The room was saturated with the smells of food. The floor was littered with crumpled wrappers, and a mountain of unwashed dishes piled up in the sink. Kinugita Taoko sat on her bed, pressed against the wall, her gaze empty. Morning had already arrived.
Her unique nature had tormented her throughout the night. She had devoured everything edible in the house, but the hunger did not subside. Her stomach felt like a bottomless abyss—no matter how much she ate, satisfaction eluded her. Her belly did not swell, yet the hunger gnawed at her relentlessly.
When the food in the house ran out, Kinugita, unable to endure it any longer, ordered delivery. Ignoring the stunned look of the courier, she snatched the food, slammed the door shut, and began eating right at the threshold. The packaging tore in her hands; she paid no attention to the temperature of the food, mindlessly shoving it into her mouth. Sauces, oil, and broth dripped down her chin and hands, staining the floor. Food with bones, without bones—it all disappeared into her mouth.
In her mind, there was only one thought: to eat. Her teeth chewed, her throat swallowed, and the desire to consume food burned within her like a flame devouring her insides. When the delivery ran out, Kinugita surveyed the devastated room. Checking her phone, she saw that only a third of her savings remained.
With a bitter smile, she looked around at the chaos and stench. The hunger still tore at her.
"Aaa, to hell with it!" she shouted.
Whether from overeating or the sight of her nearly depleted account, her mind briefly cleared. Though the urge to eat hadn't vanished, she could control herself. In desperation, she flopped onto the bed, deciding to sleep until morning. But she couldn't close her eyes.
Sitting on the bed with an empty mind, she murmured:
"Why… am I so hungry…"
Ding-ding-ding!
Her phone rang, reminding her of school.
Ding-ding-ding!
Kinugita turned off the alarm and shuffled toward the sink. In the mirror, she saw dark circles under her eyes and disheveled hair reeking of food. Her uniform was stained. Sighing, she took a shower, changed, and headed to school.
"Wow, Taoko, did you steal something last night? Your eyes look awful!" exclaimed a classmate at the classroom entrance.
"Eh… I couldn't steal… Almost turned into a monster…" Kinugita replied.
"What do you mean?" the girl asked, surprised.
"Ow, it hurts to remember… I don't want to…" Kinugita waved her off, heading to her desk.
"Hey, wait, Taoko!" the classmate called out.
"What?" she turned around.
"I bought those limited-edition eclairs you wanted this morning! Last time you treated me, now it's my turn. Want some?" the girl said, opening a box.
The delicate eclairs, neatly arranged, emitted a sweet aroma.
Kinugita's eyes widened, her teeth clenched. The suppressed desire to eat flared up, piercing her body. Her throat itched.
Ding-dong!
The bell for class interrupted the moment.
"Take your seats, we're starting roll call," announced the entering teacher.
Gathering the last of her willpower, Kinugita turned away to hide her state.
"N-no… let's do it later… Class…" she forced out, trembling.
"What a pity," the classmate sighed, putting the box away.
"What's wrong with you?" Tsun frowned, looking at Kinugita.
"Heh-heh… Didn't sleep… Just a fluke…" Kinugita replied weakly, scratching the back of her head.
"I don't know how you live, but take care of yourself," Tsun said, opening her bento.
"Yeah…" Kinugita murmured.
Tsun frowned again, eyeing her.
"Why so little food?"
Instead of the usual mountain of food, Kinugita had only bread and a bottle of milk.
"Um… Body issues… Temporary…" she answered, tearing open the bread packaging.
"In that condition, can you work? If you can't handle it, apply for leave—I'll put in a word for you," Tsun offered.
"N-no… Not yet…" Kinugita replied, feeling helpless.
"You can take paid leave," Tsun suddenly added.
Kinugita's head shot up, staring at her in shock.
"S-seriously?!"
"You're an A-ranker, don't you read the rules?" Tsun rolled her eyes.
"Heh-heh… I didn't really dig into it… As long as there's money, it's fine…" Kinugita replied.
The news gave her a burst of energy.
"Then I'll talk for you, but you'll fill out the application yourself," Tsun said.
"Ha-ha, no problem! Thanks, Tsun!" Kinugita exclaimed.
"Call me president!" Tsun corrected.
"Yes, President Tsun!" Kinugita replied playfully.
Tsun gave her a look but said nothing.
"By the way…" Tsun began, pausing before feeding Hongshang Yu.
"Hm? What?" Kinugita responded.
"Lately, targets have been appearing more often. I might have to leave Yu with you again. They love showing up during lunch."
"Oh, got it… No problem! I've been watching over Yu the last few days. I guarantee nothing will happen to him! But I can't during classes," Kinugita said confidently.
"No need during classes. They're short, and Yu can press the emergency button in class if needed. Other students don't bother him. Just watch him during lunch and on the way to class," Tsun explained.
"Damn targets! Why always at lunch?! Though it's better than evening or after school. I wouldn't dare leave Yu alone at those times," Tsun said, looking worriedly at the thoughtful Hongshang Yu.
"Don't worry! I'll handle it! If you have to work in the evening, you can call me to your place!" Kinugita offered.
Tsun glared at her again.
"Even if I called, it wouldn't be you!"
"Hey, why not?!" Kinugita protested.
"Just no, and that's it! But…" Tsun hesitated.
"?"
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"!!!" Kinugita's eyes widened, unable to believe her ears.
"Tsun… Tsun… thanked someone?! I can't believe it!" she exclaimed, covering her mouth.
Tsun immediately smacked her on the head, and Kinugita rolled across the floor.
"Ow, that hurts!" she wailed.
"Am I some kind of rude person?!" Tsun snapped.
Ordinary students would be shocked to witness such an exchange. Tsun was always cold, like an icy statue—beautiful but unapproachable. Even with the student council, she spoke sparingly. But with Kinugita, due to their joint work, she slightly revealed her true nature. Only with Hongshang Yu was she fully herself.
Finishing the conversation, Tsun prepared to feed Hongshang Yu, but her phone buzzed.
Bzz-bzz!
Kinugita, stopping her rolling, looked at her. Tsun took out her phone, glanced at it, and put it back.
Not a call, probably a message, Kinugita thought.
Tsun approached Hongshang Yu, who was waiting for her, knelt, patted his head, and touched his face.
"Little Yu… Sister has to leave again… Eat well, okay? If you can't finish, don't force yourself…" she said tenderly.
"Mhm. Good luck at work," Hongshang Yu replied, expressionlessly grabbing her hand.
"Thank you, little Yu~ Wait for sister, okay?" Tsun smiled.
"Mhm," he nodded.
Tsun headed to the door but stopped as she passed Kinugita.
"I'm entrusting him to you, Taoko," she said without turning.
"All under control!" Kinugita saluted.
Hearing her response, Tsun left.
After her departure, Hongshang Yu and Kinugita fell into silence.
"Ha-ha… Little bro, let's eat…" Kinugita began, but noticed Hongshang Yu was already eating on his own.
She awkwardly started on her bread. This modest lunch was an attempt to curb her food cravings. Money was nearly gone, and until her next paycheck, she couldn't splurge.
Strangely, the news about leave gave her strength. She felt better, capable of controlling herself. Quickly finishing the bread, she took out her phone, hesitant to talk to Hongshang Yu, who ate slowly and hadn't finished yet.
Her gaze slid over him and stopped at his bento. She swallowed, feeling her stomach tremble.
Wow… that meat looks so tasty… I've never tried Tsun's cooking… So hungry… I want to try… Maybe little bro will share? No, no! How can I take someone's lunch?! But he might not finish… Heh-heh…
Kinugita curled up on the floor, hugging her knees and hiding her face, leaving only her eyes to stare at Hongshang Yu. Her thoughts jumbled, but fortunately, yesterday's strange feeling had faded, and she could restrain herself from snatching the food.
"Want some?" Hongshang Yu suddenly asked.