What a tiring day, Avalel thinks as he pushes open the door to the dorm. Inside, the smell of a sickening smoke drifts from the small, open kitchen. Tarak is nowhere to be found, but he sees Kavlina standing still in front of what seems to be a small blackened pan. So that’s where the smoke came from.

“Ah, Lel, you’re back,” Kavlina calmly welcomes, “Please sit down at the table for now. I told Ms. Ipela I would like to try cooking myself, so Oriyun brought only the raw ingredients today.”

“When did you learn how to cook?” I hope I don’t get sick.

“I thought I would like to try cooking as a survival skill, so I wouldn’t die from starvation.”

At this rate, you’re going to die from eating your own food rather than from starvation. “Where’s Tarak?”

“He offered to try a bite of the fried graya, but he immediately went to the bathroom afterward.”

Just then, the bathroom door opens, and a pale Tarak exits, clutching his stomach in pain. “Avalel, don’t eat the food,” he warns, “Your stomach won’t handle it.”

“Is the food really that terrible?” Kavlina questions as she takes a bite of the fried graya. She flinches, and suddenly, she vomits out the food in disgust. “This is more horrendous than I thought.”

Tarak and Avalel laugh weakly. “Kavlina, how about I’ll cook?” Avalel suggests.

“You can only cook boiled graya, Lel,” Kavlina reminds.

“Is there any graya left, then?”

“... Yes. Three in total.”

“Perfect!” Avalel and Tarak exclaim in unison. Confidently, Avalel walks up to the kitchen and disposes of the overcooked graya before grabbing the remaining graya from Kavlina’s hands. He quickly douses them in water, his hands almost freezing as he wipes off the dirt. Slowly, he slides them whole into a pot filled with hot water. Because of the lack of a lid, steam escapes from the pot, and the three eagerly warm their hands over the pot, the droplets forming on their palms. Gradually, the sea-like fragrance of the graya reaches their nose through the steam, and Avalel promptly shuts off the heating pad.

“I’m surprised you know how to use a heating pad, Lel,” Kavlina remarks.

“I just figured it out from looking at what you did,” Avalel replies, “It definitely cooks things much faster than the stove back in the village.”

“Stove… you mean using actual, naked fire? With firewood?” Tarak asks, surprised.

“What’s wrong with it?”

“I thought no one uses a stove to cook anymore. I’ve only seen examples of it in books and stories.”

“Anyway, food is ready!” Using a ladle, Avalel carefully places a graya each onto a round bowl. “I’d never thought Ms. Ipela would even supply us with these. She’s such a thoughtful person.”

“We should thank her with something someday,” Tarak suggests as he takes a bite into the graya, “Oh, this graya is very well-cooked! Much better than…” He stops when he catches the frightful glare of Kavlina. “Never mind.”

The three of them chew on the graya in childlike fashion, taking large bites of their meal, grinding it into mush inside their mouths, before swallowing the still-warm food down their throats into the stomach, where the graya warms them like a bath after a long day.

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“Avalel, what did you do today after cadet training?” Tarak asks, his voice muffled from eating, “You left earlier than us, but you came back far later than us.”

“Oh, I went to Baria after training ended,” Avalel replies casually.

“What for?”

“I noticed she always ties a thin braid to the side or just into a bun,” Avalel explains, “So I decided to ask her to teach me how to tie someone’s hair..”

“Your hair isn’t that long, Avalel,” Tarak says in confusion, “Why would you need to learn how to tie your hair?”

“It’s not for me,” Avalel laughs as he turns his gaze to Kavlina.

“Wait, me?” Kavlina realizes, surprised.

“Who else?” Avalel smiles, “Your hair has become longer, yet they’re still as tangled as before, not to mention your bangs almost cover your eyes. It won’t hurt to fix it a little.”

“If you insist.”

“Do we have a comb here, Tarak?” Avalel asks.

“I think so,” Tarak responds as he goes inside the bathroom, rummaging through the cupboards. “Found it,” he calls as he takes out a small wooden comb from a small drawer. In a smooth motion, he tosses it to Avalel, who catches it accurately, the fingers wrapped around the handle.

“Don’t move your head, Kavlina,” Avalel orders as he walks behind Kavlina, “It’s my first time fixing someone else’s hair, so I’m a bit nervous.” Carefully, he begins combing her hair, brushing her bangs to the right side. Although the comb occasionally gets stuck near the ends of the hair, Avalel simply tugs on it slightly, and it smoothes out, the hair obediently untangling itself. Finally, with delicate precision, he ties a thin braid on the left side of her head, finishing off with a small hair band from Baria.

“Finished!” he announces, stepping back from Kavlina, “What do you think?”

“My head does feel a little lighter,” Kavlina comments as she holds up the long and delicate braid, “This braid looks nice as well.”

“It’s not bad at all for your first attempt, Avalel,” Tarak praises, “Look! We can actually see both of her eyes now! But… Why does she look a little like Baria?”

“Oh, I didn’t realize that…”

“That’s fine,” Kavlina reassures, “But I have a question: why do you want to tie a braid? Wouldn’t just a simple taya be enough?”

“I don’t know. I just thought it might look good on you.”

“Well, thanks for helping me fix my hair, Lel,” Kavlina says as she stands.

“No problem at all,” Avalel smiles, “If you need help on retying the braid, just tell me.”

“Oh, it’s pretty late now, isn’t it?” Tarak realizes as he stares at the only clock in the dorm.

“Don’t worry,” Avalel dismisses, “We have a break tomorrow, don’t we? Let’s just stay up for a little longer.”

“Rufaharei, anyone?” Kavlina suggests, bringing out a small box of cards.

“Oh, perfect!” Tarak beams in excitement.

“Don’t sulk when you lose like last time!” Avalel teases.

“Since when have I lost?”

“Nearly every time,” Kavlina states, to the embarrassment of Tarak.

“Well, let’s begin!” Avalel eagerly opens the box and shuffles the cards.

The night proceeds with a total of six rufaharei games, with Tarak losing five out of six times. Although there is the occasional bickering between Tarak and Avalel, the dorm is filled with joy and laughter from all three combined. I wish we could enjoy this for a little longer, Kavlina thinks, smiling at her two livelier companions.

Finally, without packing up the game and the dishes, including the blackened pan, in the sink, the three scramble to their “beds”, or more accurately, Kavlina to her bed, and Avalel and Tarak to their respective mattresses. As time passes by, Tarak and Avalel quickly fall asleep, yet Kavlina still lies awake on her bed, the braid resting on her palm.

Such a soft braid, she thinks, Lel does have quite a nimble pair of hands to make this. Well, it’s nice to have someone fix my hair every once in a while. Isn’t it, Mother? Finally, she closes her eyes, her hand holding the braid gently above her chest.