After the long night yesterday, Chiyou opened her heavy eyes. The dim fluorescent cozy yesterday was replaced by a softer yellow tone. The door outside was open and the smell of bacon travels through.

Still dreary, she walked clumsily to the direction of the smell. At the end of the hallway, there was also an open room at the right side where a kitchen bloomed with flavors. As she walked through, she saw Reika finishing his plating. It was just a single plate with four pieces of bacon, a crusty sunny and scrambled egg garnished with parsley, and a brown bread separately.

Reika, who was focused on his craft, only glanced at her for a moment.

“You woke up too early, it is still midnight.” He started the day by making a joke.

“Really? That's crazy… Very crazy…”

With a smile on her face, she approached Reika to look closer at his work.

“First time seeing breakfast?”

“Yeah, I never eat in the morning, you know? Very crazy!” Chiyou, still being sarcastic.

“I told you it's still midnight, go to sleep.”

Both the small smiles in their lips with their back and forth banter.

Then when they are satisfied, they focus their eyes on the dish again.

“What a beautiful plate.” Chiyou compliments.

“Indeed. Brush up, I prepared a gum, you just need to put water on it.” Reika pointed the gum with his face.

“A gum? Your new invention?”

“Yup, check it out.”

Towards the sink, there was a piece of wrapped gum.

“Chew first, then cover your teeth entirely with the gum, gurgle water and wait for it to vibrate, if the gum detaches, it means it's done.”

Chiyou picked the gum and unwrapped it. Checking its plain white color, she threw it into her mouth and started chewing.

“Flavorless…?”

“It’s the plain one, I can give you flavored next time.”

As Chiyou chewed the gum, it became softer and malleable each chew, with the desired softness, she pushed the gum to envelope her mandibles then gurgle water.

After drowning the gum for a bit, the gum started to swell up, small bits like a seed started to pop on the gum's texture and suddenly, it jolted violently. A sharp shock flinched Chiyou before she settled down.

After a few seconds, it detached from her teeth. She checked the effect with her tongue, she can feel the slippery clean that the gum did and has a cooling sensation that drives by at the last second.

She spat the water and looked at Reika who's already done and just looked at her crossed arms.

“Mint?” She asked.

“Yup, but you didn't taste it right?"

"Yeah... That's cool. Aha...!" She pointed her fingers at him to emphasizing her clever pun.

Reika pulled out an orange juice in the blue tesseract refrigerator, it seems to be foldable and not connected to any electrical platform or wires.

“What drinks do you want?” It's the response for her joke.

“Just coffee,” She replied with the water in her mouth, not amused with that orange juice.

……

As Reika was done with his dish and prepared the espresso machine, a bracelet manifested in the air.

“Here, It's my new prototype. I can transfer your information if you want but you should eat first.”

It was the replacement for the glove that was destroyed by her aunt.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Chiyou looked towards the bracelet and wore it. A lightweight yet comfy bracelet with vibration tactile. With a click, a fingerless black glove with the same orange seams wrapped her right hand immediately. It is very thin and rubbery in texture yet not sticky.

“Thanks Rei…” She smiled at the gift given to her.

“I'm glad. Now, you should eat.” He pushed the plate towards her.

“This for me? How about you?”

“I already ate.”

Chiyou furrows her brows, she's feeling guilty that Reika is just doing everything for her.

She already owes him a lot. A whole lot, yet even in miniscule tasks like this, she felt she's being over reliant on him.

“No can do! How dare you eat without me, I'll cook for you, it's awkward you know?”

Chiyou puffed her chest and looked for the utensils. Reika, curious at what's gotten over her, remained still.

“Um… alright, you know how to cook?” Reika curiously asked. They've never cooked for each other at all. Instant noodles or some high end restaurant are their lifeline every night.

“Homeschooled and always alone at home, besides music and tedious studies, the only thing that distracts me is cooking and cleaning… Though it never mattered to her anyway… She's always too busy eating outside to notice that she's being garbage to her own house.”

They both fell into silence, Chiyou prepared the pans she needed, Reika observed quietly.

“What ingredients do we have?”

“Basic seasonings, condiments, and garnish, we have eggs, bacon and rice.” Reika responded.

“That's fine, give me salt and pepper Rei, I'll cook a more beautiful breakfast than you!”

Rei can't contain his warm smile, taken aback with this serious yet motivated Chiyou cooking instead of playing music.

“Alright, I believe you.” He covered the food he made for her to retain its heat. And gladly witness Chiyou’s magic.

The dish she prepared is an egg omelet but invested on the designs.

She first prepared the rice and left it aside to fry the eggs on a squared pan creating various shapes and along the way talking about some random discussions.

“Imagine Rei if your teleport miniature device got revealed. How convenient it would be to place food orders and deliveries.”

“Nah, I'd rather hide it as much as I can. You know what could happen if this got leaked. With how convenient the condition and portable it is, you don't need a medium to teleport you to the platform.”

“Fair, one could dream.”

The Musical Revolution is still not strong enough to stop a motivated government in getting any technology they want for their own reasons.

“Someone made this groundbreaking technology in Aether and spatial technology and it was discovered by a mere nameless citizen? No one would question if he vanishes right?’

“That's true… But I'm curious Rei, you said you're from Mugen, and staying here in Stelaris, so during our trips there, why we don't visit them?”

Chiyou was curious. For all the time they've been together, Rei had never mentioned his parents or his house in both Stelaris and Mugen. She has no knowledge about his personal life compared to how much he knew about hers.

Reika just sighed from that question but from the sound of it, there's nonchalance and hassle.

“Well, I have a similar circumstance with you Chiyou, I dislike my family, especially from the side of my step-mother that's why I'm not fond of interacting with them. My father and I originated from Solaris. But that's the only thing I'll disclose. You shouldn't worry about it.”

Chiyou paused for a moment hearing the word Solaris.

The poorest city of Rhythms having abandoned buildings, dumps of junks, disposals of evidence may it be metal or human. Terrorized by the gangs of Twilight City yet still following the promised prosperity and assimilation that Stelaris had given it never yet to be fulfilled.

It has the lowest population and highest in migration to the point where all its citizens are stigmatized as scavengers, building their own system of exchange trades for scraps and unique technology in both conventional and artistic perspective that Stelaris see as “dirty, miserable and unorthodox.”

Chiyou had no idea that someone as genius as him came from such sad beginnings, but she can piece together why he's not fond of her step-mother’s family side since he and his father came from Solaris.

"I have no idea..." Chiyou expressed her somberness as empathy.

"Don't worry about it Chiyou,. I don't mind it, it is complicated matter but it is what it is. We can only enjoy our today's lives."

"Un... You're right..."

Chiyou felt like he stepped on a wrong discussion so she coughed to change the conversation.

“Ahem, speaking of food, it's pretty amazing how technology grew for fast deliveries yet homecooking still remained traditional and manual.”

“Yeah pretty much, things are flavorful when it's human made whatever time period it is.” Reika closed his eyes, reminiscing about something.

“The utensils definitely innovated but the skill required never changed.”

After several shapes come to life, they are attached to each other with egg again as an adhesive, it forms a bear shaped egg with perfect trimmings, its belly and head being soft omelet, and the limbs being dense folded eggs.

Afterwards, the rice was cooked and formed an arch wall to support the sitting bear. Bacon was last to be cooked, fried to crisp and crushed forming a dirt and surrounding area which then the bacon and garnished with parsley as well.

The dish was done. With cucumber juice on the side. Chiyou pushes her cute creation on Rei who can't contain his smile on the efforts of making an egg bear.

“Very cute, you sure you want me to eat this?” He actually has to cover his mouth just so Chiyou won't see him grinning.

“Yeah go on, it's my time to showcase my skills to you.” But Chiyou seems to miss that detail.

“Heh, alright then…”

After Reika finished the latte for Chiyou, they both carried their dishes back to the bedroom. Reika clicked his glove and triggered the teleporter platform.

“Wanna eat on the rooftop?” Reika uncovered and carried the dish he made and the coffee mug.

Chiyou also carried her dishes, enthusiasm brightened up her face from the satisfaction of her craft and Rei’s appreciation.

“Sure!”

The same translucent blue cubes envelope their body, gobbling up piece by piece until nothing is left again in that space.

……

At the top, the dull blue sky and the cold air breeze over, it's the daybreak where the sun is rising with that orange beam in the horizon, different from the sunrise’ maroon.

It's spacious and clean despite the abandonment of the building, after all this is their favorite spot every night if they have time to hang out. It is tall enough to filter out the pollution of lights though not so much but it is definitely quiet.

The floors are smooth so that shoes glide to it, it is just plain old gray marbles. At the edge of the building are glass railings, a set of tables and chairs are placed near to enjoy that magnificent rare view that most people can't afford to enjoy with all the highrise the buildings below covers.

……

“It definitely is more beautiful than the night.” Reika smiled gazing at the horizon.

“It has Its own charm, just like the night but I agree… This… is breathtaking!” Chiyou inhaled the cold refreshing air. The very first experience seeing the morning sky away from her sad cage and solitary life.

“I've never been here in the morning so it's both our first time.”

Admiring in silence, Chiyou, feeling satisfied with the view, looks over at Reika still appreciating the day. She never saw him smile more often than this day and never been more detailed.

His lush and stylish laid down hair, long eyelashes that's more curvier than hers, his natural brown eyes reflecting the light and his pale red lips and fair skin. He's still wearing his monotonous jacket yet somehow, his charm is warmer than his usual demeanor.

Maybe, she thought to herself that things become better in this short yet much longer amount of time they share today than usual.

The thoughts, anger and guilt still appear but somehow it is being washed away.

Reika, satisfied in his admiration of nature, saw himself being stared at by Chiyou.

“Let's dig in?” He invited Chiyou.

“Sure, but… Do you wanna take a picture?” She clicked her bracelet and a mirror interface popped up.

“Just use your capabilities in Aether construction and you won't need to click it anymore.”

“Easier said than done!”

“Hahaha…”

Rei accepted, and adjusted their position. As usual, his demeanor is still there, nonchalant, tight lipped and stern yet more gentle and warmer today.

Chiyou, being the lively girl she is, posed enthusiastically with a peace sign.

A snap of the moment was captured, a frozen time and moment, beamed by the warmth they shared in this small simple time.

[I have yearned to see the light. Away from the cage that watches me. Away from the shackles I can't climb. I witness the sun up above, in this cage that watches. I had hope for a simple moment to climb over my shackle and see the morning sun rise up above, I wished to be welcomed by the rising light and wake up this unfulfilled dream. This simple moments.... Even for the first and last time... I hope it never ends...]

-A mediocre piece romanticizing the morning sun, sent by an anonymous writer to Exrace Media weekly prompts.