Chapter Text
The smell of fried noodles enveloped his nose and his stomach automatically began to growl. His mouth was already watering inside, because nowhere were better yakisoba than here - in the middle of Shibuya. The small restaurant with the cozy ambience belonged to Takemitchi's parents, which is why Baji and Chifuyu among others, were guests several times a week and let their friend entertain them.
"Takemitchiii, how long is it going to take?" Sulking, Chifuyu had placed his chin on the counter top and watched as his best friend was preparing his favorite dish. He was aware that it was possibly a bit counterproductive to sit with a hungry stomach right at the source, waiting for the yakisoba to distort. However, his hunger was greater than his minimal residual logic. Laughing, Takemitchi wielded the pan in which he was frying the noodles and mixed the added spices with the chopsticks. "A little patience, soon they will be ready."
Meanwhile, Baji watched the two from their actual regular table, holding his water bottle in his hand. Wasn't Chifuyu actually just checking to see how long the food takes? The fact that he had now stayed with Takemitchi instead displeased him greatly. So much so that he kept crushing the water bottle in his hand, making it make strange noises.
"Say..." Mikey, who was across from him, looked at him unabashedly and sipped at his straw. "When are you going to tell him, anyway?"
Baji squinted skeptically at him, tying his hair into a braid. Sometimes he could kill him for his vague statements. Why did he come along in the first place? "Huh? What are you talking about? Talk straight to me."
Instead of giving him an answer, though, the latter noisily slurped the last drops of his drink from his glass, whereupon Baji's right eyelid inevitably began to twitch. Was this little bastard actually trying to make fun of him? That was pure provocation!
Astonished, Mikey let go of his straw and, with his arms folded in front of his chest, tilted his head a little to the left. He looked rather lost and Baji couldn't shake the strange feeling that he himself was the cause of it. As it turned out, he was spot on with his guess.
"Has anyone ever told you what a big idiot you are?" Mikey now asked, amused, raising the corners of his mouth. Immediately a deep crease formed on Baji's forehead and his white fangs flashed out. The throbbing vein of anger on his temple was now clearly visible. He was definitely pissed now. "Oi! How dare you, asshole!"
Before it could degenerate into a verbal battle of insults between them, Takemitchi and Chifuyu stood at their table with their respective dishes in their hands and served everything onto the tabletop. The delicious aroma of the peyoung yakisoba made Baji forget the silly discussion in an instant, and Chifuyu immediately joined him as well, staring joyfully at the bowl of their favorite noodles.
Nobody seemed to be to their complete satisfaction – exceptly Mikey. He stared unblinkingly at his delicate omureis - almost as if he wanted to set it ablaze. Everyone could hear the somber aura emanating from him at that moment, but couldn't make sense of what was going on.
"Mikey-kun is everything alright? Is there something wrong with your order?" Takemitchi inquired looking a bit perplexed. At first, Baji didn't really understand why his best friend was once again acting strangely. Only when he took a closer look at the food, he he realized that their cook had forgotten something crucial. Fuck.
Unfortunately, his epiphany came too late, because Mikey was already lapsing into his berserk mode, pointing his index finger at his filled plate. "Oi! Where the fuck is my flag!?"
"Your flag!?" Takemitchi definitely looked overwhelmed with the situation and squinted helpfully at Chifuyu, who, with the corner of his mouth lifted, hadn't the faintest clue what to do. Eating together seemed doomed to failure. Fortunately, Baji had always had a so-called "emergency flag" with him as a reserve since the eclat a few months ago, when Mikey had started a huge fuss over the missing flag and all were eventually thrown out of the restaurant.
A silent agreement between him and the rest from their common clique.
So he took out the missing accessory from the breast pocket of his jacket and attached it to the omureis without comment. Promptly, Mikey's facial expression changed from incensed to elated, and his eyes began to positively gleam. "Woaaaah!
Relieved sighs from the rest of those present. "Arigatou, Baji-san," Chifuyu whispered to him, separating the chopsticks. Baji did the same, and when their eyes met once more, he was met with his smile. That carefree smile that always had a pleasant effect on him and quieted his otherwise heated mind. Something that kept his inner balance intact and at the same time made sure he could literally lose himself in it.
[ 🍜 ]
After Takemitchi had - once again - more than lived up to their expectations and had even received a compliment from Mikey, whereupon the young cook was more than embarrassed, he finally cleared the used dishes. He received active support from Chifuyu, who, despite his best friend's words "Don't bother, I'll manage on my own," didn't let himself be put off, took a few things from the table and accompanied him towards the kitchen.
Now Mikey and he were alone again. Hopefully he wasn't getting any ideas again. Unfortunately, Karma seemed to really have it in for him today.
"Why do you guys keep sharing your peyoung yakisoba with each other, anyway?" Suspiciously, Baji cast a wry glance at his buddy. Until now, Chifuyu and he had always eaten their peyoung yakisoba out of a bowl, and so far none of their friends had remarked on it. So where was the sudden interest coming from? "Hah? What's that stupid question?"
"I think it's perfectly valid," he replied, stretching his arm so that he leaned it behind the corner bench. Baji didn't even try to get into the game and raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"You like him." It wasn't a question, but much more a statement, which Mikey uttered pettily, as if he were just talking about the weather. For Baji, however, it was an utterance that was not at all comprehensible and which he could not simply let stand as it was. "Of course I like him, what else? I like you too, after all, although sometimes I wonder for what reason..."
Mikey eyed him skeptically and one eyebrow swung up. A sign that he certainly wasn't going to leave him alone. God, why wouldn't this pain in the ass finally leave him alone?
"Oh yeah, would you share your peyoung yakisoba with me too?" The answer came promptly and regardless from Baji's lips. "Never."
No sooner were the words spoken than he realized that it might not have been the smartest idea to say the first thought out loud, because he didn't like the way Mikey was looking at him at all. He was up to something - and Baji was going to be right with his premonition.
"Then why with Chifuyu and not with me? I thought we were friends as well." Baji had to get out of this mess as quickly as possible before his buddy could start making up any assumptions that weren't true. "Because Chifuyu and I share a special friendship with each other."
"Hah? Am I not special to you, too?", Mikey said in response, frowning.
"Sure. You're especially stupid. Now leave me alone with the bullshit."
Unlike his other friends, Mikey had a habit of being a childish butthead. He would not rest until he had achieved his goal, whatever it might be.
Baji's bad premonition did not let wait any longer. What he did not suspect, however, was that he would soon become entangled in something that would turn out to be a nightmare for him.