Work Text:
Chapter name: Ramen Date
Lee Jihye impatiently tapped her finger on her arm, scrunching her eyes at the male in front of her. Her Master glanced at her before sighing, which was a rare thing to witness, but after regressing to the 1865th World Line and saving that squid bastard in his child form in a train, endlessly driving to the end of everything, nothing was that weird.
Sure, Lee Jihye had seen this boy before, in the 1865th World Line, but her Master usually kept the two apart for some reason, so Jihye didn't really have much of a opinion on him. This was their technical first time meeting, well, proper meeting other than random times they bumped into each other.
"So," Jihye said, pointing at the white-haired male in front of her while still crossing her arms. "you want me to introduce myself to him, or?"
"Yes. Same for you, Namwoon." her Master said, a blank expression on that stone-cold statue they call his face.
The male — Namwoon — raised an eyebrow, everytime he looked at Jihye, he seemed unimpressed and disappointed, but when he looked at her Master, he seemed very impressed and pleased. But what made Namwoon so punchable to Jihye was that he kept looking at her like some edgelord, thinking he's some big talk.
'You're going to a "big talk" once I'm done with you.' Jihye thought before shivering under her Master's unapproving gaze at her.
'Damn it, when did her learn how to read minds?' Jihye immediately stopped thinking once the gaze became more intensified.
All three remained silent, Jihye's Master stayed silent because he had no part in their conversation and wanted it to be over quickly since it's his turn for visiting Dokja, Namwoon and Jihye was staying quiet since they had no idea what to say or when to say.
Joonghyuk seemed to get more and more impatient, he first remained silent, then he started glaring into the unknown, then he started to tense his muscles, then he started the Impatient Foot Tap of Death.
Namwoon and Jihye gulped, afraid of Joonghyuk after he started the Impatient Foot Tap of Death, now they considering what to say because their lives might be on the line now. The man fought through thousands of lives just to get Dokja back, they do NOT want to get in-between that determination.
"Okay," Joonghyuk said, his tone even, but Jihye knew the underline of annoyance in it after basically living her whole life with him, two lives really. "you two spend the day together. I'm going to see that bastard." that bastard of course was Dokja, they really do have a strange love-hate dynamic.
Joonghyuk didn't waste anymore time as he started walking away, leaving Jihye and Namwoon alone in the park, their confused, stiff bodies refused to budge until Joonghyuk reached about a dozen meters away from them.
Both of them watch as Joonghyuk's figure slowly faded into the distance, they were watching to avoid speaking with the other too early, but they knew the conversation was inevitable.
Soon, it was impossible to discern Joonghyuk from the background, so, they turned to each other, both breathing in deep breaths.
"Well, nice to meet you?" Namwoon said awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck as he avoided her gaze.
"Likewise, Chuunibyou." Jihye replied, already assigning him a nickname.
Namwoon blinked in surprised, clearly not expecting someone to call him a chuunibyou, but that surprise turned into anger very quickly.
"The name's Namwoon, Kim Namwoon! Not Chuunibyou!" Namwoon yelled, raising his arms in anger.
"Sure, want to grab lunch?" Jihye waved her hand dismissively, already walking away to get some lunch.
Namwoon stood there, confused, even the wind seemed to be confused as it stopped blowing.
Namwoon started to jog to follow Jihye as she had a head start before him, luckily, Jihye was too short to make any actual distance. Namwoon caught up easily, slowly down to match his pace with Jihye.
It kinda annoyed Jihye, why did he want to come with her? It's not she was excusing any type of approachable aura. But Jihye didn't want to complain, eating alone doesn't feel good, so she'll at least have some company.
"So, do you have any hobbies?" Namwoon said, trying to start small talk.
Jihye lingered on the thought for a bit, pondering what could count as her hobby. She kinda liked swordmanship, but that was more her Master teaching her that got her so attached. Well, she also liked teasing people, that isn't a hobby.
There were too much to consider, so Jihye chose the simplest option of swordmanship.
"My hobby is swordmanship, I guess. What about yours?" Jihye asked, intending to prolong the small talk, she was starting to somewhat enjoy his company.
Namwoon tilted his head, shoving his hands into his pants pockets. He didn't seem to give it much thought, like he was simply gushing about it in his mind.
"My favourite hobby? Well, my extremely cool mad awesome hobby of watching animes is. Great hobby, am I right?" Namwoon grinned, looking expectantly at Jihye, which she made a sour face.
"Wow, what a chunnibyo. It's to expected after all, like, just look at you." Jihye snickered, making Namwoon mad as he started trying to defend his "hobby".
Jihye still hasn't found her favourite ramen shop yet, but she knew it was close by, probably. It's weird, coming back here to the 1864th World Line and finding out twenty years had passed, and to find the BEST ramen shop she had ever seen and tasted in her life, it was magical.
After walking for a few moments, Namwoon decided to shut after realising Jihye was intentional ignoring and tuning out him. He grumbled a curse word under his breath, clearly not intending for Jihye to hear it, but she did nonetheless.
'Btich, huh? Alright then. I see how it is.' Jihye thought, already planning her revenge.
A four-way intersection showed up when Jihye turned a corner, which she recognised as the checkpoint of the ramen shop, judging where she was, the ramen shop shoould be on the other side of the street where she was on.
Jihye pointed. "There. You up for it?" she turned her head slightly to look at Namwoon, a teasing grin on her face as Namwoon read the sign in front of the store.
Well, Jihye wasn't planning on having anyone else to find her favourite spot —other than her unnies of course — but she also wanted to torture Namwoon.
Namwoon paled, a hesitated laugh escaped him, beads of sweat trailed down his excessively beau-totally mundane face. Jihye could barely contain her laughter, watching him get scared? Over a ramen shop? Oh this is simply too good for Jihye to pass up.
"Oh, come on." Jihye started, nudging Namwoon on the side. "Don't get cold feet now, I thought you said you wanted to get lunch? What, is the self-esteemed Delusional Demon afraid of spicy ramen?"
Namwoon seemed offended as he gathered up his courage, faking a confident grin as he stared at Jihye's face.
"Me? Afraid? Ha! Don't make me laugh, I conquered the Scenarios, I can conquer a simple spicy dish!" Namwoon said, leaving Jihye behind as he started to walk towards the shop.
Even his walking pace seemed uncertain, Jihye stood there for a second before grinning ear to ear, running to catch up with Namwoon. She quickly passed Namwoon, slapping his shoulder as she passed by, turning around to stick out her tongue.
Namwoon was shocked, but quickly regained his composure as he started running as well, intending to reach the ramen shop before her.
Both of them reached the ramen shop about the same time, pushing open the door as a bell chimed above the glass door.
The person behind the counter turned to look at them, his eyes show no recognition until he realised it was Jihye as he waved his hand, which Jihye reciprocated by waving her hand.
She knew owner purely because barely anyone came here, and Jihye came here damn near daily, so it was bound for the owner to recognise her.
"Hey, [Placeholder], you're back again? I know our ramen is delicious but you should still take of your body!" he laughed heartily, making Jihye laugh with him.
"Ah, thanks for considering my health, ahjussi, but I can take care of myself! After all, you've meet my Master, haven't you?" Jihye laughed, already paying for the meals she was ordering on the counter.
The owner looked at the cash on the counter for a few seconds. Silently counting how much did it all adds up.
"Hm, miss, this is more than usual. Is it for your friend?" he pointed at the cash.
Jihye nodded. "Get him the same one I usually order." Jihye grinned, already revelling in the thought of Namwoon's suffering.
Speaking of Namwoon, he was standing awkwardly behind Jihye, like some scared puppy, which Jihye found adorable and hilarious.
The owner nodded, taking in the pile of won and placing them into he register, he then turned around and yelled Jihye's order as she dragged Namwoon into her usual spot, which was the quietest spot in the whole restaurant.
Jihye forced Namwoon into the seat, his body acting with no resistance, he was more or less processing what the actual fuck was going on. Jihye slid into the seat opposite of him, the comfy chair was nicely cushioned, wow, she really was getting some princess treatment.
Jihye crossed her arms over the table, silently watching the gears inside of Namwoon's head turning. It was entertaining, incredibly so.
'I hadn't had this much fun teasing someone since squid-ahjussi came back.' Jihye remembered that time, it was really easy to make fun of Sooyoung and Joonghyuk that time.
A server Jihye knew quite well placed two cans of ice-cold soda, one near Jihye and one near Namwoon. Jihye smiled and nodded, which the server reciprocated warmly.
Jihye immediately cracked the soda, taking a few sips from it with a loud "Ah!". Namwoon watched with a confused expression, his hands reached for the soda but stopped after a second showing signs of hesitation, but it was quickly dispersed when Jihye pushed the soda towards him with a raised brow.
Jihye slung her arm over the chair's backrest, taking another short sip of the soda. Jihye looked away from Namwoon, mostly because she was bored.
Namwoon fidgeted with the soda can Jihye bought for him, struggling to crack it open. Jihye watched him struggle in the corner of her eye, a grin already forming on her face.
It was nice, watching someone so prideful being scared of accidentally ripping his fingernails off, and honestly, she would have been scared too. Luckily, Joonghyuk taught her the way of sucking it up and pray.
"Want some help?" Jihye's tone was teasing and mocking, yet held a small pinch of genuine wonder.
Namwoon clicked his tongue as he shifted his chair to face away from Jihye, he was acting like a angry child after being told not to do something.
"I can do it myself." Namwoon mumbled, mostly to himself to save his pride.
"Pfft. Yeah right." Jihye snickered, waving her hand dismissively.
Namwoon rolled his eyes, he sucked up his fear and pulled, successfully cracking open the soda can. Namwoon blinked in surprise, not expecting for it to work so seamlessly.
Jihye waved her hand towards Namwoon's general direction, silently gesturing: "See?". Namwoon grumbled before shifting his chair to turn towards Jihye once more.
Namwoon murmured something under his breath, too quiet even for the eavesdropper such as Jihye to hear. Jihye had avoided Namwoon's gaze much more than anyone elses, it was strange, very much so, Jihye never had this problem.
The gears in Jihye's head was turning, wondering what this warm feeling in her heart was, was the problem because it was hot out? No, the AC was turned on here, high heat can't be the reason.
'Too much thinking, not enough eating.' Jihye sighed inside her head, rolling her eyes at the thought.
"Well," Jihye said, her tone slowly becoming serious yet playful. "I shall dispense with ceremony; pray know that I am Lee Jihye." Jihye said, a smirk on her face.
Namwoon blinked, not understanding what Jihye just said, well, of course he wouldn't, she said it in English.
"W-w-what?" Namwoon said, utterly confused and bamboozled.
Jihye laughed with her chest, gasping for air as she placed one hand in her chest and one hand on her mouth to muffle her pleasured suffuering. "Jesus, your reaction is to die for! Oh come on, never heard of archianic English before?" Jihye teased, intently watching Namwoon's face flush in embarrassment.
Before Namwoon could come up with a stupid response, the server had placed down their food, the ramen Jihye had excitedly waited for since breakfast.
The crimson red broth looked like a pool of blood made from hell itself, the noodles was crimson-red in color as well due to being soaked in the broth, but had a lighter tint than the broth. A single egg sliced in two, placed next to each other in a neatly matter.
Jihye nodded in appreciation towards the server, kicking Namwoon's shin underneath the table to do the same, which he did with a glare and grumble towards Jihye. Jihye smirked, god, she was making too much smirks, smiles, and grins in these few hours.
"Well, dig in? Do what you want, I don't give a fuck. But if you're not gonna eat, better cough up the cash." Jihye winked, taking the chopsticks into her hands and digging into the ramen.
Namwoon followed Jihye's example and dug in, putting the crimson noodles in his mouth with slight hesitation. The moment the noodles touched Namwoon's mouth, he coughed it out, not out of disgust, but out of pain.
"Motherfucker! The fuck is that?! It tastes like pain. Gah!" Namwoon spat into his hand while Jihye was laughing her ass off.
Of course, the spiciness level of the ramen was basically enough to kill someone, hell, even Uriel considered it as some kind of demonic food from the 3rd Demon Realm and tried to burn the place down in holy fire.
Jihye swallowed the noodles in her mouth before saying: "Are you seriously that weak? Your sponsor — or at least supposed — whole thing is fire. Are you telling me that you can't handle a little spice?" Jihye teased, watching as Namwoon fumbled with his words with a bright red face.
'Ah, this is going to be very fun.' Jihye thought with a smile on her face.