Mito's cooking was indeed quite good, especially the omurice and mushroom soup. Oboro ate them all.
Before long, he was the only customer left in the shop.
It was getting late...
Still, he continued chatting with Mito... Only after Oboro finished eating did Gon occasionally chime in, mostly asking about the outside world.
Mito said Whale Island was small and there was not much to see, but compared to the big cities outside, it was quite nice if someone simply wanted to relax. She did not pry into Oboro's identity or work; she knew where to draw the line.
At last, seeing how late it had gotten... Oboro paid the bill, waved, and left.
Mito had wanted to take him to a nearby guesthouse, but Oboro refused...
"Then tonight..." As an outsider with nowhere to stay, Mito could not bear it. After thinking it over, she decided to let Oboro share Gon's room for the night.
"Thank you, but there's really no need... I'll be fine."
But Oboro declined her kindness as well.
Under Mito's watchful gaze, he vanished into the night.
"What a strange man..."
Mito murmured.
Gon poked half his little head out from behind the shop door, looked in the direction Oboro had disappeared, and smiled. "I think he's a pretty nice guy... He gets along well with everyone."
"Go take a bath and get to bed."
Mito glanced at him and urged him on.
"Okay."
Gon obediently answered and ran upstairs.
Although Oboro had told him about the splendor of big cities, Gon did not yearn for them. He still thought Whale Island was best... This was his home.
Meanwhile, Oboro headed straight into the forest after leaving, intending to spend the night outdoors.
Back when he had trained bitterly in the deep mountains, he had