Time: Lunchtime.

Location: Kiyomi High School, Nerima Ward. General Studies, 2nd Year, Class C.

"Whoa, is that all you're having for lunch again today?" Yoriko Kosaka sighed, looking at her best friend's single triangular onigiri. "Touka-chan, you have to eat properly or your body will give out on you! You need to eat more to be healthy."

"I have a small appetite," Touka Kirishima replied, a practiced line she had used countless times. She unwrapped the onigiri, their conversation following its usual script.

"Fine, fine," Yoriko said, before proudly opening her own bento box. "Ta-da! Today's lunch is a Tonkatsu Bento that I made myself!"

"You're a really great cook, Yoriko," Touka said, taking a bite of her onigiri while admiring her friend's handiwork. Although she couldn't eat human food, she could still appreciate how delicious it looked and how beautifully it was arranged. The pork cutlet was a perfect golden-brown with no burnt spots, the rice was snow-white, a shredded cabbage salad provided a vibrant green, and nestled in the corner was a single, perfect white strawberry.

"Hehe, of course! My dream is to become a professional chef!" Yoriko beamed. "Here, try a piece of my tonkatsu. It's cold now, but it should still taste good." She enthusiastically picked up a piece of the sliced cutlet and held it to Touka's lips.

Touka naturally opened her mouth, swallowed the piece whole without it touching her tongue, and then mimicked the motion of chewing. After about ten chews, she "swallowed" and said with a convincing smile, "It's delicious!"

"Hehe!" Yoriko's face lit up with joy. She started eating her own lunch, then looked up as if remembering something. "Oh, by the way, have you heard?"

"Heard what?"

"Apparently, an incredible food stall has appeared in Ota Ward. They say the food it sells actually glows, and it's super delicious… I saw it online."

"That's fake. How could food possibly glow?" Touka dismissed it immediately without a second thought. It was as ridiculous as the idea of a Ghoul being able to eat human food.

"But lots of people in the comments confirmed it was real," Yoriko countered. "And more and more posts and videos about it are popping up."

Touka looked at her and tilted her head. "Do you think it could just be special effects and a publicity stunt?"

"What kind of food stall would have a budget for that kind of publicity?!" Yoriko retorted. She then held up a finger, her eyebrows raised. "There's a simple way to find out if it's real or not…"

"..." Touka suddenly had a very bad feeling.

"Let's go investigate after school today!" Yoriko said with a cheerful grin. "The stall usually opens around six. We can go shopping first, and then head over when we're tired. We don't have school tomorrow, so it's okay if we get home a little late, right?"

Touka put a hand to her forehead. Her bad feeling had come true. She really didn't want to go, but she was worried about Yoriko going so far by herself at night. Seeing her hesitate, Yoriko pleaded, "Please? Just come with me? Please, please?"

"Fine, fine," Touka sighed in resignation, ultimately too worried to let her go alone.

"Hehe, as a reward, you can have this strawberry!" Yoriko said, pointing to the single white strawberry in her bento.

Touka glanced at it and shook her head. "No thanks. You eat it."

Location: Yurine's apartment.

Ryohei tied on his apron and went into the kitchen to begin making the Omurice he had promised Yurine. Omurice was a classic of Japanese home cooking, a dish loved by all. A good Omurice, with its savory rice and perfectly cooked, creamy egg, was the ultimate comfort food. Ryohei was determined to make the best one Yurine had ever tasted.

He started with the rice. First, he finely diced some chicken thigh, onions, and shiitake mushrooms.

"The secret to amazing fried rice is building layers of flavor," he said to Jashin-chan, who had slithered into the kitchen to watch him work. She had been doing this a lot lately, trying to steal his techniques. Ryohei didn't mind; in fact, he was actively trying to train her to be his sous chef. It would make things easier when he opened his restaurant.

"You need to get a good, deep brown on the chicken first. That's where the real flavor comes from."

"I know that," Jashin-chan said, her arms crossed as she watched him expertly sauté the chicken until it was golden. He then added the vegetables, followed by day-old rice, which he explained was better because it was drier and wouldn't get mushy. Instead of plain ketchup, he created his own sauce base from tomato paste, a splash of soy sauce, and a bit of red wine.

"Are you trying to get Yurine drunk?" Jashin-chan asked, eyeing the wine bottle suspiciously.

"The alcohol cooks off," Ryohei explained. "It just adds a deeper, richer flavor." He tossed the rice until every grain was perfectly coated and glossy. He then set the rice aside and turned his attention to the main event: the omelette.

"For the omelette, you need good eggs, and the right ratio of cream to get that soft, custardy texture." He cracked three eggs into a bowl, whisked them with a splash of cream and a pinch of salt, and then heated a generous knob of butter in a non-stick pan until it was sizzling.

"Now, watch closely." He poured the egg mixture into the hot pan. As the edges began to set, he used a pair of chopsticks to rapidly stir and agitate the center, creating small, delicate curds while leaving the core of the omelette soft and runny.

As he swirled the pan, something magical happened. The eggs began to emit a soft, beautiful golden light.

The golden glow of a perfect omelette, Ryohei thought with satisfaction.

While the omelette finished, he quickly heated up a rich, dark demi-glace sauce he had prepared earlier. The incredible aroma began to fill the kitchen, a complex and mouth-watering scent of savory rice, creamy eggs, and deep, rich sauce.

"Whoa…" Jashin-chan, who had been watching silently, was now staring at the glowing pan, completely mesmerized. The aroma was so powerful it made her drool.

"And now for the finish," Ryohei said. He expertly molded a portion of the chicken rice on a plate, then slid the glowing, half-cooked omelette perfectly on top. With a deft slice down the middle with his knife, the omelette split open, the soft, creamy interior spilling over the rice like a golden lava flow. He finished it with a generous ladle of the dark, glossy demi-glace sauce.

"Done!" he said, breathing in the incredible scent. Just as he did, he heard the click of the front door.

Clack.

Yurine was home. Perfect timing. Ryohei and Jashin-chan both thought the same thing: Time to eat!