Me and Nana are now in Hokkaido.

After dropping our bags at the lodging, we went out together for lunch.

We entered a ramen shop and waited for a while before the miso ramen arrived.

"Suuu... haa... it smells so good♡"

"It certainly does. Sesame... maybe? It has a toasty aroma."

"Yes! Ah, here you go, Sensei. Your chopsticks."

"Thanks. Well then, let's eat." "Yes ma'am! Arigatou gozaimasu!"

Nana brushed her long bangs back with her left hand, then blew on the noodles to cool them down.

Chuuru... She slurped the noodles quietly, keeping the noise low and puckering her lips into a small 'o' shape. While chewing with a huff-and-puff sound, she said, "Mm~♡ Delicious~♡"

Her sparkling smile felt completely genuine. She must find it truly delicious.

That smile reminded me of my little sister, Akari. I suppose, even if they aren't alike in other ways, they are indeed sisters.

"You should eat too, Sensei~" "Oh, right."

I lifted the noodles with my chopsticks. They were thick, wavy strands. Recently, there's been a craze in the big city for "kekei" style ramen that uses thin, pencil-like noodles... but.

Personally, I prefer this more classic type of noodle.

I dipped the noodles into the soup and slurped down a mouthful in one go. A mellow, rich miso flavor spread across my palate.

As I chewed, the soup clinging to the wavy noodles dispersed throughout my entire mouth. The texture was springy and chewy, paired with the deep richness of the miso.

With every bite, a sense of happiness expanded within me. "Hnyuwahh fhhfeleh~......♡"

Chururu churururun, Nanaiko slurped the noodles away to a steady rhythm.

Her eating speed wasn't particularly fast. But her tempo never wavered once.

"Hah hah... fuh-fuh... chururi churu... haa...♡ This is happiness~......♡"

...She ate at a constant pace, each time offering her thoughts while wearing a thoroughly melted smile.

Her movements were as precise and mechanical as those of an intricate machine. That contrast with the fact that she was simply eating ramen was so absurd that I couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Is something wrong?" "No... it's just, you're cute."

"C-cute...? Does that mean I'm childish?"

I stroked Nanaiko’s sullen head. I savored the silky texture, like fingers running through silk thread.
「そうだな。ガキっぽいな」

“That’s okay, though. I’m still a child.”

“Don’t try to act older than you are, just like Akari does.”

“Even if I wanted to put on airs, I’m being raised by others.”

Nanaiko looked sad. It wasn’t that she felt guilty; rather, she seemed fully aware of her own limitations and powerlessness.

There’s an old saying about the “knowledge of ignorance,” you know? Acknowledging what you don’t know or can’t do is actually a pretty impressive thing.
“Nanaiko is going to make one hell of a woman.”

I decided to give Nanaiko a compliment.

Unlike before, she let out a soft, delighted laugh, looking genuinely happy.
Yeah, she’s cute.