Toushirou was hungry.
Actually, that didn't do him justice. He had gone three days without eating. Toushirou was downright famished. He didn't want to ask Marona for food, though. It seemed like her finances were stretched thin already. Adding another hungry mouth would put even more of a strain on things.
That didn't get rid of his hunger, though. Toushirou sighed as he leaned against the garden fence. He had planned to stay here for a week or so, but he didn't know if he could go that long without food. He was so hungry that it was hard to concentrate. How was he supposed to evaluate Marona's skills if his stomach kept distracting him?
"Hitsugaya-san!"
Toushirou's eye twitched. He had become familiar with that voice all too quickly. Now wasn't the best time for a chat, either, but he tried his best to be polite. He looked up and said, "Yes, Marona?"
Marona frolicked over to where Toushirou was sitting. She stopped right in front of him, then squatted down so that she was at eye level with him. "What's wrong," she said, sounding genuinely worried, "You look so sad."
"I'm not sad," he said, "It's just-"
Right then Toushirou's stomach growled. He turned a bit pink and looked away. Of course his problems had to be put into the spotlight. This could be a blessing in disguise, though. Maybe she would finally get a clue.
Of course, she didn't. Marona merely tilted her head slightly and said, "Hitsugaya-san, was that your tummy?"
Toushirou was quiet for a moment. When he did speak it was strained, as if he weren't too happy about the situation. "Yes…"
Marona was still confused. Why would his tummy growl? Wasn't he dead? Marona, being the curious girl that she is, decided to ask about it and said, "You get hungry?"
Toushirou nodded. He stole a glance at Marona and saw that she still had a confused look on her face. He began a long and complicated explanation as to why he needed to eat. "…So you see," he said, finishing up his lecture, "Shinigami need to eat."
Marona still had a blank look on her face. "I don't get all that complicated stuff."
Toushirou sighed then said, "Shinigami are special. My stomach wouldn't be growling if I didn't need to eat, would it?"
The wheels were slowly turning in Marona's head. She definitely got that he had to eat, but she didn't quite get why. That didn't really matter to her, though. Hunger was hunger, regardless who feels it. She stood up quickly and said with a smile, "Okay! I'll make you some food then!"
Toushirou was a bit surprised by that. He hadn't actually expected Marona to do anything about his current problem. When he didn't get up right away, Marona grabbed his hand and dragged him to his feet. "C'mon," she said cheerfully, "I'm a really good cook! What kind of food do you like? Do you like fish? I could make takoyaki! Wait, that takes a while to make…maybe just sushi? Or curry. Curry is always good! Or maybe…"
Toushirou just listened to Marona babble on as she led him to the house. He didn't really feel like interrupting her. There were more pressing issues on his mind. The main thing on his mind was why someone would be so accommodating to a guest. He was the one who insisted on staying, after all. She shouldn't have to change her schedule just because of him. When they reached the house he started to protest, but Marona quickly shushed him. Once they were in the kitchen Marona let go of his hand and went over to a cupboard to dig out cooking utensils. As she did so she continued to chatter. "I can really make just about anything. What do you like the most, Hitsugaya-san?"
Toushirou opened his mouth to protest, but he stopped himself. He closed his mouth, then started to talk a moment later. "Well, anything is alright…"
He tried to remember one of the dishes Marona mentioned. Did he like any of those? Finally he said, "Curry?"
Marona smiled up at Toushirou from where she was sitting and said, "Okay, I can make that! My curry is pretty good! Well, I think so, at least. Ash doesn't eat, so he can't tell if it's good or not."
Toushirou thought that Marona was going to babble on again, but this time she didn't. Instead she hummed as she cooked. Not knowing what else to do, Toushirou just stood there and watched. Marona didn't seem to be bothered by his presence. At least, she didn't tell him to leave. After some time she was done, and she scooped some curry onto two plates and carried them over to the table. "It's ready!"
Toushirou looked around to see if any other spirits were coming. None appeared, so he sat down at the table. He eyed the food carefully, secretly wondering if Marona had put anything in it. It looked fairly normal. He glanced up at Marona and saw that she was patiently waiting for him to take a bite. So, with a quick movement of his hands, he picked up his chopsticks and grabbed a bit of the food. He eyed it more closely, then looked to Marona again. She was still sitting there, the same goofy smile on her face. Finally he stuck the food in his mouth and ate.
Despite his negative attitude, Toushirou was thoroughly impressed. This was actually pretty good. He chewed thoughtfully for a few moments, then swallowed and said, "…decent."
Marona's face lit up at that comment. "Really," she said, "I'm so glad! I was kinda worried, since you're the first one to eat my food besides me."
Then she picked up her chopsticks and munched away happily at her food. Her comment, however, made Toushirou pause. He was the first person to eat her cooking? He felt a bit special at that moment. A second thought soon invaded his mind, though. Why was he the first one to eat her cooking? Were all her friends spirits or something?
His thoughts were interrupted by Marona when she said, "Whatcha thinkin about?"
Toushirou shook his head. Those thoughts were private, and Marona didn't need to hear them. "Nothing," he said, then went back to eating.
