"Mr. Daigo, Mr. Zihang, would you like to join us for lunch?" Conan asked politely, though his eyes were already fixed on the aromatic dishes before them. Saliva pooled in his mouth as the complex scents of lemon, chili, and herbs filled his senses.
"No, no, you two go ahead and eat," Daigo replied quickly, waving his hands in gentle refusal. "I already had dinner before coming here."
"Same here," Chu Zihang added with characteristic brevity. "I ate before arriving as well."
"Daigo, Zihang," Gustave called out as he returned from the kitchen carrying a tray of fresh fruit juices, "you've both been away from the Bamboo Staff for several days. Why don't you come sit with us and tell us what you've experienced during your time away?"
His genuine curiosity was evident—as someone who cared deeply about his interdimensional family, Gustave always wanted to hear about their adventures and challenges in their respective worlds.
"We'll head over there then," Daigo said to the young detectives. "You two don't need to worry about us—just enjoy your meal."
"Take your time," Conan replied, though his attention was already shifting toward the feast awaiting him.
As the two older guests moved to join Gustave's table, Conan prepared to dig into the lemon shredded chicken—only to discover that Ai had already started eating without him.
"Haibara! You're already eating by yourself!" Conan protested with wounded dignity. "We've been friends for so long, and you're betraying our dining solidarity?"
"Who told you to keep chatting when you should have been eating?" Ai replied without looking up, deftly maneuvering a perfectly shaped fried dumpling into her bowl. "I finished being polite ages ago. You were the one who felt compelled to wait until everyone else left before starting."
"I was demonstrating proper etiquette!" Conan insisted. "Do you understand the concept of politeness?"
Even as he delivered this lecture, Ai calmly selected another piece of lemon shredded chicken with her chopsticks, savoring the vibrant flavors without apparent guilt.
"The fried dumplings are excellent," she observed with clinical appreciation. "If you don't start eating soon, I might finish them all myself."
Despite her teasing tone, the warning carried enough genuine threat to spur Conan into action. Gustave, after all, was known for his impressive appetite when truly motivated.
"You're impossible," Conan muttered, quickly grabbing his own chopsticks and targeting a promising piece of the lemon chicken. Unfortunately, in his haste, he failed to notice that his selection contained a large, incompletely pounded chili pepper.
"SPICY! SO SPICY!" Conan's yelp of distress echoed through the restaurant as tears sprang to his eyes. He stuck out his tongue and fanned his mouth desperately with both hands, the intense heat overwhelming his taste buds.
"Here, drink the soup," Ai said with barely contained amusement, ladling seaweed egg drop soup into a bowl and placing it within his reach. Despite her teasing nature, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for his predicament.
"Thank you, Haibara!" Conan gasped gratefully, gulping the cooling broth and holding it in his mouth until the burning sensation subsided enough to swallow safely.
"Be more careful when selecting food," Ai advised with mock solemnity. "Don't worry—there's more than enough here for both of us. I'm not Genta, after all."
"Right, right," Conan replied weakly, still recovering from his capsaicin encounter. He strongly suspected Ai had orchestrated this particular lesson in culinary caution.
Moving forward with considerably more attention to detail, especially regarding the lemon shredded chicken, Conan made sure each bite was free of lurking chili fragments before committing to consumption.
"Mmm, this is incredible," he said after successfully navigating a spice-free portion. "Sour and spicy, perfectly balanced—such an appetizing combination!"
The bright acidity of the lemon played beautifully against the heat of the properly distributed chili powder, while the tender chicken provided a neutral canvas for the explosion of flavors. He immediately followed the chicken with an entire fried dumpling, the mild filling providing relief from the intensity.
"When I get back, I'll ask Ran to learn how to make this dish," Conan mumbled through his full mouth, already imagining future meals enhanced by this particular recipe.
Ai rolled her eyes at his transparent selfishness. Rather than learning to cook himself, he wanted to burden the already overworked Ran with additional culinary responsibilities. That girl was far too patient with him.
While the young detectives enjoyed their meal, Chu Zihang and Daigo settled in with Gustave, Po, and Tom to share their recent experiences.
"Zihang, you achieved S-level bloodline classification and became president of the Lionheart Society?" Daigo said with genuine admiration after listening to his friend's account. "That's amazing!"
Though Chu Zihang had previously explained the mixed-blood classification system, he'd never mentioned the existence of campus organizations like the Lionheart Society. Still, the title of president sounded impressively important to Daigo's ears.
"What about you, Daigo?" Gustave asked with obvious interest once Chu Zihang finished his account. "Have you encountered any interesting developments—or troubles—recently?"
His particular fascination with the evolving relationship between Daigo and Camearra was poorly concealed.
"Well, it's a long story," Daigo began with a heavy sigh, launching into the tale of how his teammates had discovered his "secret girlfriend" and were now pressuring him to make their relationship official.
"Daigo," Chu Zihang interjected once the story concluded, studying his friend's face intently, "do you hate Camearra?"
"Hate her? Of course not!" Daigo's immediate denial carried absolute sincerity.
"Then do you have feelings for Camearra?" Chu Zihang pressed, following his logical progression.
"I..." Daigo hesitated, the question hitting closer to truths he'd been avoiding. If he truly had no romantic interest in Camearra, he should have refused her request for a kiss that night without hesitation or negotiation.
Instead, what had he done? Looked around nervously to ensure privacy, then kissed her cheek with obvious affection. Those weren't the actions of someone immune to her charms.
"I do have feelings for Camearra," he admitted finally, unable to maintain the pretense under their collective attention.
"Then what's the problem?" Chu Zihang asked with characteristic directness. "If you care about each other, what's preventing you from pursuing the relationship?"
"But—" Daigo began, only to falter again.
"Are you worried about hurting her?" Gustave asked gently, recognizing the anxiety in his friend's expression.
Daigo remained silent for a long moment before responding. "I am afraid of hurting her. She was sealed away for thirty million years, and she's only recently begun finding happiness again. I've watched her bond with the elderly residents at the nursing home, especially Grandma Ori."
His voice carried deep concern as he continued. "If I follow everyone's advice and establish a romantic relationship with Camearra, what happens if something goes wrong? What if I disappoint her or can't live up to her expectations? I don't know what kind of emotional damage that could cause someone who's already suffered so much."
The fear was genuine—he'd seen Camearra's joy in her simple human interactions and didn't want to risk destroying the peace she'd finally found.
"Daigo," Gustave said suddenly, changing the subject in an apparently unrelated direction, "can you feel the light transforming your body?"
"Some changes, yes," Daigo replied, puzzled by the shift in conversation. Since becoming Tiga, he'd noticed numerous physical improvements—enhanced healing, increased strength, better reflexes. The transformation had affected him on fundamental levels.
"After being transformed by Ultraman's power, you might one day possess a lifespan comparable to an Ultra being," Gustave explained carefully. "This isn't speculation—it's a likely consequence of your bond with Tiga's light."
The implications began to dawn on Daigo as Gustave continued.
"Camearra can temporarily invest her emotions in those elderly humans, but have you considered what happens when they die? She's already emotionally vulnerable—losing people she cares about will only cause her more pain."
"Only someone with a lifespan matching hers can provide lasting emotional stability. The moment you became Tiga, Daigo, you essentially said goodbye to your purely human existence. You're no longer bound by normal human limitations."
The revelation hit like a physical blow. Gustave had connected dots that Daigo hadn't even realized existed, drawing on his observations of other Ultra-human bonds and their long-term consequences.
Daigo sat in contemplative silence, processing the full weight of what he'd been told. Finally, he raised his head with newfound determination.
"I understand," he said firmly. "I know what I need to do now."
"Then go do what you want to do, Daigo," Gustave encouraged with a supportive smile.
The path forward was clear at last—not just for his own happiness, but for Camearra's long-term emotional well-being. Sometimes the greatest kindness required taking risks rather than playing it safe.
It was time to stop running from destiny and embrace the love that had been waiting for him across thirty million years of separation.