D&B5

1

The sound of clanging pots and pans echoed from the kitchen in the evening, causing those sitting in the living room to lean forward, glancing toward the kitchen with a sense of apprehension. Part of them wanted to get up and check, but since they had been shooed away earlier, they could only sit in anticipation.

"Day, are you sure you want to leave Brick in the kitchen alone?" Gear asked Day, who was sitting and checking the orders on his iPad.

"Sure," Day replied briefly, his gaze still focused on the iPad.

"But what if the kitchen ends up in ruins?" Gear asked again.

"Don't worry, Gear. Lately, P'Brick's skills have improved a lot," Night chimed in on behalf of Brick. Today, Brick wanted to showcase his cooking skills to his friends, inviting Neil, Nick, Gear, and Night over for an official dinner while not allowing anyone to help, not even Day.

"Should I book a special room at the hospital just in case?" Neil joked.

"Come on, you’re being dramatic. Look at Day; he’s not worried at all," Nick lightly nudged Day's strong shoulder, gesturing toward him.

"Seriously, you're not worried at all?" Gear asked again, and Day glanced slightly at him.

"No, he’s cooked for me several times already," Day replied, attempting to reassure Gear so he would stop worrying.

"It seems like lately you've been letting him do a lot of things by himself," Neil said with a smile.

"Yeah, I want him to learn to be independent. It’s my fault for holding on to him too tightly in the past," Day confessed sincerely. He and Brick had been through a lot together and were gradually learning to coexist. Finally, they entered their fifth year of being together.

"That's good; I feel like he's grown up a lot compared to before," Neil responded before Nick wrapped an arm around him.

"And what about me? Have I grown up more than before?" Nick asked his lover with a smile.

"You need to grow tall enough to be considered an adult first," Neil teased, poking Nick’s forehead lightly with his finger, causing Nick to swat Neil's hand away playfully.

"Are you bullying me about my height? I'm going to report this on social media!" Nick pretended to complain, and Neil just shook his head at his lover’s antics.

"Day, Day!" A voice called from the kitchen, prompting Day to put down his iPad and walk over to his lover, followed by their friends who were curious about the situation in the kitchen.

"What’s up?" Day replied flatly as he surveyed the kitchen. It might look a bit cluttered with the things Brick had spread around, but it was nothing too concerning. Brick, wearing an apron, smiled broadly at his lover.

"The dishes are ready! Let’s take them to the table in the garden out front," Brick announced. On the kitchen table, there were four dishes that had been prepared, all simple to make.

"Hey, Day, why don’t you taste it first before we take them out?" Gear urged. Even though the food looked normal, he still wasn’t quite trusting.

"Are you saying I can’t cook well?" Brick put his hands on his hips, addressing his friend.

"For assurance, let your boyfriend taste it first," Gear retorted. Day remained silent as he sampled each of the four dishes, starting with the stir-fried mixed vegetables.

"The taste is decent. You chopped the broccoli a bit too large, so the stems are still a bit tough, but it’s edible," Day said frankly, which made Brick beam with pride.