InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Ramen Shop ❯ The Ramen Shop ( Chapter 1 )

[ A - All Readers ]

By: KibaSin

The Ramen Shop

By: Kiba/KibaSin

Summary: Inuyasha simply could not believe it. It had to be too good to be true.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha series. It belongs to Takahashi Rumiko-sama.

Genre: General

Rating: K+

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One

“No way.”

“Do you think I am capable of lying about such a thing?”

“You've got to be shittin' me!” Inuyasha growled. “And I'm not fallin' for another one of yer damn tricks, Miroku.”

Sighing, Miroku brushed his hand over his shirt absentmindedly. Then, he said, “I swear upon my father's grave—”

“Yeah, yeah,” Inuyasha huffed. “`I swear upon my father's grave that I would never commit such a sin'. Cut the crap, Miroku. I'm not fallin' for it.”

“Really now,” Miroku glowered, “there is no reason to be rude.”

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha stated, “And there's no reason for you to lie to me all the damn time.”

“That one time was merely a mistake, Inuyasha.” Miroku was quick to defend himself. “How was I to know that our sweet, sweet little Kagome had taken such a liking to your brother?”

“Half-brother!” he snapped. It still hurt a little, though. Deep down. Knowing that the sweet, innocent girl he had befriended and loved so long ago was probably bending over somewhere for his dick-face half-brother, Sesshoumaru.

“Yes, well,” Miroku coughed. “I could not have predicted that Sesshoumaru would react so violently to your little, romantic gesture, or that Kagome would immediately beg you to forgive her because she loves your half-brother.”

Needing to get off the subject, Inuyasha asked, “So, were you lyin' or not? Is there really a new ramen stand a few blocks over?”

Smiling, Miroku nodded. “Indeed there is. From what I hear, they even deliver.”

“D-deliver?!?” Inuyasha blinked in surprise. No way. Just, no way. “There's no—”

“I assure you,” Miroku chuckled, “I even called to check myself. They will deliver your ramen each and every day, through sun or rain, as fresh and warm as they can possibly keep it during the trip. But, a quick zap in the microwave should boost it back up to the temperature you want it at.”

“They'll deliver here?”

“Yes.” Miroku nodded, again, to reassure him a little more. “They said that they do not have the right equipment at the moment to deliver all the way to my house, but you live so close by that they would even be willing to walk it over here with extra care.”

“Holy—!”

“I told you, you'd like it,” Miroku told him.

“If you'd said you checked it out earlier,” Inuyasha scowled, “we could have avoided this whole thing.”

“Or—” he began.

“Don't even start,” Inuyasha snarled.

Chuckling under his breath, Miroku replied, “I wouldn't dream of it.”

Two

“So, uh, yeah.” He grinned from ear to ear. “I want two bowls of beef ramen.”

“And would you like that delivered, sir?”

“Yeah,” he paused. “Yeah!”

“Your order should be there within twenty to thirty minutes,” the man on the other end of the line giggled. “And if it isn't—!”

Blushing, Inuyasha shivered visibly. He coughed, “Uh, I think I can handle it if it's a little late, Jakotsu.”

“Oh, of course!” Jakotsu laughed. “I wouldn't dream of hurting my cute little Hojo, though you certainly give me enough reasons to think about it!”

“Uh, uh,” Inuyasha gulped. That man really freaked him out the first time they met.

“No reason to be—oh, wait, I have another call!” Jakotsu giggled. “Don't go anywhere, Inu-muffins!”

Choking on his tongue, Inuyasha quickly put the receiver down once the other voice disappeared from the line. Really, was it so hard to understand that his door did not swing that way? Knowing that the other man would call back if he did not keep the phone off the hook, though, Inuyasha quickly lifted the phone back off the receiver and set it off to the side.

That certainly solved one problem.

Now, it was just a matter of waiting for his ramen to arrive.

Twisting his head in every direction possible, Inuyasha caught sight of the television and grinned. That would certainly keep his mind occupied for a while. So, he bound over to the couch, and flipping the remote through the air to show off to himself, turned the television on.

Clicking through the channels at lightning speed, Inuyasha began to scowl when he realized nothing was on. Seriously, nearly three-hundred channels and nothing?! But, Inuyasha knew he could have missed something, so he decided to go through the channels once more.

And something caught his eye.

“What the—” Inuyasha blinked.

“We're now standing outside the—” Inuyasha did not listen to the rest of the sentence, as he began to realize that the newscaster, Sasaki Kikyo, standing next to her colleague, Ishikure Naraku, was pointing toward a sight that made his chest twist up in knots.

There, in the background, was the sweet, sweet Higurashi Kagome holding onto the arm of his asshole brother, Sesshoumaru. She was smiling, happy, and dressed in the finest looking dress money could buy. And Inuyasha huffed in annoyance, quickly turning the television off, because he knew and hated that Sesshoumaru was the one making her so.

Damn it, now that he could not watch television, what was he going to do for—Inuyasha glanced at the clock—fifteen to twenty-five minutes?

Three

“Here you are, sir!”

Inuyasha's eye twitched, as he handed his money to the smiling boy. He really could not stand him or that weird boyfriend of his, Jakotsu. But, he supposed that he could act civil enough that the boy would continue to bring him his daily lunch, instead of refusing to serve him.

“I suppose I'll be seeing you again tomorrow, Inuyasha?” Hojo grinned.

Snatching the bag with his cups inside, Inuyasha grumbled, “Prob-ly.”

Hojo's eyes twinkled in a way that made Inuyasha uncomfortable, as he leaned into the doorway a bit more than he should have. “Well,” the boy said, “I'll make sure to tell Jakotsu that.”

“Err—you do that,” Inuyasha coughed, beginning to shut the door.

“He'll be so happy,” Hojo continued, chuckling. “After all, it's only a matter of time.”

Curious, Inuyasha asked, “Matter of time?”

“Oh, Inuyasha, don't be silly.” Hojo shook his head lightly, turning on his heel. “Jakotsu and I can't give away all our secrets. To do so would ruin the surprise.”

Shuddering uncomfortably, since he was pretty sure the homosexual was flirting with him, Inuyasha made a gesture toward his kitchen. “I'm gonna go eat now,” he stated. “I'm sure you've got somethin' you're supposed to be doin' back at the ramen shop.”

Hojo brightened up, nodding, “Oh, yes! I must hurry back! Bankotsu and Renkotsu would be disappointed if I slacked off, not to mention Jakotsu's—!”

“Whatever,” Inuyasha said, finally slamming the door in the boy's face. He really did not care how rude the action seemed, the boy had kept him from eating his ramen and hit on him. Besides, knowing that kid, he would get over it within the hour.

Walking into the kitchen, Inuyasha withdrew the two steaming cups filled with ramen and set them onto the table. His mouth began to water almost instantly, as he searched for an available pair of chopsticks. After all, there was no reason for him to dirty a bowl when the ramen came in such a convenient cup.

But, man, did that ramen smell delicious.

Finding a pair of chopsticks, Inuyasha cracked open one of the cups sitting on his table. This was definitely going to be one of his finest moments—!

He nearly dropped the cup when the doorbell rang. And he cursed, realizing that some of the broth had ended up on his favorite shirt. However, he was not given time to even curse about it, when the doorbell rang again. “Yeah, yeah, I'm comin',” he growled.

Marching to the door, Inuyasha swung it open and was thoroughly surprised by the two women waiting on the other side for him.

“Ew? Inuyasha, are you still eating that crap?”

Four

“Now, now, Rin.”

“Well!” the girl huffed, “It's disgusting, Tsubaki! I don't even see how anyone could consume as much ramen as Inuyasha does!”

“Think of it this way,” Tsubaki chuckled, “it's not going into your stomach.”

“What the hell are ya doin' here, anyway? And how the hell did you know I'm eating ramen?” Inuyasha demanded. It had been years since he had seen Rin, and clearly her friend, Tsubaki, had been giving her a few tips on how to be more outgoing.

“We're here,” Rin sighed, “because Kagura and Kanna canceled on us, and I couldn't think of anywhere else to go that was close by.”

Inuyasha scowled. Of course, the girl only came to visit him when she needed something. Company, food, a roof over her head! When the hell was Rin going to understand that she was not allowed to just jump into his arms and expect to spend the money his father left him? The fact that they were distant cousins really did not matter, since she refused to acknowledge his existence unless she needed something.

“And I know you're eating ramen because I've never seen you spill anything but ramen on your nice clothes,” Rin stated. “Now, why don't you move aside and let us in?”

“Nuh uh,” Inuyasha growled. “Eight years I haven't seen ya, and now you suddenly want to make yerself at home? What do you really want, Rin?”

“I told you—” Rin began, glaring.

“Don't believe it,” Inuyasha instantly snapped.

Tsubaki finally sighed, stepping forth. “She's actually telling the truth, Inuyasha. We were supposed to stay with our friends, Kagura and Kanna, but they had to make an emergency trip out of town because their mother came down with an illness. We can't leave town until morning, since the—”

“I've heard enough,” Inuyasha snorted. He then turned his attention back to Rin, snapping, “And I was right! You do want something!”

“But not for the reason you thought!” Rin yelled back.

Inuyasha stiffened, quickly checking to make sure no one was coming out to complain about Rin's voice. “Keep it down, will ya,” he growled. “There are old people and children around this part of town. They don't need to hear your voice this late at night.”

Rin rolled her eyes, stating, “Oh, come off it, Inuyasha. The sun is just starting to go down.”

“Yeah, well—”

The small woman was already pushing him out of the way, saying, “Just get out of the way and let us in. We'll be gone by morning, and it will seem like we were never here at all.”

Finding his back against the wall, Inuyasha tried to glare holes through Rin's head. However, his cousin was already heading down the hall, her friend in tow, while she searched out his guest bedroom.

Great, how the hell was he supposed to eat without that brat complaining about his food?

Five

Brat. Not just any brat, either, no. A spoiled rotten one that did not know what manners were anymore. Though, Inuyasha supposed that Rin never really knew what manners were in the first place, since his father had always given her whatever she wanted.

Good thing he was dead, really, otherwise the little brat would have run him and his company into the ground.

Glancing longingly at the cups sitting on his counter, Inuyasha huffed. It was ridiculous. The girl should not be able to control him so well, yet he refused to touch his favorite dish while the damn brat was underneath his roof. Otherwise he ran the risk of the girl complaining thoroughly about the food he chose to eat.

Big deal.

Picking up the phone, Inuyasha dialed the first number that came to mind. He was not sure what the other man was doing, but it had to be better than watching two bouncing women destroy his livingroom because it was not homey enough. Or thinking about the meal that he had to put off until the brat went to sleep, which would probably be well after one am.

“Moshi, moshi. Who, may I ask, is calling?”

“Miroku,” Inuyasha said, “you gotta help me.”

“Oh? Has something happen with the ramen stand?” Miroku chuckled.

“No, my brat cousin has decided to make a visit,” he growled.

“I see,” Miroku said slowly. “Well, I'd love to help you, Inuyasha, but you see—”

“You've got a woman there, don't ya?” Inuyasha asked. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He should have known that Miroku would be entertaining some broad after a long day at work. After all, the man practically could not function without the thought of some feminine form wrapped around his waist.

“I'd prefer if you did not speak that way about my darling Sango,” Miroku replied.

“Sango, eh?” Inuyasha rolled his eyes. That one, again? “How many times have you broken up with that chick?”

“Only four,” Miroku said, “but this time, I assure you, will not end in tragedy.”

“I'll believe it when I see it.”

“Yes, well, I'm afraid I'm going to have to let you go, Inuyasha. My darling calls.” Miroku made a sound in the back of his throat, as a feminine giggle echoed through the phone.

Taking the phone away from his ear for a moment, Inuyasha made a face. Then, placing it back against his ear, he stated plainly, “That's disgusting, Miroku. Why don't you do that crap when you're not talking to me?”

“Apologies,” Miroku snickered in good humor. “I could not resist.”

“Whatever, I'm hangin' up on ya now,” Inuyasha sighed.

“Goodbye, Inuyasha.”

Putting the phone back on the receiver, Inuyasha cursed.

There went his perfect plan.

Six

“Your door bell is ringing,” Rin sighed, again.

“I hear it,” Inuyasha snorted.

“Then why aren't you answering it?” Rin asked.

“Because,” Inuyasha replied, “the only bastard that comes to my door and continues to ring the bell, even after I ignore it for ten minutes, is that idiot Kouga.”

“That's a little rude,” Tsubaki frowned.

Inuyasha turned his scowl toward her. He was not in the mood. His cousin was over for the night with her stupid friend and he could not eat the ramen that he had ordered specifically to eat. So, he growled, “The bastard will go away eventually.”

“She's right, Inuyasha,” Rin said, patting Tsubaki's arm. “That's rude. I'm going to go let him in.”

“W-what?!” Inuyasha jumped from his seat. “Don't you fucking dare!”

Rin was already on the move, though. She made it to the door with ease, even while Inuyasha scrambled down the hall after her, and flung it open. “Hello!” she greeted the person on the other side.

“Eh?” the blue-eyed man blinked. “What are you doing here? Where's Inuyasha?”

“Kouga!” the girl behind him scowled. “Don't you dare start flirting with that girl!”

Waving his hand behind him, Kouga said, “I wasn't even thinking about it, Ayame. Chill already, would ya?”

“Well!” Ayame huffed. “You were flirting with that girl down the street!”

“Because she had a huge rack!” Kouga defended.

“That's no reason to ignore me!” Ayame growled.

“I can't help but look!” Kouga snarled. “I'm a guy!”

“So!”

“Ugh, I don't think now is the time…”

“Shut up, Ginta!” Kouga and Ayame snapped together.

“Hey, don't—” the boy, his arm looped around Ginta's shoulders, began.

Kouga bopped him on the head, scowling, “Don't start with me, Hakkaku.”

Inuyasha, standing in the doorway with his arms crossed, glared at the small group of four. Then, slowly, he turned his glare onto his smiling cousin. “This,” he said, “is the reason I didn't want you to answer the door.”

“Well, that's rude!” Rin smiled deviously.

“I knew it!” Kouga grinned, leaning into Inuyasha. His head twisted around quickly, though, as he locked eyes with his green-eyed girl. “I told ya! The bastard was only ignoring us. The moment I started pounding on the door, though, shouting, he would have answered to shut me up. Then, we would have gotten in.”

“Yes, well,” Ayame rolled her eyes, “that's good and all, until the police are called.”

Shrugging, Kouga finally asked Inuyasha, “Are you going to let us in?”

“No,” Inuyasha stated bluntly. With lightning reflexes, he grabbed the door and swung it closed in the bastard's face.

“Inuyasha!” Rin cried in outrage.

“Don't open that damn door, Rin!” Inuyasha growled.

Rin, however, had already done so, blushing lightly. “You have to forgive Inuyasha. He doesn't have any manners!”

Shaking his head, Inuyasha stomped down the hallway. He knew that Kouga and his group were filing inside behind him, but he did not care at the moment.

He did not have any manners! Him! Ha, that was a laugh and a half! Especially since it came from Rin's mouth!

Seven

“They're simply the cutest couple!” At the same time, Rin, Ayame, and Tsubaki squealed in delight.

“Yes, yes—” Sasaki Kikyo grinned at the camera, “—and how would you say the engagement is going, Higurashi-san?”

Higurashi Kagome's face filled the screen, making Inuyasha's chest twist and his mind curse his friend. “Oh,” she giggled, “it's wonderful. Sesshoumaru's more than I could have ever asked for.”

“And, tell me, do you have any time for your family, Higurashi-san?” Kikyo asked. The camera focused on her once more, showing off the striking resemblance between her and the other woman currently off screen. “Word has it that you're so focused with your upcoming wedding, you never have any time to visit your family.”

“That's not true,” Kagome shook her head. “I call my mother at least once a week to ask how she and Souta, that's my little brother, are doing.”

“Really?” Kikyo smiled brighter. “Could you, perhaps, tell us a little something? Just to clear up the rumors?”

“Well,” Kagome blushed, “the last time I called, my mother told me that Souta's best friend, a boy named Shippo, had raided my old bedroom looking for something to wear as a costume. Apparently he wanted to be a superhero, but all he found was some of my old clothes.”

“That's so cute!” Kikyo sighed.

“I certainly thought so,” Kagome nodded.

Inuyasha glared at the screen, willing his body to lift off the couch and retreat to his room. Away from the damn television and the damn happy interview with Higurashi Kagome, who was apparently the fiancée to his dick-face brother now. But, damn it, he just could not look away.

The only pleasure he got was knowing that Kouga could not look away either.

And that he had some delicious ramen waiting for him in the refrigerator later.

Delicious ramen. Delicious ramen waiting to be devoured; shoved into his mouth, down his throat, and into his aching stomach. Yes, he could not wait for the moment his brat cousin and her stupid friend decided to go to sleep!

“Now, why don't we switch over to my colleague? Naraku, you're on,” Kikyo's voice penetrated his happy thoughts.

“Yes, I'm here with Taisho-san,” Naraku grinned. “Taisho-san, could you please tell us about—?”

“Oh!” Ayame giggled. “He's so handsome! Higurashi-san is so lucky!”

“I know!” Tsubaki sighed.

Rin nodded.

“That bastard,” Kouga hissed through his teeth.

For once, Inuyasha found himself agreeing with him. Because he knew for a fact that Kouga was reliving old memories of the sweet, sweet Higurashi Kagome before his half-brother managed to get his claws into her little, innocent heart. And, like him, Kouga wanted nothing more than to rip out Sesshoumaru's spine and gnaw on it to make sure the dick-face was dead.

Eight

The universe was working against him.

Inuyasha was sure of it now.

“You do know that's unhealthy for you, right?” Kouga grinned.

“Shut the fuck up,” Inuyasha snarled. The microwave was taking entirely too long. Seriously, it read three minutes, but he could swear that it had been at least six since he turned the machine on.

“Hey, I'm just stating a fact,” Kouga sighed. “You need something else in your diet.”

“I've got plenty of crap in my diet,” Inuyasha replied. His nerves were quickly being worn thin, and Kouga was not helping any. “Soda, chips, vegetables when I can keep them in the house, fruit, sushi. I don't need anything else.”

“Still, eating ramen seven days a week is going to make you fat,” Kouga said, shaking his head.

“Doubt it.” Inuyasha finally grinned, as the microwave beeped. He popped open the machine, drawing forth the steaming bowl filled with his delicious ramen, and then turned his attention to the bastard standing next to him. “What are you still doin' here, anyway?”

“Figured you could use the company,” Kouga shrugged. “I saw Rin and Tsubaki coming over, and thought you might like to have some men in your company.”

“Yeah, men,” he chuckled. He knew for a fact that Ginta and Hakkaku were a little more than just friends. Which was probably also the reason he used to crack jokes about Kouga's sexuality when the bastard was trying to chase Higurashi Kagome's tail.

Kouga growled.

Inuyasha merely grinned, snapping his chopsticks a part and dipping them into his steaming bowl. Finally. A moment to fill his stomach with the glorious invention that was ramen and bask in the aroma filling his kitchen. A moment to allow his troubles to float away, while he forgot about his brat cousin and her stupid friend, and the fact that the girl he once loved was going to marry his half-brother.

“Why don't you just make out with it?” Kouga taunted him.

“Shut up,” Inuyasha growled lightly. His nose took in the beef smell, causing his stomach to ache, and he finally lifted some of the noodles up toward his mouth. His tongue was already trembling, waiting for the delicious taste to hit his taste buds, and he knew he was beginning to drool.

Inuyasha shoved the noodles into his mouth.

He froze for only a moment, before he stewed the ramen noodles back out.

“Dude!” Kouga shouted, the meal all over the front of his clothing. “That's disgusting!”

“What's disgusting is this batch of noodles!” Inuyasha shouted, trying to get the taste off his tongue. He had tasted quite a few vile things in his life, but for some reason that ramen had gone down the wrong way. And that was saying a lot, since ramen never went down the wrong way.

Kouga turned red, shouting, “Then complain about it; don't spit it all over me!”

“Will you two shut up!” Rin's voice hollered from deep within the house.

Inuyasha roared, “Shut your mouth, brat! This is my home!”

“Nuh!” Rin replied.

Nine

When he picked up the phone the next day, Inuyasha had the strangest feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong once he called. However, he shrugged and dialed the number, determined to get to the bottom of his disgusting batch of noodles.

Seriously, who screwed up ramen?

“Moshi, moshi! Jakotsu speaking, how may I serve you today!”

Oh, damn. He had hoped that someone other than Jakotsu might be working the desk that day. But, he said, “Yeah, Jakotsu, this is Inuyasha—”

“Ohhh, Inu-muffins!” Jakotsu giggled. “You're such a naughty, naughty boy! Hanging up on me yesterday, but don't worry, I know that you were only trying to tease me!”

“Uh,” Inuyasha blushed. Again, he was rather glad he had waited until after every one had left. “That's not why I'm calling.”

“Oh, do you want some more ramen! Here, I'll tell—” Jakotsu's voice grew distant, as he shouted into the background on the other end of the line.

“Jakotsu,” Inuyasha finally snapped, “I'm calling to complain.”

“Complain?” Jakotsu asked, bewildered. “Whatever for?”

“Whoever made my ramen yesterday did something to it,” Inuyasha growled, “and it tasted nothing like beef ramen should. And trust me, I know what beef ramen should taste like, since I've ordered from your shop for about two weeks now.”

“Oh, well… um, I'm not quite sure what was wrong with it,” Jakotsu said slowly. “Mukotsu made that batch and he's our best cook. I told him to make it with extra care, and no one else complained…”

“You can come over and try mine if you want,” Inuyasha suggested. Though, truly, he did not want that man anywhere near his home.

Jakotsu became serious, saying, “That won't be necessary. I'll just get you another order of ramen for free, since you weren't satisfied with your order last night. But, remember, I'm only doing it this once and you'll have to call immediately after if you have anything else you'd like to discuss.”

“You don't have to give me—”

“No, no! It's policy! Bankotsu and Renkotsu stated very clearly that the customer is always right and that anyone who complains should get a bowl to replace the one they lost,” Jakotsu replied. “So, don't think that I'm just trying to be kind to you, Inu-muffins, though I would like to—”

Inuyasha coughed suddenly, violently. “Uh.”

Jakotsu giggled, saying, “I told you, you're a naughty boy! Now, your ramen will be there in twenty to thirty minutes! Ohh, Hojo will be so happy to see you again!”

“R-right,” Inuyasha said slowly.

“Oh! Another call! Goodbye, Inu-muffins!”

Inuyasha sighed in relief, as he placed the phone back down on the receiver. That had gone much better than he could have imagined. Really, he was not sure why his gut began to twist up in knots, silently telling him that something bad was going to happen to him.

Shaking his head, Inuyasha contemplated what he was going to do now.

Ten

“Inuyasha—”

“What?” Inuyasha drew out, shifting his attention to his friend.

“How much ramen would you say you've consumed in the last four months?” Miroku asked. His eyes clearly scanned the room, glancing at each and every empty cup that was once filled with the glorious meal.

“Don't know, don't care,” Inuyasha grinned. Absentmindedly, he punched the number he wanted to call into his phone. “Besides, it's not like I can't handle it.”

“I was merely concerned with your obsessive habits,” Miroku muttered.

“Pshw, obsessive habits,” Inuyasha replied. “I don't have any obsessive habits.”

Miroku cast his eyes across the room a second time, stating, “Yes, I can see that.”

“Moshi, moshi! Jakotsu speaking!”

Quickly raising the phone to his ear, Inuyasha stated, “Uh, yeah, Jakotsu, I wanted to call and tell ya that that last batch of ramen I got was a little bland. If you could just tell Mukotsu that, that's be great, since—”

“How often have you been doing this?” Miroku asked, instantly catching onto Inuyasha's little scheme. Really, could he not simply buy some ramen from the store and cook it himself?

“—I'm sure he'll understand and try to make my next batch just the way I like it!” Inuyasha finished.

Miroku frowned, saying, “I don't think that's the best thing to do, Inuyasha.”

Waving his hand in his friend's face, Inuyasha continued, “Oh, and—”

“Um,” Jakotsu, surprisingly, gave an awkward pause. “Inuyasha—” Inuyasha stiffened at the sound of his name, instead of Jakotsu's cute nickname for him, “—I'm not quite sure how to tell you this, but… well, Mukotsu's told me to stop taking orders from you.”

“W-what?!” Inuyasha gasped. No! No!

“My records show that almost every other bowl sent to you is complained about, and Mukotsu's tired of having to make a new batch just because you've found some small imperfections with it. So, I'm sorry, Inuyasha, but this is goodbye,” Jakotsu said softly.

Inuyasha's eyes widened. “Wha—!”

“I'm sorry,” Jakotsu said again, “but, you'll just have to call another ramen shop or buy some from the store from now on. Mukotsu doesn't want you calling this shop anymore for deliveries, and Bankotsu and Renkotsu—oh, I have to go, sorry again!”

The line went dead.

“Inuyasha?” Miroku asked, placing his hand onto his friend's shoulder. “Is everything alright?”

“They—they—” Inuyasha blinked in surprise.

“Are you alright?” Miroku pressed.

“They banned me from ordering delivered ramen!” Inuyasha shouted.

Miroku shook his head. “Well—”

“Can you believe this!” Inuyasha continued, nearly hysterical.

Surprisingly, Miroku's hand flew across Inuyasha's face, leaving a sting behind.

“Did you just—?” Inuyasha asked slowly.

“Yes, and I apologize, Inuyasha, but it was for your own good,” Miroku stated.

Inuyasha pouted afterward, mumbling, “Damn it, I knew that place was too goddamn good to be true.”

“No, no, Inuyasha,” Miroku shook his head. “You merely took it one step too far.”

Inuyasha merely scowled.

--Fin