Kibishi's POV

  "Hey! Can someone please toss me the butter?! We have to pce it on top of the toasted bread!" Kuma shouted across the kitchen.

  "Can someone help me pass the ptes!" I heard Yosei say as she dropped the ptes on the table.

  "We're working on the cooking right now, but I think Tao got it, right?" Riley shouted while stirring something inside the pot.

  "On my way!" Tao dashed towards the kitchen and grabbed a few more ptes.

  "Leave the drinks to me!" David shouted while rushing towards the fridge area.

  "Good! We should be able to get something out before the adults walk up within another hour or so! Keep it up, guys!" Kuma's face was practically beaming from where I was standing.

  Wow.

  On one hand, I was so happy that we all managed to work together instead of a few people helping out. I had only asked Kuma and the girls to help out, but for David and Riley to pitch in as well? It was a dream come true!

  All of my friends were there and working together! I knew I was repeating myself, but man, wasn't that cool!

  Of course, I was helping out as well while carrying the ptes and being the head chef to cook all of the delicious meals for everyone to enjoy! Yup! Nothing could go wrong, right?!

  Well, here's the thing....

  WHY IN THE WORLD WAS I GETTING PUNISHED FOR?!

  "Um, if you don't mind, Kuma, I would love to help out-"

  "Stay there in the corner where you belong before I break both of your legs!~" Kuma responded to me in the most disturbing way imaginable.

  "Y-yes ma'am..." I lowered my head in defeat.

  Why did it come to this?

  All I was trying to do was bond with my friends again! I didn't know that being inside a girls' room during the "sleeping" schedule would make me public enemy number one!

  This whole stupid thing all started after Mato came into the room, and I ended up getting scolded by Mato... AGAIN!

  And the worst part was? He was even MORE angry than when he caught Tao and me on the same bed!

  After that, he scolded me about how I was forcing Jir's hand, and I ended up like that! It was like a parent trying to protect his daughter from a guy that he didn't like! But it didn't stop there. After checking my wound, Jir healed the remainder of it, and then we both followed him out of the room.

  What awaited us?

  A mob full of angry people. And by people, I meant Yosei, Kuma, Emily, David, Riley, and even The Founder. THE FOUNDER!

  The BALLS of him to come in front of everyone and pretend that he cared about it. He didn't! He was scolding me for the love of the game! I understood that you were mad at me and Tao for jumping to conclusions and such before learning the truth, but that was ridiculous!

  In fact, he was having a bst!

  My friends don't believe me...

  No, it wasn't that. There was something else to it. Something DEEPER than that. Because just the other day, they all batted an eye when they saw Tao and me together. So why this time around was it so different? Was it because of Jir?

  "So I can't help out with the cooking?" I frowned at Kuma.

  "You've done enough for one day, Kibi. Now, be a good boy, and listen to your elders and stay put! 'Kay?~" Kuma said in the sweetest voice, yet it revealed a hint of threat.

  "B-but...!"

  "Oh? It seems like you don't want your legs!~" Kuma summoned a giant sword and pced the bde on her shoulder. "Don't worry!~ As the second eldest, I shall grant your wish and cut them for you!~ After all, even a cheater who can't control his hormones deserves a swift death!~ Right, Mr. Cheater?~" Kuma smiled gently while tilting her head slightly. I could see the shadow over her eyes darkening!

  "Why the hell was this happening to me?! And I can't cheat if I'm not in a retionship, you know?!"

  "Oo!~ Seems like that smart mouth of yours needs to be torn out as well!~" Kuma started to walk towards me with her deadly weapon.

  "AAAHHH!!! GET AWAY FROM ME! FOUNDER! SHE'S BREAKING YOUR RULES! FOUNDER?! FFFOUNNNDDDDEERRRR!!!!"

  Well, it was a good run, right? I always thought that the monster would be the one that might kill me, but who would've thought that my own teammate would be the one to bring my death.

  I didn't even get the chance to understand Yosei's words at all from st night, damn it!

  "NNOOOO!!!!!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

  Seriously, what a mess! And first thing in the morning as well!

  ***

  After 30 minutes of scolding and me expining in FULL detail that it was all a big misunderstanding, Kuma finally permitted me to join in the cooking at long st.

  And based on what I was seeing, this was mostly meals for lunch, I was assuming.

  The stuff they were preparing would be heavy for breakfast. And while something like rice and some beans could work for breakfast if you didn't have any options, I thought there were better things, like making waffles or even homemade pancakes.

  "Ah." I raised my brows, and I folded my arms in amusement.

  I looked at Kuma.

  "Why don't we make homemade pancakes and some syrup?" I suggested.

  "Hey, that's not a bad idea, Kibi! It's a good thing that I let you keep your legs, huh?" Kuma grinned at me as she pced each hand on her hips.

  "Let's not talk about that before I change my mind and leave you all with these heavy meals..." I said ftly with my eyes narrowed, then pced my left hand at the side of my cheek.

  "Teehee!" Kuma lightly knocked her head with her fist.

  "Teehee!", my ass...

  I kept my sarcasm to myself and refocused on the task at hand.

  I looked at the kitchen table since we had cleared out all the pots and pced them in the sink to wash ter. We could've done it as soon as we were finished with it, but I wanted us to do everything one time and be done with it.

  *Thinking about it, I wish I could've apologized to Mato instead of getting scolded again...*

  I never got a chance to fix things with him. The scolding felt so natural that it didn't come to mind back then.

  Oh well, there was always the party, right?

  At any rate, since we had the ingredients, we might as well get started, right?

  So we had flour, baking powder, sugar, milk, butter, and finally, eggs to make pancakes.

  And as for the syrup, water, granuted sugar, brown sugar, and salted butter were what we needed to create it.

  I slowly gnced to the left and saw an apron appearing in my vision.

  No.

  More like Tao was the one who was holding it for me. I smiled and took the apron from her.

  "Thank you," I nodded at Tao.

  "No problem!" Tao smiled at me.

  Part of me was wondering why she didn't say anything, but if I had to guess, it was probably because things might've gotten worse. And frankly, that was the right call, to be honest.

  I tied the apron's string behind my back and then dusted my hands.

  I folded my arms and nodded once more.

  "Right! Let's get cooking!"