"Da… te... nte… Dante!"
Dante snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes quickly regaining focus. Looking down, he saw a little girl gazing at him with great concern. Almost panicking, he quickly put on a smile.
"What's wrong, Ellie? Do you want more chicken?"
"But…"
"C'mon now, you have to eat so you can grow big!" He grabbed a skewer from a nearby plate and handed it to her. "Remember to chew well, okay?"
"Okay!"
Sitting down on his lap, the little girl began nibbling on the fried chicken, quickly losing herself to the delicious taste. As he watched her Dante felt his expression relax, and his smile turned genuine. Then he noticed the noise around him and couldn't help but grimace.
He was in the Bowl of Fortune, which was far more crowded than what he was used to thanks to the New Year's eve party Nobara was holding. It was a yearly tradition that drew in acquaintances from surrounding megacomplexes, in addition to the shop's regulars.
