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Supper had been called for Hijikata's gang. They didn't eat together often, but when they did, Ipopte always had a good time. Even Ogata smiled during these times if he thought no one else was looking. Ipopte and Ienaga happened to arrive earlier than anyone else that day and sat across from one another on the kotatsu.
"Ipopte dear, what motivated you to build that body of yours?" Ienaga asked with her usual courtesy, letting a pause settle snugly before sipping her Biluochun.
Candlelight illuminated the dining space, as was the common fixture. The outside air, cold and dry, didn't matter while yellowtail teriyaki warmed the room. Ipopte gulped after he finished chewing. "Self improvement... I've always looked older than my age suggests I should, so I figured that part of me might as well be embraced."
A frown crept onto Ienaga, for what reason, Ipopte wasn't sure. Her elegant grip on the teacup stiffened, seemingly without the intention. "My father was the one who did the cooking. He had a sweet tooth like Nagakura; teriyaki was one of his weaknesses as well," she was saying before the frown dissipated, her eyes closed and corners of her lips turned upwards to chuckle. "My mother never had a chef's bone in her, nor did my grandmother, so neither do I."
Ipopte recalled Ushiyama saying Ienaga's tendency to undercook beef was one of her weaknesses. This didn't anger him, as he used this as an excuse to cook beef for the whole gang if it was applicable to his mood. This meant rain or shine; summer or winter. Ipopte was thankful Nagakura took initiative, making yellowtail teriyaki with chicken instead.
What an odd couple those two were.
It was early in his commitment to Hijikata when he accidentally broke an unspoken rule about those two: never ask them if they were married. He could easily recall the look on Ushiyama's face, even at the table. It was one of the scariest things he'd ever seen. Recalling that would be useful if he ever wanted to use the Long-Eared Monster again.
But, speaking of...
"It's a dreary thought... Admitting weaknesses determine who you really are," Ienaga confessed, the day possibly getting to her. "Even a very young man such as yourself ought to be aware of that."
...He also recalled that he hadn't prepared any meals recently like he had back in Noboribetsu. Mincing squirrel meat, helping his mother when she ran out of soft windflower, merely putting salt on game and calling it good enough... He hadn't thought about any of it after military training.
"I was taught your mark on the world defined who you were, even after you're gone," he muttered, a hypothesis brewing within him. "Though, if my weakness was how my mother made bear meat, which I've been compared to more times than I can count..."
Perhaps hibernation would look appealing soon. He chuckled at the ridiculous idea--
"My body’s made for consumption too."
Ipopte's chopsticks’ shared goal abruptly ended. He excused himself as, suddenly, he was not hungry anymore.