Akira Mado used her chopsticks to pick up a piece of beautifully glistening braised pork belly. The moment the tips of her chopsticks touched the perfectly square, ruby-red meat, it quivered, a testament to its tenderness and elasticity.

The succulent piece of pork yielded slightly between her chopsticks, oozing a glossy sauce. Akira lifted it to her mouth. In an instant, her beautiful eyes widened, her face a mask of astonishment. The next moment, she closed her eyes, tilted her chin up slightly, and let out a soft, alluring moan.

'This is too delicious!'

'This braised pork belly... it's unbelievably good!'

The first thing her tongue touched was the rich, sweet-and-savory sauce. Then, her teeth sank into the tender meat. The fat melted like lard, and the fibers of the lean meat, long-stewed to softness, fell apart with the slightest pressure of her lips and teeth. The scalding juices and rendered fat burst in her mouth, the intense, savory aroma mixed with a faint hint of wine rushing up to her nose. A rich, but not greasy, flavor filled her senses...

...

She had become a sumo wrestler.

Akira Mado, her hair in a bun, her chest wrapped in a white cloth, and wearing a mawashi, crouched in a standard ready stance on a circular clay ring, 4.55 meters in diameter. Her slender frame was a stark contrast to the mountain of flesh, the pig-headed man, standing opposite her.

The referee—a handsome young man in a clean white chef's uniform and hat—swung down the chef's spoon in his hand and shouted, "Begin!"

The pig-headed man let out a deafening roar. The fat on his body rippled like waves as he pushed off with his tree-stump-like legs, making the entire dohyō tremble. He charged forward like a wild boar, his massive, fan-like palm aimed squarely at Akira's chest.

With a loud "thud," her small body was sent flying like a kite with a broken string. The white cloth unfurled in the wind, and the tie of her mawashi came undone in mid-air. Akira landed hard outside the ring, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Seeing this, the referee waved his spoon and announced in a clear voice, "The match is decided!"

...

Back in the real world, Akira Mado was completely conquered by that single bite of braised pork belly. Her appetite was awakened, and she suddenly felt ravenous. "How can something be this delicious..."

And even more incredible was the strange experience of feeling like a sumo wrestler... For a moment, she almost forgot that a highly dangerous ghoul was sitting right next to her. Her attention was completely captivated by the food. With a look of anticipation in her eyes, she began to sample the other dishes.

Kureo Mado was also deeply impressed by Ryohei Tanaka's cooking. Every one of the glowing dishes he had ordered was superb, far exceeding his expectations. The intense deliciousness brought him a sense of happiness, making him feel completely relaxed.

'...Is he also enjoying it?'

Kureo soon noticed Tatara's reaction and was taken aback. He glanced at the dishes Tatara had ordered, then back at his own.

'...It can't be!'

Kureo's eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat. An incredible suspicion churned in his mind.

'Has he figured it out?' Tatara noticed Kureo's reaction but didn't seem to care. He hadn't intended to hide it, nor could he. What concerned him more was Ryohei Tanaka's attitude. He hoped he would maintain the status quo and, at the very least, not side with the CCG.

...

As the night grew darker, the alarm clock on the restaurant counter read 8:45. Ryohei Tanaka finished preparing the last dish, placed it on the pass-through, and let out a long sigh, relaxing completely. His work for the day was essentially done. He washed his hands at the sink and said to Yusa, who was beside him, "Yusa, I'm going to take a break. Call me if anyone places another order."

"Of course," Yusa replied with a gentle smile, her hands clasped in front of her.

...

Ryohei walked over to the counter and chatted casually with Yurine for a moment before an old man approached him. "Mr. Tanaka," he began, "what are your thoughts on ghouls?"

"I don't have any particular thoughts," Ryohei said, turning to Kureo Mado. "As long as they don't bother me or my friends, I don't care what they do. It's none of my business."

Tatara, who had been secretly listening in, breathed a sigh of relief. 'That's good, that's good...'

Kureo, however, was dissatisfied with the answer, even a little angry. Suppressing his rage, he said in a low voice, "You are... human, aren't you? As a human with such abilities... is it appropriate for you to adopt such an apathetic attitude?"

It was practically an accusation, but Ryohei didn't get angry. "I am neither a hero nor a savior," he said casually. "Of course, I'm willing to do what I can. For example, providing food for some ghouls who just want to live peacefully. The restaurant is open to ghouls. If I can feed them, perhaps it will reduce the number of victims. Furthermore..." Ryohei paused, lowering his gaze. "If a ghoul were to commit an evil act in front of me, I wouldn't be able to just stand by and watch."

"..." Kureo astutely picked up on the information in Ryohei's words. His last sentence about "not being able to just stand by" slightly cooled his anger.

Akira Mado, who had joined them mid-conversation, suddenly asked, "Mr. Tanaka, have you seen Spider-Man?"

"Peter let a robber go, which indirectly led to his foster father being killed by that same criminal. It left us with the famous quote, 'With great power comes great responsibility.'"

Ryohei looked at Akira in surprise, then chuckled. "I've seen it, but my situation is different from Spider-Man's. There are no ordinary people around me. Most ghouls are no match for them," he said, gesturing to the girls at the counter. "And even if they encounter one they can't beat, no ghoul could stop them if they wanted to leave. I'm not worried at all."

'...What makes you so confident?' The Mados stared at Ryohei, bewildered. They glanced over at Yurine and the others. 'Are they really that strong? No match for them? They don't look like it.'

"What's a ghoul? What do they look like?" the Second asked, blinking her big, innocent eyes curiously.

"A type of demi-human," Ryohei explained, turning to the newcomer to the human world. He held up a finger. "Normally, they look just like ordinary people, but when they're eating or fighting, their eyes turn red. They're called kakugan."

"Oh," the Second replied with a nod, as if she understood completely.

~~~

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