Gluttony

'Hungry...'

Kaido's stomach growled. Even with the heavy rain splashing to the ground, his stomach's roar was loud enough to be heard from across the street.

Kaido was wet, cold and hungry. He couldn't remember the last time his stomach was satisfied. He was supposed to get groceries which would last for a week, but the Kaido couldn't resist the temptation of the delicious street food along the path. One fried chicken nugget at a time, Kaido had run out of money. And the worst part? He was still hungry.

And then the rain started to pour, making Kaido feel exceptionally miserable on top of the guilt he was already feeling. He wondered what his mother would say when she discovered what had happened. She was a kind and loving mother, yet their financial situation prevented her from spoiling him.

His mother's disappointed face appeared in his head. Unable to bear the guilt, Kaido started to shed tears. It was not the first time Kaido felt ashamed for his unending appetite, back in school kids would call him 'the pig' or 'gluttonous monster'. And every time, he would ask himself the same question:

'Why am I like this?' Kaido whimpered.

His mother's response always warmed his heart: 'Don't feel ashamed of being special my son, you will always be precious to me. And someday soon, you will meet people who will appreciate and love you like me.'

Feeling slightly encouraged, Kaido found the strength to continue to walk in the rain. Sure, being hungry all the time had its flaws, but it was also what defined him.

Suddenly, an oddly alluring scent caught Kaido's attention. It was this fresh, aromatic and rich smell of broth that Kaido had never experienced. Kaido was surprised that the scent lingered in the air even though it was raining heavily. Guided by his curiosity and gluttony, Kaido followed the scent into an alleyway and arrived at a ramen shop.

The ramen shop was small in scale, there was faint lighting coming out from the entrance and a small sign with two words written on it:

'Food Challenge'

Kaido stepped into the store, there were three vacant seats and a man behind the bar counter. He seemed to be the owner and chef.

'Irasshaimase.' the man welcomed him in but did not raise his head to look at Kaido. The man was of average height and had black hair with the slightest hint of grey. He wore glasses with circular lenses and had stubble which highlighted his prominent cheekbones.

Not knowing what to do, Kaido naturally sat down. The man didn't seem to be bothered and kept doing his thing. An awkward minute passed before Kaido built up the courage to speak.

'Err… I'm sorry to bother you, but I saw the sign outside and wanted to know if I could eat for free if I beat the food challenge.'

The man finally looked up and took a close inspection of Kaido. Having just walked in the cold rain for 30 minutes he looked especially frail.

The man gave out a sigh 'Go home kid, You ain't going to be able to do it. And I can tell you don't have the money to pay.'

'Please, sir! Just give me a shot, you can't just judge a book by its cover! At least tell me what the challenge is.'

The man looked annoyed 'I've set this challenge for eight years, and so far, only five people have managed to succeed. More than hundreds of people come to my store to try this challenge and failed. Are you so desperate to owe me debt?

'If I fail the challenge, I will work for you for free for a week!' Kaido wanted to show his determination, and that nothing the owner said was going to change his mind.

Hearing this, the man was shocked. After a moment, he let out a chuckle.

'Mendokusai…'

The man walked into the back kitchen.

'You better own up to your words kid, there weren't many customers today so I have more than enough ingredients to make you a bowl so big that you can't fathom finishing.'

'Game on, old man' Kaido smirked.

'I'll show you what the King of Gluttony is capable of.'