A girl sat alone in a cozy café, her notebook open on the table in front of her.
["Vi, where are you?"] a voice crackled from her phone, the concern evident.
"I'm in Japan now. Why?" Vi responded.
["What are you doing in Japan?"]
"You know why, Rose. I'm trying to find 'him'.'"
["Vi, it's been six years. I know you miss 'him,' we all do, but if the five of us couldn't find 'him', then it's practically impossible for you to find 'him' alone," Rose replied, her voice tinged with sadness.
"You don't know. We've never tried Japan before, have we?"
["I guess you're right,"] Rose sighed, unable to sway Vi's determination. ["Just promise me to take care of yourself and come back safely, okay? We don't want to lose another family member again."]
"I will, Rose. I promise to come back safely, so tell the others not to worry, okay?"
["Okay."]
"Well, I'm hungry, so I'll go to a restaurant. I'll call you later. Bye," Vi said, ending the call.
As the call ended, her expression darkened. "Where are you, Max?" she muttered, her question hanging in the air.
Gathering her belongings, Vi left the café in search of a place to eat. After a few minutes, she spotted an izakaya that appeared empty, which made sense given that it was 11:30 PM on a Tuesday night.
Entering, she noticed someone working in the kitchen, while an older man chatted with a patron at the bar.
The older man noticed her presence and welcomed her. "Ah, welcome," he said before resuming his conversation.
Vi surveyed the place. Describing it as an izakaya seemed odd; it looked more like a combination of a bar, a pub, and a ramen shop. After a quick look around, she chose a seat and perused the menu.
"What can I get you, young lass?" the older man asked.
She glanced at the menu and spotted a dish that was not only common in the area but also held many memories for her. She remembered that day vividly.
**********
Vi had been staying over at her childhood friend's house for a sleepover. It was late, and she was making her way downstairs to get a glass of water.
"Max? What are you doing up so late? And why are you in the kitchen?" Vi questioned the man she found there.
Max flinched as if he'd been caught doing something wrong. "Uhh, cooking?" he replied, trying to sound casual.
Hearing his answer, Vi burst into laughter. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" She laughed for several minutes, her amusement growing as Max became increasingly embarrassed. Finally, her laughter subsided enough for her to speak again. "Cooking, he says. What are you cooking, anyway?"
Max hung his head and answered in a near-whisper, "Ramen."
Vi burst into another fit of laughter upon hearing what he was cooking. After a few more minutes, she stopped, her laughter replaced by a warm smile. "Wait, did you try to cook ramen because I said I liked it?"
"Shut up," Max replied, practically confirming her suspicion.
Hearing his reasoning, Vi smiled genuinely. "Well, Max, I'm looking forward to your ramen."
"I swear I'll make the best ramen you've ever tasted, Vi." Max declared, his eyes shining with determination.
**********
Back in the izakaya, Vi made up her mind. "I'll have the ramen, please," she said, handing the menu back to the older man.
He took the menu and relayed her order to the kitchen. "Zain, one ramen for the young lady."
"Coming right up," the man in the kitchen replied.
As Vi awaited her meal, she absent mindedly scrolled through the internet, continuing her search for Max. Not long after, a steaming bowl of ramen was placed in front of her.
"One ramen for the beautiful lady," a man said with a smile.
Hearing the voice, Vi looked up from her phone, and her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Max?" she uttered, hardly daring to believe her own eyes.
