Riku is the laidback owner of The Fin-ishing Touch, a humble seafood shack by the boardwalk. The locals tell him he's being quite modest and deem his restaurant a hidden gem.
Although his shop gets a bit of attention from the locals and tourists alike, he finds himself always waiting for someone specific to drop by. The chef lady who's always calling him her 'rival' always gives him the best feedback on his cooking.
title //
'water hound'
species //
human
occupation //
head chef
home region //
Fellstar Cove
Riku had inherited the restaurant at too young of an age when his parents tragically passed away in an Otherworldly attack. He decided to dedicate his life to reviving the shake his parents had left him. While his competitors love to boast and holler to grab visitors' attention, he tends to keep his head down and focus on the art of food.
Not many are able to pin the reason why his food tastes so unique. Only the certain characters do, like the pink-haired culinary teacher who piqued his interest the day she decided to sample his cooking. She was able to identify various unearthly ingredients he had been using in his food, though it took multiple visits.
Riku's ideal day off is a cold drink on the porch of his restaurant watching the sun go down over the horizon. These days however, he finds himself hoping that Ameko would wander by to see him on days like these.
In his mind, his cooking is incomparable to Ameko's. Their flavor profiles are very different- his being the superior one, of course. However, like a little sea angel whispering outside of his shell, every time she'd cook for him, there would always be something about it that coaxes him out of his little comfort zone. Riku admires how she's able to put a spin to boring ol' human food so naturally. Of course, she never lets him know any of her recipes.
Riku loves to tease and get a rise out of Ameko. Their innocent rivalry grows into something deeper as the two develop a respect for each other's way of cooking, even despite their many differences.
Oddly enough, the mysterious and softspoken bartender Hitomi is his go-to for any big fishing trips he needs to go on. Nothing escapes the grasps of their claws and fangs.
He earned the nickname Water Hound when his fishing buddies challenged him to name a long list of submerged fish while blindfolded and drunk, going off nothing but the scent.
His favorite thing about Ameko is her gentle smile when she talks with her students.
astralovas
✦ Riku ✦
