Sentinel Outing Shizuku

Shi: Excuse me.

Aki: What is it, Yamabushi-san?

Shi: Aki-sensei, here.

Aki: An application for an outing... Outing reason... Very well, I'll approve it.

Narrator: Kagawa prefecture. Daisoku city. Gold Tower. Thirty two Sentinels who risk their lives for the sake of their missions. Their actions are always watched by the Taisha. However! It's not as if that is forbidden! That is, an outing from the Tower! This is the record of one of Yamabushi Shizuku's (Sentinel number 9, gunner squad) days off!

Narrator: Yamabushi Shizuku was about to depart on her first outing in a few weeks.

Shi: Great weather today. It's just the right chill.

Suz: Shizuku, where are you going today?

Shi: Huh? Kagajou, do you want to come too?

Suz: I thought "if Shizuku, who always sticks close to Mebu, is going somewhere alone, there's gotta be something to it". Suzume-san here would lose her face as the most informed person in the Tower if she didn't. I have a permission too. So, what are we doing?

Shi: Today... We're going to eat ramen.

Suz: Ramen!? Shizuku, what are you saying!? We're in Kagawa! There's no way you'll be able to eat any in this udon stronghold!

Nar: These were truly absurd actions. But!

Shi: Kagajou, you don't know. This might be the udon prefecture, where the existence of other types of noodles isn't accepted... Or so you'd think. But there are some of them around. Ramen shops.

Aya: Itadakimasu! Mmm, today's udon is delicious too!

Meb: Apparently it's handmade here, in the Gold Tower's cafeteria.

Yum: It would do them well to consider stocking some skipjack tuna from Kouchi.

Aya: The skipjack tuna from Kagawa is tasty too.

Yum: I shall not dispute that... That being said, I cannot see our most noisy Kagajou Suzume-san and our most quiet Yamabushi Shizuku-san today.

Meb: There's no training today, so apparently they went out together.

Suz: So we jumped on a train and arrived here... Where'd we arrive again?

Shi: 40 minutes from the Daisoku station by regular train, Tamamo city.

Suz: Tamamo city, huh. There sure are a lot of people around.

Shi: It's the most prosperous city in Kagawa, after all. But anyway, look. At that store's signboard.

Suz: Whoa! That's... a ramen shop! There are udon shops all around, but this ramen shop stands out too!

Nar: A bizarre sight for Kagawa, the udon prefecture! Kagajou Suzume stands dumbfounded!

Shi: The ramen shops in Tamamo all work really hard. They try to take root here and establish a noodle culture that won't lose to udon.

Suz: Eeh... So, Shizuku, are we going in?

Shi: Wait, Kagajou. I already picked the first shop to go to. Follow me.

Suz: Huh? Okay...

Shi: Our first meal... Will be here.

Suz: It's... tall! It's huge! What is this building even?

Shi: This tower is the symbol of Tamamo. Its height is around 151 meters. It's comparable to the Gold Tower.

Suz: But why are we here?

Shi: You'll understand soon. Let's go inside through that automatic door.

Suz: O-Okay.

Shi: Look. This floor map. Here.

Suz: Eh... What is this... Ramen Port!?

Shi: There's a section in this building's food court where ramen shops are assembled. And it's called the Ramen Port.

Suz: A Ramen Port... in Kagawa!?

Nar: However, a glance at the map would prove that even inside the Ramen Port, udon shops stood as if it was natural.

Shi: Some shops in this Ramen Port have been carrying traditional recipes from regions that existed in the Christian Era through generations.

Ramen store: Welcome!

Shi: Tonkotsu ramen. Noodles very firm.

Suz: Uh, eh... Same as her!

Ramen shop: Got it. Hakata tonkotsu very firm, two bowls!

Shi: Kagajou, what do you think ramen is?

Suz: What do you mean, what? Uh... I wonder.

Shi: That's right. You can't answer. What does ramen entail? There are many types of ramen. Home-style. Jirou-style. Hakata ramen. Hokkaido ramen. Chuka-soba, or Chinese ramen. Flat chijiremen or Hakata-style cylindrical ramen might as well be called a different type of noodle. But even so, they're still included in the ramen category. But I don't dislike this broad-mindedness of ramen!

Suz: Shizuku, you're really talkative today.

Shi: Ah...

Nar: Shizuku inadvertently flushes. Faced with ramen, she's much more excited than usual.

Suz: By the way, you said "our first meal". So you mean...

Shi: Of course. We're going to have a second meal and a third meal too.

Suz: And all of it... Will be ramen?

Shi: People eat rice three times a day. Kusunoki eats three servings of udon every day too. Breakfast, lunch, dinner... And if you add desserts, that's four meals a day. Four meals. And there's nothing... That says all four can't be ramen.

Suz: ...For real?

Shi: Kagajou, you're still wavering, aren't you? Come here... To our side.

Suz: Are you telling me to dive in? Into this... bog of ramen!?

Shi: Hehehe... Come... And I'll accept you...

Suz: Shizuku, I've never seen you make a face like this...

Ramen shop: Here you go, two Hakata tonkotsu ramens. Thank you for waiting.

Suz: ...I got it. It's scary, but I'll take the leap. Into... the bog!

Nar: Kagajou Suzume finds her resolve!

Shi/Suz: Itadakimasu!

Yum: To enjoy a spot of tea from the Gold Tower's viewing platform while gazing at the landscape... Such a joy.

Aya: The milk tea you made is really good, Miroku-senpai.

Yum: I made sure to add plenty of sugar. Although I do prefer mine straight... Agh, hot!

Aya: Are you alright?

Yum: I must have... Misjudged the temperature.

Aya: I'll blow on it for you, okay? Phew, phew.

Suz: My stomach... Kind of hurts, you know.

Nar: Shizuku and Suzume went to one shop at the Ramen Port and two shops around the city, for a total of three shops. Before they knew it, it was already evening.

Shi: That Sanuki ramen I've heard about was pretty good.

Suz: The sun's already setting, so let's go back.

Shi: We still have a fourth meal ahead of us.

Suz: Can you seriously still eat?

Shi: Sure. It's the main dish. Just as a ship always returns to its harbour, I always come back to it no matter what ramen I try. That's the kind of ramen it is.

Suz: And that is?..

Shi: Tokushima ramen.

Suz: Ah, right! We still haven't eaten Tokushima ramen, your favourite food!

Shi: Leave the best for last. There's a shop here in Tamamo where you can have Tokushima ramen. Look, Kagajou. Here. This is the shop where you can have Tokushima ramen... in Kagawa!

Suz: It says they're closed today.

Shi: Aaah... Ah... C-Closed?..

Suz. Yep. And the shutters are closed.

Nar: The one thing Yamabushi Shizuku hasn't paid attention to! The restaurant's days off!

Shi: Aah... Aaaaaaah... No way...

Suz: Well, nothing we can do. Let's go back for today...

SHI: We're not done yet! I'm not just gonna give up here!

Suz: Was this shocking enough for you to switch personalities!?

SHI: Now that it's come to this, we're going to Tokushima! And having the real stuff there! Let's go, Kagajou!

Suz: No way! Think about the time! We're not going to make it back to the tower before curfew!

SHI: The hell do you think's more important!? Some curfew or Tokushima ramen!?

Suz: Don't wanna! If I break the rules, Mebu's gonna get angry at me!

SHI: TOKUSHIMA RAMEEEEN!

Nar: Just like an incomplete combustion, thus came to an end today's out of Yamabushi Shizuku.

Suz: ...And that's what happened yesterday.

Shi: Aah...

Meb: So that's why Shizuku's been looking down since yesterday.

Shi: Hah...

Yum: But you have some ramen in the cafeteria here every day, do you not?

Shi: Tokushima ramen... is different. It's denser... has more toppings... and an egg on top...

Aya: I see!

Meb: What will we ever do with you. Loss of motivation is tied to accidents in training and missions... I'll make you some Tokushima ramen tonight.

Shi: ...Can you make it?

Meb: There should be recipes for Tokushima ramen online, so I think I'll manage.

Suz: Oh yeah, Mebu's good at cooking. That's our woman who can do anything at a level above average.

Meb: I'm not sure if you're praising or bashing me...

Shi: Kusunoki. I'm picky about Tokushima ramen.

Meb: Hmmm... Well I'm going to make sure you're satisfied then.

Aya: The look in Mebuki-senpai's eyes changed!

Yum: It appears that her competitive spirit has been activated.

Shi: Thanks, Kusunoki. I'm looking forward to your food.

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Pub: 26 Dec 2020 16:20 UTC
Views: 421