After divvying up the work together, Mumei and I get to work making dinner. I start by searching the cupboard under the countertop for some suitable cookware. Looking over all the stuff gathered in the cramped space, I pick a big, rather bulky boiling pot for the potatoes and a considerably smaller skillet for the bacon. "I hope these will suffice." I say as I start filling the deeper pan with water. Once it's filled to satisfactory levels, I put it down next to Mumei's chopping board so she can put the peeled potatoes right into there. I watch as Mumei peels the potatoes and chops them into equally sized bits before depositing them into the water with a satisfying splash. Suddenly, she gives me a sidelong glance. "Hey, you gonna do something or am I gonna have to make dinner by myself?" She snaps at me. Her words cause me to jolt up and quickly walk towards the fridge. I grab the liquid margarine and put a nicely sized dollop in the skillet. As the pan is placed onto a medium sized hob, I watch the liquid slowly start to spread around and bubble. When the bacon enters the pan, it gives off a satisfying sizzle. After a while, the sound of boiling water and the smell of bacon fill the kitchen. "Ey, whatcha got smellin' so good?" A voice calls from the back room. Nia walks into the kitchen and gives both me and Mumei a big smile. "Oh hey, yeah, we got some good stuff cooking even though we had to make due with what's currently left. Someone ought to go grocery shopping tomorrow." I reply. Nia looks at the clock and then back at me. "How bout I pop down to the shops for ye real quick?" "That would certainly help. But... you got money on you?" I inquire. "Ay, I got plenty." Nia says as she snatches a sizeable yellow post-it note from the side of the fridge. As she stuffs it into her pocket, Nia suddenly stops and turns to look at me. "Oi, Luke. We still on for tonight?" "Of course." I say smiling at her confidently. "Wouldn't wanna miss out on a chance to come out on top." "Confident, aren'cha? Les see how that will hold up when you're on the floor." With those words, she disappeared out the door. I could hear her snickering on the way out. "Man, you guys really love going at it, don't you?" Mumei says from behind me. As I turn around, I see a big smirk plastered all across her face. "Yeah, we do." I say as I adopt a smirk of my own. "What? You jelly? You want in on this?" Mumei's smile doesn't waver for a second. "Perhaps I do. You got room for another one tonight?" "I'm sure we can work something out. We'll see how you stack up against Nia." I say as I return my attention back to the pans on the stove. I stir the bacon thoughtfully. Looking at the egg timer for reference, I see that there is still about seven minutes left. I lower the fire under the pan and look over at the potatoes to make sure they're not boiling over. Mumei has grabbed a salad bowl and is currently carefully cutting some green onions. She doesn't seem to be fully focused on the task, her eyes gaze somewhere beyond the cutting board. "Lord knows what goes through that head." I think to myself. A few brown streaks of her hair hang down low, framing her face in the fading sunlight from the window, the golden light lending her features an angelic glow. I find myself just staring at her as she continues to work.
I decide to break the soft silence between us. "Something on your mind?" Mumei suddenly jolts upright, bringing the knife down hard on the cutting board. She looks around in confusion. "Huh, eh, wha?..." She quickly regains her composure as she sees me looking at her, tilting my head slightly. She mimics the motion slowly. "Sorry, you say something?" She asks as she puts the knife down. "Oh, you looked a bit out of it. I was wondering if something's troubling you." Mumei stares at me blankly, seemingly searching her mind for answers. I can practically see her eyes glaze over as the proverbial error message pops up. "No need to discuss things now if you don't want to, but just know, you can always come to me if there's a problem. You are a guest in this house and I want you to be happy and comfortable here, so don't hesitate to ask for help if you need any." I place a hand on her shoulder and look deep into her golden-brown eyes. "Just... let me know if something's bothering you." I take a few steps back and return my attention to the pots on the stove. "I'll... think about it..." Mumei says quietly as a light blush overtakes her face. She turns back to the chopping board and finishes up the onions and slides them into the bowl. The tomatoes, cucumber and celery are quick to follow. The salad dressing is added as a finishing touch before she starts mixing the salad, distributing the ingredients evenly in the bowl. As Mumei carries the bowl to the dining table, the egg timer rings and I move to drain the potatoes and turn off the hob. After adding a splash of milk into the pan, I start mashing the potatoes proper. To complete the dish, the bacon from the skillet gets added into the mix as well. Having finished making food for tonight, the next step is setting the table. I turn to grab the cutlery but, to my surprise, someone is already rifling through the drawer. Mumei is carefully selecting the tools for tonight's meal. While she busies herself with setting the table, I start washing the cutting boards.
A short while later, Nia returns with a bag full of groceries. Whilst we're unpacking all the stuff Nia bought, Maki arrives. She greets us very noncommittally and goes to up her room to put her bag away. Both her and Fuuka come down for dinner a little bit later as Nia and I finish putting everything away. The dinner table is set and we all enjoy a nice meal together. As we all settle down and eat dinner together, Nia speaks up. "You guys really need to take betta care of the plants 'round here. I spend all day taking those weeds out." "Well, some people here have jobs. I really don't have time to worry about what's going on over here." Maki responds harshly. "Whoa, hold ya horses there. I was just sayin' that I had some troubles today. No need to get so uppity about it, miss Teacher. What do you do there anyway? Just look over some kids? Can't be that hard." I see a flash in Maki's red eyes. "You clearly have never worked with kids." She says, a low rumble in her voice. "Of course, you wouldn't know the things I have to go through. You just freeload here all day." Nia slams her cutlery on the table, making all the plates and glasses shake. As she gets up, trying to get to Maki, I grab her by the nape of her neck and try to de-escalate. "Whoa. Please calm down." I look at the girl across from me. "Maki! Do try to respect other people. We all have a lot of things on our mind. Nia does a lot around the house. Without her, this house wouldn't be half as tidy as it is right now." I turn to look at the girl next to me "And Nia, please don't insult people's jobs. We're all working to earn our keep. Maki is doing her best to make a living for herself." I look back and forth between the two of them. "So, now, both of you apologize. I will not have you at each other's throats. Especially during dinner." I see Nia's ears droop slightly as she untenses in my grip. "Sorry..." She mutters under her breath as she starts to blush immensely. Maki just looks at the both of us with a completely unreadable expression. "Apologies." She says. Her tone makes it clear that she's still very angry, but I guess she's just apologizing to please us and get this over with. Whatever her intention, the mood seems to have been somewhat improved, despite the tension between the two. Nia sits back down and we continue eating. I decide to just speak up for the sake of changing topics. "Hey, uhm, Nia, about tonight... You know, the thing we were planning. Would it be okay if Mumei joined us?" Nia looks over at me and she gives me a strange look. "Oh, uh... Actually, I was kinda hoping it would be jus' you an me." She nervously clanks her knife and fork together as she averts her gaze. "Three people might make things a tad complicated, right. Unless you want us to double-team you." She adds with a smirk, her composure regained. "Well, I'm sure we can make something work, right?" "Well, ah guess we could make some room. Hope she's got experience, otherwise it's gonna be no fun." Mumei suddenly interjects. "Oh? Are you underestimating me? I'll top you before you know it." "Confident, aren'tcha? Well, let's see how you stack up, birdy." The two smirk at each other across the table. "Tonight is gonna be interesting." I think to myself, already looking forward to the late-night activities.