Over the course of two weeks, the five guardians lived and trained side by side. They found time for team bonding, playing games together when they weren’t being pushed to their limits. On one stormy night, they played Heads Up indoors, pasting papers with words onto each other’s foreheads and giving clues until the person guessed correctly.

  Of course, the Commander had no mercy. He made them train outside in the pouring rain the next day, even as lightning cracked across the sky.

  During calmer moments, Saeda enjoyed sketching on her tablet, sharing her art with the others. Miko and Zod eventually figured out how to link the tablet to the telegram emitter, projecting her drawings for everyone to see. The group turned it into another game. They had to guess what Saeda was drawing before she finished.

  Then it was a day swap. Zod and Miko were assigned dish duty, while Tee and Kie were dared to handle both dinner and breakfast. Tee accepted the challenge without hesitation. She despised washing dishes.

  The next morning, as the others slept in, Tee and Kie tied on their aprons and got to work. Well, mostly Kie did. Tee limited herself to brewing coffee, leaving him to tackle the fruit pancakes on his own. To Kie, it felt selfish—she didn’t even offer him a hand. Her indifference was clear enough in the way she moved, but he could read her perfectly when she caught his disapproving shake of the head.

  “I had helpers do most of my cooking,” Tee explained with a light shrug. “Tetra and I only knew how to prepare ready-made meals. I wouldn’t be much help in the kitchen.”

  Kie wondered, then, why the hell she had agreed to this swap in the first place.

  As Tee took her time with the coffee, her eyes wandered. His fading scars caught her attention, softening the sharpness of his face. And his red eyes—so striking, so unreal. She couldn’t help but wonder which of his parents he inherited them from. Then again, he had spent so much time in the Mid-Guard… did he even have parents?

  “You’re right,” she said at last. “Your scars are fading.”

  Kie glanced over from the pan, flipping pancakes with practiced ease.

  “You obviously got most of those scars from the Mid-Guard. Why did you spend so much time there? I don’t remember you ever saying…” She tilted her head, ears pricked for every word, hungry for details.

  “The pancakes are ready,” Kie interrupted flatly. “You can glaze the honey, since you’re that bored waiting for my deep and personal details.”

  Tee blinked twice, silenced.

  Meanwhile, Zod and Miko didn’t seem to mind their chore. In fact, after training later that day, Tee caught the two of them giggling together as Zod brushed suds from Miko’s face. They broke apart quickly, turning awkward when they realized she was watching.

  By the end of training, word had spread—Tee hadn’t really helped much with breakfast. To keep things fair, the group decided she and Kie would prepare separate dinners.

  Miko gasped before an excited smile spread across her face. "How thrilling! We can rate your meals afterward. It'll be fun." The prospect of watching a movie now faded from her mind.

  Tee leaned back into the couch, not in the mood for the task at hand, and continued to enjoy her cake. Kie stood up, his hand poised to painfully slap her knee as he walked by.

  Tee swiftly moved her leg, preventing his touch. "Don't you dare," she glared at him.

  "Then stop lounging around. Dinner isn't going to magically prepare itself," Kie retorted, pulling his hand free from her grip and making his way to the kitchen.

  "Okay, daddy," she sarcastically remarked as she passed him.

  Those words struck a nerve within Kie, bringing back memories of his own father that sent a chill down his spine. He was unwittingly acting as the father figure Tee had never had nor desired.

  "What are we making?" Tee inquired as she followed Kie towards the rack of aprons. She hoped that the self-proclaimed MG off wannabe wouldn't plan to boss her around.

  Kie skillfully tied a bow at the back of his apron and turned to face Tee. The image of a vibrant red pepper with steam and the words, 'I'm a hot pepper,' adorned his apron. He spitefully threw an apron at Tee, and she deftly caught it before it could slap her in the face.

  "Why do I have to wear this thing?" she questioned, examining the design. "Aren't there any plain aprons?"

  Kie rolled up the sleeves on his muscular arms and replied, "No, and trust me, you're going to need it. Things might get messy since you're in charge of handling the meat." With a confident stride, he walked off towards the refrigerator.

  Curiosity piqued, Tee adjusted the apron around her waist and inquired, "And what will you be making?" It was evident that Kie had given her the more challenging task, but she was determined to conquer it.

  Kie grinned mischievously. "That's a surprise," he teased.

  The mention of surprises reminded her of a meal Tetra had once prepared, which turned out to be a disastrous surprise. They ended up tossing it in the bin. Tee chuckled, saying, "I hate surprises."

  “I’ll remember that once we start dating,” he said.

  “What?” Tee blurted, after hearing like poison hit her ears.

  “I said, how about you get the meat from the freezer.”

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  Kie decided to keep his mouth shut, realizing her being in that kitchen alone with him might spark unwanted things.

  Both of them fell silent and immersed themselves in their respective tasks.

  As Kie moved around the kitchen, retrieving ingredients from the refrigerator, Tee crossed his path multiple times. Each time, she couldn't help but wonder if he had gotten lost in there and was struggling to find what he needed. The thought amused her, and she let out a chuckle.

  She ventured towards the freezer, gripping the metal handle of the left door, and a rush of frosty air escaped into the room. The chill sent goosebumps crawling across her skin as she stepped into the dimly lit, freezing space.

  She scanned the shelves, searching for a chicken. Eventually, she located something that resembled what she was looking for and pulled it out. The sight of the pink plastic wrapping confirmed that it was indeed the same package Miko had handled before, reassuring her that she had found the correct item.

  After removing the plastic from the meat and placing it in a silver bowl to thaw, Tee pondered on what to do next. She found herself captivated by the mesmerizing waves of chill rising from the lifeless, frozen meat. Deciding to seek guidance, she reached for the cookbook that Miko often perused.

  The slender tablet stood upright on the table near the sink. Tee touched its screen, and it sprang to life, displaying a variety of colorful and intricate dishes that seemed too complex for her current endeavor.

  She scrolled through until she found a recipe that appeared relatively simple. Meanwhile, the meat was thawed, and she gingerly placed the cold, wet slab on the cutting board, watching as a trickle of blood seeped out. She took a step back, momentarily startled by the sight, before remembering that it was a normal occurrence.

  Curiosity got the better of Tee, and she stole a glance at Kie to see if he was making progress as well. From her vantage point on the other side of the central table, she observed Kie finally start to chop ingredients for a large pot of boiling water. His back was turned to her, but she could see his hands skillfully working.

  Green eggs, stormvine noodles, driftfish, shardfruit, phantom peppers, whole sybroot jerky, a pack of frozen beef strips, moonshard, carrots, cabbage, spinach, potatoes—Kie seemed to be adding a multitude of items to his creation. Tee blinked in confusion when she saw him include beetroot.

  "Hey, what are you making? You do know we plan to eat that, right?" she called out, unable to contain her curiosity.

  Kie let out a loud sigh, his shoulders dropping slightly, before responding. "It's my Mid-Guard's Thursday special. I've helped out in their kitchen from time to time, and after being there for years, I finally figured out all the ingredients they use."

  Once again, he spoke as if he had spent years at the Mid-Guard, without revealing why he was there ahead of the rest of them. Observing the subtle smile on his face as he prepared his dish, Tee mustered the courage to inquire further. "Were your parents okay with you spending so long in the Mid-Guard?" she asked, hoping to unravel the mystery.

  Kie's smile vanished, and without turning to face her, he responded curtly, "Are you done with the chicken? If you need help I can assist once I’m done with this."

  “That’s not necessary,” she blurted.

  Making it seem like she was incompetent, was he? She, still harboring frustration from his words, glared in his direction even after he had left her sight. She returned her focus to the tablet, determined to follow the instructions diligently.

  The more Kie withheld information, the stronger her desire grew to uncover the truth. All she knew about him was his aspiration to become one of those corrupt government tools, and it seemed like he had already completed his two years in the Mid-Guard, despite being born in the same month and year as her.

  Carefully following each step as if conducting a crucial experiment, Tee skillfully transformed the pink, unappetizing slab of meat into a perfectly cooked and beautifully presented dish. The arrangement of green herbs, red and orange peppers, and the brown centerpiece on the platter matched the images in the cookbook flawlessly.

  Kie broke her trance by throwing his mitten onto the table nearby, attempting to divert her attention from the uncooked dish to him. However, Tee refused to acknowledge him, her annoyance evident in the twitch of her lips.

  “We need to make dessert and that Thursday special is the only substantial meal I know how to make,” he told her.

  Tee paused and reflected on his words. She couldn't help but wonder if Kie was subtly hinting at her superior culinary skills, acknowledging her talent in the kitchen. Alternatively, she considered the possibility that he might be toying with her, trying to play mind games and burden her with additional tasks.

  Carrying the crate of chicken, Tee walked over to the oven and responded, "Dessert? There's ice cream in the fridge." She carefully placed the chicken in the oven, gently sliding the crate onto the rack and shutting the door. Seizing the opportunity for a snide remark, she added, “After that dish you’ve made, they’re going to need something besides my masterpiece to look forward to.”

  Before long, it was time for the grand presentation. Zod, Miko, and Saeda awaited in the dining room, their plates and utensils neatly arranged. Tee and Kie entered with a trolley, concealing the food under cloches. As the trolley bumped against the wooden table, Tee halted her pushing.

  Saeda, seated at the table, remarked in her usual monotone, "This looks promising."

  Tee carefully arranged the tray on the table, revealing the tantalizing sight of succulent baked meat glazed with shimmering gravy. Her voice brimmed with pride as she announced, "Behold, my homemade barbeque chicken with barwood sauce from District Seventy-two."

  Kie, unable to resist his penchant for playful banter, attempted to interject with a remark. "Don't forget slightly burnt and covered in gravy to hide—"

  Tee drove her elbow into Kie, silencing him mid-sentence. A warning smile curved her lips as her hand slipped toward the knife. Kie’s brows furrowed, unsettled by the sudden edge of violence in her gesture. She deftly sliced thin, succulent portions for everyone to sample, deliberately leaving out Kie.

  Miko, savoring the flavors, expressed her satisfaction. "Not bad at all. I give it a ten," she praised, thoroughly impressed by Tee's culinary skills.

  Saeda, appreciating the dish but slightly more reserved, chimed in with her verdict. "An eight," she declared, acknowledging the dish's quality.

  Zod, always eager for more culinary adventures, enthusiastically joined in. "Eight as well. This is great! We should definitely do this more often," he suggested, his enjoyment evident.

  Meanwhile, Kie heaved the large pot from the trolley and placed it on the table. The sheer weight of the pot caused the twenty-feet-long wooden table to rattle, drawing everyone's attention. He removed the lid, and a billow of steam surged out, momentarily forming a ghostly face before fading away.

  Startled, Miko jumped to her feet, unable to contain her astonishment. "W-what the hell is that?" she stuttered, her eyes wide with surprise and confusion.

  Curiosity piqued, both Saeda and Zod stood up to get a closer look at the mysterious contents of the pot. Tee couldn't help but stifle her laughter, trying her best to maintain composure.

  Kie remained unperturbed by their reactions as he casually explained, "It's the Thursday special they used to serve back at my Mid-Guard. It's packed with protein and fiber, perfect for a strong and healthy trooper."

  Saeda, still perplexed, directed her question to Tee. "Why did you allow him to make this?"

  Tee, placing the ice cream bowl on the table, replied with a mischievous grin. "It was a surprise. Do you like it?" She secretly hoped that Saeda had learned her lesson about pairing her up with Kie, as some things should never be repeated.

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