Just before the banquet, at a small gathering...
As the host, Neptune agreed to all of Gawain's decisions and brought out every specialty pastry Ryugu Palace had to offer. He called over not only his sons and daughter, but also sent Jinbe to Gawain's side.
As the guest, Gawain promised to resolve Vander Decken IX's problem for Fish-Man Island and offered a practical solution. Not only would he investigate the true cause of the previous Ryugu Kingdom queen's death, but he also intended to fulfill the dream Fish-Man Island had pursued for centuries: reaching the surface!
Whether host or guest, each had done everything they could. By all rights, this little gathering before the banquet should have ended with both sides thoroughly pleased.
But somehow, when had things turned into this?
Gawain looked left, then right. Everyone in the hall was looking at him strangely!
Shirahoshi was one thing. The look in that girl's eyes was impossible to describe. If he had to put it into words, it was probably like the first image in every person's heart. We might forget what day it was today, but we would always remember the day we first met her.
Aside from Shirahoshi, Neptune kept studying him with an inexplicable gaze, making Gawain deeply uncomfortable.
As for Fukaboshi and his two brothers, the younger two were fine, but Fukaboshi's gaze truly made him look like a killing star.
On the left, Gion rested her chin on one hand, her face wearing a broad, auntie-like smile.
On the right, Jinbe's gaze was clear, but his eyes kept shifting between Shirahoshi and Gawain.
Eventually, as Jinbe kept looking, he actually added Gion to the people he was watching.
Gion, Gawain, Shirahoshi...
Jinbe's gaze kept moving between them. He did not say a word, yet it