Most Ghouls had probably wondered about it at some point.

What was human food really like? What did it taste like?

But it was a question they could never answer. A Ghoul's tongue is structured differently from a human's. They couldn't eat any human food, except for coffee.

"Am I dreaming?"

Upstairs at the coffee shop, Koma Enji's breathing grew heavy as he stared at the food on the table. Was it really possible? Human food that a Ghoul could eat?

"Want me to help you verify if you're dreaming?" Irimi Kaya asked, flexing her fists with an eager look.

"No, thanks," Koma shot back, giving his old rival a weary look.

"Touka-chan, how is your body? Do you feel sick?" Yoshimura, ever the wise elder, asked the most crucial question. Koma and Irimi immediately turned their attention to her as well. Ghouls couldn't digest human food; forcing it down would only harm their bodies, making them sick.

"Not at all," Touka replied, her eyes fixed on the Katsu Sandos on the table, her mouth watering. "It feels just like a 'normal feeding,' but even more satisfying!"

"When I first bought them, they were glowing," she explained. "They've gone cold now, so the flavor has probably faded a bit and the light is gone. Let's heat them up downstairs!" Haste makes waste. They had already waited an hour; a few more minutes to heat the food wouldn't hurt.

"Wait a minute! Glowing?" Koma did a double-take, hearing a word that should have no connection to food. He cleaned out his ears with his pinky. Yomo Renji and Irimi also looked puzzled. Even the worldly-wise Yoshimura was taken aback for a moment.

Food… glowing? Since when can human food glow? They were Ghouls, yes, but they lived in a major city. They weren't completely detached from human society.

"I know it sounds unbelievable, but they were definitely glowing when I bought them. That's why my friend dragged me all the way to the 11th Ward in the first place…" Touka said, picking up two of the wrapped sandwiches and heading downstairs. She recounted the story of how her human friend, Yoriko, had invited her to go investigate the glowing food.

Yomo, the quiet but gentle man, picked up two more sandwiches and followed her. Irimi grabbed the last two. Koma wanted to help, but there were none left, so he just followed along, his ears perked, mentally noting down the stall's address and operating hours. He was definitely making a trip there tomorrow.

The four Katsu Sandos were placed on a large plate and put into the microwave. As the microwave wasn't a completely sealed unit, a rich, tempting aroma began to fill the air as the food heated up.

"Mmm~, that smells even better than I imagined~! What an incredible scent!" Irimi closed her eyes, inhaling deeply with a look of pure bliss. Just smelling it was a treat; she couldn't imagine how delicious it would be to actually eat it. Her mouth was already watering.

"It really is something," Koma agreed. Then, as if remembering something, he turned to Touka. "Did your kakugan activate when you were eating?" The others looked at her as well.

"It did," Touka admitted, putting a hand to her forehead at the memory of the awkward situation. "I had to eat with my eyes closed. I was so scared someone would see."

Koma nodded silently. I'll wear sunglasses when I go tomorrow, he decided. There was always a solution.

"Um…" Touka hesitated for a moment, then added, "Even though I'm sure no one saw my eyes, I think the stall owner and his two helpers realized I was a Ghoul. Right from the start."

"!"

"But even though they knew, they didn't try to expose me, and they weren't scared," she quickly added, seeing the change in their expressions. "The owner even said something that really stuck with me: 'No one can choose how they're born. When I'm open for business, there are only two kinds of people who come to me: customers and bad customers. And I always treat my customers well.'"

Yoshimura, Koma, Irimi, and Yomo were all surprised, and even a little moved.

"Touka-chan," Yomo, a man of few words, couldn't help but ask, "the owner didn't mind that you were a Ghoul?"

"It seems not… as long as I didn't cause any trouble," Touka replied thoughtfully. "I think he was serious. The snake-girl cosplayer seemed to realize what I was and was about to say something, but he and the other girl stopped her."

"An unbelievable person, and not a simple one…" Yoshimura commented, a pensive look on his face.

Ding—!

The microwave chimed, signaling it was finished. The light inside went out, and in the darkness, the food's own glow became visible.

"...It's glowing!"

"It's really glowing!" Irimi and Koma marveled, staring at the food in the microwave.

"The light seems to change depending on the flavor and texture of the food," Touka explained, repeating a theory Yoriko had read online. "It's brightest right after it's cooked. As it cools down, the light fades and disappears. When you reheat it, it glows again, but not as brightly as the first time."

She put on a pair of oven mitts, opened the microwave, and was hit with a blast of hot, fragrant steam. The aroma of the Katsu Sando was even more intense now, and her mouth instantly began to water. She could hear the sound of others swallowing beside her.

Four Katsu Sandos were, of course, not enough for five hungry Ghouls, but Touka couldn't do anything about it. It was all thanks to the owner's purchase limit and Yoriko's help that she had managed to bring this much back.

In the end, they divided the sandwiches evenly, each getting a small portion. Touka, as the hero of the hour, got a slightly larger piece, and no one had any objections.

"Well then… Itadakimasu!"

With voices full of anticipation, the Ghouls began to eat the glowing food. The moment the Katsu Sando entered their mouths, they all froze on the spot, Touka included.

"Mmm… so this is what humans eat every day? It's too delicious!"

"So this is what pork tastes like…"

"The bread is so soft and fluffy, and the cutlet… what kind of meat is this? It's so tender and juicy! Amazing!"

"The cabbage and the sauce, so this is what they taste like…"

"..."

The Ghouls savored the human delicacy, eating in small, slow bites, chewing carefully. As they ate, their eyes began to moisten.

And then—

"It's gone!"

"Ah… I want more! It's not enough, it's not nearly enough!"

"I'm still craving it!"

"After eating this, I can't go back to our old food!"

"Touka-chan, are you sure that stall closes at eight? Is it possible, just maybe, that he hasn't closed up yet?"

"No chance. Eight o'clock is already late for him."

"He closes up so early…"

"I guess we have no choice but to wait until tomorrow!"