SWNOVELXO Chapter 64: Chapter 26: The Ramen Pit Stop - Food, Friends, and Laughter
The karaoke fiasco had worked up everyone's appetites, so the group made their way to a nearby ramen shop. The place was small, warm, and cozy, with the rich smell of broth wafting through the air. The perfect way to wind down after a night of chaos.
The team squeezed into a large booth, the table barely big enough to fit everyone. As soon as they were seated, everyone eagerly looked at the menu, which was filled with tantalizing descriptions of noodles, broths, and toppings. Renji's eyes gleamed as he pointed to a massive bowl of ramen. "That one! I'm getting that one!"
Rika, always the voice of reason, sighed. "You'll regret it, you know."
Renji grinned. "Not gonna happen!"
Everyone else ordered, some sticking to the classic ramen, while others tried different combinations. Shun, sitting at the end of the table, watched his teammates in amusement. It was a scene so normal, so domestic, that he couldn't help but smile. This was the kind of moment he had missed, the kind he'd never known he wanted.
As they slurped their noodles, Renji leaned over to Shun, still grinning from the karaoke incident. "So, Shun, think you'll ever get into singing?"
Shun rolled his eyes. "Not a chance."
But Renji wasn't done. He raised an eyebrow. "Okay, what if we do a ramen-eating contest? You up for that?"
Shun, amused, raised an eyebrow. "You're on."
The challenge was set, and the two began racing to finish their bowls. But as Shun was about to take a big bite, Renji, the sneaky devil, slipped a dollop of wasabi into Shun's bowl when he wasn't looking. Shun, without realizing, shoved a giant spoonful of ramen into his mouth. The wasabi hit him like a ton of bricks.
His eyes widened, his face turning bright red. He nearly choked, flailing around in a desperate attempt to breathe. "What the heck, Renji?!"
Renji burst out laughing, practically falling out of his seat. "Gotcha!"
The rest of the team roared with laughter, and even Shun couldn't help but chuckle between gasps for air. "That's it, Renji. Next time, I'm getting you back."