The smell of legitimate food being made woke Hui Qi up.  It reminded her of her old home, a typical Asian household.  Her mom would make her savory congee paired with some fried crullers.  Occasionally, leftover dumplings were fried as well and dipped in soy sauce to complete the breakfast.  

However, while reminiscing the past, another thought popped up.  Last time she checked, no one in Mirage could actually cook… Tao was a mess, even with the microwave and Sehun’s best was probably using the stove for reheating some soup.  The only one left then was… Yixing … their new recruit, who must’ve already made himself comfortable in their kitchen!  Excited for her first real breakfast meal in ages (not that she hated ramen or anything; she could never hate ramen), Hui Qi shot out of bed, already salivating in anticipation, and prepared herself for (hopefully) the best meal she would get since leaving home.

Hustling down to the kitchen area, she noticed that Tao and Sehun were already at the table.  The two boys were trying not to nod off and drool at the same time.  The smell was definitely warm and welcoming, offsetting the shack’s own sad and desolate feel.  She took a seat at the table in between Tao and Sehun, waiting for Yixing to place a dish in front of her.

While waiting, she observed Yixing’s figure.  He seemed skinny.  Almost too skinny.  That would make it harder for him to protect himself if they were to go on a more dangerous mission.  He would then need to rely on the others for protection, making his presence a bit useless.  With a grim face, she added “Train Yixing” after “Fix creaky steps” but before “Buy more ramen” to her ever growing mental to-do-list.  She needed to have all of her members self-sufficient on missions so that they could split into groups, as necessary, for various jobs.  

As she contemplated who would become Yixing’s teacher, said person turned around with two bowls in hand.  The two boys beside Hui Qi also noticed the bowls, and immediately sat straight up.  If they had tails, Hui Qi was sure they would be wagging so hard they’d break the brittle floor.  Yixing walked up to them and greeted, “Good morning, Hui Qi, Tao, Sehun.  I trust you all slept well yesterday?”  He especially hoped that his congee would be able to appease Hui Qi enough to have her forget about the… incident yesterday.  He also needed to ask for permission to transport some of his belongings from his apartment to the guild.  Although he didn’t want to nor planned to stay, it seemed that after yesterday’s outburst, he had no choice but to help Mirage.

He placed the bowls down in front of Hui Qi and Tao and turned back around for the last two.  When he finished setting the bowls, a plate filled with fried crullers, and some utensils down on the table, Yixing encouraged, “Dig in.  I didn’t have too much to work with here, but at least I managed to find a couple of ingredients here and there to spice the congee up a bit.  I hope you all like it.”

Like eager puppies, Tao and Sehun immediately stuffed their mouths with the rice porridge, savoring the taste, before spitting it back out.

“ACK!  It’s hot!  I think I just burned my tongue!” cried Tao, stumbling out of his seat for a glass of water to cool his tongue.  Sehun only sputtered while fanning on his tongue, following Tao for a glass of water as well.

Hui Qi chuckled in amusement.  “I can’t believe it’s been so long that you’ve both forgotten how rice porridge is initially hot when prepared.”  As Yixing stood up to help them, she stopped him.  “It’s alright Yixing.  It’s their own fault that they burned their tongues.  Both of them should be able to get water on their own.”  Reluctantly, Yixing sat back down, worry lines still staining his features.

Hui Qi then picked up her own spoon filled with porridge and blew on it, making sure it was cool enough to eat.  When it was ready, she carefully placed the spoon in , slowly but surely relishing the soft texture of the rice.  She could taste chicken broth that was used in the porridge.  She smiled softly, feeling a bit nostalgic, but nevertheless satisfied.  

“Umm… if you don’t mind me asking, how is it?” Yixing questioned hesitantly.  She gave a slight nod, and that was all it took for a smile to bloom on Yixing’s face.  “That’s great!  If you still want some, there’s still a lot more in the pot.  Please help yourself!” he exclaimed happily.  Maybe now he would be able to return for his things.

After Hui Qi’s approval, the group fell into a comfortable silence with only the sounds of their chewing and occasional content sighs.  After most of their meal was consumed, Yixing felt ready to ask Hui Qi for permission.

“Um...  Hui Qi, leader of Mirage.  I, uh, have decided to stay in the guild, but I would like to grab some stuff from my apartment, if that’s alright with you.”  Yixing inquired, staring hesitantly into Hui Qi’s eyes, hoping she would see his sincerity.  

“Well, I suppose that could be arranged.  It would be best to do it today... “ Hui Qi replied carefully, considering the possibilities of Yixing leaving them.  Now that she knew of his real skills in the kitchen, she wasn't going to be letting go of him any time soon.  “We can discuss this a little later.  For now, let’s continue eating.”

Content with the answer, Yixing went back to consuming his food.  When everyone ceased eating a bit later, he cleared the table by himself and set the bowls, plates and utensils in the sink to wash.

As he started washing the dishes, Hui Qi silently motioned to Tao and Sehun that they were going to have a post-breakfast meeting without Yixing.  The two boys followed her out, knowing that disobeying her would not end well.

When they all congregated on the couch, she whispered, “I’m still not very sure if I really trust Yixing alone yet.  There’s the slight possibility that he is lying, even if his eyes were not those of a liar.  Therefore, Sehun you’ll accompany him, but don’t raise his suspicions.  Tao and I are going to meet up with Yejin so that we can start looking for potential recruits.  Capiche?”  With a nod from each boy, she stood up to greet Yixing once more, as he walked in after finishing the dishes.

“So, the plan is that you and Sehun are going to grab your things from your apartment.  Tao and I have a meeting to go to, so we can’t come along.”  After checking the miraculously working clock (even if old and beaten up), she narrowed her eyes, addressing the man next to her.  “Tao, if we don’t leave now, we’re going to be late.  You know how important this meeting is.”  Without waiting for him, Hui Qi strode towards the dying door and carefully opened it.

Tao quickly stood up and with a “Bye guys!  Have fun transporting your stuff here Yixing!  Be useful Sehun!”  he followed Hui Qi out the door, scrambling to catch up with her.

Sehun grumbled a bit before leaning back on the couch.  “Come on Yixing.  Make sure you’re ready to visit your apartment.  Hui Qi sent me for heavy lifting.”  And to keep an eye on him, but Yixing didn’t need to know that.

"I just need to go change, then I'll be right down."