A Ramen That Always Brought People Joy

By the time training ended, the sky had already turned orange-red.

Shin-chan put away the Wooden Sword, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and turned to look at Kakashi.

"The Silver Haired Uncle went on a mission, so what are you doing for dinner? Making it yourself?"

Kakashi paused for a moment but didn't answer.

"Come have dinner at my house," Shin-chan suggested.

"No need."

"Why?"

"Too much trouble."

Shin-chan blinked. "What's so troublesome about eating? You just sit down, open your mouth, chew, and swallow. I do it every day, and it's not troublesome at all."

Kakashi fell silent.

"Besides, we might have Fried Shrimp today," Shin-chan added.

Kakashi still said nothing.

Shin-chan waited two seconds. When he saw no reaction, he tried a different approach. "And you've been fighting for ages. Aren't you hungry?"

"I'm fine."

Shin-chan leaned closer and raised an eyebrow. "Your stomach just growled."

Kakashi instinctively glanced down at his stomach.

"Come on, let's go." Shin-chan pushed him forward.

Kakashi sighed. "All right, I'll go."

The two of them walked along the street toward the Nohara House.

As they passed an alley, Shin-chan suddenly stopped.

"Huh?"

Kakashi followed his gaze.

Someone was standing in the alley.

A boy in his teens, wearing a Chef's Uniform, stood with his head bowed beside the wall. His arms hung at his sides, flour dusting his fingers. He leaned against the wall, motionless, as if all the strength had been drained from him.

The setting sun fell across his face, revealing his vacant eyes.

Shin-chan tilted his head and stared for a couple of seconds.

"That person... looks really sad."

Kakashi didn't say anything.

Shin-chan walked up to the boy and looked up at him.

"What's wrong?"

The boy jumped at the sudden voice. He looked down and saw a child in Red Clothes.

"Nothing."

Shin-chan stared at him for a couple of seconds.

"You're lying."

The boy was at a loss for words.

Shin-chan pointed at his face. "Here, here, and here—it all says, 'I'm really sad.'"

The boy's expression stiffened. Looking at the child in front of him, he suddenly didn't know what to say.

There was a brief silence.

Then he slowly slid down and crouched on the ground, wrapping his arms around his head.

"The food I make... isn't tasty at all." His voice sounded muffled. "My master says I have no talent and will never make food people enjoy."

Shin-chan crouched in front of him, resting his chin in his hands as he looked at him.

"What do you make?"

"Ramen," the boy said. "The broth is always missing something, the noodles are always overcooked, and the chashu is always too tough..."

The more he said, the more dejected he became, and the lower he bowed his head.

"I've practiced for so, so long, but I just can't get it right."

Shin-chan listened carefully.

When he was done, Shin-chan tilted his head and thought for a moment.

"Do you like making ramen?"

The boy froze.

"I do."

Shin-chan nodded, then stood up and tried to pat the boy's shoulder. He couldn't reach, so he patted his arm instead.

"Then keep making it. My mom's cooking often tastes bad too. Sometimes it's too salty, sometimes it's too bland. But she cooks every day, and the more she cooks, the tastier it gets."

After thinking for a moment, Shin-chan added, "Though she still burns it pretty often."

The corner of the boy's mouth twitched.

Shin-chan continued, "Besides, even if it doesn't taste good, Dad and I still finish it because Mom made it."

He looked at the boy and said earnestly,

"There'll definitely be people who eat the ramen you make, too."

The boy looked at the child.

The setting sun behind Shin-chan outlined him in gold.

"What's your name?" the boy suddenly asked with a smile.

"Shin Nohara." Shin-chan gave him a thumbs-up. "I'm five years old."

"My name's Teuda." The boy turned to look at the closed restaurant. "Don't worry. I won't give up."

"Good luck!" Shin-chan waved at him.

Teuda was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something and stopped. "Are you two hungry?"

"Hungry!" Shin-chan's eyes lit up.

Teuda smiled. "Then I'll make you something to eat, even though my master says I'm no good at cooking."

He pushed open the restaurant door and went inside.

The restaurant was small, with a few tables and chairs, and it was quite tidy.

Teuda tied on an apron and got to work.

Shin-chan sat on a chair, swinging his legs back and forth.

Kakashi sat beside him, taking in the little restaurant.

After a while, two bowls of ramen were served.

The broth was clear, the noodles neatly arranged, and the toppings included several slices of chashu, half a soft-boiled egg, some sheets of nori, and chopped green onions.

"Give it a try." Teuda watched them nervously.

Shin-chan picked up his chopsticks, grabbed some noodles, and slurped them into his mouth.

Teuda watched him anxiously.

Shin-chan chewed and swallowed, then his eyes lit up. "It's delicious!"

Teuda froze.

"Really?"

"Mm." Shin-chan picked up another bite. "It's even better than Miya's cooking."

Kakashi also picked up his chopsticks and took a bite.

Teuda watched him nervously.

Kakashi swallowed and put down his chopsticks.

"The broth is decent, but you could adjust the firmness of the noodles. They're a little overcooked, and the chashu hasn't absorbed enough flavor. You could marinate it longer."

Kakashi took another bite and continued, "But overall, it's not bad."

Teuda stared blankly at the five-year-old.

That review... was way too professional!

Shin-chan ate quickly, his mouth still full of noodles as he mumbled, "When you open your restaurant, I'll be the first to come eat!"

Teuda smiled and nodded. "Sure. Your first bowl will be free."

"Really?"

"Really."

Shin-chan's eyes shone like light bulbs. "Can I bring my friends?"

"Sure."

"Lots and lots of friends?"

"That's fine too."

"Then can I..."

"Okay, okay." Teuda laughed and cut him off. "Finish your ramen first. It won't taste as good when it gets cold."

Shin-chan lowered his head and kept eating.

Kakashi finished too and put down his chopsticks.

"Thanks for the meal."

Teuda nodded, but his eyes were on Shin-chan.

The child held his bowl in both hands and drank every last drop of broth. Then he set it down, rubbed his stomach, and smiled brightly.

"Eating something delicious makes you happy, right?" Shin-chan patted his stomach. "I'm really happy right now."

Teuda froze for a moment.

Happy?

Looking at the child before him, he suddenly remembered his master's words: cooking was meant to make people feel happy.

But he'd been thinking only about the broth, noodles, and chashu, and had completely forgotten that.

After resting for a while, Shin-chan hopped down from the chair and said to Kakashi, "Let's go. Miya will worry if we don't get back soon."

Teuda stood at the restaurant entrance, watching the small red figure disappear at the end of the alley.

Ramen that made people happy...

Teuda turned to look at the empty tables and chairs inside the restaurant, and a thought suddenly came to him.

One day, he would open a restaurant of his own.

He would make a bowl of ramen that could make people feel happy.