Almost one week passed after you got the Jewel Meat. In the end, Sunny got to add the food to his Full Course Menu, which was decided between the two Heavenly Kings in a game of janken, with Sunny winning three to one against Toriko. To say the latest was a bit irritated and disappointed would be an understatement. However, Toriko was still happy to have the chance of eating the Jewel Meat in his lifetime.

You and Komatsu returned to Hotel Gourmet, and continued on your works individually. The Summit was coming soon, so both the manager and the business bureau director of IGO were quite restless.

"Dear (y/n)-chan, may I have a word with you?" demanded Umeda the moment he entered the restaurant.

"Yes, sir!" you quickly nodded, cleaning your hands and readjusting your clothes.

Komatsu had stopped whatever he was doing to gaze at you in confusion, mouthing if you knew anything about what the director wanted with you. You shrugged, making a face that clearly told him that you had no idea. Once you left the kitchen, you followed after the bureau director outside. You fidgeted nervously on the spot as the man led you to a large window that gave a view on the city. Your uneasiness subsided a little bit when you saw Johannes standing up abruptly from a chair when he caught sight of you.

"Miss (y/n)" Johannes nodded in your direction, and you curtsied back.

"Johannes-san"

"Now, my dear...You're probably wondering why I brought you here?" trailed Umeda, adjusting his shades.

"Did I do something wrong...?" you stuttered, and the male quickly shook his head.

"Of course not! In fact, I'm so impressed by your last achievements that I decided to give you a little mission. You are certainly aware of the Gourmet Submit coming the next week, right?"

"Yes, sir" you replied, flinching a bit as the male enrolled his arm around your shoulders. He led to you to the window, gazing outside as he said:

"There's a special dish I want you to make. Our newest addition from the Azect Kingdom, prince Aleijah Kwoaktuez, took a liking to our pastitsio...And three days from here he will come to have a 'first view taste' on our restaurant"

"What kind of name the guy has...?" you thought in disbelief. "I'm not even sure director-san has spelled it right"

"There's two particular ingredients I want you to find. Normally, I would ask Toriko to do the job, but he is gone to some place and cannot help us for the moment..." explained haughtily Umeda with a dismissive wave.

"Why...me? I'm just a chef" you said.

"A Bishokuya will be assigned for this mission, do not worry" told Johannes. "The two ingredients, which are the Viande Bleue and Sauce Bleue, are needed in the preparation"

"The pasta is already provided. All that is left are the last foods" smiled the business director.

"I thought you would choose Matsu for the job. He is more qualified than me, I'm just a sous chef" you told both men.

"It's exactly why I cannot let all the important recipes to you alone. Komatsu-kun has a lot of work in the kitchen, so he can't be bothered" huffed Umeda, and a thick mark appeared the side of your head at the hidden insult.

"I see. Then I will do my best, Director-san!" you declared with conviction. "Thank you for putting your trust in me...somewhat"

"The ingredients are located in a cavern in the Azure Mists. The hunter will wait for you at the train station once you reach the continent. He will have more information on your next destination from there" explained Johannes.

"Now, off you go!" Umeda shooed you away rudely. "You have three days. Three days"

You sat down in a lonely compartment on the train. You took with you the strict necessary; a luggage containing fresh clothes, a Gourmet Case, your tools, three canteens of water, and another case filled with various foods that you could cook easily. Your mind pondered on the Gourmet Hunter that will accompany you on the journey. Wondering if he was kind or straight up terrifying. Most hunters weren't like Toriko or the other Heavenly Kings, as proved when you took the train to Gourmet Fortune. You hoped it wouldn't be the case.

Which led you to think about your destination along the ingredients you have to find. Viande Bleue is a type of beef meat rumored to have multiple enhanced capabilities on the body when eaten. Moreover, the taste is absolutely divine and holds more than a thousand of crustaceans and fishes flavors in a single piece of the meat. However, there's only one sauce it can be accompanied with, else the flavors disappear and remind blank: the Sauce Bleue. Similar to the other ingredient, the sauce is flavored by plankton and is able to hold in the savoriness of the Viande Bleue with the small organisms inside of it.

You sighed and leaned back against your seat. Even though you had three days, you felt like it won't be enough. There's no telling what you will find there or the beasts you would have to fight you way through. But the director wouldn't give you a novice as a hunter for the job, right?

"Pardon me, lady, but is the seat taken?" a voice broke you out of your reverie, and you whipped your way to the door of the compartment.

You were taken aback by the physical traits of the man that just arrived. What shocked you the most was how his face resembled Coco's, the only difference being his red eyes and a nose a little bit longer by a few millimeters. Also, the man had brown hair that was stylized in a spiky and messy look. Along with his clothes, he looked like what could have been Coco if he decided to become a rocker.

"Ah, uh, no" you responded, blinking a couple of times.

You continued to eye the man even after he sat down diagonally from you. He pulled out from his leather jacket a folder, opening it to reveal a pile of papers inside of it. Your gaze turned to the window, deciding to watch the diverse fields that passed outside. Though, it wasn't long that you felt the eyes of the stranger peering at you secretly from over the stack of his work.

"Is it your first time going there?" he spoke with a rumble, and you blinked owlishly. "The Azure Mists?"

"Indeed. How would guess that?" you asked, turning your body to face him.

"It's a hostile region that doesn't aboard many tourist from the other countries. Few decide to come to the village of Llyne, right next to the Azure Mists. Only Bishokuyas, or in rare case chefs, take the train. By just observing your demeanor and the way you dress, I can tell right away that you are the latter..." the man smiled.

"You're right!" you gave a nervous smile, sweat rolling down your forehead. How long was he observing you?

"Name's 'Lot'. What about yours, lady?" he inquired.

"Uh...My name is (y/n)" you informed, a bit hesitant. For an instance, you swore his smile got wider upon your answer, but it quickly turned to a neutral expression.

"You're the one who successfully prepared the Puffer Whales a few months ago, huh? What a dream to encounter a celebrity!" Lot barked a laugh, and you blushed under the praise.

"Oh, I'm barely someone compared to the real chefs out there. I didn't create anything special or invent a new way to operate on Puffer Whales... I just..."

"Just take a compliment, lady" the man huffed, and you squeaked.

"Y-Yes, sir!"

The rest of the trip went on a silent mode, with you still blushing in embarrassment. There was only way to calm yourself down and it was by reading a good book. Still, your full attention remained on Lot, who was busy signing up papers and encircling some elements of the text in red. You wondered about what kind of profession he must have.

That's when you realized you were still staring again, and you shook your head. You returned your attention on the book, but nothing came out of it. You had a strange feeling about Lot. As if...you already met him somewhere.

"Do you see something you like, darlin'?" murmured a voice by your ear.

"Eh?!"

You recoiled back as Lot was now standing in front of you with his hands in the pockets of his pants. He was leering down at you with a coy smirk, and that made you realize how tall he actually was. Probably taller than Coco. You flinched as he forced you to close your book, crouching so he was at the same level as you.

"I'm s-sorry, but I think you a-are mistaken-" you stammered, and you were interrupted by him slamming his hands on the seat at each side of your head.

"C'mon. Cutie must be interested in me if you're always starin'...I'm just making it a bit easier for you"

"I'm not!" you argued. "I feel like I met you before, that's all!"

"Trust me, I would have remembered a cute woman like you" Lot cupped your chin, a toothy smile on his lips. Did he have fangs?!

"Passengers, we are about to arrive at Llyne Station. Do not forget to gather all your personal effects before leaving, and thank you for choosing Gourmet Express"

Lot howled in pain as you stood up abruptly and knocked your head under his jaw. While he was falling back, you took this chance of escaping. Grabbing your things, you exited the compartment of the train along with a few others who arrived at their final stop. Unfortunately, before you could disappear in the crowd of people, an arm enrolled around your waist and you were pushed against a firm chest. You scowled a little, staring up at Lot who smirked down at you.

"That was rude, darlin'...I wanted to be friendly and all" the guy mused.

"Can you refrain from touching me? It's making me uncomfortable" you spat with a frown. To your relief, Lot lifted his hands in surrender.

"Okay, okay. Sorry, cutie"

That didn't stop him from staying close by your side, though. You grew unnerved by his closeness, even more as the two of you followed after the mob to exit the train. Until Lot came to a sudden stop. Normally, you wouldn't concern yourself about that weirdo, but you were still curious as to the reason why. The people dispersed, leaving both of you to remain in the train. Lot's red eyes narrowed to the side, checking out something outside from his peripheral view. You didn't know what it was, and before you could ask, Lot quickly bypassed you.

"While I hate the idea, I'm gonna leave you for now, cutie. We've places to go, don't we?" he said with a wave over his shoulder.

You didn't respond anything. Shaking your head at this weird change of character, you left the train to reach the hangar. It wasn't too crowded, a blue fog surrounding the atmosphere of the area. Unlike what you were inspecting, the Llyne Station was colder and creepier in terms of aesthetic. Plus, you weren't aware that the hangar was situated on the outside (). Your eyes traveled to a single clock with vines enrolled all around the pole, the hands showing 17:00 exactly.

"Already this hour?" you muttered. "I hope I will find a place to sleep..."

From what the director told you, the hunter should be waiting for you near the ticket office. Strangely, they had no picture or physical traits to distinguish them. Umeda simply said that they would recognize right away. You sat down on a lonely bench and waited. None of the people out there looked like a Gourmet Hunter, and none tried to engage you. Time ticked down slowly, with still no sign of the Bishokuya.

Have they forgotten about you? Was it a bad joke from the director? There's no telling. 17:45, and no one in sight. You sighed dejectedly, your eyes skimming the pages of your book in a way to pass the time. You were about to leave this place when someone suddenly stopped in front of you, and you slowly looked up in surprise to see the last person you were expecting:

"Coco-san?!" you shouted, half surprised and happy. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same, (y/n)-chan" the male smiled down at you. "If you stay out there too long, you will catch a cold. Why don't we go somewhere warmer?"

"But...I'm waiting for a hunter. They should arrive at any moment" you said, and Coco arched a single brow.

"A Bishokuya...?"

The Heavenly King stared over his shoulder, frowning slightly. Following his gaze, you saw a bunch of shady men standing in a corner. Every once and then, they would send weird looks in your direction that gave you chills in the back. You shuddered, and Coco noticed right away your discomfort. He gave a reassuring smile with his eyes closed:

"My apologies for being late. You were certainly waiting for me" he said, and you let out a confused noise.

"Wait, you're the Bishokuya the director assigned me? Is it true?"

"Are you displeased?" Coco frowned, tilting his head to the side.

"N-No! Of course not!!" you quickly objected with a blush, embarrassed. "I'm more than happy to be teaming with you, Coco-san! It's just...I'm surprised that Umeda-san didn't mention that I would be working with a Heavenly King. Did you recently return as a Bishokuya?"

"I continue to do my fortunes, but sometime I do small jobs like this one" the Gentleman explained. "Now, shall we go? I suppose you're a bit tired from your travel..."

The two of you left the hangar, following a rocky path that led you through a forest. The village was situated at the end of this path, where you will eventually find an inn to stay at for the night. To your luck, Coco had already reserved a room. You stayed close by Coco's side, not trusting this forest one bit. The man didn't mind as long as you weren't too close, in fear of hurting you.

You finally arrived at Llyne after an hour of walking, and you were taken aback by the beauty of its architecture, even though the village looked a bit old ().

"The inn should be around here..." stated Coco, walking ahead of you.

"So this is Llyne of the Azure Mists...It's breathtaking!" you said in awe, looking all around you.

"Be careful, (y/n)-chan. The streets at night aren't suited for a woman without an escort"

You didn't need to be told twice. You found the inn a few minutes later, at the far back on an alley. The fog grew thicker, you could almost take an handful of it physically. Coco eyed up and down the building, confirming that it was indeed the place you were waiting for.

The first thing you noticed once you were inside was how dusty the room for the check-in was. The webs decorated the ceiling and the columns beautifully, though. Too preoccupied to examine the area, you failed to see Coco return with a key of your room.

"(y/n)-chan, shall we go?" the male inquired, and you jumped in surprise.

"O-Oh, yes! Lead the way, Coco-san!"

The room had a far much richer look than the rest of the building (), excepted for the fog that still lingered inside. The chimney was turned on, but the temperature of the room remained cold. You shivered unconsciously, earning a worried look from Coco.

"I could ask to get more logs..." Coco said, and you shook your head.

"It's alright. I had worst" you gave smile, recalling the previous winters at your old apartment. The windows couldn't close fully, so you always ended up with a bit of snow inside your bedroom. "More importantly, how will we...share the bed?"

The thought made you blush brightly as you gazed at the canopy bed leaning against the wall from the side, curtains closed for the moment. To be honest, you didn't mind if Coco took it. After all, it wouldn't be the first time you slept on the ground. When you needed to work late at night, it wasn't shocking to find you sleeping inside the kitchen among the pile of clean plates and utensils. But Coco was having none of that.

"I will sleep on the couch" Coco stated, leaving no room for arguments.

"But, Coco-san...It doesn't look that comfortable to sleep on..." you trailed, eyeing warily the old furniture.

"Then what are you suggesting?" the Gentleman raised a brow, and you would have giggled embarrassingly if you didn't catch yourself in time.

"Well...We could share the bed" you grinned, earning a shocked expression from Coco.

"I-I c-can't..." he stammered with a cute blush, faint but a bit apparent if you looked closely. "You see, I don't usually wear pajamas when I lay down..."

"Oh, you sleep with that black suit of yours?"

When you didn't get a clear response from Coco, your eyes widened like saucers. You grew slightly more embarrassed to learn of this new information about the Heavenly King. He didn't want you to have the wrong idea that he quickly caught himself, and waved his hands in front of him wildly:

"It's not like that! What I meant is that I remove the green bands and the suit, and I don't want to endanger your life because of the poison" Coco explained.

"It's the same thing as sleeping naked!" you cried out with a red face.

In the end, you were the one who took the bed and Coco the couch after an hour of bickering back and forth. His only argument was his poison, and it was something that bothered you a bit. Changing into your nightgown, you quickly jumped on the bed and turned on your side to face the wall.

You closed your eyes tightly as you heard Coco remove his clothes, a sigh of relief and content escaping from him as he did so. How badly you wanted to take a peek at that moment.

"Come on...Just for a few seconds...NO, BAD (Y/N)!!" you chastised yourself, slapping your hand.

Your grandmother is certainly turning herself in her coffin at that moment. Not because her granddaughter was a pervert, but because you couldn't grow a pair and take a look at this fine specimen of a man. Again, the apple didn't fall too far from the tree. Maybe it jumped a generation, because you couldn't recall the times your mother acted this way. In fact, if she was to look at someone in such a way, she would bleach her eyes out.

Huffing from the nose, you decided to quietly move on your other side to take a secretive look at Coco. Your breath caught in your throat at the sight of the handsome man lying on the couch with a blanket covering his lower-half. Eyes closed, Coco was staring up at the ceiling with his expression calm and arms crossed in front of his chest. Seeing his bare chest and the way his muscles bulged out deliciously in this position made you lose your focus.

"..GYEH!" you shouted inhumanly, before slamming a hand over your mouth.

You whipped around at the same time Coco opened one eye to gaze at you from the corner. You pretended to be asleep, snoring exaggeratedly. The man gazed at you in silence for a few seconds, and let out a low chuckle. He found your reaction quite endearing, but he knew better. This thought left him frowning as he fell asleep, while your heart was still beating wildly in your rib cage.