After finding Itsuki's house Kenji and Hiro had knocked at his door in hopes of catching him before he left for his usual routine, of which he has become known throughout the sect for in recent years.
"Hello?"
Opening the door to Itsuki's house was a rotund guy with a topknot hairstyle.
"Uh? Shiwo, bib chu jetch che wonge houshe? (Hiro, did you get the wrong house?)" Kenji asked.
"No, this is the right place!"
"Chen ish bish am ouper bishiple? (Then is this an outer disciple)" Kenji asked, thinking the rotund man was an outer disciple tasked with cleaning Itsuki's house.
"No. That's Itsuki!"
"Senior inner disciple Hiro! Do you need something?" The rotund Itsuki asked while giving a contemplating look at Kenji's swollen face.
"Not me, but this guy wanted to see you!"
"Pft! *giggle**giggle* Showy *cough* I shusht *giggle* washimtche*cough* egshpecting chu tcho loogh lighe tchatch! (Sorry, I just wasn't expecting you to look like that!)" Kenji chuckled and coughed out while he struggled to keep in his laughter.
Back when Kenji had left 3 years ago, Itsuki had been as thin as a twig. But the Itsuki before him today had barely grown an inch taller in those 3 years, in stark contrast to his stomach which made him look more like a giant ball with legs than a man. The reason for his current appearance is due to Itsuki's routine. Every day since he became a core disciple, he has gone to the center region's kitchen to gorge himself on all its delicacies. Over time he started gaining weight as his lack of self-control carried him into obesity.
"Who is the disfigured guy? I can't make out a word he's saying!" Itsuki asked Hiro because Kenji's chuckling and painful coughing only made his speech even more unintelligible than before.
"Sorry! I think he was just a bit caught off guard is all! This guy is-!"
"Haha! I AIM SHOWWY! Hehe! Ngh!" Kenji shouted as he kowtowed to Itsuki, still twitching on the ground while trying to contain his laughter.
"What?" Itsuki was confused.
"This disfigured fellow is Kenji, and he's come back to apologize!" Hiro explained.
At first Itsuki's face showed anger as he glared at Kenji on the ground, only for his frown to turn upside down after looking at the state he was in.
"Pft! HAHAHAHA! THE HIGH AN MIGHTY KENJI, BEGING AT MY FEET AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! HAHAHAHA!"
"Eh! Are you okay?" Hiro started getting concerned for his junior as every time someone even mentioned Kenji's name his face would turn red with anger.
"HAHAHA! *cough* HAHAHA!"
Before Hiro could get a response, Itsuki's laughter pushed Kenji over the edge as he too burst into laughter. The pair of cackling guys laughed so hard they attracted the attention of nearby disciples that started crowding around them.