Chapter 4: Remember to find me when you're hungry later
"Coming right up, two large bowls of tonkotsu ramen! With eggs!"
The surrounding diners cast curious glances.
After all, in this small shop filled with the smell of sweat and alcohol, it was hard not to notice such an elegant and stunningly beautiful woman suddenly appearing.
As for Tatsu, everyone just glanced at him once before looking away.
Apart from his slightly red eyes and pale complexion, he just looked like an ordinary, shabby kid.
Probably this young lady's attendant or... a gigolo?
Tatsu lowered his head to look at the wood grain on the table.
His stomach was now rumbling like thunder, and he had no mind to care about what others thought.
"Mr. Tatsu."
Tatsu looked up, meeting Kanae's gentle eyes.
At that moment, she was resting her chin on her hand, looking at him with a smile.
"You did it."
Those five simple words gave Tatsu an urge to cry.
Do you know what I just went through?
That was ten thousand times harder than the last math problem on the college entrance exam!
"Hmm..."
Tatsu responded weakly, trying to force a smile, but his face was so stiff that even moving it was a struggle.
"Maybe it's because... the ramen here smells so good that it covered up the scent of human flesh."
He spouted a random excuse, trying to cover up his previous embarrassment.
Kanae blinked but didn't expose him.
She knew very well that in that situation, the aroma of ordinary food could not possibly suppress a demon's appetite.
That was a victory of willpower, a victory of humanity.
"It seems Mr. Tatsu is not only strong-willed but also very humorous."
Kanae covered her mouth and chuckled.
Soon, two steaming bowls of ramen were served.
The bowls were shockingly large, almost like washbasins.
On the milky white broth floated vibrant green scallions, golden corn kernels, and black wood ear mushroom strips, along with two soft-boiled eggs.
That rich aroma of bone broth instantly drilled into Tatsu's nostrils, shooting straight to his crown.
"I'll dig in!"
Tatsu put his hands together, shouted, and then grabbed his chopsticks, picking up a large mouthful of noodles like a starving tiger pouncing on its prey and stuffing it into his mouth.
"Slurp—"
The noodles were chewy and bouncy, soaked in the rich broth, dancing wildly in his mouth.
In that instant, Tatsu felt his taste buds explode.
Delicious! So delicious!
This is what it feels like to be alive!
This is what civilized creatures should eat!
To hell with human flesh! To hell with instincts!
Nothing beats a hot bowl of tonkotsu ramen!
As the food entered his stomach, Tatsu could clearly feel a warm current spreading from his gut, rapidly flowing through his limbs and bones.
The emptiness caused by hunger and the crazy, bloodthirsty agitation were being smoothed away bit by bit by this warm power.
"Boss! Another bowl! Make it extra large!"
Tatsu slammed the empty bowl onto the table and shouted boldly.
The surrounding diners were stunned.
This kid looks so scrawny, how can he eat so much?
That was a huge bowl of noodles, and he slurped it all up in less than a minute?
Watching Tatsu wolfing down the food, the look of shock in Kanae's eyes grew stronger.
"Sugoi..."
She lightly covered her small mouth,
"Mr. Tatsu, can you really... fill your stomach just by eating human food? And you can even gain energy from it?"
In her understanding, demons could only gain energy by eating humans, and human food was tasteless as wax to demons, even causing them to vomit.
Yet the Tatsu before her was not only eating with relish, but after finishing, the red light in his eyes had dimmed significantly, and he looked refreshed, and the violent aura belonging to a demon had vanished completely.
"Everything Tatsu said was true..."
She muttered silently in her heart,
"If... if all demons could be like Mr. Tatsu, that would be wonderful. In that case, everyone wouldn't have to kill each other anymore, and humans and demons... perhaps they could truly coexist."
"Slurp— Slurp—"
Tatsu didn't care at all what Kanae was thinking; his mind was filled with only three words: Eat! Eat! Eat!
Second bowl... Third bowl... Fourth bowl...
The empty bowls on the table were stacked like a small tower.
The boss's gaze toward Tatsu had changed from "This kid can eat" to "Could this kid be a reincarnated hungry ghost?", and he even began to worry if this kid would burst from overeating in his shop.
Finally, after finishing the fifth large bowl of ramen and drinking every last drop of the broth, Tatsu let out a long sigh, slumped into his chair, and let out a satisfied breath.
"*Burp*—"
Tatsu rubbed his round belly, feeling like he had come back to life.
This is what life is about!
"Are you full?"
Kanae looked at the stack of empty bowls, her mouth twitching slightly.
This appetite... I'm afraid even Mitsuri would have to admit defeat.
"Full, so full."
"Boss, check please!"
Kanae Kocho stood up and pulled an exquisite money pouch from her bosom.
As a Flower Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, her salary was quite generous, and since she didn't have many expenses, paying for these few bowls of ramen was just a drop in the bucket.
"The total is..." The boss stated a number.
Kanae Kocho paid readily and even gave some extra as a tip, thanking the boss for making such delicious ramen.
Walking out of the "Zhenxiang Ah" cafeteria, the night breeze was cool, feeling exceptionally comfortable on the face.
Tatsu followed behind Kanae, looking at her back, his heart filled with gratitude.
Not just because she treated him to a meal, but also because, in his most dangerous moment just now, she didn't immediately draw her sword against him, but chose to trust and guide him.
"Um... thank you, Miss Kanae."
Tatsu scratched his head.
"It's alright."
Kanae stopped, turned around, hands behind her back, leaning slightly toward Tatsu with a playful smile on her face,
"We agreed, I'd treat you to ramen. Since you managed to restrain your instincts, this is your reward."
"And,"
Kanae blinked, extended a finger, and waved it in front of Tatsu,
"If you're hungry later, remember to find me. After all, treating you to ramen is much easier than chopping off your head, isn't it?"
Tatsu was stunned for a moment, then laughed too.
"That's for sure. After all, my head is quite hard; it might chip your blade."
"Smart aleck."
At the end of the street, the moon hung high, casting a glow of silver.
"Miss Kanae, can we try a different flavor next time? I want to eat tempura..."
"Eh? You ate so much, and you're still not full?"
"That was the main course; tempura is dessert!"
"...Mr. Tatsu, are you really a demon? I think you're a pig, right?"
"Even if I am a pig, I'm a pig with ideals, morals, culture, and discipline!"