SPY X FAMILY - OPERATION BIG BROTHER?!

Dinner Time Tactics

By the time Loid returned home, the sun was setting, casting the living room in a warm, golden hue. He could hear the soft sounds of clinking plates and the sizzling of food from the kitchen. An unmistakable smell of... something burnt hit his nose, and he cringed slightly.

Yor's cooking.

He removed his jacket, hung it up, and cautiously entered the kitchen. As expected, Yor was busy at the stove, her brow furrowed in concentration as she attempted to flip what looked like some sort of stew—though it was bubbling in a way that stew really shouldn't.

"Good evening, Loid!" Yor turned around, her face lighting up with a sweet but slightly nervous smile. "Dinner's almost ready. I tried a new recipe today!"

Loid swallowed, mentally preparing himself for whatever culinary adventure awaited him. "Thank you, Yor. I'm sure it's... delicious."

Anya was already seated at the table, legs swinging underneath her chair, her face resting in her hands. She looked particularly pleased with herself, and Loid instantly felt a sense of dread. Anya only smiled like that when she was plotting something—usually something that would cause him an unexpected headache.

He pushed that thought aside for now and sat down across from her. Yor brought over the food—a steaming pot of stew that looked a bit too thick—and set it in the middle of the table with a nervous laugh. "I hope it's okay. I added some extra spices for flavor."

Loid grabbed a spoon, cautiously serving himself. As expected, it was thick and slightly charred, but after a long day of managing missions, he figured this was manageable. He took a small bite, suppressing a grimace. It was... an acquired taste, but he'd eaten worse on undercover missions.

"How was your day, Anya?" he asked, trying to steer the conversation somewhere safe. The last thing he needed was her blurting out more of her "brother" schemes in front of Yor.

Anya perked up immediately, beaming. "It was good, Papa! I tried talking to Damien again!"

Loid nearly choked on his spoonful of stew. He quickly covered his mouth and cleared his throat. "Oh? How did it go?"

Anya frowned, poking at her food with her spoon. "Well... I told him his hair looked shiny." She looked up at him with big, innocent eyes. "But then he got mad! I don't know why."

Yor, oblivious to the mission implications, smiled softly as she sat down beside them. "Maybe Damien's just shy, Anya. Boys your age can be like that."

Loid nodded, doing his best to keep a straight face. Shy? Hardly. More like prideful and hot-headed. "Yes, sometimes people don't know how to handle compliments, especially if they're unexpected."

Anya blinked, processing this information. "So I shouldn't say anything nice next time?"

Loid sighed, reaching for a napkin. "No, Anya. It's good to be nice. Just... maybe don't focus on his appearance. Try talking about something he likes. Ask him about his interests."

Anya's eyes widened like she'd just unlocked some secret code. "OH! Like robots?!"

Loid paused, weighing the possibility. Desmond doesn't seem like the kind of child who's into robots, but... "Yes, maybe something like that."

Anya puffed out her cheeks and leaned back in her chair, looking thoughtful. "Okay! I'll try again tomorrow."

Yor, who had been watching the exchange with her usual gentle curiosity, smiled and took a bite of her stew. She blinked, then her face flushed slightly as the overwhelming taste hit her. "Oh... um, I think I might have overdone the spices," she murmured, fanning her mouth with her hand. "Sorry about that."

Loid, maintaining his cool, smiled reassuringly. "It's fine, Yor. It's good to try new things."

Anya, meanwhile, had taken one spoonful and was now staring at her plate, clearly unsure if she should continue. "It's... spicy," she muttered, but then quickly added, "But it's good!"—probably more out of fear of hurting Yor's feelings than anything else.

Yor laughed nervously, taking another small bite of her own meal. "I'll... do better next time."

Loid chuckled softly. "You're always improving, Yor. That's what matters."

The room settled into a somewhat awkward but familiar silence as they continued eating, with Anya mostly poking at her stew and Yor sipping water between bites. For a moment, Loid let himself relax. No talk of missions, no new "brother" schemes from Anya (so far), and just a quiet dinner with his makeshift family. It was moments like these that reminded him of what he was supposed to be doing: creating a peaceful environment, keeping up appearances for the sake of the mission.

But, as usual, Anya couldn't sit still for long.

"Papa!" she blurted suddenly, her spoon clattering against her plate. "Do you think I can get more Stella Stars if I make more friends? Like lots of friends?"

Loid raised an eyebrow, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Yes, Anya. The more you get along with others, the better your chances at earning stars. But remember, it's about quality, not quantity. Building real friendships is what matters most."

Anya nodded vigorously, her pink hair bobbing up and down. "Okay! I'm going to make lots of real friends then!" She glanced at Bond, who was lazily stretched out near the table, wagging his tail slightly in his sleep. "Even Bond can help! He's super good at making friends!"

Yor smiled warmly at the sight of Bond, clearly pleased by Anya's enthusiasm. "You're right, Anya. Bond is such a kind dog. I'm sure he'll help you in his own way."

Loid hid a small smile behind his glass of water. At least she's not trying to make Bond her brother again.

As they wrapped up dinner, Loid felt the familiar weight of responsibility settling on his shoulders. Tomorrow would bring more challenges—missions, cover identities, and of course, the constant balancing act that was keeping Anya and Yor safe while achieving his objective. But for now, he could appreciate the quiet moments, even if they were punctuated by Anya's unpredictable antics and Yor's unique cooking.

"Alright," Loid said, standing up and gathering the plates. "Let's clean up and get ready for bed. Another big day tomorrow."

Anya stood up and stretched, yawning dramatically. "Okay, Papa!" She paused, glancing at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Maybe tomorrow, I'll make a new best friend!"

Loid couldn't help but chuckle at her boundless energy. "We'll see about that, Anya. One step at a time."

As they tidied up the table, Loid couldn't shake the feeling that, no matter how chaotic things got, he had to admit that being part of this strange, fake family had become the most rewarding and frustrating mission of his career.

And as always, tomorrow would bring its own set of surprises.