I was Thrown into an Unfamiliar Manga

We split up and decided to each go buy some street food.

After all, with eight people moving around in a group, it seemed more efficient to engage in individual combat rather than mob tactics.
We chose who would go buy yakisoba with me via rock-paper-scissors, and after an intense battle of wits, the winner turned out to be Sasha.
“Fufu, as expected, it’s me.”

Sasha proudly tilted her chin up, while the losers looked on enviously.
Honestly, I had no idea what the hell this was supposed to be.
“Well then, let’s go. Kim Yu-seong.”

“…Yeah.”
With one arm being tugged along by Sasha, I told the others we’d meet up again at the agreed location, then headed off toward the yakisoba stand I’d spotted earlier.
***

Yakisoba.
One of Japan’s representative street foods.
A simple dish where Chinese-style noodles are stir-fried on a griddle with sauce and vegetables—yet thanks to its sweet-and-savory flavor, it’s long been a beloved comfort food.

You might wonder why it’s called soba when it doesn’t use buckwheat noodles, but the dominant theory is that yakisoba originated after World War II, during Japan’s economic stagnation, as a substitute for soba using Chinese-style noodles.
Kind of like how in Korea, people were encouraged to eat more flour-based food, so they came up with tteokbokki, sujebi, and ramen.
Anyway, yakisoba appears so frequently in Japanese subculture that, honestly, if you’re an otaku, it’s impossible not to know it.

Which meant my expectations for the taste were relatively high, but once you actually try it, the reaction tends to be something like this—
“…Kinda underwhelming.”
That was Sasha’s review after taking a bite with an expectant look.

“Most of the ones sold at stands are like that.”
If it’s made at a proper restaurant, it might be better since they include meat or seafood, but the stuff sold outdoors is literally just noodles, cabbage, and sauce—so the flavor’s on the bland side.
Some people also dislike the sour base flavor of the Worcestershire sauce that’s used for the yakisoba seasoning.
“That’s why it’s one of those things you either love or hate.”

Saying that, I lightly shook the container of yakisoba I was holding in both hands.
“Still, it’s not totally inedible. Kind of feels like cheap junk food.”
After hearing my explanation, Sasha slurped up her portion of yakisoba.

We were walking through the grounds of the shrine together when it happened.
“Hey there, miss! Want to try your hand at shooting?!”
One of the vendors, enthusiastically trying to draw in customers, called out to Sasha as she passed by.

“Hm? You mean me?”
Sasha turned her head with interest.
Did that guy even know?

That the ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ girl he just hollered at was actually the daughter of a Russian mafia boss who handles firearms like an extension of her own body?
One thing was certain: whatever prizes that stall had, they now belonged to Sasha.
***

We reunited with the rest of the group about ten minutes later.
“What the—? What’s with the teddy bear?”
Karen asked as she noticed the massive bear plushie Sasha was holding. Sasha proudly thrust it out.

“It’s Kumamon the Second.”
After getting roped in by the vendor earlier, Sasha went on a shooting spree, practically possessed, and swept the prize stand.
Even to me, someone who had completed full military service as a sergeant in the Korean army, Sasha’s shooting stance and unshakable aim were flawless—one perfect shot after another. She even managed to knock down targets that looked like they’d been glued down with epoxy, using just BB pellets, and claimed the bear in the end.

The vendor, who hadn’t even properly opened for business yet, handed over the most expensive prize with a face that didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Anyway, after buying our own food, we all gathered at a bench and began sharing.
Since it was Sasha’s first time experiencing a Japanese festival, she looked curious about everything and asked questions about the food we were handing out.

“What’s this?”
The one who answered her, despite her usual grumbling, was Karen, who took care of Sasha in her own way.
“It’s a candied apple. They dip a whole apple into corn syrup or sugar water, then let it harden.”

A similar dish would be Chinese tanghulu, but the main difference is that this one is absurdly hard.
We shared takoyaki, yakisoba, grilled squid, grilled corn, chocolate-covered bananas, and candied apples.
And if you top it off with a cold bottle of ramune, it’s basically the full summer festival experience.

“Senpai, say ‘ahh~’.”
“…Can’t I just eat it myself?”
“My… my arm’s about to fall off.”

With no choice, I accepted the takoyaki Minato held out toward me.
It must’ve just come off the grill, because the inside was still piping hot.
As I blew on it and chewed, Rika held something else out.

A grilled squid skewer, about one-third eaten from the top.
“Try a bite of mine too, Ryu-chan.”
“Hold on, I’ve still got takoyaki in my mouth.”

“What, are you saying you won’t eat what I’m giving you?”
“……”
With a silent tear, I carefully took a bite from the edge of the squid.

It was hot too.
Watching this, Sasha commented.
“A shared kiss by proxy. That’s cheap, Rika.”

Rika blushed furiously and shouted back.
“W-Wh-Wh-Wh-What! I wasn’t thinking that at all!”
“Stammering like that just makes it less believable, you know.”

“Mind your business!”
The two of them bickered as always.
It wasn’t that long ago Karen was the one Rika was always sparring with—but it felt like her target had shifted.

I guess that meant the relationship between the two had improved.
“So when do the fireworks start?”
Karen asked, tilting her head while chewing on a chocolate banana, one hand holding a water-balloon yo-yo, and a Pre○Cure mask crooked on her head.

The one who answered was Yuika, Sakamoto’s little sister.
“Ah, as far as I know, they start at 9. It’s 8:30 now, so we’ve got about 30 minutes.”
“Really? Then we’ve got some time.”

Karen nodded with her arms crossed, then looked over at us.
“Wanna go try goldfish scooping after this? I heard someone I know is running a stall.”
“Sounds good.”

“I’m in!”
“Mmmf!”
“Sasha, finish what’s in your mouth before you talk.”

Karen scolded her, and Sasha gulped down her food before responding.
“I’ve heard of it. In Japanese festivals, they use scoops to catch goldfish, right?”
Hearing that, I suddenly asked something that popped into my head.

“What kind of fishing do you usually do in Russia?”
“I mostly fished for salmon. The bears at home liked it.”
Yuika’s eyes widened in shock.

“You keep bears at home?!”
Sasha nodded proudly.
“In Russia, bears are like dogs. Every household has at least one.”

“Whoa! I wanna see one!”
We all stared at Sasha in disbelief as she spread misinformation to the innocent Yuika.
Seriously, what kind of Russia is she even talking about?

***
Once we finished our snacks, we decided to head back the way we came for the goldfish scooping Karen mentioned.
“So many people.”

“Well, the fireworks are starting soon.”
Unlike earlier, the crowd had grown thick enough to make breathing difficult.
It felt like the entire local population had poured out into the streets.

To avoid getting separated, we held each other’s hands as we pushed forward.
There was almost another fight over who would hold my hand—but rock-paper-scissors knew the answer.
This time, the one holding my hand was Karen.

“You’ve got big hands.”
“I get that a lot.”
Karen’s hand, compared to mine, was practically baby-sized—especially since she wasn’t even 160 cm tall.

Because of her usual fierce expression and sharp attitude, it wasn’t obvious at first glance, but Karen was actually pretty petite.
Honestly, she could probably wear a middle school uniform and it wouldn’t look weird.
As we walked forward, feeling the warmth from each other’s hands, a voice suddenly rang out from behind.

“Wait, aren’t you Minato Nao?!”
Finally, someone had recognized Minato’s face.
According to her, if she acted confident instead of hiding, most people would just doubt themselves—but I guess this guy wasn’t one of them.

Suddenly, all eyes turned toward her.
“I’m such a huge fan! Could I get your autograph?!”
Minato stammered nervously.

“Uh, um, I—”
“Oh, you don’t have a pen? Then maybe just one photo!”
The overly enthusiastic guy pulled out his smartphone and pointed it at her.

I was just about to step in when—
“Excuse me.”
Yaguchi, who had been standing next to Minato, stepped forward.

“Minato-san is spending personal time with us right now. Since you’re a fan, would you mind letting her be just for a bit?”
Hearing that, the guy awkwardly lowered his phone.
“Ah… yeah.”

Then, loudly enough for us to hear, he muttered as he walked past:
“Geez, acting all high and mighty.”
“That bastard!”

Ryuji spun around angrily, but Yaguchi stopped him.
“Let it go, Ryuji. If you react to every guy like that, there’s no end to it.”
Ryuji grumbled, “What a jerk,” then started walking again.

The mood instantly turned awkward.
Minato fidgeted and looked down.
“I’m sorry… Because of me…”

But before she could finish, Rika and Sasha—who were just arguing a second ago—spoke up in her defense.
“No! That guy was the one being weird!”
“In Russia, he’d have been shot already.”

Minato looked at them with teary-eyed gratitude.
It seemed some strange bond had formed between the three of them.