The sun slowly moved across the horizon, its orange light softly permeating the city. One by one, the buildings and houses in the city began to turn on their lights, making the city seem vibrant with activity.
In a small restaurant that had recently been renovated, the sizzling sounds echoed through the place as a strong aroma of flavor spread far and wide.
"This smell..."
"My stomach is growling right away..."
"But..."
"Yeah, it's THAT small restaurant..."
"Sigh..."
People glanced over, only to be disappointed to learn it was an expensive place despite its humble appearance.
"L-let's go in..."
"Y-yeah."
Yet, some who couldn't resist and others who had saved up enough money to dine out entered the place, greeted by Tsuna with a smile, "Welcome, please make yourself comfortable and let me know your order whenever you're ready..."
Gin nodded at this, noting that Tsuna seemed quite approachable in his restaurant compared to his usual demeanor at the training camp a while ago.
He looked at the hesitant customers and Tsuna patiently waiting while cooking his orders, muttering, "Seems like this is a frequent occurrence here..."
Looking at the prices, Gin understood Tsuna's intention of aiming for quality over quantity since it would be more manageable and far more profitable.
Those people might not come often, but only once in a while—either when they had saved up enough money or when there was a special occasion worth celebrating.
"Here's your food, Gin-senpai."
"Oh, right, thanks, Ito."
Dojima's nose perked up at the sight of the sliced beef grilled to perfection. He couldn't help but smile as he mumbled, "This should be good..."
"And..."
Looking at the bowl of fried rice on the side, he felt a bit excited since he had been looking forward to trying this since the training camp as he chuckled with a smile.
As he grabbed a slice of the beef and put it into his mouth, Gin's eyes widened in shock as his pupils dilated.
His whole being was shaken to its core as his palate was completely dominated.
"Urghh... That was so good..."
He couldn't help but close his eyes as he let out a satisfied moan, making the customers who had just ordered feel even hungrier as they gulped their saliva, eyeing the glistening food on Gin's table.
Gin then took a spoonful of the fried rice and took a bite, releasing another oddly inappropriate moan reverberating across the restaurant.
"Seems like he's enjoying it," Tsuna chuckled, shaking his head as he cooked another fried rice for his customers.
He then glanced at Gin and spoke, "Try to grab a slice of meat and eat it with the fried rice. You'll be surprised..."
"...!"
Gin instantly snapped back to reality from his reverie upon hearing that suggestion. He did exactly as he was told, mumbling, "That's actually a good idea..."
Slowly, he put the spoonful of fried rice with the slice of beef on top into his mouth. The second he chewed it, Gin felt a shockwave throughout his whole being and unconsciously stood up, surprising the other customers.
However, Gin didn't seem to realize that as he was completely entranced, feeling like his whole consciousness was being transported to a fantasy land where cows walked on two feet, smiling and chatting with him in a surprisingly humane manner.
They greeted him with wide smiles.
"...Ahh," his lips curled up in a similar smile as he was taken on an adventure by the cows, going through rice fields and feeling rejuvenated as if he had turned into a kid again.
The experience brought him a feeling of nostalgia and melancholy as he slowly regained his composure while looking at the food in front of him with a complicated gaze as he mumbled, "...This might be one of the best meals I've had throughout my life."
"Tsuna!"
The door burst open as Soma walked in, carrying another food container in his hand. He chuckled, "I might have something even better this time!"
"Again? Sure, give me a moment..."
Tsuna shook his head, recognizing Soma, as he put down an order for the customers who immediately dove into the food with their eyes widening in shock.
"Soma Yukihira, huh?"
Meanwhile, Gin watched their interaction with interest, knowing they would be competing the next day.
"An opponent seeking his advice, huh? Seems like he's confident in winning..."
Gin's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Tsuna, nodding in acknowledgment.
He had expected such confidence from someone who had reached this level at such a young age.
However...
"Blergh...!"
Tsuna threw up right away.
Thankfully, Soma had a plastic bag in his hand, which Tsuna snatched as fast as he could. Rolling his eyes at Soma, he spoke, "What the hell was that? Have you even tasted your food?"
Tsuna had pointed out everything Soma needed to know to perfect the dish, yet somehow, Soma had managed to make it comically worse.
"Ahh? Is it really that bad?"
Soma scratched his head in confusion at Tsuna's reaction.
He then explained that he had been too excited to taste it before coming here, which was why he hadn't actually tried his own food.
When he did, his eyes widened, and he snatched the plastic bag from Tsuna's hand, throwing up as well.
"Bleerghhh....!"
"..."
Gin was baffled by the scene. However...
"Keke, that's indeed disgusting..."
"Right? Just what the hell did you put in?"
Both of them seemed oddly chill, even giggling happily as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.
Gin blinked his eyes at the oddly familiar scene, their interactions reminded him of his times at Totsuki with a close friend.
"This Yukihira kid? There's no way, right?"
Gin shook his head and approached them, asking, "Seems like you want some advice, Yukihira?"
"Eh? Dojima-senpai? Ah, you want to give it a try?"
Soma was surprised to see Gin, having not noticed him arrive earlier. He giggled menacingly and offered the food in his hand, which only strengthened the sense of familiarity Gin felt toward Soma, prompting him to scrutinize the kid closely.
However...
"Blerghhhh!"
"Hahaha, even Dojima-senpai threw up!"
"Disgusting, isn't it?"
Another person threw up, filling the restaurant with their laughter, which sounded more like that of a mentally ill person.
"These guys..."
"...I don't know, and I don't want to know."
"I guess so."
The customers who had finished eating looked over at them with puzzled expressions before leaving, their gazes reluctant as they wished they could afford more.
Since Tsuna had always warned them about avoiding addiction that could lead to crippling debt, they had no choice but to be cautious or else they might end up becoming food addicts.
Meanwhile, with the others gone, Tsuna turned to Gin and asked, "Anyway, I don't think I've asked this before, but are you on leave or do you have business here in Tokyo?"
Gin held an important position at the Totsuki Group and was usually busy, rarely returning to Tokyo.
Soma also turned to Gin with interest, and the guy chuckled before mysteriously speaking, "Well, you'll be surprised..."
"...?"
Both Tsuna and Soma tilted their heads in confusion.
However...
The next day, their eyebrows raised in realization as they saw Gin walking alongside other Totsuki alumni.
The crowd went crazy at their appearance.
Each of them was an icon for the younger generation to look up to, making them more recognizable to the students than some other important figures in the last couple of rounds.
Gin glanced around as they took their seats on the judges' panel for the semi-finals of the 43rd Annual Totsuki Autumn Election!