That Sunday morning, I was in a state of total panic.

While I was desperately searching through my clothes for something suitable to wear, my mind began to wander and race with a thousand thoughts. Ever since he had invited me out, the question of why he had done it had become a fixation in my head. I didn't know how to interpret his invitation: was it a friendly outing or something more?

For my part, I didn't remember ever giving any indication that I wanted something beyond a possible friendship. I never imagined I would find myself in a situation like this. I mean, I had barely managed to make a friend, let alone establish an even deeper relationship with him!

Honestly, I didn't even know how I ended up accepting. The proposal had been so unexpected that, without even thinking about it and in total confusion, I had said yes.

He had only told me that he wanted me to go with him somewhere, but he hadn't told me where or what we would do. I didn't like surprises much, and only knowing the time and place where we would meet only increased my agitation.

This brooding of mine hadn't gotten me anywhere. I had dumped my entire wardrobe out of the closet, and despite everything, I still hadn't managed to find anything decent to wear.

Amidst all those clothes, what I most wanted to understand was why I was making such a big deal out of this. It wasn't like me to spend so much time choosing what to wear. Usually I wore the first things that came to hand, but this time I wanted to look nicer than usual. That didn't mean I wanted to look prettier for him... maybe.

In all this, I want to emphasize, even though I think it's quite clear, that this was my first date, or at least my first serious outing with a real person.

I had become a mix of conflicting emotions. And to think that before, I couldn't stand him. A complete disaster, basically.

"AH!! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO INTERPRET IT?!"

I shouted, running my hands through my hair and throwing myself on the bed. Shortly after, I heard a knock on my bedroom door.

"May I come in?" my aunt asked.

"Yes, come in," I replied with my face buried in the pillow.

"Everything okay? Why are you so agitated?"

I told her that Yuto-kun had invited me out, and she—the only woman from whom I expected more mature advice—got excited. It was the first time a boy had asked me out, and she wanted to know everything in the smallest detail. I felt like I was in a TV series where the protagonist tells her best friend all about her adventures with boys.

"How did it happen? When? What will you wear? Why didn't you tell me before?"

"C-calm down. I didn't think it was such important news."

"What do you mean? It's your first date. Of course it's important."

"I wouldn't exactly call it a date... I think. The thing is, I don't even know myself."

"Well, there's no point in getting so worked up, don't you think? Just enjoy the day and see how things develop."

"But I don't even know what to wear."

"I'll help you with that. Otherwise, what good am I if I can't help you with these things?" she said, smiling. "What time is your appointment?"

"In less than an hour. Around 10:00, we're supposed to meet near the phone store where we met the other time."

"Hmm, he wants to meet you at the first place you saw each other. Romantic guy," she said, snickering.

"NO... IT'S NOTHING LIKE THAT!" I replied, embarrassed.

"He told me he had some things to do beforehand, so he asked if we could meet there for convenience. That's all. Don't get any strange ideas."

"Okay, in that case, it's time to get ready," she laughed heartily.

"But will I make it in time?"

"Yes, don't worry. Besides, a girl should make them wait," she winked at me and started rummaging through the pile of clothes.

My aunt chose the most suitable outfits for me and told me that when a girl goes out with a boy, besides looking beautiful for herself, it would be nice to do so for the lucky guy in question too. Even though I couldn't imagine a boy being stunned by my outfit.

The meeting time arrived, and I arrived near the store a few minutes late. From a distance, I could see Yuto-kun repeatedly checking his wristwatch and turning left and right, waiting for someone to arrive.

Of course, that someone was me, but I liked the idea that those thoughts were directed at me.

I decided to sneak up on him to scare him. I don't know why I thought of doing that; maybe I was hoping for some funny reaction from him. So I slowly approached him from behind, and at that moment...

"*Boooh*"

...I scared him.

"*Ahhhhh!*" he exclaimed, startled.

"Wow, you scared m—"

He stopped speaking the moment he saw me. For a few seconds, he stood staring at me with a lost expression.

"Wow," he said simply. But for me, that sound was worth more than a thousand words. To my great surprise, my elegance had stunned him. I blushed, and my heartbeat started increasing, first slightly, then more strongly.

"That dress suits you. You're really cute," he said unexpectedly.

"Th-thank you," I replied.

We continued looking at each other, embarrassed. I wasn't wearing anything too flashy: underneath, I had a white blouse and a light blue, almost sky-blue skirt. Over it, I wore a pink jacket with small lace flowers at the ends of the sleeves and from the collar down to the zipper. On my feet, I had shoes matching the skirt and white socks. Plus, I had a small black bag.

It was nothing elaborate, but it seemed to have pleased him.

He wasn't dressed elegantly. He wore a simple white t-shirt with a black jacket matching his shoes and long pants. Unlike us girls, boys don't worry too much about clothing. Honestly, I preferred him this way; overly sophisticated clothes would have made me feel even more anxious, as if it were a serious date.

"Where do you want to go? I'm curious," I said to pull us out of that embarrassing situation.

"Well, there's something I wanted to do, and I'm sure you'll like it too. Follow me." He smiled and started walking.

I walked beside him and followed without asking questions. As we walked, I saw our reflection in the shop windows, and it felt like a real date. After a while, we stopped in front of a movie theater entrance.

"Here we are."

"A movie? Could it be..." I had read online that the adaptation of that film would be shown at this cinema in the city. And he had brought me right here...

"Exactly. I saw the trailer and remembered that you had books from the series in your room. And I like it too, so I thought we could come watch it together. Do you want to?"

"Of course, let's go now. I can't contain my excitement."

I said lightheartedly, like a child.

So we didn't waste any more time; we went inside the cinema and for a couple of hours enjoyed the movie together.

"Mhm, that was really a good movie," I said as I left the cinema. I stretched.

"Right. It was very good and well made."

"Yeah."

"Listen, it's true that my intention was just to watch the movie, but would you like to do something else?"

"Yes, I'd like that," I replied without hesitation. So for the rest of the day, we did nothing but hang out together.

We went around shops and had fun trying on clothes that were ridiculously mismatched, suggested by each other. Needless to say, they were all horrible or overly flashy, but it was fun. We also stopped by various bookstores to see if they had any volumes of our favorite series. We were continuing to walk through the shops when we heard a strange noise.

"*Grrrr*"

Yuto-kun's stomach started growling.

"Sorry, it's late, so I got hungry. But I wouldn't know where to go eat," he said, looking at his watch.

"I know where to go. Now you'll follow me."

He followed me without objecting, even though, driven by curiosity, he occasionally asked where we were headed. We stopped in front of an old restaurant in a small alley.

"Tadaaa!"

"What?" he asked, confused.

"This is the place."

"What do you mean, this place? It's rundown. Is it even open?"

"It's just a little dirty on the outside. Trust me, you won't regret it."

We went in.

The place was old, and even though the outside might give the impression of a shack, the inside was acceptable. It wasn't a modern environment. The place was small and had a long counter with stools. On the other side of the counter was the kitchen, with the owner working at the stove. Attached to the wall opposite the counter was a medium-sized television. Apart from the owner, there was no one else. Maybe because lunchtime had passed a while ago and it had gotten late.

The owner had narrow, shadowy eyes that at first glance might seem intimidating, but once you got to know him, you realized he was a very kind person. He wasn't thin; in fact, he had a bit of a belly, but he was friendly and really loved his job.

"Hello," I said to the owner.

"Hello," Yuto-kun also said.

Once we entered, the owner gave us a stern look, and Yuto-kun got scared. But it wasn't the man's fault; he gave that impression without meaning to.

"Well, well... Oh, miss. Here again," the owner said. Then he looked at Yuto-kun. "And him? Is he your friend?"

"Yes. He moved to the city a while ago, and I wanted him to try your ramen."

"Ahhh, perfect, then I'll get the kitchen ready." We sat at the counter.

"I've tasted ramen from various places, but this is the best."

"If you say so. I can't wait to try it."

"Yes, by now the young lady is a regular. Alright, kids, go ahead! Tell me what you'll have. Two ramen?" the owner asked. We answered affirmatively. While we waited for our order, Yuto-kun started looking around.

"What is it?" I asked him.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just surprised that there's still a place like this in the area. Outside, both the shops and buildings are newer."

"Ahh. Honestly, I don't know either."

"I can tell you if you want," the owner interjected.

"Yes, please."

"I'm curious."

"You know, this place has always been in my family. My father and mother bought it and worked here together. My dream was to be able to cook and have people taste my dishes. I wanted to become a professional chef and make a name for myself cooking in this place, so I enrolled in a cooking school, and when my parents got older, I started managing it. I didn't want to sell it or renovate it because I have many memories here, and everything has become a part of me."

Slowly, the place began to fill with strong, delicious smells that made your mouth water, especially the smell of soy sauce and meat being cooked in oil. He finished preparing our portions and served them to us.

"Here you go. Go on, boy, taste it. Tell me what you think."

Yuto-kun picked up his chopsticks and tasted his portion of ramen.

The reaction was priceless. His eyes started sparkling with joy.

"It's delicious," he said, surprised, and kept eating without stopping. "Sir, it's really excellent. I've never eaten such good ramen."

"I'm glad you like it. Go on, girl, eat too before it gets cold." The cook smiled, and we started eating.

"And then?" Yuto-kun said, turning to the owner.

"What?" he replied.

"Did you become a prestigious chef?"

"No. But maybe it's better that way. Probably if I had become too well-known, I wouldn't have been able to stay here and would have had to leave the place. But in this time, I've built other memories tied to this place."

"Why didn't you continue with your dream anyway?"

"Because the dream I had came from this place. I wouldn't have cooked with pleasure if I had left the roots that kept me tied to my dream. But I don't complain about my choices. In fact, I'm happier this way."

When we finished eating, we paid; also because it was almost closing time. At that moment, a woman with a little girl entered through the front door.

"Hi, honey. You have customers. Sorry for the disturbance."

"Don't worry. We were about to leave," Yuto-kun said.

"Daddy! Daddy! Will you teach me to cook tonight too? So next time I can work with you," the little girl said in her small voice.

That must have been his family. Yuto-kun and I looked at each other. At that moment, we understood what he meant by having created new memories. After leaving the shop, we started walking again.

"You know, the owner of the place scared me a bit at first, but in the end, he turned out to be a wonderful person. How did you find this place? It's certainly not a very popular spot."

"I found it by chance. After moving in with my aunt, while getting my bearings and learning the streets a bit, I got lost and stumbled upon this shop. I remember it was a rainy day, and I took shelter under the shop's sign. The owner saw me out there getting cold and invited me in. He offered me a bowl of ramen. It was delicious—the best I had ever eaten."