"A friend recommended a newly opened ramen shop on the shopping street, saying it's super delicious..."
"I'm going to have tonkotsu ramen later!"
"But it's also been a long time since I've had shoyu ramen... It feels so hard to choose."
"Also, also, it feels like a lot of new snack shops have opened on the shopping street. The economy is clearly in a slump, yet snack shops are springing up everywhere. Won't they lose money?"
Anna, holding her schoolbag with both hands, walked briskly beside Sora. The girl's crisp, pleasant voice, like the chirping of a kingfisher, hadn't stopped the entire way.
When you're with 'Inmate Eight', you never have to worry about awkward silences, nor do you have to rack your brains trying to find a topic to talk about. Anna happily shares all the big and small things in her life with you.
Chatting along the way, the two quickly arrived at the shopping street.
"It's that ramen shop up ahead." Anna stood on her tiptoes and pointed, her voice full of anticipation.
"There are even celebratory wreaths placed outside."
Sora: "..."
That's right.
In Japan, when celebrating the opening of a shop, friends usually send wreaths—the kind of wreaths used for funerals and memorial services... Seeing dozens of colorful wreaths lined up together truly evokes a subtle feeling.
Sora's gaze shifted: "A new Chinese restaurant opened next door."
"I see it." Anna's eyes brightened. "Nan... Nan what cuisine?"
Anna awkwardly read a few kanji characters, then turned to look:
"Sora, Sora, how do you read that character?"
Sora looked intently:
"It's Nanyue (Cantonese) cuisine."
"Nanyue..." Anna blinked in confusion. "Where is that?"
"It's a place further south than Kagoshima." A hint of reminiscence flashed in Sora's eyes. "The cuisine is usually very distinctive."
"That sounds so familiar... I remember now." Anna slapped her forehead, her eyes quickly brightening.
"In 'Kodoku no Gourmet' (The Solitary Gourmet), Uncle Goro ate at a Nanyue restaurant. When I watched it on TV, I really wanted to try it."
"Sora~"
Anna clasped her hands over her chest, looking over with an expectant gaze like a Nara deer:
"We eat ramen all the time, but we've never had Nanyue cuisine. How about we skip ramen today and go eat at that Nanyue restaurant instead?"
Sora looked at her: "If I refuse, what would Anna say?"
"Mmm~"
Anna blinked. A faint blush quickly rose on her pretty face. She stood on her tiptoes, leaned close to Sora's ear, and whispered coquettishly:
"Please, I'm begging you, pretty please~"
Sora: "..."
I can't resist.
The usually careless 'Inmate Eight', who has never acted spoiled before, suddenly whispering coquettishly in my ear—it's completely irresistible!
"Alright, that's enough." Sora quickly took a half step back. "Let's go eat at that Nanyue restaurant."
"Ehehe~"
Seeing Sora's slightly reddened ears, a smug smile instantly appeared on Anna's pretty face, and she secretly flashed a peace sign.
The triple coquettish attack really worked!
My hard work learning from the internet wasn't in vain!
"Welcome."
The proprietress came forward, greeting them in unpracticed Japanese, and then led Sora and 'Inmate Eight' to a corner table.
Once Sora and Anna were seated, she quickly handed them a menu.
"The pictures are so pretty, everything looks delicious..."
Anna took the menu. Looking at the various dishes on it, her eyes sparkled brightly, and a glisten of moisture appeared at the corner of her mouth.
Sora reminded her helplessly: "You're drooling."
"I-I am not!"
Anna hurriedly raised her hand to wipe her mouth and squeezed closer to Sora:
"Sora, hurry up and look at the menu."
Sora's gaze fell on the menu in Anna's hands.
Familiar Chinese characters met his eyes.
Salt-baked chicken.
Shrimp wonton noodles.
Claypot rice.
Chaoshan beef meatballs.
Chinese sausage claypot rice...
They were all very familiar dishes.
Sora finally ordered a portion of Chinese sausage claypot rice, while Anna, upon the proprietress's recommendation, ordered a portion of shrimp wonton noodles.
Poke poke poke—
Just as Sora took out his phone, he suddenly felt a barrage of pokes on his waist.
Turning his head, he saw Anna leaning forward, her eyes shining brightly as she looked at a customer not far away, her face full of anticipation:
"Sora, Sora, look, is that the legendary crispy roast duck?"
Looking at Anna, who was practically drooling, Sora silently handed her a tissue:
"That is indeed roast duck... Wipe your mouth, and then we'll buy a portion to try."
Anna wiped her mouth, looking somewhat hesitant:
"But won't it be very expensive? I didn't bring that much money today, and I'm supposed to treat Sora."
"Let's split the bill today." Sora casually offered a solution. "Anna can treat me to ramen next time."
"Okay."
Anna quickly and happily agreed, rapidly raising her right hand to indicate she wanted the crispy roast duck.
Before long, a plate of roast duck was brought to the table.
Looking at the reddish, crispy roast duck on the plate, Sora suddenly remembered a super dark cuisine he had challenged in his past life... Ninghua dried field mouse.
To this day, he couldn't remember the taste of the dried field mouse, only that it was a glistening, reddish color, identical to the roast duck in front of him.
Sora couldn't help but turn to look at 'Inmate Eight'.
If it's Anna, she'd definitely be able to stomach it, right?
"Hmm?"
Anna was holding up her phone, snapping pictures click click click. Sensing his gaze, she tilted her head in confusion:
"Why is Sora looking at me?"
"You're drooling again." Sora complained. "Hurry up and taste how it is."
Anna hurriedly raised her hand to wipe her mouth: "Sora is so mean, it hasn't even dripped out yet!"
Sora picked up a piece of crispy roast duck with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. Perhaps because he hadn't eaten it in so long, it tasted exceptionally flavorful and fragrant.
"Sora, that person is dipping it in something." Anna's eyes sparkled. "It looks like plum sauce. It tastes better dipped in plum sauce."
Roast duck is meant to be eaten with garlic. Dipping it in plum sauce turns it into a dark cuisine!
As they spoke, the Chinese sausage claypot rice and wonton noodles were brought out together.
"Thank you for the meal!"
Anna's expression turned serious. She took a deep breath, pulled out a rubber band, and tied her hair up, revealing her snow-white, slender neck—tying her hair up was 'Inmate Eight's' highest ritual when facing delicious food.
"Mmm~"
As the food entered her mouth, Anna's eyes quickly curved into crescents, and she happily gave a thumbs up.
"Super delicious!"
Anna's eating style was never one of chewing slowly and swallowing carefully. Instead, she swept through the food like a whirlwind, scarfing it down like a little piglet. She ate delicious food incredibly fast; most boys couldn't match her pace.
Before Sora was even halfway through his meal, the two dishes in front of Anna were already spotlessly clean. The 'clean plate campaign' was thoroughly executed.
Stare—
Anna clasped her hands over her chest, looking over with sparkling eyes. She didn't speak, just wore an expression of intense longing, like a dog begging for food.
Sora quickly conceded defeat:
"Want a bite?"
"Thank you, Sora~"
Anna's smile was bright and radiant. Without any disgust, she took his chopsticks and happily began to eat.
If it were any other boy, no matter how much she wanted to eat, Anna wouldn't touch it. But since it's Sora... we've already tasted each other's saliva, so it's completely fine!