CHAPTER 67 — Flavors of Friendship

As the boys stepped into the garden, they were stunned. It was decorated with blooming flowers and glowing white lights — the whole atmosphere felt like a magical floral world.

The girls stood waiting, smiling brightly as they welcomed them. Hoshi instantly turned into a happy hamster, running toward the food with stars in his eyes. The girls laughed, watching his excitement.

Scoups, wide-eyed, asked, "Girls… did you make this many dishes in just a few hours?"

Nian and Xuanye crossed their arms, nodding proudly.

Mingyu, already drooling, asked, "Nian, can we eat now?"

She chuckled. "Of course. We made this for all of us — drop your bags and dig in!"

The boys didn't need to be told twice. They dropped their bags like kids on the last day of school and rushed to their seats.

Xuanye laughed. "Nian, how can we call them mature men when they act like babies?"

Nian lightly slapped her arm. "Even I don't know whether to call them idols or adorable kids… but they're cute, right?"

The boys looked at the variety of dishes and didn't know where to start.

Minghao blinked. "Wait… what is this? And how are we supposed to eat it?"

Nian smiled. "It's like hotpot, but the cooking process is different."

DK leaned in. "Tell us, tell us!"

With a smirk, Nian looked at Xuanye. She stood and brought a bowl of hot oil. Minghao quickly stood and helped her place it on the table.

"Thanks, Hao," she said sweetly before sitting down.

Joshua leaned in, eager. "Okay, Nian, now what?"

Nian pointed. "First, everyone wear gloves."

The boys looked at the gloves placed next to them. Jeonghan raised an eyebrow. "Are we cooking, or committing a crime?"

The others laughed as they slipped them on.

Nian picked up a piece of raw meat with her chopsticks, added spices from a side bowl, then slowly poured the hot oil over it.

With a sudden sizzle and a burst of flame, the meat lightly charred.

The boys jumped back.

Woozi looked stunned. "Nian… are you trying to recreate a volcano experiment!?"

Nian wiggled her chopsticks at him. "Eat it, Uji. Then you can call it whatever you want."

Woozi nervously took the bite. The second it touched his tongue, his eyes widened.

"This is amazing," he gasped. "The burnt edge, the spicy kick, the aroma — it's perfect!"

Nian gave a proud bow.

Immediately, the other boys followed suit, preparing their own bites. As soon as they tasted it, their eyes sparkled like diamonds.

They stood and gave the girls a dramatic bow. "Chef Nian! Chef Xuanye! Thank you!"

DK leaned in. "Nian, where did you learn this? You should open a restaurant."

Nian laughed. "It's our family's secret recipe. You're the first to try it."

Xuanye added, "Even our parents haven't let anyone outside our family taste this. You're lucky!"

The boys smiled, honored.

Vernon asked, "So when do you start your job?"

Xuanye replied, "Next year. There's only a month left, so we're definitely going to your concert first."

Nian nodded. "We want to end this year with your concert… and start our new chapter the next day."

Joshua smiled. "Then good luck. We'll see you at the concert."

The girls froze. "Wait… at the concert?"

Scoups grinned. "Yeah. After our performance, we go backstage. You'll be there too."

The girls looked at each other, stunned.

DK added with a smirk, "Don't worry, Nian. No one will notice. Just come find us. We'll take care of you."

The girls chuckled and nodded.

The fire crackled, the sky darkened into dusk, and laughter filled the garden — a perfect memory sealed in flavor and friendship.