Everyone's Gay | Food Fantasy

Chapter 4

2:25 PM
Friday, Longjing Tea's Cave and Courtyard

To say that everyone's body is sweating under the burning sun is an understatement.

They're dying.

A few food souls nearly had a heat stroke, others complained about how hot it is, some tried to cool off in the beach nearby, and the alcohol-personified food souls drank their sweat away together. Hell, even the air conditioner in the restaurant is on full blast.

Longjing Tea sighed as his body is completely submerged in his lake located near his courtyard, shielded from the sun glaring down on them and punishing them by sending angry rays of the burning afternoon time. At least his gang understood and left him alone for the time being, knowing his way of cooling down is working spectacularly.

"Longjing! Master Attendant is looking for you!" Zitui Bun yelled, half of his body inclined forward to look down on the calm-looking figure of said male sitting on the floor of the lake. Though muffled from the soft splashing of the waters around him, he could still make out Zitui's words. "You can let your body stay submerged in your beloved lake and heads up, she has a request."

Longjing reluctantly rose from the dead— I mean, the waters as Zitui turned on his heel and sauntered off to call for Akumu.

'Why is she calling for me?' He thought, his head popping up from under the water, the rays of the sun beating down on his and he could feel his sweat mixing in with the droplets on his face.

A silhouette overpowered the rays and gave him a sense of relief, Akumu looming over him before sitting down on the edge and Longjing had to back away to properly face her, her expression held some sort of... pity and self-resentment?

"Longjing, I know this is a sudden request." Their Master Attendant's voice is soft and breathy, almost timid like she is scared of talking to a dragon god, which he kind of is. "But the ingredients for Steamed Mushrooms and Stir-Fried Mussels are nearly out of stock, so can you and your members...?"

"Of course, Master Attendant. Anything for you." Longjing immediately accepted, rising from the comfort of the waters in his lake and brushing his hair to look neat, glistening under the natural light the big star is giving off.

"Perfect!" Akumu beamed, her smile that she has could brighten any of her food souls' day due to how powerful and contagious it is. "I'll treat you guys your favourite foods afterwards!"

Longjing's face lit up at the mentions and he couldn't help but simply nod and disperse off in the house, parting ways with her, calling for his members and also said the promise their Master Attendant told him.

Pairs of feet rushed down the stairs and tripping over each other, which is uncharacteristic of them since only a certain someone would do that every day.

(That someone is Dragon and Phoenix)

"Slow down, we don't want a member to get a broken leg before a mission?" Longjing half-heartedly joked as one of the sides of his lips curled up into a smirk when Dragon's Beard Candy accidentally tripped over her own feet half-way through the stairs, causing her to let out an unholy yelp and crash onto Zitui, who then sent everyone else tumbling the rest of the way down, stopping by Longjing's feet.

"Realgar, you're crushing my lungs!"

"Ain't my fault Wuyi's on top of me, you lame excuse of a soup dumbass!"

"EXCUSE ME!? LISTEN HERE YOU LITTLE SHI—."

"Can you just, stop shouting please?"

"Dragon's Beard Candy, please get off so we can stand up."

"No, I'm actually comfortable, so suck it up Zitui."

"Alright, guys, calm down and stand up." Longjing sighed in exasperation, rubbing his temples as they scrambled to stand up, hissing at one another and pointing fingers on who is culprit.

Longjing merely batted his eyelashes in suppressed anger at them, mostly due to how loud they currently are because of Dragon & Phoenix and Realgar Wine.

'This is going to be a long mission.' He thought to himself as he stepped in to avoid them fighting which will escalate to full-on brawling on the floor.

"Okay, stop fighting now. All of you are coming with me."

》Meanwhile《

Restaurant
Master Attendant's office

Their Master Attendant is writing something on her left palm with a sign pen, eyebrows furrowed in concentration and deep in thought, barely even noticing the door opening.

"Master Attendant...?" Rice closed the door behind her, voice calling out for her in a meek tone as she approached Akumu with concern shining in her eyes.

Akumu comprehended a new presence beside her and she reluctantly snapped out of her concentration, head tilting to see Rice with a pout displayed on her face, doing no justice but enhancing her cuteness even more.

"Rice, you're here." She placed down her pen and gave a gentle pat on her head out of habit, a smile upon her face. "I need you to tell Pudding and Omurice to prepare 2 plates of steamed mushrooms and beer braised trotter; a plate of stir-fry bamboo, steamed crab, and stir-fried mussels. You got that?"

"Yes, Master Attendant! I'll notify them this instant." Rice beamed and floated out the office, leaving her in a heap of exhaustion and fear that Toast might find out her habit of writing on her palm.

'He'll definitely flip when he finds out.' Akumu sighed and harshly thunked her head on the table, causing some supplies to fly an inch off the wooden surface and back down. 'I should probably get this off now.'

So she found herself vigorously scrubbing the writings on her palm with an alcohol-soaked cotton pad, her palm burning red from how harsh she's rubbing.

"Eh?" Omurice tilted his head to the side in confusion, still comprehending their Master Attendant's request. "Really? It will take at least an hour to prepare it all."

"Then let's start cooking, you idiot." Pudding hissed at him as he lightly hit him on the back of his head, though the smile he's been fighting off didn't help one bit.

♡

Longjing's team tumbled into the restaurant, the ingredients Akumu requested for them to sweep up tightly secured in their hands, exhaustion evident in their faces and trying to ignore the looks from the customers.

"Ah! We'll help you guys with that!" Sandwich and Popcorn shuffled towards them, prying the baskets of ingredients from their hands despite the protests from Dragon & Phoenix and Longjing Tea.

"Are you sure?" Realgar questioned with a concerned tone laced in his tongue. Sandwich turned back and merely smiled, answering them with a beam of brightness,

"We're used to it, so we'll be fine."

Popcorn tilted his head towards a reserved table with enough seats to situate all of them, tugging Sandwich by the collar of his shirt towards the kitchen as he spoke, "Please take a seat and your orders will arrive in a moment."

"Hey lovebirds, they've arrived! Are their foods ready?" Sandwich teased, smirking intensely at the growing blush creeping up Omurice and Pudding's cheeks, stiffly nodding as they pointed at 2 trays filled with the Cave and Courtyard's favourite meals, steam wafting into the air.

Both of them lifted the trays with ease, sauntering out the kitchen and stared in amusement as the group is practically salivating with need — not in that way.

"Enjoy your meal!" Sandwich and Popcorn beamed as Longjing and the members started digging into their favourite plate of food.