The afternoon buzz of Yukihira Restaurant filled the room. The place was as full as always, voices, clattering plates, the smell of something delicious rising from the open kitchen.
Behind the counter, Joichiro was instructing Soma about the next batch of orders, casually flipping a pan while offering advice that sounded more like a challenge. Everything was just as it always was, until, suddenly, the air shifted.
The air in the restaurant suddenly grew cold.
Every conversation faded, spoons stopped halfway to mouths, and an instinctive hush swept through the restaurant. People glanced around uneasily, as if something important was about to happen.
Then the door opened.
A boy with white hair and purple eyes stepped in. He wore the new clothes Erika had picked for him, his hair cut differently from before. And even though the regulars didn't see him for seven years, they instantly recognized him.
"Yo. I'm back," Akira said casually.
Soma slammed a hand down on the counter and grinned. "Oh, you're finally back! Alright, let's fight!"
Akira blinked. "Dude, I just walked in. And you…"
Before he could finish, Erika, who had been standing behind him and had just watched him use magic to cool the air around the restaurant for his dramatic, chilly entrance, snapped, "How long are you planning to block the door? Move."
"Oh, right. Sorry." Akira stepped aside and walked in, and Erika followed behind him with a small sigh.
"Yo, Akira. Finally back, huh?" Joichiro greeted him with his usual calm smile. "And Erika-chan too. It's been a while."
"It has," Akira replied warmly. Erika nodded politely beside him.
"C'mon, let's fight already!" Soma interrupted him again, pointing dramatically like a shounen protagonist issuing a challenge.
Akira groaned. "Dude. I just got here. At least let me eat first."
Then, a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes. "Actually… how about this: if you can make me full, I'll fight you. Only then."
"Deal!" Soma grinned confidently, thinking it wouldn't take much to fill one person's stomach. He grabbed a notepad. "So, what's your order?"
"Something spicy," Akira said without hesitation. "Fried rice and whatever else you think pairs well."
"And for you, Erika?" Soma asked.
"I'll take something mild," Erika said, scanning the options. "And… without garlic."
Their orders placed, they greeted Joichiro once again before finding a seat by the window. As they sat down, Akira leaned back in his chair and looked around.
"Man… it's nostalgic," he murmured. "This place hasn't changed at all. Did you keep coming here?"
"From time to time," Erika admitted. "I'm not really a fan of spicy food, though." After a pause, she tilted her head. "By the way… what's with that 'fill your stomach' condition?"
Selena's voice gently echoed in Erika's mind. "Erika-chan… my brother's stomach is basically a bottomless abyss. Everything he eats is instantly converted into mana. He can eat as much as he wants, and he won't gain a single gram".
"Wha… that's so unfair!" Erika stared at Akira, eyes wide. That's literally the power every girl dreams of, and he of all people has it?!"
Akira chuckled awkwardly. "It's not all that great, you know. Because of this, I never really get full. I'm always hungry."
"Wait, seriously?" Erika asked, still shocked. "But if you're always hungry… how are you even this calm?"
"Well," Akira shrugged casually, "I just got used to it."
Erika looked at him, cheerful as always despite what he'd just said, and asked quietly, "Why?"
Akira blinked. "Why what?"
"You did this to yourself, didn't you?" Erika pressed, her tone a mix of disbelief and concern. "Now you'll never feel full. And Selena told me you always have headaches because of your eyes, too. Why would you do that to yourself?"
Akira's expression softened. "Erika," he said gently, "there's no such thing as free food. Even if someone gives you something for free, there's always a reason behind it, like how restaurants hand out free meals for publicity."
He leaned back in his chair. "Power works the same way. To become stronger, there's always a price to pay. Sometimes, you have to give up something to gain something. Like me, sure, I might never feel full and have constant headaches, but in exchange, I can eat and taste whatever I want and however I want, and everything I eat becomes mana. And my vision… It's incredibly powerful, too. So it's not without its merits."
But Erika still looked unconvinced. "Still… you'll never feel full and always have headaches. That's a sad way to live."
"Not really," Akira said with a faint smile. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek pair of glasses. "Remember these? As long as I wear them, they suppress the power of my eyes, so no more headaches. And as for the food thing, it's only normal human food that burns up instantly. If I eat magical creatures, you know, like unicorns or mermaids, it actually takes time to digest."
He glanced up, expecting her worry to fade. Instead, Erika was staring at him with an expression that could only be described as disgusted.
Akira asked in a confused voice. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Did you really eat unicorns and mermaids?" Erika asked, her voice low and disturbed.
"Wait…no!" Akira waved his hands in panic. "I was just giving an example! I didn't actually eat them, I swear!"
Before Erika could reply, Soma returned from the kitchen carrying their dishes. "Here you go!" he said, placing the plates down. Then he glanced between the two of them. "What were you guys talking about?"
"Nothing," Erika replied quickly. "Just about how he ate all kinds of food while traveling the world."
"Oh?" Soma's eyes lit up immediately. "Then tell me, Akira, what's the worst-tasting food you've ever had?"
"Not the best? The worst?" Akira asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, the worst," Soma said with a grin. "I wanna know."
Akira thought for a moment. "Fermented shark. From Iceland. It was bad."
"How bad are we talking?" Soma asked, leaning closer with genuine curiosity.
"It smelled like ammonia and tasted like someone mashed up cheese with fish," Akira said flatly.
"Can you not talk about gross food right when we're about to eat?" Erika snapped, glaring at him.
"But you started it!" Akira protested.
"Then I'll end it," Erika said firmly.
Akira coughed awkwardly. "Anyway… Soma, I'll tell you more about it later."
"Alright," Soma said, clearly not giving up. "But you have to fight me after this."
"Sure," Akira replied. "After you can satisfy my hunger."
"Deal," Soma said, heading back toward the counter.
"Oh, Soma," Akira called after him, "can I get some water?"
"Sure thing," Soma said, disappearing into the kitchen.
When he returned, though, his jaw nearly hit the floor. The plate he had just served Akira was already empty.
"...Where's the food?" Soma asked, stunned.
"I ate it," Akira replied casually.
"Already?!" Soma stared in disbelief.
"You underestimate my hunger," Akira said seriously. "Now bring me more food."
And Soma did. Again and again. But no matter how much food he brought out, Akira devoured every last bit. Soon, a small crowd had gathered around him, watching in amazement as he ate plate after plate without slowing down.
Akira's looks didn't help either, a strikingly handsome young man with white hair and purple eyes, eating like he was Kirby. Some regulars recognized him from seven years ago, while others whispered that he must be a celebrity doing a food challenge.
By the time twenty people's worth of food had vanished into Akira's bottomless stomach, he finally leaned back in his chair and let out a satisfied sigh.
"Alright," he said, stretching. "I'm satisfied. Now we can fight."
"Finally!" Soma said, pumping his fist.
The two disappeared into the kitchen, and soon the sounds of clanging pans and sizzling ingredients filled the restaurant. Customers gathered near the counter to watch, excitement building. But in the end, the outcome was the same as every other time.
Akira won. Again.
After finishing their lunch, Akira and Erika left Yukihira's restaurant and began walking back to his house. The afternoon sun was warm, and the streets were alive with chatter. Erika walked beside him in thoughtful silence for a while before speaking.
"You beat Soma easily," she said. "Did you train to cook during these years?"
"Not really," Akira admitted. "I hardly ever cook, most of the time my mother cooks, and if I were alone, I mostly eat a cup ramen or something".
Erika gave him a flat look. "Then how are you this good?"
"In the end," Akira said with a small smile, "cooking is just chemistry. It's easy."
Erika sighed deeply, wondering how many chefs would cry if they heard him say that.
But before she could reply, her steps suddenly faltered. A wave of weakness washed over her, and her legs gave way slightly.
She struggled to stay upright, her vision starting to blur. Her balance slipped, and she began to fall forward, completely off guard.