Morning arrived quietly, slipping through the thin curtains in soft streaks of pale sunlight that settled gently across the living room and kitchen. The house, which had carried the weight of tension and sleepless thoughts the previous night, now held a strangely calm atmosphere.
Kai and Ryan were the first to wake up. Neither of them had slept properly, but unlike the restless silence of the night, the morning gave them something to do. After getting fresh and dressed, both of them found themselves in the kitchen, moving around with an unspoken understanding.
Ryan stood near the counter, cracking eggs into a pan while occasionally glancing toward Kai, who seemed far too focused for someone making breakfast.
At first, Ryan didn't question it. Until he realized Kai wasn't stopping. One dish turned into two. Two turned into four. Four somehow became… a full spread.
Ryan finally paused, spatula in hand, and stared at the growing number of dishes covering the counter. "Let me understand this properly," he said slowly, his voice filled with disbelief. "How many people are we feeding?"
Kai didn't even look at him. "Three."
Ryan blinked. "Three?" He turned his head toward the table, which was now slowly getting filled with plates. "Are we expecting those three people to invite their extended families as well?"
Kai calmly continued plating another dish. "This is normal."
Ryan let out a short laugh. "No, this is not normal. One dish per person is enough."
Kai finally glanced at him, his expression completely serious. "You clearly don't know Alina."
Ryan frowned slightly. "I know enough."
Kai shook his head faintly, a small, knowing smirk appearing on his lips. "No. You don't."
Ryan folded his arms, still unconvinced. "She's not going to eat all this."
Kai placed another bowl on the table with quiet confidence. "She will."
Ryan stared at him for a long moment, then sighed. "I'm telling you right now, this is excessive."
Kai untied his kitchen apron, completely unbothered. "We'll talk after breakfast."
Ryan narrowed his eyes slightly. "We are definitely talking after breakfast."
Kai ignored the comment entirely and placed the apron aside. "I'll go wake her up. Pour the soup into a bowl."
Ryan looked at the mountain of food again and muttered under his breath, "At this point, I think the soup is the least of our concerns."
Kai walked out of the kitchen and toward Alina's room. The house was quiet, almost too quiet, as he reached her door. He knocked lightly.
"It's morning," he said, his tone calm but firm. "Wake up." There was no response. He knocked again, a little louder this time. "Alina."
Still nothing. As he reached for the door again, he noticed it wasn't locked. It was slightly open, as if she had never bothered to close it properly. Kai paused for a second before pushing the door open and stepping inside.
The room was softly lit by the morning light filtering through the curtains. And there she was. Fast asleep. Completely unaware of the world. Her hair was scattered messily across the pillow, strands falling over her face in a way that made her look far too peaceful compared to the chaos she usually carried with her.
Kai walked in quietly, almost instinctively lowering his footsteps as if afraid to disturb the calm. He sat down beside her, near her head, and for a brief moment… just looked at her. There was something strangely quiet about her like this. Unbothered. Carefree. A version of her that the world rarely saw.
Without thinking much, he reached out and gently brushed the strands of hair away from her face, tucking them carefully behind her ear. His fingers lingered for just a second before he lightly patted her cheek.
"Alina," he said softly. "It's morning."
She frowned slightly in her sleep, her lips moving as she muttered something half-conscious.
"Hmmm… let me sleep properly… that idiot Kai didn't let me sleep…"
Kai froze. "…What?" he murmured under his breath, his brows knitting together. He looked at her for a second, then lightly tapped her cheek again, this time a little more deliberately.
"Alina." Her eyes fluttered open slowly, adjusting to the light, and the moment her gaze landed on him, confusion spread across her face.
"Kai…?" she murmured sleepily. "Why does he keep coming in my dream…"
Kai leaned slightly closer, his expression deadpan. "I'm not a dream."
Her eyes widened instantly. She sat up straight so quickly that she almost lost her balance. "You?!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here on my bed?!"
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Oh, now it's your bed?" he said calmly. "I think you forgot what you did last time and how you walked into my quilt without permission."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "So this is revenge?"
Kai stood up, completely unbothered. "Revenge is not my style. I came to wake you up."
He turned toward the door. "Breakfast is ready. We're waiting for you." And just like that, he walked out.
Alina sat there for a moment, still processing what just happened, before running a hand through her messy hair. "Unbelievable…" she muttered, before quickly getting up.
A few minutes later, she walked into the dining area. And froze. Her eyes widened at the sight of the table. "Is this… heaven?" she whispered dramatically.
The table was completely filled with food. Plates. Bowls. Dishes of all kinds. Meanwhile, Kai and Ryan were sitting calmly, each with a simple plate of toast, eggs, and a glass of milk.
Alina didn't waste a second. She rushed toward the table like she had been personally invited by the food itself and immediately started eating. Ryan watched. At first, casually. Then with mild curiosity. Then with confusion. And finally… with complete shock. Because she wasn't stopping. One plate. Two plates. Three plates. She moved through them with impressive speed and zero hesitation.
Ryan slowly turned his head toward Kai, his expression blank. "She's… still going."
Kai took a calm sip of milk. "I told you."
Ryan blinked. "That was supposed to be a metaphor."
Kai shook his head slightly. "It wasn't."
Alina picked up another dish without even looking at them, completely immersed in her own world.
Ryan leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice. "Is she okay?"
Kai nodded. "Perfectly."
"She just finished the fourth plate."
"I know."
"She's on the fifth."
"I can see."
Ryan stared at her like he had just witnessed something life changing. "I underestimated her."
Kai smirked faintly, leaning back in his chair. "You underestimated my experience."
Ryan let out a small laugh of disbelief. "You didn't cook breakfast," he said. "You prepared for a food festival."
Kai shrugged slightly. "Preparation is important."
Alina finally finished the last bowl of soup and leaned back in her chair with complete satisfaction. "That was perfect," she said happily
Ryan looked at the empty table. Then at Kai. Then back at the empty table. "…I need a moment," he said, placing his hand on his forehead.
Kai leaned back, crossing his arms, a quiet sense of victory in his expression. "Now," he said calmly, "we can talk about what 'too much food' means."
Ryan looked at him slowly. "I owe you an apology."
Kai raised an eyebrow slightly. Ryan exhaled. "And possibly groceries."
Alina, completely unaware of the internal battle Ryan had just lost, smiled brightly. "Do we have dessert?"
Ryan stared at her. Kai smirked. And just like that, the house, which had been filled with tension the night before, now echoed with something lighter