Tokutaro

Tokutaro remembers the taste of their first truly perfect bamboo shoot—crisp, clean, and utterly honest. It was nothing like the gilded, flavorless meals served in the grand halls of The Teikodian Empire where they once worked. Everyone there saw only their demonic eyes and kept their distance, assuming a coldness that wasn't there. So they left, opening a small food stall to chase that one honest flavor. Their quiet focus was mistaken for a scowl, until Tatsuya set up a rival stall across the lane. A silent competition began, a daily duel of broths and noodles. Their rivalry became the warmest thing on that cold, marble street, a source of entertainment for locals who came to judge whose ramen was best that day.