𝙱𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚈𝚘𝚞

ᴀ ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ᴍᴇᴀʟ

Seungcheol sat back in his chair, satisfied with the spread on the table. His roasted chicken was golden and crispy, the vegetables perfectly caramelized, and everything smelled like it could win a Michelin star. He couldn't help but puff his chest out with pride. "This? This is what I call a masterpiece."

Wonwoo, poking at his plate, raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? I mean, it looks good, but I've seen you burn toast before Old man"

Seungcheol shot him a playful glare. "Wonwoo, trust me, this is perfect. Not a hint of burnt in sight."

Mingyu, who was already eyeing the mashed potatoes Seungcheol had made, chimed in with a grin. "Maybe, but I'm still skeptical. You didn't make the starters or salad."

Wonwoo nodded in agreement, unable to hide his teasing smirk. "True, Gyu is the real culinary king in this house."

"Hey, I didn't burn the salad," Mingyu shot back, a little too defensively. "I was careful this time."

"Sure, but we all know who really has the kitchen skills," Wonwoo said, leaning back in his chair. "But I'm just here for the mashed potatoes and the pie. I know Gyu's food won't disappoint."

Seungkwan, leaning over to grab the salad that Jeonghan had prepared, smirked. "And don't forget Hannie's perfect salad, which is the real highlight of this meal."

Jeonghan, smiling proudly, made a flourish with his hands. "It took me twenty minutes to pick out the perfect tomatoes for that salad."

"Twenty minutes for tomatoes Hyung?" Vernon raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "I can't even imagine what the pie is going to be like, then."

"Don't bring up the pie," Seungkwan warned, but it was too late—Vernon had already proudly set the pie on the table, all ready for everyone to dig in. "Vernon-aa, you didn't burn it, did you?"

Vernon's face faltered. "Uh... no. Totally fine. You guys are going to love it. It's my secret recipe!"

Seungcheol shot him a suspicious look. "Secret recipe? Does that mean it's not a real recipe?"

"It's... um, a unique recipe," Vernon explained, avoiding eye contact with anyone. "Yeah, I definitely didn't mess it up. There's no way. This is going to be legendary."

Everyone reached for their plates as the conversation turned back to the food. But when it came time to cut into Vernon's pie, the truth became clear. The crust was uneven, the filling looked a little... runny, and when Seungkwan went to take a bite, he immediately spat it back out.

"Okay, what is this?" Seungkwan asked, trying not to laugh. "It's... it's like a pie, but not a pie. This is... creative."

Vernon looked stricken. "What? It's fine. It's... a new take on pie. Think of it as avant-garde. An experience Kwannie."

"An experience?" Mingyu said, trying not to laugh, but failing. "Vernon, this looks like something you would have accidentally made while trying to bake something else."

Seungkwan grinned, totally enjoying the chaos. "Did you forget to check the recipe, or did you just go rogue?"

Vernon sighed, slumping slightly in his chair. "Okay, I messed up the filling. I may have... mixed up the measurements a little. But it's still pie, right?"

Jeonghan, who had been quietly observing, reached for a piece of the pie and gave it a polite nibble. His face didn't exactly betray his thoughts, but the twitch of his eyebrow said it all. "This... this is definitely a new take on pie, that's for sure."

"Well, at least it's not burnt," Wonwoo added helpfully, trying not to laugh. "But I think we might need to call it 'experimental dessert' rather than 'pie.'"

Mingyu immediately went for a bite, savoring the chaos that Vernon's pie had unleashed. "I think it's missing something... like flavor. And structure. And maybe... a recipe."

Vernon groaned, clearly defeated. "You're all horrible. You just wait—next time, I'll nail it. I'll show you all how it's done."

"Don't worry, I've got your back," Seungkwan said with a smile, grabbing a second bite of salad. "I'm definitely going to blame this on Mingyu, though. You know, for the idea of letting Vernon bake in the first place."

"Why me?" Mingyu asked, half-amused. "I just said I'd make the starters. The dessert was all Vernon's idea."

Jeonghan, leaning back in his chair, took another bite of salad and smiled. "At least the salad turned out perfectly, right?"

Seungkwan gave him a thumbs-up. "Yes! I can always count on Hannie for this. No disasters here."

"So," Seungcheol said, raising his glass with a grin, "To family, to food, and to Vernon's... unique pie."

"Yeah, to not having to ever eat that again," Seungkwan added, making everyone laugh.

Vernon dramatically covered his face with his hands. "You're all horrible. You just wait—next time, I'll nail it. I'll show you all how it's done."

Mingyu leaned over to Wonwoo and whispered, "Next time, you should be the one baking. At least we'll get something edible."

Wonwoo gave him a look. "Me? I'm not even allowed to cook toast without setting off the smoke alarm."

Vernon perked up at this. "That's what I said! It's not just me!"

Seungkwan raised his glass again. "To us. The best family—chaos, terrible cooking, and all."

"And to never letting Vernon bake ever again," Jeonghan added with a smile, making everyone laugh even harder.

As the laughter faded and everyone settled into a comfortable silence, something became clear. It wasn't just the food—or the occasional kitchen disaster—that made these moments so special. It was the people. The way they joked, teased, supported, and loved one another. They were a family, not bound by blood but by the laughter and memories they shared, the bonds they'd forged through every mishap and triumph.

Life might not always be perfect, but together, they'd always find a way to make it something worth cherishing. And so, with a plate of questionable pie and a heart full of love, they continued on—because in the end, the best part of every meal was the people sitting around the table.

 ~ 🍒💘😇 ~ ~ 🐶💘😺~ ~🐢💘🍊~