically a carbon copy of Hinata, who wouldn't be born for another few years.
It was just that Hinata Ayane had grown her hair long early on, and her features were more refined than Hinata's.
That was why Aokawa hadn't realized it at first.
But seeing all those empty bowls beside her now...
He recalled that twenty-some years later, there would be another Byakugan girl.
Right here at Ichiraku Ramen, she would claim the title of the number one big eater.
Even the Akimichi Clan would fall behind her.
At the table, Hinata Ayane was eating with pure joy.
Eating out was the happiest time of her day.
At home, she always had to follow various Family etiquettes, which dictated that girls should take small bites and not eat too much.
She never felt full there.
Eating out was much happier, even if it cost quite a bit of pocket money.
She was about to tell the owner that he could start on the next bowl.
Suddenly, she felt a gaze fixed on her.
Confused, she turned her head to look.
In an instant, her expression froze.
She even forgot to chew the noodles in her mouth.
"Ao—Aokawa, what are you doing here?"
Hinata Ayane hurriedly bit off the noodles hanging from her mouth and spoke indistinctly.
After grabbing a tissue to wipe the soup from her lips...
Within two seconds, her posture suddenly became dignified and elegant.
"I came to try this ramen; I heard it's very good," Aokawa said with a smile.
"Ah, ah, it is indeed very delicious."
She moved over to one side, gesturing for Aokawa to sit beside her.
Aokawa smiled and sat next to her, ordering a bowl of Miso Ramen from Ichiraku.
He turned to see the mountain-like stack of empty bowls at his spot.
He wasn't sure what to do for a moment.
Hinata Ayane finally realized the problem as well.
Her face flushed red, and she looked at Ichiraku, stammering:
"O—Owner, why haven't you cleared away the bowls from the previous customer?"
Her voice lacked confidence, sounding very guilty.
Ichiraku, who was boiling noodles, turned his head with a bewildered look.
After his brain stalled for a moment, he finally caught on.
"Ah, yes, yes."
He hurried forward and took away all the empty bowls next to Hinata Ayane.
As he took them, he apologized with a sheepish smile to both of them:
"Sorry, I've been too busy. Please excuse me!"
Aokawa couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.
He played along, saying, "Business is good, it's understandable."
He then started chatting with Hinata Ayane.
Ichiraku soon brought out the ramen Aokawa had ordered.
The two talked while they ate.
Soon.
Aokawa noticed that there were very few noodles left in Ayane's bowl.
But she was still eating slowly, as if waiting for something.
It was obvious she wasn't full yet.
But perhaps because he was there, she was too embarrassed to order more.
He finished his noodles quickly and ordered a takeout portion for Hyuga Fū.
He made an excuse to leave early so that Hinata Ayane could continue her feast.
When he reached the Hospital, Taro was already continuously treating the bones based on Hyuga Fū's condition.
"Mission accomplished!" Taro said with a happy smile as the light in her hands faded.
Aokawa smiled at the news. "Does that mean he's fully recovered?"
"Not quite yet. The muscle tissue hasn't been repaired. Let me rest for a bit," Taro said.
"I'm sorry for the trouble."
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