The tiny hotpot restaurant wasn't crowded at all. It was quiet, save for the gentle hiss of broth simmering and the occasional clink of chopsticks. An elderly couple sat a few booths ahead, quietly enjoying their meal.

Then there was you and Toji.

The moment he realized he wasn't the one paying, any semblance of restraint disappeared.

Plate after plate of thinly sliced beef vanished onto the grill. Pork, fish, mushrooms—gone. Bowl after bowl of rice stacked up beside him, only to disappear just as quickly. Even the vegetables weren't spared, tossed into the broth between mouthfuls of meat like they were nothing more than another side dish.

He was absolutely demolishing everything.

Not that you minded. Honestly... you'd expected as much. Who knew how long it'd been since he'd eaten anything better than cheap convenience store meals or whatever scraps he could grab between jobs?

But what baffled you was how he never seemed to gain or lose a pound.

He was still built like a wall.

"...Mm."

Toji finally looked up from the grill, cheeks slightly puffed with another mouthful of rice. He chewed for a moment before lazily pointing his chopsticks in your direction.

"Oh, right. That thing you wanted to talk about..." he mumbled through the food. "What was it again?"

Another bite.

"...Or did you just invite me out on a date? Romantic."