Ramen 2 || Kim Taehyung ||

7-2

10
9
8

The ending countdown  started.

7
6

I was going to finish the last bowl no matter what. I looked at her to see how she's doing. She's halfway through her bowl.

Suddenly she made eye contact with me. It felt like she read my mind and understood my determination. It felt like a warning call for both of us, to finish the ramen.

To everyone's delight, the competition came to an end. After sipping down the soup, I literally smashed the bowl on the table. The crowd was happy to get their winner and loser.

Jimin and Jungkook were literally jumping up and down. Everyone was congratulating me, but I couldn't hear anything.

All I could see was people around me with a happy face except one. The Ramen Queen.

She had excepted defeat. I've
never seen someone so heart broken over a silly ramen eating competition. Then I remembered, she had to pay the bill for everyone. For some reason I felt nothing but empty in my heart after winning.

"Congratulations on winning the competition, again.", hearing a sweet voice, I turned towards the source of owner and it was Aara with a smiling face. Her smiling face might have brought pain in my heart in the past, but not today.

I was surprised that my heart changed so easily. I slightly bowed with a smile. I guess the matter of the heart are full of mystery.
"Thank you, Aara sshi" her eyes shined like she was genuinely happy over my win. I remembered the very first time we met and then the weird feeling I developed when I get to know that mr. Han wanted me to marry her and the little pain I felt when I met her again here, in this cafe but she was someone's wife now. The memories still stung the some corner of my heart.

But then a loud thud brought back my attention to reality. Everything around me came to a pin drop silence.

"Life is so unfair!!!! I thought I was lucky today!!!! Is your stomach a stomach or a black hole?" angrily said the ramen queen who was now dropped on the floor look like a very upset baby with red pouty lips.

Her eyes were teary. The defeat hit her hard. She couldn't meet eyes with her girls. They now have to pay the bill as their punishment.

With disappointment in their face, one of the girls, Bora noona, called one of the waiter " Can you tell
us how much the bill is? We have to leave, so inform us quickly." The waiter nodded and went back to the counter.

I saw Jimin and Jungkook was now enjoying free drinks while the girls were waiting impatiently for the bill to arrive. The more time passed, the more I started to become nervous. All I could think was what type of misery the ramen queen and her squad would be going through. Finally, the bill came and I didn't need to see the amount that was written in it. Their shocked face was enough for me.

Suddenly, an idea came to my mind.

"Listen, ladies.", I cleared my throat to bring attention. The girls looked at me, some with expectations and a particular one with anger and sadness. "What do you have to say now?", Said the one, sejeong who opposed this game since yesterday .

"Well, I have a peace offering. Why don't we split the bill between both of the competitor?" I offered, tried to sound sweet and natural, not the one in a mocking or petty way.

"What" the two pairs of shoes dragged me to the nearest corner.

"Are you being serious Tae?" Jimin glared at me.

"Yes I am!!" I retorted.

"Hyung but she started this" jungkook sounded confused and a bit mad as why am I doing this.

"I am not a man to take any kind of advantage from a girl in any situation kook." I proudly comeback before I made my way to the girls again.

"Wah Hyung, you were right!!! Taetae hyung is growing a soft spot corner for the drunken beauty" I clearly heard kookie's word and Jimin giggled "Our birthday boy deserve this sweet gift."

Is she a Gift? I don't know why but I could feel the butterflies having a party in my ramen filled tummy.

"So what do you girls say?" I asked. From the looks of them, the offer was ludicrous to them. Still, there was some hesitance in them. I leaned forward and said in a low voice," I think it might be the best way in this situation." My offer seemed to make them relieved.

Soon jungkook and Jimin joined our conversation. I knew what they were planning to do discuss now.

That's when I added more." Let's change the punishment and the reward. I think it will be fair that way." The girls were perplexed by this new addition to my proposal.

"Wait.....you won't make me do weird thing, right???if you entertain that type of thought , then I have warning for you. I'll beat the shit out of you!!" She tried to look furious but failed with her shaky alcoholic sweet voice.

"Yeah! Our girl is the best in kicking asses!" sejong added to her support.

Their replies were making me laugh hard yet I controlled it. But before I could respond, Jungkook spoke on behalf of me "Don't worry. My hyung is not a byuntae." I had to snort after listening to that lame pun he made. Jimin barely controlled his laughter.

I restated my offer ," So, what do you think? "
"We'll take the offer"said elder Bora noona. Both of the group's agreed on it, but the ramen queen was looking at me cautiously. As if I had some nefarious intentions behind my words.

After the bill was paid, the crowd disappeared since the show was over, they had no reason to stay.

She approached me with an intention to start a conversation. She looked bit sober now. Guess the lemon juice she was holding in her hands helped her.

"Thanks about the bill. I really appreciate it."

"No problem. I'm just happy that this weird competition over ramen is over."

"I guess Yes.... I am sorry I broke the promise I just made today and started stupid competition again." She apologize "But....you didn't clear of one thing" her eyes locked with mine.

"What?"

"You said you wanted to change the reward. As the previous reward was....ahem...a kiss. What do you want the reward to be?"

Her question gave me a pause. In that moment I suggested the change so that we could avoid any type
of awkward situation. I actually didn't think of an alternative.

"Yeah..... About that - I paused for a good amount of time-  Umm, would you go on a walk with me?" It was the last thing she expected to
hear from me. Her eyes were almost big as a ping-pong ball when she heard my proposal.

"Excuse me?" She said. I bet she heard me right. But then I saw the dark background behind her. It was night. Very late night.

"Tomorrow! If you are free?" I fixed my proposal.

"Did you just say, to have a walk with you tomorrow?"

"If you don't mind......I mean  I would love to go on a long night walk but that would not be safe for you" I spoke, pointing at the clock hanging on the wall, just right above the window, showing the dark and almost deserted night view of Seoul.

"Hmm... well, there is a park nearby. Maybe we can walk there." She finally smiled.

"Alright then, is 6 in the evening ok for you?" I asked taking my steps backward, eyes still connected with her's.

"6 will do!!" She agreed. I wanted to scream happily, for some odd reason but obviously I could not.

"See you tomorrow, Ramen Queen" I winked, before turning my shoes to walk out of the cafe, dragging Jimin and Jungkook along. And I just winked at her. Why. Weird.

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