Archive of Our Own ^beta

"...Fine." He lied.

"Great!" You say and continue on your merry way to say goodbye and collect any of Coco's belongings, exiting the long hallways.

"(Y/n)-chan! Help me!" Komatsu says, running over to you the instant he spotted you.

"What's wrong?!"

"Toriko-kun is trying to make me go to Honey Prison!" He says, or more accurately he cries. "I thought we were only going to the Gourmet Pyramid!"

"He can't do that! You're too much of a stickler for the rules to even add salt to soup without tasting it first, there's no way you would get arrested for any crime!" You exclaimed, not losing any opportunity to make fun of him. "Let alone a gourmet one! You wouldn't last a day with them!"

"...That's not what I wanted to hear. I should have asked Coco-kun instead..."

"Coco! Perfect timing!" Toriko waves him over. "I have a favour to ask you! You see, since Sunny so kindly rejected my offer, I'll extend it to you!" You see Sunny mutter something under his breath and you can only assume that it's something to do with this jail trip.

"Which is...?" He raises an eyebrow, already suspicious.

"How about going to pick up Zebra with me? Come on, it'll be like a long reunion for the two of you. For old time's sake?"

"No."

The two of you turned your heads to face each other in sync. "Sorry, could you repeat what you said about asking Coco-kun again, Komatsu-kun?" You ask, ending it with a giggle of sorts.

"...Both of you are meaner than people think."

"Mm, yeah that’s true for me but not for Coco-kun." You laugh, "hey, Komatsu-kun?"

"What?"

"You still remember where my will is, right?"

"…I never like it when you ask me that." He frowned. "Yeah, I do."

"Sorry! I’m just making sure."

"You’ll be fine, Coco-kun is going with you. And I trust you."

You were about to reply but felt a pair of eyes watching you. Turning around, you notice Coco staring at you. Your eyes found a clock hung on the wall, checking the time.

Ah, out of time.

"Stay safe, Komatsu-kun! I’ll bring some food for you as a little holiday souvenir." You say whilst walking away, making your way over to Coco who was patiently waiting by the stairway.

"H-hey, wait! No poisonous food! Okay?" He shouts, only to be met with a little wave of goodbye. "(Y/n)-chan?! You can hear me right?!"

"Come on, Komatsu! We need to get off the cruise, we’ve arrived!" Toriko excitedly exclaims, dragging him away.

---

The two of you gathered your items before finding your way over to the observatory deck. The man was already waiting there, scowling at a baby inside a stroller as the baby's parents were gushing over one another.

"...What are you doing?" Coco asks, glancing in-between the hunter and the kid while you walk over to a more secluded area. 

"The brat has a staring problem."

"And?"

"Do you think I'm going to let them win against me in a staring competition?"

"...She's half asleep, what do you possibly hope to achieve?" He says, lowering his voice as to not draw the attention of the parents who were still amorously exchanging honeyed words.

"Hah! She blinked!" He shouts, startling the drowsy child, and causing her to burst into tears. "Grow up! Sore loser!" The parents stopped, and tended to the kid, confused by the tears.

"...What's with you?" I'm not so sure about my prediction of picking this man for my hunt anymore...

"Are we ready?" You ask, twisting your flask shut while waving them over. "Fluffy gets impatient quickly."

Coco turned around. There was a massive crow - it almost looked like a replica of Kiss, just scaled up to be bigger. "Fluffy has an impressive memory," he compliments, making the animal give an unsuited horse-like snort. Definitely Fluffy.

You pat the side of their head. "They say thanks."

"You're welcome. But, I don’t recall them ever being able to be that big though."

"It’s just that there’s a lot of water around us right now, so they can take it to have a bigger form. Otherwise, they’re limited to my flask or whatever else they can find."

Karter finally speaks up after staring at the creature with wide eyes. "…Oh you do have a pet Kelpie."

"…Is that a problem?" You tilt your head. "Sorry, I just don’t think there’s a faster option than this right now. Not one that’s available here anyways. If you have another suggestion, that’s fine."

"No, it’s not that."

"…Then, should we set off?" You climbed up, then extended your hand out to either of the men. Karter grabbed hold, while Coco found his way up. "By the way, Fluffy is a cruel pilot."

"What do you mean? Aren’t you the pilot?" Karter asks, harshly kicking his feet up.

You winced. "Don’t anger-"

You couldn’t finish your words - Fluffy took off on a running start before nose-diving off of the cruise ship, the acceleration almost whipping the two men off of them before soaring back up to the skies. Not that this helped at all, the wind spun one of the passengers off - that being you.

"FLuuFF—" You screamed, feeling gravity pull you back towards the ground. A strong hand gripped your wrist before you could go any further. At the sound of your cry, Fluffy slowed down, allowing you time to be pulled up.

"…Thank you, Coco-kun. And your lighting fast reflexes." You say, your legs firmly on the bird’s back.

"Is Fluffy not trained?" He replies, making sure that you were secure before finding space for himself.

"Yeah! I dunno how I feel sitting here if you can’t even control your horse!" Karter exclaims, his face looking much paler. 

"You’re talking to the winner of the International 32nd Animalistic Dogfights competition. Of course, I can. Fluffy is just a little moody." You retort back, fixing your hair and clothes back in place then pat Fluffy, letting them know that you weren't upset. They let out a mix of a snort and a caw, startling Karter.

Coco placed a hand on his chin, "…I don’t mean to take your accomplishments away from you, but just how many people attend this event every year?"

"…maybe 11…" You looked away. "…or 7."

"Ooo, count me impressed. Chef." Karter mocks, but you can still see the worry from his stance.

"Don’t make me get Fluffy to drop you."

He looked like he was about to say something else, but stopped and took a deep breath. "…Alright, sorry."

You huffed at his behaviour but then realised that he was probably just stressed out. He might be more polite than what he's showing you. 

Coco’s eyes wandered again, this time lingering on your bag. Does he see something weird inside-

"Oh, thanks for reminding me!"

"…No one said anything." Karter says, his voice strangely low. He was hunched over. Weird.

"I'm glad I brought this along." You say ignoring Karter, opening your bag and pulling out a large black object.

"What is it?" Coco asks then watches you flip it over, "a...tactical gas mask?"

"Yep." You respond, carefully placing it on your face. "It's been a while since I've worn this."

"...Do you have to wear that?"

Karter looked like he was going to say something, but then just held onto his gut, trying not to let his meal come up. Bad travel sickness? You would offer him some medicine, but you were feeling a little peeved by him.

"It's customary for people in the underground cooking world to wear masks, they usually wear those creepy smiling ones, but as I work in poison cuisine, this is our mask." You explain. Coco would say your tone was proud, but couldn't tell with the material muffling your voice. "Don't worry, this is to not draw attention. We stand out too much."

"How?"

"I mean, we kinda look like tourists. we look... well-off. And not in the way that's inconspicuous, like, we look like the type that would get dragged off somewhere to get mugged." You glanced down. "You have a nice suit. And you have nice features." It's not until the words actually come out you realise that it could be interpreted as flirtatious. Thankfully, Coco pays no mind.

He looked down at his suit, saying something along the lines of a ‘Thank you’ before speaking again. "Then, how should I blend in?" Coco asks.

"Pretend to be a male whor- ack!" Karter cut himself off while dodging the swift removal of your mask. "Watch it…!" He grumbles, barely holding in his vomit. 

"Sorry..." You say, using your sleeve to clean the inside of it and adjust the length of the straps on the back. "Here, Coco-kun. You can have mine." You say, leaning forwards to put it on his face. As you reached around to secure it, Coco froze. You stopped.

Have some awareness about personal space, you idiot. You scared Coco.

"Sorry! I didn't realise how close I was to you," he watched you pull back, "uh, here. You can put it on yourself, just use this bit."

He reached out to take it from you but paused. "Do you have one for yourself?"

"It's alright, I can get by without one."

"Then I'd rather you use it." Coco brings his hands back towards him.

"I insist that you use it instead, but like, if you find it a nuisance, you can give it back to me. Is that... alright?" You offer, extending it back over to him.

Hesitantly, Coco nods and secures the back of the mask. The inside was still ever so slightly warm, probably because of the person who had just worn it a moment ago.

Resisting the urge to fix the back for him, you impatiently watched him slowly tweak parts of it for his comfort.

His hair is getting messed up. Speaking of, has it grown longer than the first time you saw him? How did you only notice now?

"Would you like a mirror?" You ask, pulling up your phone for him. If the mask's glass wasn't tinted, you would have seen the way Coco's eyes instantly started cautiously eyeing up the camera before relaxing when he saw you were the one holding it.

"Oh," the mask looked bigger on your face, and it makes him think that it was intended for an adult male as it fit snugly on him but seemed just a little oversized for you. Was this not properly sized for you? Despite it being vital for such dangerous ingredients? "Thank you." He notices the reason why you were staring so intensely. When he reaches to remove his turban to better wear the mask and fix his hair, you already have your hand outreached to hold it for him.

"...N-no problem." You stutter, handing it back to him, embarrassed that you had done that without thinking while Coco wondered how he knew that you wanted to take it from him without making any indication of so. 

The two of you exchange eye contact for a moment, neither speaking, and it's enough to make Karter go over the edge. Vomiting.

"NOT ON FLUFFY, YOU FU-" 

"Don't throw him overboard! We're still in places where the gourmet laws apply, wait until we leave this area if you must."

"I'M FUCKING VOMITING, WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU TWO?!"

---

The three of you dismounted Fluffy - you jumping off but landing clumsily - almost rolling onto the ground, Karter just leaping off and grunting when his feet hit the floor too hard, while Coco just climbed off, thanking Fluffy as he did. The two hunters seemed to be relieved to be on solid ground. Fluffy probably was too much of an unstable flight for them. 

You cursed to yourself. Because you didn’t account for the obvious factor of time zones. Of course it would be near night-time by the time you arrive.

"So, where to, Chef Kelpie?" Karter asks after gaining proper footing, still swaying slightly. Coco didn't miss the way he dragged out your alias - mockingly. But apparently you did. Or you ignored it.

For some reason, you looked to your friend instead of Karter even though he had been the one to ask the question. "I think it'll be a good idea for me to get a general idea of how the underground cooking world is doing. If you don't-" You blink, and quickly change your words. "I mean, if the two of you don't mind."

"No objections." Coco says, keeping a close eye on his surroundings as you twist the lid of your flask back on after Fluffy went back inside with a little helping of snacks you’d given them. The tinted glass of the mask surprisingly didn't interrupt his normal line of sight like he expected. 

Karter huffed. "Well, I'll leave you to it."

"You aren't coming along?" You ask.

"No. I'm coming up with something else when you fail." He explains, "I mean, obviously let's not bet on that, but what's the chances you'll win again?"

You blankly blink at him for a moment, not quite expecting that attitude, but respond back unaffected. "That's true, I guess we'll meet at the casino on the day?"

"Sounds good. I'll be there in the morning. Good night for now."

"Okay, fine with me."

You split paths, going down a more quiet street way whereas he went into a crowded area, quickly losing the two of you. "Well, it's a bit of a shame that he couldn't come. I'm not that confident on the street layouts - it seems like a bit changed since I was here. I don’t think it helps that it’s getting dark."

You walk ahead of him, vaguely remembering where everything was. This was the middle area where it's not quite the slums, but certainly not the wealthy area where every street lamp cost more than your kidneys. Here is mostly for business or for the people who weren't drowning in money or struggling to get through the day.

"I wouldn't say it was a shame at all," Coco says, and it's weird to see him wearing the mask. "And don’t worry about not being able to see well. If you need me to, I’ll guide you, tell me where you want to go."

"Oh, would you?" You looked at him for confirmation to which he nodded. "Thanks! And about what you said: I guess it is better when it's just the two of us. I find it easier to think when it’s just with you." He looked over to you in the corner of his eye. "But I think that’s just because a lot of people makes me a little anxious."

He clears his throat and looks back towards the pavement ahead of you before speaking. "No, not just that. He's lying." Coco abruptly states when he’s certain that the two of you are out of earshot.

"H-huh?" You quickly turn to him. "What do you mean?"

"He's not going to make a fail-safe, if he could he would have already done so and saved himself the effort of finding you."

You want to ask him how he knows, but then answer your question before saying it. Incredible eyes. "Then what's he doing?"

"He's going off to dig information about us, what else? Did you not notice the tells?"

"...No...? But more importantly, would he do that? I mean, why would he do that to you?"

"He's most likely suspicious of me, Understandable. I hear in Jidar Kingdom you don't get too much information about IGO-nations unless you search for it. But the real issue is why he is trying to know more about you. You're the one helping him."

You couldn't read his expression because of the gas mask, but you could hear something you would describe as anger slowly building in the tone of his voice. No, you must be mistaken. "It's fine, I feel like my reputation here might not be the best... But it's rude of him to dig up on you!"

"Don't worry about it. Chances are: he won't find anything he can use against me." He switches from reassuring to cold again. "What's more important, is the way he's trying to find out dirt on you. Did he not seek for your help?"

"Hmm… Did you do something to scare them?"

"I don’t think so… I didn’t want to be any trouble, so I kind of stayed low, but that didn’t seem to help." You explain to him, "but - let's put that to the side. Look!"

He followed to where your finger pointed to. A hunter's and farmer's market. No wonder your mood instantly perked up. Seeing what food is currently in circulation is a subtle, smart and safe way to inspect the state of the underground cooking world. (Y/n)-chan must know the inner workings well enough to be able to make an assessment on how it's fairing as she's been involved for a long period of time. Coco rationalises, agreeing with your decision then turning to you. 

Simply examining your joyous expression was enough to tell him that was not your thinking in the slightest. You were just excited to be able to shop here. 

"I haven't been here in so long! You know what's special about Jidar Kingdom is that no matter what time of day, there's always some people that are awake. Which is great for us because we've arrived so late. Also-! You can get ingredients that are normally restricted by IGO here!"

He was taken back by the last statement, becoming slightly concerned, but trusted that you didn't mean anything malicious by it. Unusual ingredients are bound to excite any chef. "Do you have anything you want to buy?" Coco asked, looking at the produce. Lines of narcotic or lethal ingredients were lined up for display. Poisoned puffer whale, drug snail, electric banana, poison stars, nitro cherry - this truly was a black market.

Though, not everything was dangerous. There were also some garlic birds and lily oysters he saw displayed alongside it. Looking closer, there was also some high-end ingredients that rarely made it to the World Kitchen. Of course, guarded by bullet-proof glass. It makes more sense to him to guard the dangerous items more, but then came to the conclusion that people could steal them and suffer the consequences of the food themselves. 

"Not anything in mind, but I wanna cook something." You say, "do you want to eat anything? I could make something for you if you want. I don't mind. Or we can go and find somewhere to eat later."

He shakes his head. "It's quite alright. You've got your hands full already."

"Okay, if you do, tell me." You walked closer to the stalls, inspecting them carefully. "There's scaled pineapple...!"

Coco soaked in the way your face lit up at the sight of the fruit. Pure, unfiltered passion. He didn't have anything to say, well, at least not to you (and maybe not to anyone else, this might be something he wants to keep to himself). Your unbridled delight of having the opportunity of being able to cook is far past simply endearing. It was right down captivating in that singular moment in time so much so that-

He had a take a step back. Calm down. It's just your friend being happy to cook. Why on Earth did you have such a strong reaction?

The seller's voice took him back to the present. "Hope you have a strong stomach, Little Miss."

You jolted, almost as if you had forgotten that you were in a public area, too caught up in examining the items. "O-oh, don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

"Stuff like this could burn a hole straight through your flesh. Still want it?" He challenges, wanting to scare you a little.

...Are you sure you should be saying that, as you're trying to sell the product? You let out a nervous laugh, not from his words, but the way he sneered at you. "I'd like that one, please. The one with the yellow leaves."

"You sure?" 

He actually made you doubt your choice for a second - glancing back at it before nodding slowly. "...Yes?"

"Alrighty. 30,000 yen." He extends his rough hand out. 

"That's not the market price." You state, confused. Jidar didn't undergo inflation and you just missed the news, did it? He must have just misspoken. "Do you maybe mean-"

"I'm the one setting the prices." He loudly laughed, seeing your befuddled state. "Or leave. I don't care."

"...Uh..." You started, not expecting that sort of response in the slightest. Not the most spectacular business practices, I see... "But..."

Coco stepped closer, at first, he wanted you to handle the situation yourself. He didn't expect it to escalate in this way - the seller was being ridiculous. "The market price is 15,000 yen." 

The man rolled his eyes before glaring over in the hunter's direction. "What do you want?!" He growled, his skin becoming red with anger, then rapidly paled. "Oh... Oh, my..."

"I want to purchase this item, at the proper price." The hunter says in the most neutral voice he could muster, not wanting to cause more of a commotion. It was more for the sake of you than him - he can't picture you enjoying him verbally ripping him a new one. Even so, the words were received as a command to the seller.

"B-but, you must understand, sir! She doesn't know the effects this can have! I was protecting her in a way-" The man could feel Coco's gaze intensify through the gas mask, almost flinching away. "Alright, S-sir! Right away! Please, have it for free!" He frantically hands the product over to him, furiously bowing to him. 

Coco blinked. That was a fast change. He took it from him, not saying another word and turning away while ensuring that you were close behind. 

"Sorry, you had to deal with that... I never had that problem before." You look away in shame, embarrassed for the scene you didn't intend to cause. "I didn't know that was going to cause an issue..."

"It's not your fault. I didn't know he was going to react that way either."

"Thanks again. But... I wonder why he acted like that. I'm pretty sure I talked to him before, the same spot and produce, and he was quite nice to me then. What's different? I guess a few years passed, but still..."

That comment made Coco ponder too. The man didn't seem afraid of him because he knew that he was a Heavenly King, or the fact he might be poisonous. The reactions he receives from people finding out were vastly different. Even the extremely negative ones. It begs the question of what made the man so terrified the moment he saw Coco. 

...Is it (Y/n)'s mask?

He opens his mouth to tell you, then closes it. No. Although it might be a little unnerving, he had spotted people openly donned in blood and brazenly showing off the weapons available to them by slinging them on their bodies. This could not be scarier.

"I feel like my reputation here might not be the best..."

Coco stored that thought to the back of his head and tried to continue on with the rest of the evening. He started on a different topic. "I'm curious. Why do you want the one with yellow leaves? You know that those are practically inedible." Coco asks, seeing your eyes linger on the fruit. He passed it over to you, letting you inspect the fruit closer. 

"I know, I know. The acid from the scaled pineapple gradually gets stronger if left for long amounts of time, and you can usually tell how long since it's been picked as the leaves gradually start turning yellow." You say, inspecting the bottom of the fruit alongside the scales. "But that's what I want."

Coco wasn't sure if he preferred that you knew or not. Not knowing meant that you'd be proving the man's words correct, but on the other hand, knowing meant that you intend to hurt the consumer. This was not a little snack people could easily partake in, if not incredibly careful even the weakest of the fruits could cause intense stomach problems and vomiting for months on end. To pick one that was stronger was basically practically malignant. "...For what?"

"My cooking match." You drum your fingers on the pineapple before slipping it inside of your bag.

"Oh." I don't want you to do it. There are too many risks involved. Coco bit back his thoughts. "Of course."

You paused, running the question through your head once more before asking: "...I know I'm going to sound really selfish, and you can tell me 'no', but could we... spend a little more time here?"

You fidgeted, switching in-between glancing at your surroundings and back to him. Acutely aware of the fact you were so very close to being able to check out all of the new and exciting foods that you haven't in such a long time, but also of the fact that you're now travelling with someone and now had to consider his thoughts, especially after the fact he assisted you in that situation, in the fear you would burden him. And all of this was blatantly obvious to someone as observant as Coco.

...She really couldn't hide her feelings even if she wanted to.

That's worrying.

"...Of course we can." He smiled. Then remembered that you couldn't see it, but you still smiled back at him.

---

The two of you walked around the area, Coco mostly stayed quiet and listened to you ramble on about each purchase you made while also keeping a close watch on your surroundings. The sellers were still rude, but he kept close by, and that seemed to make them behave faster. You weren't too put off by the first man's attitude, talking about the fact numblemons were once used in place of defibrillators, or the fact that nitro cherries gave off a noxious gas when it exploded. The information was mildly morbid but seemed extremely useful.

"A way you could lessen the effects of the gas is eating a pungent food beforehand, such as-" You gasped, forgetting what you were about to say as you spotted a new and presumingly fascinating item. "There's Death Cattle here?!"

The man sitting near it looked up from his phone, shocked at your enthusiasm, but quickly matched the energy. "Right there is! Would you like to come look?" The seller offers, giving you a toothy grin as best he could with his missing teeth. 

Coco blinked in surprise at the hospitable words. It might be the fact practically everyone else was unfriendly, but... It was suspicious.

Or are you being overly protective over her?

I'd rather call it being careful. He thinks, shaking the other thought away, opting to observe the situation closely. 

You didn't think much about it, taking it was as a welcome change but uncertain about his offer. "C-can I?"

"Sure, just don't touch. It's poisonous after all." He says, leaning on the table he was sitting at. 

"Ohh..." You marvelled, "it's usually so rare..."

"It is, isn't it? I already have a buyer set up."

Your face fell. "Ah..."

"But since you're so cute, I'll cut you a bit."

Your friend shuffled his feet, stepping closer. Does Coco think something is wrong?

You glanced back for a moment, trying to gauge his thoughts but was only met with the gas mask. Needless to say, you didn't get anything from that and turned back to the man. "Please no, I don't want to jeopardise your business..."

"Don't be silly! Anyone would forgive a lassie like you! Now, which part would you like?" He grins even wider, waving your words away with his half-smoked cigar. 

You swear you can recognise the subtle tang of the smoke, but the thought is quickly brushed aside as the man pulls out a cleaver from under the table he was sitting at. "But-"

"Don't be shy!"

Your face flushed, and you looked over your friend. "What do you think?"

"Take a cut, he's offering a piece. You want a bit, don't you?" Coco replies so quietly, only you could hear him - not wanting to egg you on, but wanting you to have the option of it. "If there's something wrong with it, we can dispose of it."

You turned back to the seller. "...Are you sure?"

"Yes I am, now which part?"

"...I'm not picky, I'll take any part."

"Oh, here you can have the rib eye!"

"I can't-! That's one of the best cuts-"

You didn't have the chance to finish as the man swiftly cuts the meat and folds it into brown parchment paper, then securely ties it with some twine. "Here you go, sweetie!"

You were tossed the package, catching it in nervous hands. Oh no... Am I scamming this man? The thought made you break out in a cold sweat. You weren't paying for it, and you were taking it off of another person who probably paid full price for it. "Then, please, let me pay you...!"

He laughed and gave you a 'shoo' motion with his hands. "Have a nice night!" And he turned back to his phone, not before lighting another smoke. 

"...Coco-kun, I think I should return this..." You guiltily whispered to him, but he seemed preoccupied with something else. "Coco-kun?"

He turned his attention back onto you. "You should keep it for now. More importantly," his eyes scanned the surroundings - ever vigilant. "We need to find somewhere to stay, I don't think it's safe for us to stay out any later." He says, then checked over you, carefully examining the waves radiating off of you. She's fine. Then himself, looking down at his hands. Also alright.

“…What do you see?”

“Nothing that cannot be avoided.” He smiled reassuringly, again, he forgets that you can't see it. "I'm just being cautious."

You don’t respond at first, hesitating. “…But, we don’t have a lot of time left. I don’t think… I should.”

"I know you want to help, but you cannot help anyone with a tired body." He says, "and we can sleep early to check out the market or anything else in the morning. I imagine that might be helpful?"

You tightened your lips but ultimately came to agree with him. "Okay, okay. Good point. That's fine." Clicking your tongue in thought, you tried to think of any viable options. "...I think I know a place...? If it's still around?"

"Then let’s go. Where to?"

—-

"Oh good, I think they're still in business!"

His eyes wandered over to the building you were currently walking over to. There wasn't anything particularly eye-catching about the building itself, it looked like a typical hotel. The only unusual things he could point out was the bright pink neon sign. There wasn't anything like that in Gourmet Fortune, but perhaps it was just something different he was used to. After all, that wasn't a hotel in a major city, this was.

"Were they struggling financially?" Coco asks in response to your statement.

"Ah, no. At least, I don't think so. I just wasn't quite sure, sometimes companies and such get evicted or moved to make more room for the underground cooking world. Mostly because they tend to make more money." You say, slowly lowering your voice as the two of you get closer to the door. "I also like this place because you don't really need to talk to anyone."

"There's no receptionist?"

"There is, but- ah, you'll see."

He opens the door for you before you can reach for it yourself, thanking him quietly you continue walking over the counter. Or what he assumes is the counter, there are closed blinds hanging down at and only stops just 20-ish cm above the surface of the counter, leaving a big enough gap to slide objects through, but nowhere any room for people to show their faces - just part of the torso. It wasn't like ones where the customer could walk behind it if they so desired, it was the one where it was in a separate room entirely and had a pane of slide-able glass to separate them. Well, he would say there's a pane of glass, but with the thick blinds in the way, it becomes less certain.

...I may not have been in a hotel in years, but I'm pretty sure that this isn't how they were.

You think nothing of it. Politely pressing the bell sitting on it, and waiting for someone to serve you. He wonders if there's just suddenly been a shift in how people conduct living facilities and he's just not known this whole time.

Obviously, you couldn't see them, but the piece of paper that was slid out made their presence known.

He glances down at the sheet. It was simple: asking how long they will be staying with a few checkboxes and how much it would cost for that amount of time underneath the plain text. You ruffled through your bag to find a pen then ticked the 'overnight' option and placed the payment on top of it before giving it back to the person. Coco thought that the price was fairly cheap, and the time options were strange. Who only needs a hotel for 2-4 hours? Why was the longest option an overnight stay?

Still, he didn't say anything. After all, you had brought him here, so he had no reason not to be suspicious of the premises for danger.

A sharp 'clink'. Numbered silver keys with a key card were slid out of the gap. You took them without another word and turned back to him, motioning him to follow you. Up the stairs you went, seemingly already knowing the layout. You did seem to have been to this place before though, so that might be true.

"Are all hotels like that?" He asks, and you know what's he's talking about without asking more.

"Oh, like hiding behind all those blinds and stuff? To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. I think it's just a privacy thing, but I'm glad for it, this way seems easier for me."

"Is this just something exclusive to this place in particular?"

"I think so, because at Komatsu's hotel it's much more open." You glance at the numbers on the door and finally find the one you were searching for. Placing the key in the lock and the card in the slot, the door opened. "But I'm not too sure, I'm not rich enough to book a stay at Komatsu's hotel."

"It might also be a safety issue, seeing as the guests need both a key card and keys to enter the rooms." He speculated. "But that's understandable in this country."

"Could be. Let's leave our shoes right here." You say, he does. Then looks around the room.

It was... most certainly not your traditional hotel room. The lighting was a soft red shifting into a pink, it wasn't eye-straining, but not what he expected either. The walls were a deep purple with white intricate stencils of flowers etched into the paint. There was a soft black carpet tucked under the bed, stretching out around the bed, half covering the mahogany flooring. It was pretty, don't misunderstand, but it looked nothing like the cream coloured walls, or standard beds he was expecting to see.

In the corner of his eye was a laminated sheet of paper propped up on a table alongside a snow-white candle and a landline. He walked over and picked it up to read as you wandered about the room.

"Hello, Dear customer.

Thank you for choosing us for your relaxation. We hope to fully accommodate all of your needs. If you need to talk to a staff member, please use the phone on the desk. The number to call is underneath at the bottom of the sheet. Please feel free to also go down to the reception. There is also a menu on the back of this sheet, it will detail our choices.

Please enjoy your stay."

It was fine, there was nothing wrong with it. But the real issue was the other side of the piece of paper. The menu.

Now, it's not like the food looked bad - not in the slightest. The pictures and the descriptions were highly appealing, but maybe the fact it was too appealing was the issue. Coco narrowed his eyes at the dishes, slowly processing the ingredients of the first item, then the second item, then the third, fourth, fifth, sixth-

...Why did all of them contain ingredients typically used in erotic cuisine...?

He propped the paper back up on the table. Well. Looks like he's not going to be able to eat from the menu. He's never tested how his body would react with those types of ingredients, but he's not going to experiment while you're here.

But then, something more concerning than the strange menu choices was identified.

It was a double bed. Granted, it was a very nice double bed - queen-sized, thick blankets, clean, plush looking pillows with purple silk covers for the entirety of the bed - but that's besides the point. The two of you couldn't share. That's out of the question - and why did the paper the receptionist give not have the option of two beds?!

He gulped, another thought looming over him as he came to the obvious conclusion.

Was this... A love hotel?

He didn't know what to do - not when you were so innocently talking about the canned whipped cream as you inspected the fridge, something about getting free food every time you're here. "Why is it always whipped cream? And never something different? I mean, who eats that alone with nothing else?" He hears you giggle out before closing it and inspecting something else that caught your eye. "But I guess there is sometimes honey and chocolate. Someone must have a sweet tooth."

Coco really doesn't have the heart or mental capacity to answer your question. Especially when he's still hung over the fact that it's a, this is a-

"Hey, Coco-kun."

He turned towards you, almost snapping your head in your direction. "Yes?"

Did you know? Where you brought him? Did you even have the slightest idea of the place? Does he want you to answer his questions with a "yes" or a "no" more? 

Your over-joyous smile told him everything he needed to know. "I'm going to make something in the kitchen. They have a stove and everything in the room over! How cool is that? They must have gotten an upgrade from the last time I was here!"

He forces out a laugh. "It is the Gourmet age."

No, she's clueless. Oh, (Y/n)-chan. What have you done?

"Yeah! So I'll just be in there to test something out, you can do what you want, but if you're planning to leave, take the keys and stuff before you go out. Oh, and please tell me, don't just up and leave."

"Yes, of course. I'll most likely just shower."

I want to find another place to stay, but you've already paid. I suppose we could have gotten separate rooms, but won't that draw suspicion? 

"Okay," you say, already walking away probably to experiment with some of the ingredients acquired today. "Have a nice shower or bath."

He waves to you as a sign of goodbye, not even recognising the fact that you wouldn't be able to see it as your back was facing him, and also this wasn't really a situation where people waved 'goodbye'.

Coco couldn't help it, he felt like he was a fish out of water, even if not a single thing has happened so far. And he doesn't even think anything is going to happen - no, the two of you weren't anything like that or close enough to even think about that. Platonically or romantically.

It annoys him that even in his thoughts he's sidestepping what exactly "that" is.

He hears the sound of some sort of liquid bubbling, and it forces him to relax. You weren't worried in the slightest - he needs to match that. But the reason why you weren't nervous or awkward in the slightest was because you didn't know.

He shouldn't tell you - not until the two of you leave this place tomorrow at least - if he was struggling to think about this, you'd straight-up collapse on the spot. Either from embarrassment or shame. Ah, he could see it now. At first, shame and confusion would be painted on your face, then slowly become more and more flustered as you thought about your actions. Before probably running away and refusing to talk to him for the next several hours. (He thinks all this, but he might be more embarrassed about the situation long term than you. It's not fair.)

It's fine though, the two of you are friends, and you're both trying to help each other to accomplish a goal - you trying to win a cooking match, and him trying to find a deadly plant. That's why this is just a place to stay and not to be used for its intended purpose. Nothing else, nothing more. Only a place to rest.

He calms down and decides to inspect his surroundings more. His eyes wandered around, ignoring the more implicit (or explicit depending on how you view it) decorations. If he had no knowledge of his discovery before, he would have just thought that someone must have really liked magenta mixed with hits of red and pink and kept in with the theme.

Did some people really find some of this sensual?

You were clearly not of that group, seeing as you were prancing around in the kitchen. He could hear you muttering to yourself about Scorpion Roaches, before tapping your feet on the tiles and making something of a happy gasp. You must have thought of an idea for whatever you're thinking of.

Opening a drawer, he tried to find a menu, or maybe a map, he doesn't really know what's in hotels, only to find a packet of protection. He slams it shut again.

Friends don't need that.

A chef walks in front of one of the stalls, making direct eye contact with the person running the place. "Hello."

The man looked up from the table he was sitting at. His legs were kicked up on the surface. He puffed out one last smog of smoke before crushing it in the ashtray out of respect for his customer. "You're later than usual."

"I was busy."

"Mhm. Sure you're not getting lazy?" He says, standing up and stretching, the sounds of his bones cracking were faint.

"No."

The man slumped over at the curt responses. "It's called a joke. Laugh."

"Say something funny then."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine, you're tall, dark and handsome. How about that?"

"I'm not interested in you apart from a business standpoint." The chef responds back with a completely monotone voice. 

He scoffed. "It's another joke. I said something blatantly false."

The man smirked, "which part was false?"

"...Are you fucking with me? The handsome part-"

"It's called a joke. Laugh." The chef parroted back to him.

"...Haha. Dickhead." He seethed, "only you could annoy me this quickly. You ruined my good mood from earlier."

The man sighed. "Hurry up. I'm only here for my ingredients."

"Yeah, yeah. They're right there, just inspect it and go." He lifts the sheet off and watches him scan the meat. "...Hey, thanks for doing business with me for so long. It's been good."

He doesn't lift his head up, too engrossed in doing a perfect job, but willing to continue the conversation. "What do you mean?"

"Huh?"

"I still plan on buying here." He steadily flipped the cattle over. "Are you quitting?"

"No, but you've got your hunting dog back. So it makes sense it'll go back as before."

He paused for a brief moment. "My... hunting dog?"

"Yeah. That little chef that used to follow you around everywhere? Thought you killed him or died from poisoning, but I guess he's just been away. I assume learning? He came by and bought some stuff. Nothing in bulk though, so I assume it's for himself." He says, watching the man's expression closely. Not the slightest change. 

"You must be mistaken."

"Is that so? My bad. That guy must have just been desperate for some sort of face covering. I guess metallic breathing apparatuses are in trend nowadays." His voice was dripping in sarcasm.

"...A black gas mask with dark purple straps on the back?"

"Bingo. One of your chefs, right? Anyone else is too afraid to wear one. He's changed a lot though. Way taller and stronger looking. Scared the shit out of one of my pals. Actually, frightened nearly everybody here."

He fully stopped. "Oh."

"Bring him around sometimes. He's got a cute little girlfriend, I never thought I would see someone so excited over some Death Cattle meat."

He resumed his movements, no longer caring about the topic at hand. "Are you more interested in this woman than the chef?"

"You know how I am. But, I'd like it more if the little lady was your chef. I could use something pretty to look at, brighten my day. She also seemed so much more interested in the stalls than your cook."

"If she was I'd warn her of you every time I see her."

"Haha! So cruel for what? I treat girls well: I gave the little lady some of your cattle."

"You what?" He demands, finally noticing the part he was talking about. It was too dark for him to see properly in this lighting.

"Hire a lady chef for me, a lively minx if you could." He ignores, the other man sighs realising that he wasn't going to be able to get anything more out of him on that right now. "Cute or hot, I don't mind!"

"That's a tall order. There's little to no chefs that do poison cuisine. Let alone women. It's not exactly popular."

"Try harder, she could cheer you up too! Wouldn't you like that?"