Warmth of the Delicious Dinner

Strixx’s eyes sparkled.

 “Something good?! Strixx will eat ANYTHING!!”

 I started gathering small twigs, but then I realized—I had lost my blast stone, the only thing I used to light a fire.

 “How am I supposed to start a fire without it…?”

 I glanced around, determined not to give up. Finding some stones, I started grinding them together, trying to create a spark.

 Strixx watched me curiously.

 “Hmmm… What are you doing, Luca?”

 I kept rubbing the stones together.

 “Just wait there, Strixx. I’m trying to start a fire.”

 She tilted her head.

 “Luca… Strixx has that thing… the one Luca burn thing with…”

 I looked up at her, confused.

 “Oh… Wait—! You mean… the blast stone?!”

 Strixx nodded, 

 “Oh yeah… I remember. You told me to look at it last time, and  you never gave it back.”

 She handed it to me.

 Thanks to Strixx, we finally lit a fire.

 She sat by the flames, smiling softly.

 “Strixx likes warmm…”

 I looked at her, 

 Now that I think about it… Since we started this journey, she’s been trying really hard not to cause troubles for me. Always helping, always running around. She might be a bit clumsy, but… she really is a good girl.

 I smiled.

 Strixx noticed and tilted her head.

 “What happened, Luca?”

 I chuckled.

 “I’m just thinking… Strixx has been helping me a lot today. So, I should thank you.”

 Strixx suddenly stood up.

 “Nooo… Strixx… made Luca run around… Strixx is always making problems…”

 She looked down.

 “Even on the mountain… Luca turned into a snowball… because Strixx ran around on the snow…”

 I sighed.

 “Well… that was something else.”

“Anyway, now that we have a fire, I’ll make something delicious for our dinner.”

 Strixx immediately sat down, eyes sparkling with excitement.

 “Strixx is READY!”

 I pulled out two big Qualot fruits.

 Strixx blinked.

 “Is this what we’re eating, Luca?”

 I smirked.

 “Yes. But not like this.”

 I reached into my bag and brought out some Fin mushrooms I had picked while traveling through the Lysendrall Ranges. Then, I roasted them over the open flames.

 Strixx sniffed the air.

 “Ohhh! That’s the tasty mushroom! Strixx likes it!”

 I sliced the Qualot fruit open from the top, hollowing it out like a bowl. Since it had a hard shell, I placed it directly into the fire. The heat softened the pulp inside, turning it into a stew-like texture.

 As the mushrooms roasted, they released a rich, sweet,  aroma.

 Strixx watched eagerly.

 “Luca… Strixx is hungry…”

 I smiled.

 “Almost ready.”

 Once the mushrooms were cooked, I chopped them into bite-sized pieces and dropped them into the warm, melted Qualot pulp.

 “There! It’s ready! The beautiful Qualot Fin Gravy Soup!”

 I smirked proudly.

 “Great Chef Luca’s special creation!”

 Strixx stared at me with wide, impressed eyes.

 “LUCA… is SO COOL!!”

 I laughed and handed her a portion.

 “Go on, try it.”

 Without hesitation, she grabbed the Qualot fruit bowl and started eating.

 She took a big bite… then suddenly stopped.

 She looked at me, silent.

 I started to panic.

 “Uh… I thought the recipe would work… But even Strixx stopped eating… Is it bad…?”

 I gulped, about to apologize—

 But then, Strixx beamed at me, eyes shining with joy.

 “Luca… THIS IS THE BEST FOOD STRIXX EVER ATE!!”

 She kept eating happily, 

 I felt a strange warmth in my chest.

 For some reason… seeing her enjoy my cooking made me feel… satisfied.

 It reminded me of my childhood—

 A Memory of Home

 “Kenny, see you tomorrow!”

 “Alright, bye-bye, Luca!”

 Just as Kenny was about to leave, he signaled for Luca to come closer. Curious, Luca stepped forward.

 “What happened, Kenny?”

 Kenny smirked.

 “You know… hehehe, I got a master plan.”

 Luca blinked in confusion.

 “Master plan?”

 Kenny leaned in and whispered something into Luca’s ear.

 Luca’s eyes widened in excitement.

 “Woahhh! That way, we can always dominate!!”

 “Shhhh!!” Kenny hushed him quickly, glancing around. “Lyco and the others might be nearby! If they find out our strategy, it won’t be a master plan anymore!”

 Luca grinned, nodding.

 Just as Kenny turned to leave, Luca grabbed his hand.

 “Come, Kenny! Let’s have dinner at my place today. Mom said she’s making my favorite meat stew!”

 As they reached home, Luca’s mother was waiting at the door.

 Seeing Kenny, she smiled warmly.

 “Oh, Kenny, you came too?”

 Luca puffed out his chest with pride.

 “Kenny is a genius! He needs to be rewarded, so I brought him for dinner!”

 His mother chuckled softly.

 “Is that so? Come, come—dinner is ready. Eat it while it’s warm.”

 The three of them sat down together, enjoying the rich aroma of the freshly made stew. 

 Luca took his first bite—and the moment the rich, flavorful curry touched his tongue, he shot up from his seat, eyes sparkling with excitement.

 “This is the best curry I’ve ever had!” he exclaimed, his voice filled with pure joy.

 Kenny let out a small sigh, a smile tugging at his lips.

 “Yes, the curry is really good… 

 From across the table, Luca’s mother watched them with a gentle smile, warmth in her eyes.

 Luca, noticing, looked up at her.

 “Mom, you’re not eating?”

 She shook her head with a soft laugh.

 “No, no. Seeing you two eat is so, so much fun.”

 Luca blushed slightly.

 “If you keep staring at us, I won’t be able to eat…” he muttered.

 Kenny, eating quietly, kicked Luca’s leg under the table.

 “You shouldn’t be talking so much while eating, you know.”

 Luca’s mother giggled.

 “Yes, yes.  

And you know Luca

You know No matter how good the food is, eating it all alone will make it feel bland. But when you enjoy it with others, it becomes even more delicious. That’s why I’m collecting all your smile energy—so my food tastes even better.”

  Luca perked up.

 “I see! I’ll enjoy everything  with Kenny from now on, then!” he declared, stuffing his mouth full of food.

 Kenny sighed.

 “Bro, eat your food properly…”

 The room filled with laughter, a moment so simple yet so warm.

 Back in the present, i watched Strixx eat, his heart feeling lighter.

 “Whwaht… hwappedn… Lucaw…?” Strixx mumbled through her bites, 

 i smiled, warmth settling in my chest.

 “Nothing,”

i said gently. “Luca is just happy that Strixx is enjoying the food I made.”

 Strixx tilted her head before pausing to swallow.

 “Luca won’t eat?” she asked.

 i gazed at her, feeling a nostalgic warmth deep inside.

 My lips curled into a soft smile as I repeated the very same words my mother once told me

 “Seeing you eat is so, so much fun.”

 So I’m collecting all your smile energy—so my food tastes even better.”

 A deep comfort spread through me. Was this what my mother felt back then? That quiet happiness of watching someone enjoy something she made?

 Strixx stared at me for a moment before suddenly smirking.

 “Then… can Strixx eat Luca’s portion?”

 Luca froze.

“Nooo!!” i yelped, hugging my bowl protectively.

 Strixx burst into laughter,

 “Hehehe… Strixx is just kidding!

 Eat fast, or Strixx will really eat it!”

 I sighed in relief,

 then chuckled as we both continued eating, the warmth of the fire wrapping around them like a quiet embrace. Beneath the Qualot tree, under the vast, starry sky, we shared our meal with laughter and warmth