Isekai Tensei - Kimi to no Saikai made Nagai koto Nagai koto

Chapter 5

The Long Journey Until I Reunite With You

A Piece of Home

We went to quickly deal withthe task so we could return.

「Leaving the mission aside,well, that was definitely strange. Ah, here it is......urk!?」 (Velt)

「Velt, what is it, ew! W-whatis this, this disgusting smell?」 (Forna)

We found the restaurant. Theexterior didn’t look any different from a restaurant or bar. The problem was the smell. More thanthat, hot air was coming out of the building.

「Wait a moment, is this placereally a restaurant? Even though there isn’t a pleasant smell coming from it...」 (Forna)

I’m sure it’s disgusting forher, but I couldn’t feel the same way. It was a really appetizing smell. No, itwasn’t just that, it was something that I remembered I dearly missed.

「Let’s try going in.」 (Velt)

「*Uuu,* I guess nothing can bedone. However, what’s this? As expected of a place that has just opened, I amcurious about the fact that there are customers here.」 (Forna)

The inside of the restaurantwas completely occupied. The ap.r.o.n-wearing employee was hurriedly runningaround.

「Hey, welcome!」 (????)

A lively voice spoke out tous. It had come from the lone man deep behind the counter. He was dressed in oil-stained butotherwise completely white clothing with a towel wrapped around his forehead.He vigorously waved something in his hands up and down into water.

「Alright! How many for tablesix?」 (Man)

「Yes, two orders of TonkotuRamen for table six.」(Employee)

「You idiot! I told you beforedidn’t I!? Your p.r.o.nunciation is wrong!」 (Man)

「*Hiii-* but manager, it’sdifficult to p.r.o.nounce. Even the customers said so.」 (Employee)

The man was thisestablishment’s owner. He had a small figure, but surprised the guests seatedin his store with his scary face and strong voice.

「Manager, umm, there’s anothercustomer requesting for a fork.」 (Employee)

「Manager, here as well. This 『chopstick』 seems to be impossible toeat with.」 (Employee

This is the first time I havebeen shocked since I was reborn as Velt Jeeha. Having another country brought to ruin by the demons was asmall matter for me. My entire body was swaying and trembling.

「You kids, for two? By theway, you’re from Jeeha-san’s place right? And with the princess! Are you by anychance here from an errand by your mother? Or rather, intimate as usual aren’tyou two?」 (Employee)

It was one of the shopemployees, a young woman, an acquaintance we had pa.s.sed by many times on thestreets.

「Yes, obasama said that therewas a request for wheat flour. Are you helping out this place?」 (Forna)

「Yes. My father was thecarpenter who helped build this place, and with that relationship I’ve come towork here since I am paid.」 (Employee)

「It seems difficult, doesn’tit?」 (Forna)

「It is, I didn’t think it wouldbe this difficult～ More than that, the manager is scary.」 (Employee)

「It certainly seems that he isa rather loud cook. Is he from another country?」 (Forna)

「That’s what it looks like.I’m sure he was taught somewhere in the east.」 (Employee)

As for me, I could only hearhalf of what the two were saying. But even then, I was agitated.

「Milfa, how long are you goingto talk!? The customers are waiting! What are you going to do if the soup getscold!?」 (Man → Manager)

「*Hiiiii* I-I’m sorry, manager.But, look, it’s the Jeeha’s boy!」 (Employee → Milfa)

「What? Ooh, you kids broughtthat here right? You’re helping your mom with an errand? That’s great!」 (Manager)

The manager covered in oilheartily rubbed my heads and hair, making me disheveled. As you would expect,Forna didn’t like it, and hid behind my back.

「That was delicious.」 (Customer)

「Thank you very much, we willwait for you to come again!」 (Manager)

The manager spoke as he bowedhis head to the customer, and promptly cleaned up the empty bowl. Afterwards,he looked over his shoulder and gave us a smile.

「Oi, kid, little girl, youhave my grat.i.tude. It’ll be this man’s treat, go ahead and eat.」 (Manager)

Since two seats opened upright then, the manager wanted to give his thanks by having us eat.

「Grat.i.tude you say, what willyou do? Hey, Velt? Velt?? Are you listening??」 (Forna)

「...............」 (Velt)

Forna was honestly puzzled,but she would elegantly take into consideration the kindness of others, eventhough she was a child. She diligently bowed and took a seat. However, I didn’t say anything, Icouldn’t do anything, I simply took a seat.

「Excuse me, what are thesesmall sticks?」 (Forna)

「Ah, those are called 『chopsticks』, they’re eating utensils.Actually, they’re exciting to use but the most difficult to use to eat.」 (Manager)

「Chopsticks? I have neverheard of it before, *uuu,* I am not, skilled enough. Do you eat with this?」 (Forna)

「Hahaha, I’ll bring out afork. Whenever you get used to it, it’ll be good to try eating with them. Here.」 (Manager)

He presented two bowls forForna and I. Within the soup-filled bowl, long, narrow strings-like things weresubmerged underneath and clumped together, while above the soup were pieces ofmeat used as a topping.

「I certainly have not seensomething like this before. Velt, you will also need a fork.」 (Forna)

I didn’t take a fork. I tooktwo of the so called chopsticks from the large quant.i.ty within the roundcylindrical container on top of the table, and ate the Tonkotu Ramen. I thoughtit would be vulgar, but I ate it with a slurping noise.

「Velt, how come you are usinga chopst...... Hey, your manners are bad! You’re eating it while making aslurping noise!」 (Forna)

I didn’t mind. I couldn’tstop my hands from bringing the food to my mouth.

「*Uu, uuuuuuu*」 (Velt)

「Huh, Velt? W-wa-, you’re, whyare you crying?」 (Forna)

My tears wouldn’t stop. Iremembered. As a kid, Asakura Ryuuma had eaten this. When I returned to school,when I went along with my bad friends. At the athletic festival, the schoolfestival, with my cla.s.smates when we were having a party I think?

「K, kid......」 (Manager)

When I realized it, themanager also stood in front of me with a shocked expression.

「It’s good, amazing, it’sreally delicious, old man.」 (Velt)

It was delicious, and aboveall I was happy. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to eat this again. I thoughtthat n.o.body would know the things I was familiar with. But I was mistaken. Therefore,I was going to make sure by saying something he knows the meaning of.

「Hey, old man.」 (Velt)

Since n.o.body knew, I startedto think that my memories as Asakura Ryuuma were a wild delusion. But that waswrong. I didn’t know whether it was real or not before, and endlessly worriedabout it until I found a piece of home in this place.  My memories weren’t some fantasy, and seeingthis proved it. Asakura Ryuuma, his world, and Kamino Mina, I was now sure thatthey existed.　

「W-what?」 (Manager)

While I held back my tearsand snot with everything I had, I let out the words that the inhabitants ofthis world wouldn"t know.

「Old man, can I get a kaedama?」 (Velt)

「Hm!?」 (Manager)

(TN: Kaedama can mean double,but in this case, he specifically means to add a second serving of noodles.)

Today, with this, the shophad no choice and closed down. It was because the store was simply not in asituation where it could continue as it was. The manager fell onto his kneesand let out his tears, and before I knew it we tightly held onto each other.
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