Morning rays, soon piercing the darkness of the night, made their way towards the small expanse known as Titanora. Directly falling upon a small town, they penetrated all obstacles, entering a small window of one of the stone-carved houses.
“Um…” The merciless light attacked a reclining sculpture of beauty, causing a soft hum to escape those lips, now bathed in the morning’s glow.
‘!’
Suddenly, the woman’s eyes shot open, revealing two serene golden orbs resembling lakes, reflecting the ceiling. Her figure leaned forward with the same speed.
“What is this smell?” Sitting with ash-grey hair cascading down her shoulders, golden pupils glimmering in the sunshine, blinking was the only hindrance for the light, which sought to accentuate even the slightest twitch in those golden pupils.
SWISH
Instantly grabbing the mask lying beside her bed and dispelling the illusion cast inside the room to protect her peaceful sleep, the woman, barefoot and dressed in white, ran out of the room.
tap-tap
Not pausing as she passed through the doorway, nearing the railing leading to the stairs, the first thing reflecting in her eyes was a black-suited man wearing a white apron, serving dishes on the table.
thump-thump thump-thump
‘W-why isn’t he wearing his mask?’ Her thoughts faded into the sound of her heartbeat, lips quivering within the bounds of her mask as she looked at the man, who was more than she had anticipated.
Slowly, her hands gripping the railing, she stepped forward at a slow pace, her eyes fixed on the man, her heart mercilessly refusing to look away.
“Good morning, Esme.” A soft smile adorned that unbearable face, pointing devilishly at her, enough to pierce through her naive heart.
“Kugh!” Blinded by the charm before her, Esme’s head instantly turned away, feeling dampness near her nose. ‘No, it can’t be.’
It was a nosebleed.
“Stop playing pranks early in the morning, Esme, you aren’t fooling anyone,” the voice filled the room, with two amber eyes softly gazing at the woman, whose figure blurred like a mirage before shattering without a sound.
“But, wasn’t this much needed for that face?” Whispering near his ears, seizing the chance to etch the memory of his clear, soft skin, sharp jawline, and Amber eyes glancing at her.
“We aren’t much different in terms of charm.” Moving towards the kitchen, he brought plates of dishes that appeared foreign to Esme.
One seemed like a paper roll filled with stuffing, and the other appeared to be a soft bun stuffed with a plump, golden-brown fritter—slightly foreign yet emitting a tempting aroma she found hard to resist.
“What are these things?” Taking a seat at the table, Esme grabbed the knife and fork in both hands, ready to dig in, ignoring formalities like brushing her teeth.
Afterall food comes first.
“Wait, let me bring chutney and red chili paste,” Ryuk turned towards the kitchen.
“Huh?” Not understanding a single thing, she kept herself away from the dishes, waiting patiently.
“Here you go.” Taking a seat at the small table, he wore the apron out of habit, though it was unnecessary due to the properties of his clothes.
“Let me try.” Using the knife, she attempted to cut the thin paper-like thing, but it only broke apart instead of being finely cut or lifted onto the fork. “Is it half-baked?”
‘….’ Ryuk had experienced this scene many times in his previous life; his recipes didn’t work here, so he rarely cooked them normally.
But today was an exception.
“Let me feed you.” Saying that, he broke off a small crispy piece from the dish, dipped it in the white sauce nearby, and then in a thin watery pulse, all heading towards her lips.
“Wh-what?! Why are you feeding me like a child?” Seeing him use his bare hand to feed her, and with his face directly in her line of sight, Esme was taken aback.
“Sometimes, the manner in which a dish is eaten could also be considered part of its recipe.” Stretching his fingertips, delicately tracing the edge of her mask, he unveiled a pair of lush, dewy red lips that had an irresistible allure, quivering as her eyes remained fixed on him.
“Can you open them?” With his words working their magic, her lips slowly parted under his fingers’ guidance, allowing the small pieces of food to enter.
“Um?!” Taking a bite, her eyes widened as she turned towards him, savoring the taste that was familiar yet completely otherworldly. “Isn’t it potato?”
“It is. I didn’t have many ingredients, so I prepared these two dishes. The one you’re eating is Masala Dosa, made of fermented rice and lentil batter, filled with spicy potato filling,” he explained, pointing towards the dish that was now at the mercy of the woman’s mouth, already being attacked by her fingers.
“Mmm, w-what’s that?” Her hands moved towards the soft bun, now adorned with green and red paint with a golden-brown ball in the middle.
“It’s called Vada Pav. Nothing much, just made by filling a spicy potato fritter in a soft bun, added with fried green chili and that green chutney, which is prepared by raw coriander and mint.” Finally being able to cook something that resurfaced his nostalgic memories of past life felt good.
“Woah! It’s spicy,” she exclaimed, not caring much as she feasted on the food in front of her without any pause. What reassured her was that Ryuk had somewhat anticipated everything and prepared more than seven plates.
[She looks like a hungry bear.]
‘Indeed she is,’ thought Ryuk, observing her disregard for any outer facade people normally have when they care for other’s presence, and gobbling up food.
Amusing part was, It all just made her appear perfect to him.
[Host, what if she knew that those foods are prepared with ingredients costing ten human lives?]
‘Is it my fault that you only have kill points as an exchange system?’ Ryuk retorted. Naturally, he couldn’t find everything in the kitchen like lentil batter—a mixture of pulse seeds or lentils, and fresh coriander. ‘Also, didn’t you have 1 billion of them for free?’
[Host, it cost a life in another multiverse.]
‘Don’t bullshit here,’ Ryuk stopped the system from giving away useless information while his mind was already fixed on something, his eyes fixed on the woman.
“Can you pass that?” she asked, her fingers pointing at things as they were served on a whim, not letting her feel any distractions by her personal cook today.
[Host, do you love her?]
‘…’ Hearing such a question coming out of nowhere, he inquired, ‘And why do you think that?’
[Host, you are completely different from how you usually act. You seem more open and active in pursuing her.]
‘You know, when I look at her, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?’ Ryuk inquired, a small smile adorning his face, his fingers circling on the table, his other hand’s palm supporting his chin.
[….]
‘Perfect,’ Ryuk said, leaning back with folded hands, not averting his gaze for even a moment. ‘Everything about her is perfect for me.’
‘Her preferences, her habits, her face, and her way of approach, just everything is to my liking.’
[Host, you are a lost cause now.]
‘…’
