Chapter Text
They were definitely going to get in trouble for ditching the adults.
Thoughts like that quickly clouded Itsuki’s mind as he was dragged deeper into the forest by the young master. Running in a yukata was difficult, especially for a nine-year-old, but Itsuki did his best to keep pace with his friend anyway.
It was clear the other boy had had enough of the so-called ‘special time’ with his family. As for Itsuki, he didn’t really have an opinion on the matter. After all, they weren’t his family.
He’d only come to the festival because his friend had refused to attend unless Itsuki was allowed to come along. The invitation had felt a little awkward, it was obvious his friend’s parents had wanted a quiet evening together as a family. They didn’t protest much when he was brought along though, likely deciding it wasn’t worth an argument over something as easy as a friend tagging along.
And when their backs were turned, their son had taken Itsuki’s hand and bolted into the woods.
Stupid, especially since they were supposed to be under constant supervision. Security was always present around his friend’s home, men who loitered outside at all hours of the day. Itsuki had assumed they were professionals, but losing track of two nine-year-old boys? That was nothing short of embarrassing.
He didn’t know how much longer he could keep running. They had been sprinting for what felt like forever, and the excitement had turned into worry a long time ago. If they got lost, it would mean they would get into even bigger trouble. They might even have to contact his guardian, an idea that he didn’t want to see come true.
At last, his friend slowed to a stop in a small clearing. Releasing Itsuki’s hand, he collapsed onto the forest floor with Itsuki dropping beside him. Both boys lay flat on their backs, chests rising and falling as they tried to catch their breath.
It wasn’t long before they heard the first boom shoot off into the sky. The fireworks had started.
Itsuki watched the display in awe. He’d seen fireworks before, but it was always such a thrill. He suddenly felt fingers brush against his, and without a word, the two friends gripped each other’s hands.
They sat there like that for who knows how long. Itsuki had been told the fireworks wouldn’t last very long, but it felt like they’d been going off for hours. He was getting a bit tired and was ready to go back to the adults at this point.
He felt the hand holding his give a tight squeeze and a murmur come out of his friend’s mouth.
“My parents are getting divorced.”
Oh. Itsuki didn’t really know how to respond to that. He knew what that word meant, it was when adults decided they didn’t want to be in love anymore. Maybe that was why the young master was so desperate to run away from everything. His parents probably wanted this trip to be one final ‘good’ memory together before everything went bad.
“You won’t leave me.”
The words were almost swallowed by the sound of fireworks exploding above them. They were getting louder now, closer together. The show must’ve been coming to an end.
Itsuki turned and looked at the boy sitting beside him. He was already watching him with that same intense, unblinking stare he had somehow mastered in just a few short years of life.
“Promise to be mine forever.”
If it was meant to be a question, it didn’t sound like one. But it didn’t matter. Itsuki couldn’t imagine saying anything else.
“I promise.”
19 Years Later
Kagura was the second-largest city in the country of Ineaba. People often said that if you were looking to change yourself or start over, Kagura was the place to be. That’s what Itsuki had believed when he moved there nearly ten years ago. The idea had felt almost romantic—like the city could erase the past and set you free from all the things that used to hold you down.
He wished it could be true.
Kudo Noriko carefully set a steaming bowl of ramen in front of her customer. “Enjoy!” she said, her voice full of energy. She stepped away from the counter but kept a watchful eye as the man took his first bite. A second later, he gave an approving nod and quickly went in for another spoonful.
Kudo looked at Itsuki with a wide smile that clearly said, “Did you see that? Praise me!”
Itsuki shook his head with a sigh and reached out to pat her on the head. “Nice work,” he said with a small smile.
Today marked Kudo’s third day on the job, and the first time Itsuki had trusted her to take a customer’s order. She had practically begged for the chance when the old man walked in, eyes already scanning the menu he’d likely memorized by heart. Itsuki knew that the only real way to improve was through hands-on experience, so he gave her a nod and stepped back.
He had to admit, he was feeling proud of her quick progress.
The ramen she made wasn’t perfect, far from it. But if it was good enough to satisfy one of his longtime regulars, then that was something worth acknowledging. After all, if the old man wasn’t complaining, who was he to judge?
“I’m getting better!” Kudo said, clasping her hands together with a wide grin.
"You are," Itsuki agreed with a small nod. "At this rate, you might be able to run a shift on your own soon."
That made Kudo pause. Her eyes widened in surprise, staring at him like he had just said something completely unexpected. "Really?" she asked. "Me, working alone?"
"What? Don’t you want a shift to yourself?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Kudo glanced away for a second, then looked back at him and gave a small nod. "I do… but I still have a lot to learn from you, Sensei."
Itsuki sighed again. He was only three years older than Kudo, but the way she always called him ‘Sensei’ made him feel way older than he actually was.
It was true though, Itsuki’s little ramen shop only had about nine items on the menu. Some customers were happy with the standard bowls, but others often came in with strange or very specific requests.
The regular Kudo just served usually liked extra eggs in his ramen, a detail Itsuki had picked up on after the customer asked for it every single time he visited.
You had to pay attention to people’s moods. Sometimes, you could just tell when someone needed something different from their usual order. Something to calm them down or lift their spirits. Itsuki had always been good at that. Being a beta, he’d learned to read people through their body language and expressions alone. Unlike alphas and omegas, betas didn’t have as strong a sense of smell, so they had to rely on other cues to figure out how someone was feeling.
And as a fellow beta, Kudo should understand this. And if she didn’t, then it would be up to Itsuki to teach her.
“For now, check the inventory. We should be getting a shipment soon,” he instructed. Kudo gave him a quick bow before squeezing past him and heading out the back door.
The customer chuckled, clearly amused by her eagerness. “She just wants to impress you!” he said.
Itsuki frowned at that, he wasn’t worth impressing.
A loud cheer erupted from the restaurant across the street, catching his attention. When he looked over, he saw a group of people laughing and drinking together. Most of them looked like office workers, probably just getting off from their shifts and heading out to blow off steam. The after-work crowd was starting to fill the streets, ready to drink and forget about their day.
His shop was in the Guiwei district, a neighborhood known for its narrow alleys and twisting pathways that felt like you were walking through a maze. As one wandered through, you’d pass small businesses tucked into corners so compact they could only fit ten people inside at the most if you were lucky.
Nearly every shop in Guiwei served food. There were a few clothing stores or places offering entertainment, but restaurants clearly dominated the area. Places like Itsuki’s ramen shop were common. And if one place was too full, no one worried, they just moved on to the next. That was the unspoken rule of Guiwei: there’s always another good bite just around the corner.
The restaurant across the street was the kind of place that always had a line out the door, especially at night. People crowded in to grab food or drinks to go, and it was only a matter of time before the group inside got too loud and ended up being kicked out. Just like others Itsuki had seen before.
He shook his head at their antics. That was one of the downsides of working in a busy part of the district, too many drunk customers wandering around. Still, as someone who enjoyed a drink himself, he figured he didn’t have much room to criticize.
His own little shop was much quieter. Most days, he didn’t get a crowd, but there were just enough customers to keep things running. With only seven seats inside, it wasn’t built for large groups anyway. The biggest party he’d ever served was five people, and even that had filled the place nearly to capacity.
He was only training Kudo because his usual employee, Akiyama Mai, would be going on vacation soon and needed someone to cover her shifts while she was away.
She’s a little too energetic though, he thought. I don’t want her overwhelming the customers.
Her bubbly personality hadn’t bothered his regulars so far, but that didn’t mean much. The old man who came by almost daily probably enjoyed having a young woman talk his ear off about anything and everything. Honestly, he would’ve smiled through a terrible bowl of ramen if she had been an omega.
His train of thought came to a halt when he noticed someone lingering just outside the entrance. A young man stood next to the menu board, staring at it with interest. Itsuki tried not to make it obvious, but he found himself hoping the guy would come in.
“Hey!” the old man suddenly yelled, startling both Itsuki and the young man outside. The customer pointed a finger in annoyance. “Either come in or get moving. You’re blocking my view.”
The view being the group of three female office workers across the street. It was one of the many reasons this particular regular always chose to sit on the first stoop, even when most men his age preferred the back.
What a dirty old man, Itsuki thought, trying not to roll his eyes.
The young man seemed hesitant, but the old man’s glare was enough to push him forward, and he finally stepped inside the ramen shop. His eyes flicked over to Itsuki, who offered him a reassuring smile to try and ease the tension.
“What can I get you?” Itsuki asked him.
The young man quickly made his way to the stool furthest from the door and sat down. He didn’t respond right away, but his shoulders slowly began to loosen, Itsuki’s friendliness seeming to melt away some of his worry.
He reached up and pushed back the brim of his baseball cap to take a better look at the menu hanging above the counter. As he did, Itsuki finally got a clear view of his face.
He was clearly an omega, his delicate features that made it easy to tell. His skin was smooth and showed no signs of struggle, and his jawline was slim and narrow. His dark brown eyes were wide and full of emotion, framed by long eyelashes, and his eyebrows were thin with a natural arch. He had a straight nose and gently shaped lips. His black hair fell just past his shoulders.
“You’re in for a treat,” the old man said with a grin, turning in his seat to wink at the younger man. “Itsuki here makes ramen better than anyone else in the city.”
Itsuki huffed, not falling for the flattery. “You just want me to give you a free egg again.”
The old man raised his hands. “Other shops do it for me all the time!”
But Itsuki wasn’t buying it. He knew for a fact his regular didn’t eat anywhere else. Once he found Itsuki’s shop, he stopped going to other ramen places.
“I’m looking forward to it,” the young man said at last. His voice was a little shy, but sounded nice nonetheless. Itsuki glanced back at him and saw the omega suddenly pause, realizing he hadn’t actually placed his order yet.
Once he did, Itsuki turned and got to work, falling into the familiar rhythm of preparing a perfect bowl of ramen. It didn’t take long for the clatter of utensils and bubbling broth to fill the shop.
Even with his back turned, Itsuki could feel the young man’s eyes on him. He was used to it. Customers often liked to watch, especially first-timers. There was something satisfying about seeing a meal come together right in front of you. Itsuki didn’t mind. He took pride in every bowl he made.
When he finally placed the finished ramen in front of his customer, he caught the way the omega’s expression lit up. His eyes widened, and his lips parted slightly as the steam and scent hit him. His stomach must’ve growled, because he looked a little embarrassed, but Itsuki only smirked to himself. That reaction meant he’d done his job right. Another one in the pocket.
“Enjoy,” Itsuki said, a bit smugly.
He had every right to be. Everyone loved his ramen, they all said so. From the outside, no one would expect a small alley shop in the Guiwei district to be serving some of the best ramen in the entire city.
But every single customer who came through those doors had said the same thing:
“This really is the best…”
“Told ya so!” the old man called out proudly as the omega stared up at Itsuki in awe.
Itsuki only shrugged at the praise. “It’s just regular ramen,” he said.
Even so, a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He wasn’t the type to brag out loud. Humility was a virtue, after all. But deep down, he knew his ramen was something special.
The old man returned to quietly watching people pass by outside, which meant Itsuki was off the hook from having to make small talk. With both customers now lost in their own worlds, the shop settled into a comfortable silence once again. That was how most of Itsuki’s days went, a little stressful, but always fulfilling in the end.
“Your name is Itsuki-sama?” the young omega asked after a few minutes.
Itsuki turned back toward him. The man had finished his entire bowl, soup and all. He must have either been daydreaming longer than he thought, or this guy really liked his ramen.
“Just Itsuki,” he said with a small smile. “I don’t really do honorifics.”
He also preferred when people didn’t call him by his last name, which was why he always introduced himself with his first. It wasn’t exactly proper, but Itsuki had never been known to follow the rules.
He didn’t ask for the young man’s name either; he rarely did ask people. There wasn’t much point in learning the names of people who might only pass through once.
Come to think of it, he didn’t even know the old man’s name. Maybe the guy had just forgotten to tell him, or maybe thought he already had.
The omega let out a soft laugh, glancing up at him with a smile that made Itsuki’s stomach twist. Itsuki might be a beta, but he was still human.
Get a hold of yourself, he scolded himself. You’re not a teenager anymore.
“This place is a lot bigger than other alley spots I’ve seen,” the young man commented, his gaze drifting to the rows of stalls stretching beyond the one he sat in. The hum of conversation, the clattering of dishes, the sounds of footsteps, and sizzling of pans filling the air.
“The biggest in Ineaba,” Itsuki replied. He gave the man a sideways glance, curious that he didn’t already know that. “New around here?”
The omega nodded, fingers absently tracing the rim of his bowl. “I just moved here.”
He then seemed to hesitate as he looked back over at Itsuki. From the look in his eyes, he appeared to be debating himself before he made up his mind. Sitting up straight, he gave Itsuki a polite bow. “I’m Hanamura. But most people just call me Hana.”
See? Itsuki hadn’t even needed to ask. When someone offered their name first, it usually meant they planned on coming back again, even if only once more.
Itsuki returned the bow with one of his own. “Nice to meet you, Hana.” Then, out of habit that he really needed to kill, he added, “Thank you for choosing Yakusoku as your first stop to eat.”
The two then shared a laugh. The old man shot them a sharp glare for being too loud, but Itsuki didn’t pay it any mind, and Hana didn’t even notice. He didn’t even seem to mind that Itsuki hadn’t added an honorific when he said his name. He accepted Itsuki’s quirks quickly, just how Itsuki preferred them.
“I’ll be sure to return,” Hana said.
And, to no one’s surprise, Hana ordered another bowl. As Itsuki prepared it, he heard his older regular finally get up and leave. The man didn’t say goodbye, he never did, but Itsuki didn’t mind. As long as the customer kept coming back, that was all that mattered.
By the time Hana finished his second bowl, Kudo finally returned from the storage room. She stopped in her tracks when she noticed the young man still sitting at the counter. Hana was undeniably attractive, and anyone seeing him for the first time would probably stare without meaning to.
Kudo was at least smart enough not to comment on him. She simply slipped behind Itsuki to take over as another customer entered.
Hana finally stood up to leave, right when Itsuki was starting to worry he might actually ask for a third bowl. Itsuki knew his ramen was good, but there were limits to what a human stomach could take.
Hana looked back at him with a smile, his eyes lighting up with warmth. “I really will have to come back,” he said, sounding genuine
Itsuki crossed his arms, smiling in return. “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”
For a moment, they just looked at each other, neither looking away from the other's eyes. Then Hana ducked his head, a blush touching his cheeks as he gave a small nod.
“Thank you for the meal,” he murmured before slipping out of the shop.
When Itsuki finally locked up the shop hours later, he was still thinking about that smile.
He took his cap and pulled the tie out of his hair, letting his long black locks settle around his shoulders. A long time ago this hair would’ve gotten him anyone he wanted. Now, he thought about how much he just wanted it for himself.
It wasn’t like Itsuki was old and ugly now, he was still in his twenties. But ten years of nonstop stress had left their mark. Every morning, when he dragged himself out of bed and looked in the mirror, he saw how much he had changed. The teenager from all those years ago felt like someone completely else now.
Not that he’d ever been particularly cheerful to begin with.
Still, people didn’t compliment his looks like they used to. That also could be due to the fact Itsuki never really went out either. And whenever he did step outside the shop or his apartment, it was usually just to grab a drink at some low-key bar. The kind where people went to forget their problems, not to find someone to have sex with.
Sex. When was the last time he’d even had any? Less than ten times since leaving school, and none of those times had been as good as he expected them to be. If sex wasn’t satisfying anymore, then what was the point?
Three years. It had been three years since he’d last slept with someone.
And even longer since it actually meant something.
Itsuki didn’t expect things with Hana to be any different. He wasn’t even sure the omega was interested in anything like that. A smile could mean a lot of things, but it didn’t always mean what you wanted it to.
So Itsuki pushed the thought away. Whatever happened in the future, he only hoped it would end well for him.