The streetlights had quietly come on, their dim yellow glow gently spreading out to mingle with the last vestiges of the sunset. Light and shadow merged, weaving a silent poem about the flow of time and the changing of day into night.

"They're here!"

On a street corner in Ota Ward, someone shouted in excitement. A crowd of people immediately turned as one to look in the same direction. Yoriko Kosaka, full of curiosity, looked as well.

A strange-looking trio emerged from the twilight, pulling an old-fashioned wooden food cart. At the front was a girl who was topless, with two locks of golden hair covering the necessary parts, and whose lower body was that of a green snake. Beside her walked a handsome young chef in a clean uniform, and a beautiful girl in a gothic lolita dress and an eyepatch.

"It's the stall from the internet!" Yoriko's eyes lit up. She grabbed Touka Kirishima's hand and eagerly followed the main crowd as they swarmed the cart.

"Whoa! Chef, you're finally here! My stomach was about to stage a revolt!"

"I'm starving! Just seeing you guys makes me even hungrier!"

"I'll take a Katsu Sando!"

"Two Katsu Sandos for me!"

"Sir, if you're only buying one, could you let me have your other spot in the limit?"

"Alright, alright, please don't push! Form a line, one at a time!"

"..."

Unlike the eager returning customers or the curious new ones, Touka Kirishima, the Ghoul dragged here by her human friend, was completely indifferent. Until... an unbelievably tempting aroma drilled its way into her senses.

Touka froze.

W-What's happening? This smell…

Her gaze pierced through the crowd, landing on the hot plate on the food cart where the pork cutlets were sizzling. Human food… isn't it supposed to be disgusting? Why does this smell so good? This strange aroma…

Before she could think any further, Yoriko pulled her into the newly formed line.

"Whoa—! It smells so good! Just smelling this makes the whole trip worth it!" Yoriko was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet, craning her neck to get a better look at the stall, the very picture of a bubbly, energetic girl. "Right?" she said, turning back to Touka.

"...Yeah." But Touka hadn't really heard her. Her blue eyes were still fixed on the stall, her mind reeling with confusion. She even wondered if the food was secretly made of "bits of people," but the smell was all wrong for that.

Seeing her friend's distracted state, Yoriko blinked, a surprised smile playing on her lips. This is rare. I've never seen Touka-chan so interested in food before! Tonight was definitely worth it.

At the front of the stall, Ryohei lifted a batch of freshly fried tonkatsu from the oil. A brilliant golden light pulsed from the crispy panko crust, shining in the dim evening and harmonizing with the yellow streetlights.

"It's glowing!"

"Sugoi!"

The exclamations came mostly from the new customers. The regulars were already puffing out their chests, smug looks on their faces as if to say, You newbies are so easily impressed.

Touka stood with one foot in line, her body half-turned away, staring at the glowing cutlets with utter disbelief.

"...It's actually glowing!" Yoriko whispered, covering her mouth with her hand, her face a mask of excitement and wonder. "It's magical! I wonder how they do it! It smells so amazing, I can't wait to taste it!"

Touka and Yoriko had arrived early, so they had snagged a good spot in line. It wasn't long before it was their turn.

"Touka-chan, let's split a Katsu Sando," Yoriko suggested. As a high school student, she wasn't exactly rolling in cash. While she had a part-time job, she needed money for makeup, clothes, and hanging out with friends. Her wallet was perpetually thin. "1,500 yen is half my weekly allowance!"

"...Let me treat you," Touka said, her voice quiet but firm, almost as if the words had escaped on their own. The aroma was overwhelming. "We'll use your purchase limit too. I'll buy four Katsu Sandos. One for each of us now, and one for each of us to take home." She looked away from the glowing food and briefly at Yoriko, then back again.

"Huh?" Yoriko was stunned. "Are you secretly rich or something?" That was 6,000 yen! Not 600! To spend that much without even blinking? This was a side of her friend she had never seen before. Is Touka-chan secretly the daughter of a CEO?!

"I have a part-time job. I've saved up," Touka explained, swallowing hard as the scent of the food washed over her again. She was incredibly nervous. As she got closer, the smell became even more intense. Her sense of smell was screaming at her that this food was unbelievably delicious. Her appetite, a monster she always kept chained, was now fully awake, roaring in her mind: EAT! EAT! EAT!

But could she really eat human food? She had never heard of a Ghoul who could. Then again, she had never heard of food that could glow, either. Touka was filled with a terrifying, exhilarating anticipation. She was nervous, anxious… her heart was pounding so hard she thought it might burst from her chest.

"Geez, and here I was thinking you were a secret heiress," Yoriko said with a sigh. She then waved her hand. "You can have my spot in the limit, but I can't let you treat me. This is too expensive."

"It's decided!" Yoriko said firmly, seeing Touka was about to protest.

"Then… let me treat you to half," Touka offered, afraid her friend would refuse a whole one. "You're always giving me parts of your lunch."

"Hmm… alright, then! I guess I'll take advantage of your generosity tonight!" Yoriko finally agreed with a grin.

'Touka?' Ryohei, busy at the stall, overheard the name and looked over curiously. He saw two high school girls in uniforms. One had orange, shoulder-length hair and a bright, sunny disposition. The other had blue, medium-short hair, her long bangs covering the right side of her face. The visible half revealed delicate features, pale skin, and a deep blue eye. She had a cool, handsome, yet gentle aura.

Kirishima Touka! He recognized her instantly. It was really her.

He remembered a scene from the anime that had left a deep impression on him—Touka, forcing a half-ghoul Kaneki to eat human flesh, before breaking down herself. 'What does cake really taste like? I throw it up every time I eat it, so I don't understand the taste. But you humans… you make it look so delicious!' he recalled her saying. 'What's it like to live a life where you're not being hunted? A life without nightmares of being killed by investigators? I was born a Ghoul! Who am I supposed to ask for help?!'

It was in that moment that Ryohei's impression of her had been solidified. He had thought, It's the world that's wrong.

Looking at the orange-haired girl next to her, he guessed it must be her human friend, Yoriko. He gave them both a genuine, gentle smile. "Welcome. What can I get for you two?"

"One Katsu Sando for here, and three to go, please. And could you cut one of the 'for here' ones in half?" Yoriko ordered crisply, taking out her wallet. They paid Yurine, who gave Touka a long, meaningful look. Yurine had sensed the Ghoul in line, but as long as she posed no threat, she wouldn't act.

"Mmm..." Jashin-chan, who was eating a cutlet, also sensed something and stared at Touka suspiciously, making her uncomfortable.

She's staring at me… did she figure out I'm a Ghoul? No way, I haven't done anything to give myself away… Touka felt a pang of anxiety.

"Jashin-chan, don't stare at people. It's rude," Yurine said coolly.

"Eh? But I feel like…" Jashin-chan started to point at Touka, whose pupils constricted in fear.

"It doesn't matter," Ryohei cut her off. He had already decided his policy: Ghouls would be drawn to his food. As long as they came as peaceful customers and didn't harm anyone, he would serve them. Maybe, by filling their stomachs, he could even save a few human lives.

"Huh?" Jashin-chan looked at him, bewildered. Do you even know what I was going to say? That girl is a Ghoul! But then she thought about it. If she exposed her, all the customers would run away, and they'd have to pack up and move again. With the principle of "less trouble is better," she just stuffed the rest of her cutlet in her mouth. "Fine, whatever," she mumbled. She decided she'd tell Ryohei privately later. He'd have to raise her pay for "protecting" him.

Yurine gave Ryohei a surprised look. He noticed, too?

"…!" Touka stared at Ryohei, her mind filled with shock and confusion. He knows! But he wasn't exposing her or panicking. He was treating her like a normal customer. She couldn't understand it, but she felt a wave of relief. She didn't want to lose her friend, Yoriko. But then, a chilling thought entered her mind. Is this a trap? Is he just keeping me calm so he can secretly call the CCG? A paralyzing, icy fear gripped her.

"We can't choose how we're born," Ryohei said suddenly, his voice calm and steady. "No one can change that. But when you're at my stall, there are only two kinds of people: customers, and bad customers. And I always treat my customers well." He handed Touka her portion of the order himself.

"I hope you enjoy your meal. I think you'll have a very nice experience."

"...Arigatou," Touka whispered, the tension leaving her body. She looked at Ryohei, her gaze flickering, and took the food. What a strange person… But his words, "We can't choose how we're born," had struck a deep chord within her.

Yoriko, having received her food, was already walking to the side. "Itadakimasu!" she chirped, and took a huge bite of her half of the Katsu Sando.

Touka, smelling the aroma, knew she couldn't wait any longer either. Her heart pounded with a mixture of hope and fear. She took out her own half of the sandwich. She took a bite.

And in the next moment, her eyes widened, and her mind went blank.

A moment later, Yoriko was coming down from a spectacular hallucination. She felt amazing. "It's so good it makes you cry, Touka!" she said excitedly, turning to her friend to share the experience.

She stopped. Touka was standing there, her eyes closed, her face tilted slightly upwards. A single, clear tear was tracing a path down her pale, delicate cheek.

Yoriko was shocked. Whoa, I was just saying that as an expression, but you're actually crying! Σヽ(ﾟД ﾟ; )ﾉ!