Mieji

Mieji never set out to find love; they were perfectly content with just finding lunch. Every afternoon, they would sit by the river that flowed past the city’s bamboo-lined streets, their line perfectly still as cherry blossom petals drifted by. One day, their peace was shattered by frantic splashing. Another chimp was tangled in a comically small fishing net, managing only to scare the fish. After a sigh that turned into a chuckle, Mieji helped untangle them. The stranger, a chef named Ren, confessed they could create a feast from a single leaf but couldn't catch a fish to save their life. Mieji, wearing a chef's kimono they couldn't live up to, admitted they could catch anything but only knew how to cook it one way: burnt. A deal was struck. These days, Mieji provides the catch, and Ren provides the culinary magic. They bicker constantly, but no one in the city eats better.