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If there was anyone in the world who liked the smell of raw fish, Yuudai was in no great hurry to meet them. For the most part, his mother dealt with the ordering and selection of all of the product that filtered through the inn, so he rarely had to make a run to the docks unless there was something wrong. Had it been official business of the ryokan, he doubted that he would have been sent, anyhow; one of the cooks, more than likely, unless they were too busy. Given that he was on a personal mission, however, he was left entirely to his own devices. Normally, this was something he would be grateful for.

However, he had very little idea exactly what he was looking for. Bataar, the supposed starving man that he had taken in for a night, had managed to find his way back to the kitchen a time or two. Yuudai was not one to give out hand-outs on a regular basis, as that would just lead to beggars and it was bad for business, but Bataar was not entirely useless. He was strong and able, and didn't seem hesitant to lend a hand when he was asked. That was convenient for Yuudai, and he would continue to provide him with meals now and again as long as their arrangement persisted.

He might even begin to call Bataar "friend" at some point, if the other man managed to bathe without being prompted at some point. Lips tugging down into a frown at the thought, he shouldered his way into the crowd, taking no offense as he was jostled along his way. That was simply something that happened, from time to time, and there was no use getting angry over it.

Recognized by his apron, which he seemed to constantly forget to remove, he was hailed by more than one merchant as he hurried along to the docks. For the sake of politeness, he stopped and exchanged a few words, but made it apparent that he was busy. If he allowed himself to, he would be drawn in for hours at a time, just chatting with people about business, life, or his family. He was notorious for enjoying conversation, and knew himself well enough not to be distracted.

By the time he made it to where the fishermen were selling their catch, he was more than ready to simply select a bit of fish and move on. He was allowed to use the facilities at home, of course, but his parents asked that if he was going to give out free meals, the supplies came out of his own pocket. As that was reasonable, he tended to make weekly trips to the market for his own purposes.

Fish, though, he almost never purchased. He wasn't especially fond of most fish himself, though he did prepare it when it was requested. Masami had passed along an interesting recipe to him, however, so he was eager to try it out.

Also, there was a fixture that needed to be mended at the inn. He imagined that he could persuade Bataar to give him a hand if there was food involved; he could certainly use the other man's muscles, anyhow. And, heaven help him, he could barter dessert in exchange for another bath. For some reason, the idea of someone being so terribly dirty as Bataar offended him, deeply.

Lips pursed, his gaze roved over the collection of fisherman, hands on his hips as he tried to decide who to approach. The last time he'd purchased fish was... ages ago. He did know who his parents tended to rely on, but judging by the assortment of faces, that particular vendor was not immediately present.

Well, ah well. He would find someone, or they would find him.

There were many vendors, and to someone who didn't know exactly what he was looking for, it was a little bit overwhelming. Still, Yuudai was a fiercely independent individual, and he wouldn't have asked anyone for help even if they had been available. How would he learn to do things on his own if he constantly had someone showing him the way, after all? Not only that, but being led about like a child would undermine him in his sisters' eyes, and the last thing he needed was to give Junko another reason to sass him. Natsuko either, for that matter.

Gaze falling on a young man about his age, he noted that there weren't many about his stall, and he frowned. Were his fish inferior? Was he simply not good at selling them? While most would have turned away and headed toward a more popular merchant, Yuudai was intrigued, and nosy. He wanted to know why.

Striding over, he placed his hands on his hips and demanded, "Why aren't you selling any fish?"

Not sold on the matter, Yuudai drummed his fingers against his hips, leaning over a bit to examine the fish on display. To his untrained eye, they looked exactly the same as any other fish he had ever seen -- disgusting. Of all the meat in the world, he imagined fish to be the worst to handle, simply because it generally came to you whole. He did not have to deal with taking a cow out back and slaughtering it when he wanted some beef, and he found it much more pleasant to work with because of that.

There was something disturbing about having the entire body to deal with, was all. The eyes were the worst, though. Fish eyes were terrible to behold when the creature was living, but dead...

Expression twisting, he averted his gaze, offering the other young man a skeptical look. After a few more beats of silence, he said evenly, "Of course you would assure me they are as good as others'. Forgive me if I am not immediately convinced, as you have no other customers."

He glanced back at the fish being displayed, then deliberately looked to a much more prosperous fisherman's stall. "Perhaps your prices are too high for the quality of your fish. I wonder if I should compare yours to his?"

Yuudai stared, a moment, and then rolled his eyes. Was the young man really being so obvious about this? His subtle tactic toward encouraging the man to sell him his product had fallen absolutely flat. Well, if he really was so simple, it should make the entire process easier. Abandoning his usual haggling method, he offered the other Lunarian a brief, pitying look, and strode over.

His fish really did look just as acceptable as anyone else's. The price was better too, even from his limited knowledge of the market, though there could have been any number of reasons for that. Tapping one blue-hued nail against his chin, he examined them dubiously, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

"These fish seem a little on the small side." He tipped his head, lips pursed a moment. "Did you have some difficulty today?"

He swallowed a smile at the other man's obvious displeasure, doing his best to continue to look skeptical and a bit sorry for him. Yuudai didn't work with fish much, so the majority of his recipes called for tuna, yellowtail, or mackerel. Though he enjoyed getting the best possible ingredients for when he cooked, his paycheck was also very dear to him, and he would tolerate cheaper fish if he had to. He would simply dress them up a little better, and all would be well.

Besides, he didn't think that any of the recipients of his generosity would complain overmuch. They were, after all, getting food. As terrible as the phrase was, beggars really couldn't be choosers, though it had been quite some time since anyone had turned away his food. Regardless, he was all right with settling if he needed to, as that meant he could spend the rest of his money elsewhere.

"Hmmm. Perhaps." Lifting his gaze, he studied the other man a moment, then extended his hand. "Koga Yuudai. I suppose if we are going to do business, we ought to know one another."

His name might have rang a bell, considering his family's inn was relatively well known, but then again, perhaps not. Either way, Yuudai was looking at him expectantly.

Shaking his hand briskly, a practice he had observed in the market, Yuudai then folded his arms in front of him and looked seriously down at the fish. He didn't smile, but that wasn't unusual; he wasn't an unhappy person, just a very serious-minded one. He didn't behave seriously all the time, per se, but he took most events with the utmost gravity, and the world did not give him a great deal to smile about. Some found it endearing, which he thought a bit strange, and the majority said that it made him unapproachable.

For the sake of his job, he'd learned to smile when he didn't mean it, to put the guests at ease. Otherwise, though, his expression was near constantly knit into a faint frown.

He jerked his chin toward the fish displayed, asking, "Are these the only yellowtail you have?" It was unclear by his tone whether or not that would be a good or a bad thing, particularly.

Now that he could see the entire selection, it was easier to make his decision. Truth be told, haggling was Yuudai's least favorite activity. It required time and patience, two things that he rarely had in supply at any given moment, as well as an innate knowledge of the value of what he was haggling over. Fish was fish as far as he was concerned, though of course if he admitted as much it would be all over.

Thankfully, Yuudai had been born with an excellent poker face, and sometimes even his siblings found it difficult to tell what he was thinking. Well, except when he was angry, as he was rather expressive when angry, but that was neither here nor there.

"May I?" Without waiting for approval, he lifted one of the yellowtail, turning it over in his hands for an examination.

Yep. It felt like a fish.

Still, gave it a considering look before setting it back down, rubbing his hands together.

"These seem acceptable enough. Though, the prices are a little off, considering the differences in size. I will take all of your yellowtail, and I will pay for all but the smallest." He met Kiran's gaze, arched one blue brow slightly in anticipation of his argument.