第91話 二人の時間 - I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me

"...Reina, are you just going along with this?" I echoed the words Reina had said to me moments ago. Back when we were dating, Reina often accompanied me to ramen shops, but I knew she preferred trendy spots that looked good on social media. With her almost saying "stylish" earlier, her enthusiasm for ramen seemed a bit off. Yet, defying my thoughts, Reina's feet carried her towards the campus's nearest ramen shop. "Yuta-kun, do you still like soy sauce ramen?" "Yeah, I do. I tend to stick with what I like." "Hehe. Lately, I've been eating a lot of soy sauce ramen too." "Really? I always thought of you as a miso ramen person. I mean, you never went to ramen places without—" —Without me. Those words almost slipped out, but I swallowed them hastily. It's been six months since we broke up. It's natural for tastes to change over that time, and bringing up the past might be considered taboo. I found myself needing a distraction, something to fill the silence in a natural way. But Reina spoke first. "It was like that, but you took me there so often, Yuta-kun. Now I'm afraid of stepping on the scale." I nearly did a double-take. Reina seemed to catch what I was about to say and responded as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She waited for my reply with an innocent expression. "I don't gain weight easily, so I can't really relate." Reina chuckled softly at my words. "You've just made enemies of all women everywhere. I'll tell Natsuki on you." "No, please, don't. She's terrifying!" "Girls want to eat ramen too, you know. It's just hard to go alone, but with a guy, at least we have an excuse." I remembered her saying something similar once. It's rare to see women dining alone at ramen shops. "If I saw a girl eating ramen alone, I wouldn't think anything of it." "Even if most people don't care, the thought that someone might look at you strangely can be paralyzing. I don't mind it anymore, though." "Oh, you got used to it?" "Yeah, I did." Reina nodded softly. I also didn't start going to ramen places alone until college. I recall it took some time for me to stop worrying about people's eyes on me. Reina must have taken time to get used to it too. Lost in such thoughts, we arrived at the nearest ramen shop. A yellow curtain fluttered at the entrance, with a sign beside it advertising a 20% student discount. It's usually so crowded during the day you have to queue up, but today, there were some open seats at the counter. "Rare to get in so quickly." "Yeah. I think it's my first time." I sat down on a round stool, shoved my bag into the luggage box, and felt relieved looking at the unchanged menu since my last visit in sophomore winter. I requested a soy sauce ramen from the waiter. "I'll have soy sauce too." Reina said with a smile to the young-looking waiter, who blinked at her before hurriedly returning to the kitchen. "I guess they found it unusual." I chuckled, and Reina puffed her cheeks. "There are girls here too, you know. It's not that strange." "Yeah, true. Maybe not so unusual." "Why are you laughing?" It's likely the waiter wasn't surprised because Reina was a girl, but rather at the aura she exuded. Though there were a few girls around, none quite matched the air of a university student. Since I first met her, Reina's presence had grown more dazzling. Her pale blue lace clothing and pink gold accessories enhanced her aura. ...Pale blue lace? "Excuse me, waiter." Realizing something, I called another waiter. "Could I get a paper napkin, please?" Understanding my request, the waiter replied, "One moment!" and returned from the kitchen shortly with a napkin. "Thank you." I unfolded the napkin and handed it to Reina, who looked surprised. "For me?" "The soup might splatter. You wore something really nice, after all." It seemed she finally realized why I had done that. Reina blinked before speaking. "Y—Yuta-kun, you've matured..." "I've always been mature." I imagined Natsuki's voice teasing me, but I decided to ignore it. From now on, I would act like an adult. "Thanks, I'm kind of moved." Reina draped the napkin over her neck, taking a deep breath. "With you wearing a napkin like that, it feels like we're in a fancy French restaurant." "Hehe, is that a compliment?" "Yeah, it is." "Why does it sound so half-hearted?" I wanted to say it's just an honest observation, but I held my tongue. Despite having declared that we couldn't get back together, too many compliments might send mixed signals. To me, complimenting someone and not getting back together are two separate things, not necessarily conflicting. But what matters is how Reina interprets it. "Yuta-kun?" At her inquiry, I shook my head. "No, nothing really." "Oh, okay." Reina seemed a bit puzzled, but just then, our ramen arrived. Relieved that an awkward atmosphere didn't set in, I put my hands together in gratitude. —Is it really right to hesitate making someone happy? The thought crossed my mind suddenly, and I paused, reaching for my chopsticks. There was a lot between Reina and me, it's only natural to be considerate. But deliberately avoiding actions that bring joy—causing Reina to seem lonely—is that truly the right choice? "It's not so much a compliment, just how I honestly feel." "Huh?" "I just meant the elegant look suits you well." Amidst the bustling student-filled shop, silence fell between the two of us. The steam from the ramen danced at the edge of my vision. "...But if I fall even more for you, is that okay?" Reina spoke then quickly shook her head, flustered. "No, on second thought, don't say anything." "Oh, okay." "Yeah. I don't want you, Yuta-kun, to fret over things like that. I'm the one involved, so it's fine." Reina hurriedly grabbed her chopsticks and followed my lead, putting her hands together. "Let's eat." It was ramen after a long time. A meal with Reina after a long time. The taste of the soy sauce ramen, which should have been the same as always, somehow felt more intense today. "I know it's not great for you, but..." She was still beside me. Our relationship was different now. But at this moment, sharing a meal, it felt just like before. "It's just that good." Dots connected to form lines, awakening my memories. The smile before me was unchanged from the past. The time when I believed I was happy, when I was sure this was the happiest I could be. I allowed myself to indulge in that feeling just a little, finally slurping the ramen. Yes, the taste was indeed stronger today.