Inside a bustling ramen shop in a busy district, the leader of the Nura Clan and the great yokai himself, Nura Rihyon—the Slippery Nura—stood at the entrance, silently watching the young girl before him. A look of faint astonishment crossed his face, and he didn't speak immediately.
"Grand Commander?"
Natto-kozo, having just scrambled up from the floor, noticed Rihyon's unusual expression and whispered a reminder. Hearing this, Rihyon seemed to snap back to his senses. He donned a kindly smile and spoke to the girl. "Hahaha, thank you for your concern, little lady. This old man is getting on in years; these aches and pains are unavoidable. And look at my memory—I actually forgot to pay."
While dusting off the fox ornament in her hand, Miketsu smiled back at him. Rihyon simply shook his head.
"Hoho, it can't be helped. My grandson has been very busy lately, and I didn't want to bother him. Don't misunderstand, little lady," Rihyon continued with a laugh, acting as if he were speaking to a genuine junior.
Miketsu placed the fox ornament back onto the shelf of the ramen shop and continued, "I see... but it's best to have family accompany you next time. Otherwise, with a memory like yours, you might forget more than just the bill. By the way, are your legs and feet alright, old gentleman? Would you like me to take you to the counter to settle the tab?"
With a playful glint in her eyes, Miketsu prodded the Slippery Nura. He laughed and shook his head.
"No, no, my legs are still quite spry. There's no need to trouble yourself. Well, I've spent a lifetime eating and drinking for free in restaurants across the country; it's rare for me to slip up like this. Taking a loss once in a while is a new experience in itself."
Rihyon responded nonchalantly to Miketsu's words. Hearing his Grand Commander's answer, Natto-kozo said no more. Thus, Rihyon made his way to the counter. A moment later, the waitress in the apron calculated the total and smiled at him.
"Thank you for your patronage. That will be nine hundred yen for the two bowls."
"Oh, nine hundred... wait..."
Just as Rihyon reached into his sleeve to pull out some coins, he realized something was wrong. He turned to the waitress. "Young lady, this amount isn't right. I only ordered one bowl of ramen. Why am I being charged for two?"
"Eh? One bowl? But that high school girl just now said you'd be covering her bill."
Rihyon stared at the empty ramen bowl, his eyes widening in a daze. He immediately looked toward the entrance, but Miketsu was already gone.
"She—she ran off! Grand Commander, that girl dumped the bill on us and bolted!"
Natto-kozo cried out in shock. Rihyon finally realized what had happened. He turned back to the waitress and spoke in a low voice.
"Young lady, don't misunderstand. I don't know that girl. I only ordered one bowl of ramen."
"Huh? You don't know her? But I clearly saw you and that high school girl chatting at the door just now, and you looked quite happy, old gentleman. Are you really saying you don't know her?"
The waitress put her hands on her hips, her expression dead serious. Her gaze suggested she wasn't about to let this old man pull any fast ones on her.
Faced with her attitude, Rihyon froze for a moment, then let out a bitter laugh and pulled a thousand-yen bill from his sleeve. Standing behind him, Natto-kozo felt even more embarrassed.
'To think the Grand Commander would be the one getting freeloaded on one day...'
Shortly after, Rihyon left the shop after paying for both meals. As the clerk began a quick tally of the earnings, a slightly pudgy male waiter emerged from the kitchen. Scanning the room, his eyes landed on the seat where the dishes were being cleared.
"Oh, has Miss Inaba left already? That was quick."
The waiter remarked with a hint of sigh. The waitress, who was counting the money, paused in confusion.
"Miss Inaba?"
"Ah, Eri, you're new so you wouldn't know. The high school girl who was just eating there—for some reason, she has an unlimited free coupon for our shop. I've worked here for years and never seen a super-coupon like that which works nationwide. I've always suspected she might be the daughter of some high-level executive at headquarters. So, whenever she comes in, we provide the best service."
Eri, the waitress, was stunned. It took a long while for her to process this.
"An unlimited super-coupon? But she just left directly without showing anything. That old man paid for her. What's going on? Did she specifically want him to pay?"
Eri's eyes were full of doubt. Outside, the midday sun reflected off the shop's sign, making the characters shimmer.
Grain Fox Ramen Shop, Ukiyoe-cho Branch.
On a nearby street, Rihyon strolled leisurely, with Natto-kozo following beside him.
"I truly never imagined it. For hundreds of years, I've navigated countless banquets, izakayas, and inns across the country. I've freeloaded in the mansions of Onmyo Clans and even the Shogun's inner palace, yet today I actually took a hit," Rihyon said with a laughing sigh. Though he had been tricked, he saw a worthy successor in the art of freeloading, and he couldn't help but offer a satisfied smile. Natto-kozo felt another wave of secondary embarrassment.
"The Grand Commander is getting sentimental in strange places again..."
"Well, when you get old, you tend to get sentimental about the passage of time. It's unavoidable," Rihyon said with a chuckle. Then, his expression sharpened as he began to ponder. "But speaking of which... that girl's face... she felt familiar. It's like I've seen her somewhere before... but I can't quite place it. Natto-kozo, do you have any impression of her?"
Natto-kozo looked puzzled. "Seen her? In my memory, there's no such human. Grand Commander, could you be mistaken? I've followed you for over five hundred years, and I've never seen anyone like that."
Hearing this, Rihyon continued to think. For someone like him with a thousand-year lifespan, searching through such a vast and cluttered memory was no easy task.
As they walked and he mused, Rihyon suddenly froze as if he had sensed something.
"Commander?"
Natto-kozo asked in confusion. Rihyon replied in a low tone.
"Natto... I feel the streets are a bit too noisy. We've just finished eating; let's go to the park where there are fewer people to get some peace."
"The park? Well, there's one nearby. If you want to rest, Commander, let's head there."
As they walked toward the distance, several tall figures wearing fedoras and pitch-black trench coats stood atop a high-rise building behind them. They watched Rihyon below, their gazes locked onto his trail.
"Heh, I never expected such a huge catch while out gathering information."
The tallest among them spoke in a shrill, thin voice. A worried voice spoke up beside him.
"Big brother... are we really going for it? That's the head of the Nura Clan, the Grand Commander of Kanto. Shouldn't we report back to Lord Tamazuki first?"
"Grand Commander? That was hundreds of years ago! The Slippery Nura was heavily wounded during the Osaka Summer Campaign and had his living liver taken. His demonic power has been draining for centuries; now he's just a withered old man. If it weren't for his son holding things together, the Nura Clan would have collapsed long ago. Now that his son is gone, why should we fear this old geezer?"
"This is a perfect chance to distinguish ourselves."
The figure laughed as he tugged at the brim of his hat, the light reflecting off the round lenses of his glasses.
"Yaaaawn—"
In a certain park, Miketsu sat on a bench and let out a massive yawn. She checked the time on her phone and spoke softly.
"That old man sure is slow on his feet."
Rate on N.U.
