The night was deep.
The men's hot spring was completely empty, leaving Sora to enjoy it all to himself. However, from the women's hot spring pool separated by a bamboo fence, he could hear the sounds of the girls chatting and talking.
Sora didn't chat with the girls through the bamboo fence. He quietly soaked in the hot spring alone, then got up and returned to his room.
He checked the doors and windows, making sure they were all securely locked. Then, Sora played on his phone for a while before finally preparing to go to sleep.
But just as sleepiness began to set in, the phone by his pillow suddenly vibrated gently.
He rolled over and picked up his phone. A message from Anna popped up on the screen:
"Coo coo coo..."
Sora: "..."
What does 'coo coo coo' in the middle of the night mean?
Are you planning to grab a bucket and run away?
"Coo coo coo..."
"Coo coo coo..."
Seeing that the message showed as read, Anna quickly sent a few more 'coo coo coos' before finally getting to the point:
"Sora, you haven't fallen asleep yet, right?"
Sora: "I'm already asleep."
Anna: "Liar, you replied to the message."
Sora: "I was already dreaming just now. In my dream, I arrived at 'Pigeon Village', and there were many pigeons cooing in my ears. I was just preparing to grab a bucket and run away, and then you woke me up."
Anna: "I am incredibly sorry. How about I take Sora out to eat as compensation?"
Sora: "..."
"I just came back from soaking in the hot spring. I was planning to play on my phone for a bit before going to sleep, but my friend is so mean!" Anna clenched her pink fists, accusing her unscrupulous friend. "She actually sent me food videos. My stomach started growling right after I watched them."
You digested that massive bowl of ramen already?
You really do have a glutton's stomach!
The corner of Sora's mouth twitched slightly: "So the 'coo coo coo' was your stomach growling."
Anna: "Please, being hungry feels awful. I can't sleep at all."
Sora let out a helpless sigh and silently got up to put on his clothes: "Let's go, we'll go out and see if there's anything to eat."
Anna: "Meet at the inn entrance, wait for me, wait for me!"
"..."
It was already past 11:00 PM. Since Anna was a girl, he naturally couldn't put his mind at ease letting her go out alone, so he had to accompany her.
Sora walked out of his room and silently waited at the entrance of the inn.
Before long, a hand patted his shoulder, and the girl's crisp, bright voice immediately sounded in his ear:
"Sora, I'm here!"
Sora turned his head to look. The girl's bright and radiant smile, like a begonia quietly blooming in the night, instantly filled his vision, and his mood involuntarily brightened along with it.
"Let's go." Sora stepped outside. "I remember there's a convenience store right at the street corner. Let's go see if there's any food."
"Mhm, mhm."
Anna put her hands behind her back, following with brisk steps, and began chattering away.
"The feeling of being hungry is so awful. When I was little, my dad even used a piece of dirt wall to trick me into thinking it was chocolate..."
"Good thing Sora came out with me, otherwise I definitely wouldn't have dared to go out alone. I'd just have to clutch my stomach and suffer until dawn by myself."
"Speaking of which, today feels so magical. I was planning to mooch a meal at Sora's house and go home right after, but I never expected to end up at Mount Takao, and even go out for a late-night stroll to forage for food... I feel like this will become a treasured memory for a lifetime."
Sora silently looked at her: "Didn't you say you wanted me to review your writing? It was actually just an excuse to mooch a meal?"
"Ehehe~" Anna stuck out her delicate pink tongue, looking up at the sky and playing dumb. "Don't sweat the small details."
Sora lowered his gaze to Anna's flat, smooth stomach: "So, are you really hungry, or did you just want to go for a walk?"
"Of course I'm hungry." Anna puffed out her chest proudly. "If you don't believe me, feel it yourself, Sora. My stomach has already caved in."
"I won't feel it."
"Just feel it, don't be shy."
That's a line the guy is supposed to say, right!
Talking along the way, the two quickly crossed the silent, empty streets and arrived at the convenience store on the corner.
"Welcome..."
The sleepy voice of the worker rang out.
Convenience stores are open twenty-four hours a day. Unfortunately, no one knows how hard the night-shift workers have it.
Sora and Anna browsed the convenience store. The ready-to-eat bentos were completely sold out, so their only option was cup noodles.
"It feels like it's been a long time since I've had cup noodles..." Anna looked up. "Does Sora want some cup noodles?"
Sora originally wanted to say he wasn't hungry, but since he was already here, he felt like he'd be losing out if he went back without eating anything:
"I'll have a Cup Noodle seafood flavor, and grab a sausage while you're at it."
"Sora, grab two sausages." Anna's eyes immediately lit up with anticipation. "I want one too!"
"..."
The two brought their cup noodles and sausages to the checkout counter to pay. The convenience store not only provided free hot water but also had a few small tables. Naturally, they were going to eat before heading back.
The two portions of cup noodles were quickly steeped, and a rich aroma gradually filled the air.
Anna lay on the table, her pretty face full of anticipation, like a dog waiting for mealtime:
"Sora, can we eat it yet?"
"One more minute."
"Eh, one minute feels so long..."
"Wipe your drool before you speak."
"..."
After another moment, Sora finally announced:
"It's ready to eat."
Clap.
Anna swiftly pressed her hands together, her expression exceptionally pious:
"Thank you for the food!"
Upon peeling back the lid, the aroma of the instant noodles became even stronger. Even Sora couldn't help but feel his appetite stirred.
He had to admit, instant noodles might taste ordinary, but they smell absolutely incredible.
Sora picked up his chopsticks and began to eat. He bought the Cup Noodle seafood flavor, while Anna was having the Cup Noodle chili tomato flavor. The surface looked oily and red, making it exceptionally enticing.
"Mmm~"
Slurping a mouthful of noodles from her chopsticks, Anna's eyes quickly curved into crescents:
"The chili tomato flavor really is the best in the world! Super delicious!"
"The taste is indeed not bad."
Sora was equally quite satisfied.
Not having eaten them in a long time, having cup noodles occasionally really hits the spot.
The two ate incredibly fast. Before long, the cup noodles quickly hit the bottom.
"Phew..."
Anna let out a long, satisfied sigh and looked up:
"I suddenly remembered a quote I read in a book. Life is actually made up of many coincidences. In other words, Sora and I eating cup noodles together late at night today is also the work of destiny."
"Destiny and all that is too esoteric." Sora put down his chopsticks and drank some water to rinse his mouth. "We're heading back after eating."
"Wait a minute." Anna hurriedly called out. "Let me take a sip of the broth."
But soon after, the girl's anguished voice suddenly cried out:
"Help, help, help, he—"
Hearing this, Sora put down his phone and looked at Anna. "What's wrong?"
"My eye..." The gluttonous girl covered her eye with her right hand, her voice aggrieved. "Just now, when I was rubbing my eye, I accidentally got some broth from my finger into it... My eye hurts so much! I'm going to go blind!"