On this day, Touka Kirishima was completely and utterly stunned. A flavor beyond her wildest imagination had just shaken her entire sixteen years of existence.

Touka closed her eyes, her chin tilted slightly upwards, revealing the graceful, swan-like curve of her long, pale neck. Her face was a mask of pure bliss, but tears were uncontrollably streaming from the corners of her eyes.

So this is what human food tastes like? It's too delicious!

It's so good it should be illegal!

Emotion welled up inside her.

Ever since she was a little girl, Touka had always been curious. What was human food really like? Why did humans look so happy and satisfied when they ate? What kind of flavors and textures were they experiencing? She could never understand, because to her, human food was foul, a taste so disgusting it made her want to vomit.

From a young age, she knew that Ghouls could not eat human food. They could only survive by consuming humans, or other Ghouls.

Later, when she started school and made human friends, this fact became a source of constant, agonizing pain. In her normal, everyday interactions, every time a friend offered to share their food, it was a form of torture. Mentally, she wanted to eat it, but her body physically rejected it. The mental anguish was far worse than the physical nausea.

But now, everything had changed. Or at least, something had.

She could eat the glowing food sold by this unbelievable stall.

Touka was crying tears of pure, unadulterated joy.

"..."

Yoriko Kosaka couldn't quite understand why her friend was crying from eating. Wasn't that a bit of an exaggeration? She didn't get it, and she was thoroughly shocked.

But—

She also thought that this side of Touka was incredibly cute.

After her initial shock, a fond, amused expression appeared on Yoriko's face. She looked down at the remaining Katsu Sando in her hand. If only, one day… she thought, I could also make glowing food that's so good it makes people cry!

She knew it was impossible, of course. Unless…

She looked over at Ryohei and flashed him a super-sweet smile. "Big brother, are you taking on any apprentices? Yoriko is a very hard worker!"

"Not accepting any," Ryohei replied instantly, having just glanced over at Touka himself.

"Ehh? Such a quick rejection!" Yoriko's sweet smile faltered, and she puffed out her cheeks. She wasn't too disappointed, though. She hadn't really expected him to say yes.

"If you were taking apprentices, Chef, I'd be the first to sign up! I'll pay tuition!" a nearby customer eating a Katsu Sando called out, raising his chopsticks.

"Me too! And after I graduate, I'll work for you, Chef! I'll do whatever you say!"

"I can't afford much tuition, but I'm a hard worker! I can help with chores!"

"I'll enroll my secretary! 30,000 yen an hour, how about it?" the man with the Rolex said, his words dripping with wealth and attracting the attention of the crowd.

Ryohei glanced at him. It was the first time he'd ever heard of someone trying to enroll their secretary in a cooking apprenticeship. He just waved his hand, issuing a triple refusal. "Not taking apprentices. Have no plans to. Maybe sometime in the future."

"Alright then," the hopefuls said, their faces falling with disappointment.

Meanwhile, Touka was in an awkward situation. A Ghoul's kakugan would activate when they used their powers or when they were feeding. And right now, her eyes were in their Ghoul state. She didn't dare open them, terrified of being discovered. Thankfully, her bangs were long.

She lowered her head, secretly opening her eyes just a crack to take another bite of the Katsu Sando. She then lifted her head, closed her eyes again, and chewed with a blissful expression.

"...Delicious!"

"It's so good! But it's too expensive. I wish I could eat this every day," Yoriko lamented, finishing her own half.

"Yeah, it's definitely not cheap," Touka nodded in deep agreement.

"Huh? Are you not eating anymore?" Yoriko asked, surprised to see Touka stop after finishing her half of the sandwich.

"Yeah, I have a small appetite, remember? I'm already full," Touka said, forcing herself to pat her stomach despite the intense craving for more. It wasn't convenient to eat here; it was too easy for her to slip up. She would take the rest back to share with her friends at the cafe. She was thankful that her "small appetite" persona had come in so handy.

"Oh, right," Yoriko said, not doubting her for a second. She glanced at the bag with the three remaining Katsu Sandos. "Are you going to take those home to eat later?"

"Mhm," Touka nodded, then added, "I'll share some with my seniors at my part-time job. They're always looking out for me." Something this good had to be shared. Touka could already imagine the shocked faces of Koma-san, Irimi-san, the Manager, and Yomo-san. A happy smile graced her lips.

"Your seniors are in for a treat! But you're so generous," Yoriko said, smiling back at her friend.

"It's nothing. It's just a small thank-you, once in a while," Touka replied, waving her hand.

Night had fallen completely, the city now aglow with neon lights. Touka and Yoriko walked back the way they had come.

"Next time, let's come again after I get my paycheck next month!" Yoriko said, walking backwards in front of Touka, her school skirt swishing with the movement. They couldn't afford to eat it every day, but once a month was definitely doable.

"Okay!" Touka agreed happily, her heart feeling lighter than it had in years.

"Arigatou, Yoriko."

Thank you for letting me taste human food… for the first time, I understand what 'an unforgettable flavor' truly means. It turns out food really can be unforgettable.

"Why are you suddenly thanking me?" Yoriko asked, confused, as they reached the train station.

Touka's smile was radiant. "Because you brought me to a great place!"