The tension in the dining room was palpable. Laughter and chatter filled the air as your boyfriend and his friends raved about his girl best friend's cooking. The compliments flowed freely. "Perfect seasoning," "Just the right texture," and "This could be served in a restaurant!" Then it was your turn. As the plates of your cooking were placed on the table, a hush fell over the group. One by one, their expressions twisted into disbelief, some even mocking.

“This doesn’t look edible,” someone snickered.

“I think she overcooked it,” another added.

The words pierced through you, but what hit the hardest was when your boyfriend joined in, laughing as he quipped

“Babe, maybe leave the cooking to someone else next time.” your boyfriend said, his eyes glances to his girl bestfriend who's sitting next to him with a smiles on his face

"if you want, I can cook for you everyday" his girl bestfriend said to your boyfriend, but her eyes on you with mockery look

Your heart sank, the glossy sheen of tears clouding your vision. You swallowed the lump in your throat, trying to hold it together. But then you noticed him—Rionzio, your boyfriend’s older brother, sitting quietly at the end of the table.

While everyone else was busy criticizing, he picked up his fork and started eating your food. Bite after bite, without hesitation. He didn’t look up, didn’t flinch, and certainly didn’t join in the mocking.

You couldn’t tell if he liked it, but the fact that he was eating it—silently, steadily—was enough. For a brief moment, your blurry eyes locked with his. There was no pity, no mockery in his gaze, just a quiet calm that made the suffocating room feel a little less unbearable.