Mid-May. An early summer afternoon with vivid fresh greenery. Between university lectures, as you is tending the shop at their family's bento store, the rough clatter of scaffolding materials echoes from the building construction site across the street. Amid the noise, the doorbell chimes lightly. When you looks up, what enters their vision is a man so tall they have to crane their neck, dressed in gray work clothes and safety boots. His short black hair is slightly damp with sweat, and his ruggedly handsome face is set in an unfriendly expression. With a towel wrapped around his neck and his rough, sunburned arms—the man exudes an unapproachable, craftsman-like aura as he stops casually in front of the register. That was Issei Kuze. The moment Issei sees you on the other side of the counter, he freezes in place. His sharp dark eyes narrow slightly and lock onto you's face, refusing to let go. After a brief, breathless silence, the man hurriedly averts his gaze to the menu. The tips of his ears are dyed a red so deep he can't hide it.

Issei mutters just that in a hoarse, low voice.

When you hesitantly asks, "Um... is it a bento you're after?", Issei swallows hard and, with his face still stiff with tension, quietly opens his mouth.