Yashiro-kun's Guide to Going Solo - V1

Prologue: Food Tastes Just as
Good Solo

There are two kinds of people in this world: loners and cool kids. You can either have things your own way, or take a back seat to others. You can either do what you want regardless of what others think, or put other people’s desires before yours. At the end of the day, those are really the only choices you have.

So then what’s the difference between doing what you want to do when you’re in a group, versus doing it by yourself? Won’t the end result be the same? If both lead to the same thing, the only real difference is whether or not others are watching.

Maybe you’d feel proud of yourself if you pushed other people’s opinions aside, but then they’d just get jealous or hold a grudge against you. You might not get that feeling of superiority if you’re alone, but no one would be there to hold it against you either. One isn’t really better than the other.

On the other hand, hiding how you really feel when you’re in a group because you’re worried about what others think isn’t much different than doing that same thing when you’re alone. People in that first category are usually called “wannabes” because even though they seem popular, they’re constantly seeking approval from others and they are looked down on because of it. And if you’re actually alone but can’t do the things you want because you’re still worried about what other people think, you’re really not so different from them. If you’re by yourself, why not do as you please as long as it’s not hurting anyone?

“How would you like your ramen?”

“I’ll take a little extra garlic.”

“Okay. Is that all?”

“Yes, that’s all.”

I was pretty tired from riding my bike for about thirty kilometers, so I popped into a knockoff of the famous Ramen Jiro chain to get some lunch. I’d been craving those noodles (so thick they could be udon) and that rich, greasy broth, but I didn’t think I could handle the huge portions at the real thing today. Knockoff restaurants are pretty handy for situations like these. If you look around a little bit, you can find a place to order just the right amount of food, although sometimes I do get confused looks when I ask them to only add extra garlic.

Another good thing about knockoff chains is that you can customize the ingredients and add as much as you want. When the server asks, “How would you like it?” or “Would you like to add garlic?” you can rattle off a long order like, “Add garlic, extra broth, extra veggies, and extra fatty
pork.”

This particular restaurant is different from the other knockoffs I’ve been to because they don’t really give you a ton of noodles to start with—just a little more than the average ramen place. So, when you really have an appetite, you need to include extra noodles in your order. Actually, most customers here do just that.

So when I, a teenage boy who should have a big appetite, only asked for a little extra garlic, both the servers and the nearby customers who overheard gave me a look that said,

“Really? You came to a place like this and that’s all you’re
gonna have?”

It’s fine. I came here because I had a craving. I was here
to enjoy a meal by myself, so I didn’t have to care what
anyone else thought, right? All I had to do was order what I
wanted and eat however much I liked.

After I waited for a while, my ramen finally came out. The order for the customer next to me arrived at just about the same time. My bowl looked woefully plain next to their glistening and fatty fried pork, mountains of bean sprouts, and sliced roasted pork piled so high you couldn’t even see the broth. Their order was probably closer to the norm around here compared to mine.

Time to eat, I said to myself as I picked up a good balance of bean sprouts and noodles, then shoved them in my mouth. It was a pretty standard way of eating at your average ramen joint, but not one you’d see much around here. In the time it takes to get a perfectly balanced bite, the noodles will soak up the broth and swell up. My neighbor was trying to prevent that by taking alternating bites of vegetables and noodles so that they wouldn’t get soggy. But I had ordered the perfect amount of food, so I didn’t have to worry at all.

Yeah, that’s the stuff. This is what I’ve been craving. The thick and chewy noodles, the greasy but addictive broth, the fatty pork slices, and a nice helping of garlic… It had a unique, strong flavor that some people might not care for, but every now and then I’d remember and get an intense craving for it. It wasn’t the kind of dish you could casually invite someone out for like, “Hey, wanna go eat some greasy ramen?” It’s not something you’d choose to eat with someone else, anyway. If you got too caught up in a conversation, your noodles would get soggy. Knockoff ramen was like the poster child of the best food to eat solo.

I shoved the last pork slice in my mouth and finished my water in one satisfying gulp. “Whew!” That really hit the spot. Being able to eat exactly how much you want, exactly how you want was so great. This was definitely something I couldn’t enjoy if I’d come with someone else.

“Thanks, that was delicious!” I said.

“Thank you, come again!” I heard the employee’s

enthusiastic reply as I left the restaurant. I thought about that children’s song—the one about making a hundred friends, climbing Mount Fuji, and eating onigiri with them. Personally though, I think food tastes just as good when you eat it solo.