Sakata Gintoki was crossing the street without even looking at the signal, licking a strawberry-flavored ice cream.

The ice cream stopped at his mouth.

...Eh?

His dead fish eyes, which had been half-closed lazily, snapped open in a straight line. Fine wrinkles formed on his forehead, revealed between his silver curls. At the end of his gaze stood a woman sparkling in the sunlight.

Without even realizing that the strawberry ice cream was melting and dripping onto the back of his hand, Gintoki became rooted to the spot. His dull heart, conditioned by 20 years of Shonen Jump, suddenly beat once, loudly, as if it had remembered its job.

'What is that... an angel? Ah, no, Amanto actually exist these days, so it's not that. That's a human, right? A human looks like that?'

As the voice in his head grew faster and he realized the back of his neck was turning red, Gintoki hurriedly lifted his Shonen Jump in front of his face. He had his dignity as a 27-year-old to maintain.