"Did you start this ga?"
After entering the kitchen with Thomas, Suzy heard Leonard call out from the living room.
Derek, who was still standing nearby, turned at the sound of his voice and nodded.
"I did."
"Then co play a round with ."
Leonard waved enthusiastically.
Derek strolled over at an unhurried pace and dropped onto the couch beside him. Leonard imdiately handed him a controller.
The mont the ga started, both n’s attention was captured by the action unfolding on the screen.
anwhile, Suzy and Thomas had already settled into the kitchen.
"What are we making?" Thomas asked.
"Hot stew."
Suzy smiled as she opened the refrigerator.
"With weather like this, nothing sounds better."
Outside, snow continued to fall while the temperature dropped lower and lower. A steaming hot stew was exactly what everyone needed.
The refrigerator was packed with ingredients. Suzy selected several vegetables and handed them to Thomas.
"Can you wash these for ?"
Thomas nodded and got to work.
While he prepared the vegetables, Suzy quietly retrieved a portable butane stove from her space.
She had briefly considered using an induction cooker, but running extension cords would be troubleso. The portable stove was far more convenient.
Before the apocalypse, she had purchased dozens of them. Until now, most had remained untouched.
One by one, she pulled out everything they needed and arranged it across the kitchen counter.
She hadn’t invited Derek into the kitchen for a reason. Using her space in front of him would be inconvenient.
Thomas was different. He already knew her secret.
Standing nearby with a knife in hand, Thomas watched supplies continuously appear on the counter without even blinking.
He had beco completely accustod to it.
"I’ll take this out first."
Suzy carried the assembled stove to the dining table.
After setting up the pot with all the ingredients, she returned once more to continue preparing the rest of the stuff with Thomas.
Most of the items he handled were vegetables.
Carrot slices. Zucchini. Garlic cloves.
The rest required almost no preparation. Her space already contained ready-to-make ingredients. Thickly sliced beef. Fried mushrooms. Bacon. Tomato paste.
Everything she needed was already stocked. All she had to do was put them together and let them cook.
The most important part, however, was mashed potatoes. That couldn’t be skipped.
She even prepared her special butter and cream mix to make it fluffy and fragrant.
Once done, Thomas quietly carried the finished dishes back and forth between the kitchen and dining room.
Soon, everything was ready.
"Uncle Leonard. Derek. Dinner’s ready."
The stove had already been lit.
Inside the pot, the spiritual spring water simred vigorously, gradually seeping into all the ingredients. The rich aroma had begun spreading through the apartnt.
Leonard imdiately put down his controller.
"Coming!"
Derek rose from the couch as well.
The fragrance grew stronger with every passing second. Leonard inhaled deeply as he approached the table.
"That slls incredible."
Suzy had already activated the apartnt’s ventilation system.
That way, the entire ho wouldn’t end up permanently scented like stew.
Everyone got a serving of mashed potatoes, drooling at the prospect of pouring the stew over it.
"We can start now."
The mont Suzy gave permission, the ladle went in and out of the pot, pouring delicious stew onto the plates.
In the apocalypse, sitting around a steaming pot felt like a luxury even immortals might envy.
Leonard grabbed a slice of fatty beef and stuffed it into his mouth. The rich, savory flavor instantly made him close his eyes in satisfaction.
"You should try this."
Thomas picked up a slice of beef as well. Instead of eating it himself, he placed it into Suzy’s bowl.
His aning was obvious––you eat your fill first.
Suzy smiled. "Thank you."
Across the table, Derek witnessed the exchange and imdiately refused to fall behind.
He added two more slices of beef to her bowl.
"Suzy, eat a little more."
Within seconds, her bowl had beco overloaded.
Suzy couldn’t help laughing.
She rewarded both n with warm smiles before using her own fork to place at into each of their bowls.
"Stop feeding and eat sothing yourselves. There is enough for everyone."
A faint smile appeared on both Derek and Thomas’s faces.
Looking out at the falling snow beyond the window, Leonard sighed dramatically.
"If I could eat als like this every day, I’d be happy even if I died tomorrow."
Suzy imdiately frowned. "Don’t say things like that."
The room remained warm and comfortable. The atmosphere was relaxed.
Hearty broth bubbled energetically inside the ceramic pot, sending clouds of fragrant steam into the air.
The rising mist softened everyone’s features beneath a hazy veil.
Suzy lowered the heat just enough to keep the stew hot.
Bacon pieces and thinly sliced mushrooms floated lazily across the surface, releasing a subtle fragrance.
Using a big wooden spoon, Suzy scooped up a few softened carrots and celery pieces.
She put them into each man’s bowl, next to another serving of soft mashed potatoes.
"Try this."
She took the first bite herself. Mushrooms and bacon, together with potatoes, made it taste like a completely new dish.
A faint crispness unique to the spiritual spring water lingered beneath the flavor.
It tasted better than anything she had eaten before the apocalypse.
Leonard swallowed his portion and nearly jumped out of his seat.
"This is ridiculously good."
The broth itself was extraordinary. He had never tasted anything so rich and satisfying. Maybe he had simply gone too long without a hearty hot al. Or maybe this really was on another level entirely.
Derek sat at Suzy’s right side.
He ate with calm restraint, but his fork never stopped moving.
He picked up a piece of at and blew on it for several seconds before placing it carefully into Suzy’s bowl.
"Perfectly warm now," he said proudly. "Try it."
Suzy took a bite. Spice exploded across her tongue before being llowed by the rich sensation of the perfectly cooked at.
She closed her eyes happily and gave Derek a thumbs up.
Watching her reaction made him smile so widely that he could barely hide it.
Monts later, more beef slices appeared in her bowl.
Thomas sat quietly on her left.
He spoke very little. Instead, he focused on serving food.
When he noticed that Suzy’s bowl had already beco a mountain of ingredients, he stopped adding to it.
Instead, he quietly placed vegetables she liked into the remaining broth so they would be ready if she wanted to eat more.
"Suzy, eat more."
Derek offered another spoonful of mushrooms. Suzy quickly covered her bowl with one hand.
"Enough. Really." She laughed helplessly. "You two need to eat your own food."
Only then did Derek stop. Even so, his gaze kept drifting toward her.
None of them drank alcohol. Instead, Leonard fetched several bottles of cola from the refrigerator, packed with ice, and poured drinks for everyone.
After spending so much ti tending the stew, sweat had begun forming on his forehead.
He grabbed a napkin, wiped himself off, and released a deeply satisfied sigh.
"Now this is what living is supposed to feel like."
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