(no subject)
Title: Miso Hungry
Characters: Tanaka Hajime, Jack Spicer, the Tanaka family (XI!Verse)
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Summary: Delicious surprises and small let downs.
Notes: Written in the wee hours of the morning so it's rambly and could probably use editing but I'm tired ._.
One really weird thing about being a foreigner in Japan was that everyone was always staring at you. Jack had gotten more than enough time in China to get used to it, but it didn't ever stop being a little uncomfortable. It did give the little advantage that people would generally make way for you in a crowd while you were trying to get through. Especially when you're trying to chase after your friend who just won't slow down, that weirdo.
"Slow down, would you?" he called out for what had to be the sixth or seventh or millionth time, for all the good it did getting Hajime to listen. The Ouendan kid just shot another grin back at him through the crowd and waved a hand for him to move faster. The boy genius huffed. "Can't you just tell me where we're going?"
"You'll find out!" Hajime called over his shoulder, still weaving ahead through the crowd. It was tempting to complain, but all things considered, he was curious about whatever it was that had gotten Hajime so worked up for once. He still had to wonder why they couldn't have gotten the family driver to get them out into town, instead of having to walk the whole way. "It's just around the corner!" Hajime assured, practically freaking glowing from excitement. "You'll love it, promise." With an attitude like that, Jack couldn't help but let some of the excitement catch.
Jack looked around for a clue at what they were going for, but he didn't see much of anything special; at least, nothing that would excite a nerd like Hajime. No bookstores or sport gyms or anything equally dull. Maybe this really was something pretty awesome--
"Here!"
Hajime had come to a stop, finally, beaming up at a storefront. Jack stared at it for a moment, then at the other boy. "What, this place...?" No matter how hard he stared, it was just a ramen shop. Not even a fancy one or anything. Just some blah-looking restaurant. But Hajime was grinning at Jack like he expected praise for dragging him all the way over here. The redhead scowled. "You made me walk all this way for... it's too hot for soup!"
In spite of the complaint, though, Hajime just kept grinning and shook his head. "No, you'll see, the place is great. Come on, we'll get a seat at the bar."
"The stools hurt my butt," Jack grumbled, following his friend in. The inside of the place looked just as inoffensively dull as outside, though the place was bustling with customers, and the smell of broth drifted in the air. Jack took a begrudging seat and made a point of looking unimpressed at the menu. Who even needed this many kinds of noodles, anyway?
"You like miso? Suzuki-san always says that it's better with it, but Saito-san prefers soy, they've got udon if you want, too, they've got whatever here, you know..."
Jack was ready to grunt something dismissive, when some skinny guy came up behind the counter, grinning. "Ahhh, Tanaka-san, it's been a long time! Isn't the Ouendan with you today?"
"Not today," Hajime replied. "I brought my friend Jack, from America. I figured you're not really in the city until you've tried your soup, sir!"
Jack eyed the Ouendan, then the old man, who was nodding at him. Okay, so it wasn't what he'd expected. But Hajime was still getting all pumped about it, and the owner knew him and everything. When the old guy started yakking at him too, the boy genius quickly stumbled over his Japanese to hold up his end of the conversation.
By the time the food came, Jack really had let the smell get him hungry, and the noodles did look pretty delicious; he dug into the bowl, then got a few people to stare at him when he had to spit it back out from the broth burning his tongue. "Ahh, dang it... uh, but it's good, man! I guess it's a pretty cool place."
Hajime was staring down at his bowl, though, chewing a mouthful with weird little frown on the his face. Jack blinked at him, before slurping up a noodle. "What, did he give you the wrong one?"
"No...." Hajime chewed at the inside of his cheek, before looking over at Jack. "I haven't been here since I went to the school, you know. I, eh." He glanced around, but the restaurant owner was occupied elsewhere. "I kind of forgot how it really was..." The boy gave a little laugh. "Sanji's ramen was better. Is it... okay?"
Jack rolled his eyes. "What, that flaming freak? His stuff wasn't all that great anyway." He slurped up another noodle to prove the point. "It's fine, whatever. You didn't come for the food anyway, did you?"
The other boy stared a moment, before laughing. "Yeah... I guess not." He swished his chopsticks around in his soup. "I mean, it's great to get to eat here again. It's just kind of weird to realize I won't ever... get to have Sanji's stuff again."
Jack huffed. "Jeez, you get all excited to bring me here, and then decide to rain on the parade as soon as the food comes. Who needs that guy, anyway? The only thing so much better about him is you didn't have to walk so far."
Hajime smirked, and flicked a drop of broth off the end of his chopstick at Jack. "You need the exercise anyway. It'll burn off how much you eat here."
"Whatever. You're still paying."
"I always pay."
"Yup."
The conversation devolved from there into pointless bickering as they chowed down, earning stares from the other patrons. Jack didn't much mind everyone looking, though; it just meant they were more interesting than everyone else.
Characters: Tanaka Hajime, Jack Spicer, the Tanaka family (XI!Verse)
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Summary: Delicious surprises and small let downs.
Notes: Written in the wee hours of the morning so it's rambly and could probably use editing but I'm tired ._.
One really weird thing about being a foreigner in Japan was that everyone was always staring at you. Jack had gotten more than enough time in China to get used to it, but it didn't ever stop being a little uncomfortable. It did give the little advantage that people would generally make way for you in a crowd while you were trying to get through. Especially when you're trying to chase after your friend who just won't slow down, that weirdo.
"Slow down, would you?" he called out for what had to be the sixth or seventh or millionth time, for all the good it did getting Hajime to listen. The Ouendan kid just shot another grin back at him through the crowd and waved a hand for him to move faster. The boy genius huffed. "Can't you just tell me where we're going?"
"You'll find out!" Hajime called over his shoulder, still weaving ahead through the crowd. It was tempting to complain, but all things considered, he was curious about whatever it was that had gotten Hajime so worked up for once. He still had to wonder why they couldn't have gotten the family driver to get them out into town, instead of having to walk the whole way. "It's just around the corner!" Hajime assured, practically freaking glowing from excitement. "You'll love it, promise." With an attitude like that, Jack couldn't help but let some of the excitement catch.
Jack looked around for a clue at what they were going for, but he didn't see much of anything special; at least, nothing that would excite a nerd like Hajime. No bookstores or sport gyms or anything equally dull. Maybe this really was something pretty awesome--
"Here!"
Hajime had come to a stop, finally, beaming up at a storefront. Jack stared at it for a moment, then at the other boy. "What, this place...?" No matter how hard he stared, it was just a ramen shop. Not even a fancy one or anything. Just some blah-looking restaurant. But Hajime was grinning at Jack like he expected praise for dragging him all the way over here. The redhead scowled. "You made me walk all this way for... it's too hot for soup!"
In spite of the complaint, though, Hajime just kept grinning and shook his head. "No, you'll see, the place is great. Come on, we'll get a seat at the bar."
"The stools hurt my butt," Jack grumbled, following his friend in. The inside of the place looked just as inoffensively dull as outside, though the place was bustling with customers, and the smell of broth drifted in the air. Jack took a begrudging seat and made a point of looking unimpressed at the menu. Who even needed this many kinds of noodles, anyway?
"You like miso? Suzuki-san always says that it's better with it, but Saito-san prefers soy, they've got udon if you want, too, they've got whatever here, you know..."
Jack was ready to grunt something dismissive, when some skinny guy came up behind the counter, grinning. "Ahhh, Tanaka-san, it's been a long time! Isn't the Ouendan with you today?"
"Not today," Hajime replied. "I brought my friend Jack, from America. I figured you're not really in the city until you've tried your soup, sir!"
Jack eyed the Ouendan, then the old man, who was nodding at him. Okay, so it wasn't what he'd expected. But Hajime was still getting all pumped about it, and the owner knew him and everything. When the old guy started yakking at him too, the boy genius quickly stumbled over his Japanese to hold up his end of the conversation.
By the time the food came, Jack really had let the smell get him hungry, and the noodles did look pretty delicious; he dug into the bowl, then got a few people to stare at him when he had to spit it back out from the broth burning his tongue. "Ahh, dang it... uh, but it's good, man! I guess it's a pretty cool place."
Hajime was staring down at his bowl, though, chewing a mouthful with weird little frown on the his face. Jack blinked at him, before slurping up a noodle. "What, did he give you the wrong one?"
"No...." Hajime chewed at the inside of his cheek, before looking over at Jack. "I haven't been here since I went to the school, you know. I, eh." He glanced around, but the restaurant owner was occupied elsewhere. "I kind of forgot how it really was..." The boy gave a little laugh. "Sanji's ramen was better. Is it... okay?"
Jack rolled his eyes. "What, that flaming freak? His stuff wasn't all that great anyway." He slurped up another noodle to prove the point. "It's fine, whatever. You didn't come for the food anyway, did you?"
The other boy stared a moment, before laughing. "Yeah... I guess not." He swished his chopsticks around in his soup. "I mean, it's great to get to eat here again. It's just kind of weird to realize I won't ever... get to have Sanji's stuff again."
Jack huffed. "Jeez, you get all excited to bring me here, and then decide to rain on the parade as soon as the food comes. Who needs that guy, anyway? The only thing so much better about him is you didn't have to walk so far."
Hajime smirked, and flicked a drop of broth off the end of his chopstick at Jack. "You need the exercise anyway. It'll burn off how much you eat here."
"Whatever. You're still paying."
"I always pay."
"Yup."
The conversation devolved from there into pointless bickering as they chowed down, earning stares from the other patrons. Jack didn't much mind everyone looking, though; it just meant they were more interesting than everyone else.