The doorbell echoed through the apartment.
Asiya didn't flinch. She calmly placed her phone down and turned toward the living room, where all four of her cousins stared at her with different degrees of disbelief.
"You're kidding," Farah whispered, eyes wide.
"Tell me you're joking," Mira added, already standing up.
"You planned this," Yasmine accused, squinting suspiciously.
Sana looked over at Asiya. "You invited Kian over for dinner. And you thought now was the right time to tell us?!"
"I had to. If I told you earlier, we'd never make it to dinner. You'd be screaming, hiding makeup on the bookshelves. I needed you calm."
"I am calm," Farah snapped, pacing.
"You're walking in circles holding a spoon," Asiya said flatly.
Farah immediately threw the spoon on the couch.
"I don't get it," Yasmine muttered, standing with her arms crossed. "So Kian is behind that door right now?"
Asiya nodded.
The cousins exploded in overlapping whispers.
"You're unbelievable—"
"Did I brush my hair?"
"I need eyeliner—ASAP."
"Why didn't you warn us? I look like a pancake!"
"You look fine," Asiya said. "Just don't throw yourself at him and we'll survive this."
"I cannot believe you strategized us like that," Yasmine muttered.
"Can you all not scare him away before he even sits down?" Asiya groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Just—act normal, okay?"
"Define normal," Yasmine deadpanned.
The doorbell rang again.
Asiya took a breath, smoothed her clothes, and walked to the door, graceful and composed as ever. Her hand hovered over the handle for a beat longer than necessary before she opened it.
And there he was.
Kian stood with one hand in his jacket pocket and the other holding a small bag, his hair a little tousled from the wind, his eyes meeting hers instantly. The corners of his lips curled into a soft smile.
"Hey," he said.
"Hey," she answered, stepping aside. "Come in."
Kian stepped inside cautiously. He expected a quiet meal. Maybe just the two of them.
What he didn't expect—
"HOLY—"
"IT'S REALLY HIM!"
Sana, hands on her hips, smirked. "Well, well, well."
Kian blinked. "You didn't say your cousins would be here."
Asiya grinned. "Surprise."
Kian turned to leave. "I walked into a trap."
Farah blocked the door. "Oh no, no, no. You're staying."
Mira, still in shock, muttered, "Kian In our house."
Kian sighed, glancing at Asiya. "You planned this, didn't you?"
Asiya just shrugged innocently. "I might've… forgotten to mention they'd be here."
Kian turned to her, clearly amused. "Forgotten, huh?"
"Temporarily misplaced the fact," she said with a nervous smile.
"Hi," Sana stepped forward, smiling with calculated calm. "I'm Sana. We're her cousins. Big fans. Just, you know, not crazy fans."
Farah coughed loudly behind her. "Speak for yourself."
Mira couldn't stop grinning. "You're taller in real life."
"Thank you?" Kian said with a soft chuckle, shifting his weight as if trying not to look overwhelmed. "I brought something, by the way."
He handed the small bag to Asiya, who peeked inside and blinked. Homemade cookies.
"You baked?"
"Well yeah… hope you like it."
The table was filled with a variety of dishes, the aroma filling the entire room. Kian eyed everything, both excited and cautious.
In front of him, Asiya placed a spaghetti plate with a green pepper on it. "Try this one first."
Kian picked up his chopsticks and took a bite—
Instant mistake.
His entire mouth burned. It was like fire exploded on his tongue, spreading all the way down to his throat.
Kian coughed.
Asiya raised an eyebrow. "Too much for you?"
Kian coughed into his fist, shaking his head a little too quickly. "Nope. I'm good."
He was trying so hard to act cool.
"Drink water before you embarrass yourself," she said, sliding a glass toward him.
Kian sighed in defeat and took a sip. "You enjoy watching me suffer, don't you?"
"A little," Asiya admitted.
The cousins burst out laughing behind them, clearly entertained by the whole exchange. Yasmine clutched her stomach. "You two are killing me."
Farah leaned closer, still giggling. "Okay, okay, now it's Asiya's turn."
Asiya rolled her eyes, confidently grabbing her plate. "Please, I could eat this whole thing with my eyes closed."
"Oh?" Mira raised an eyebrow.
"Then eat," Farah said with a smile that was a little too sweet.
"Gladly," Asiya replied, lifting her fork.
But Sana reached over and casually stopped her. "No no. You forgot something."
Before Asiya could answer, Yasmine leaned forward with mischief practically radiating off her and dropped a slice of the thick green pepper right onto her plate.
"Here you go. Since you're a pro."
"And a little juice to go with it," Mira added with a grin, letting a few drops of the pepper water splash into Asiya's spaghetti.
The other girls snickered, watching intently.
Asiya blinked. "Wait, this wasn't part of—"
"You said eyes closed," Sana reminded, smirking.
She stared down at the plate, then back at them. "Seriously?"
"You teased him. It's only fair," Farah said, trying to keep a straight face.
Kian leaned in with mock sympathy. "Need some water first? Or should I slide it coolly toward you?"
Asiya narrowed her eyes at him. "You're enjoying this way too much."
"A little," he mimicked her tone perfectly.
Not one to back down, Asiya narrowed her eyes and muttered, "Fine." She stabbed a forkful—spaghetti, sauce, and that fateful green slice—then took a dramatic bite.
For a second, nothing.
Then it hit.
Her eyes widened. Her whole face tensed. A single tear formed at the corner of her eye.
The pepper's heat tore through her like a furnace. Her lips parted as she tried to breathe, but all that came out was a dry cough.
She saw her face already turning red. She fanned her mouth, blinking rapidly as if that would somehow cool down the spice.
Kian gasped. "So you're struggling too?!"
Asiya nodded aggressively. "I—I didn't expect it to be this bad!"
Yasmine burst out laughing. "You made it, and you still can't handle it?!"
Mira wiped a tear from her eye. "This is the best thing I've seen all week."
Farah shook her head. "I knew this would happen. Asiya, why did you cook something spicy when you know you're worse than him at handling spice?"
"I know I asked the merchant for the hottest pepper, but this is just another level!" Asiya defended, still waving her hands in front of her mouth. Then she realized what she just said. She turned her head slowly toward them and looked at them.
For a moment they all just stared at her.
Then the cousins exploded in laughter. Sana banged the table. Mira almost fell off her chair.
Kian let out a breath, chuckling. "This is karma."
Asiya reached blindly for the glass and drank like her life depended on it.
"You started it!" Yasmine reminded, still laughing.
She glared at Kian between gulps. "This isn't over."
Before she could suffer any longer, Sana swapped their plates. "Here—this one doesn't have the green pepper."
"How do you guys even eat this?!" Asiya croaked, eyes wide.
They laughed at her and turned to Kian. "Kian, here's another plate."
They were still gathered around the table, plates not entirely empty yet, conversation flowing easier.
Kian wiped his mouth with a napkin and leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. "You know… now that I've eaten the spaghetti without your pepper, it's actually good."
Asiya gave him a side-eye. "Actually good?"
He held up both hands, grinning. "I mean it! The flavors are nice. Subtle. Cozy."
Farah tapped her spoon against her plate. "Agreed. Spicy spaghetti attempt: 5/10 for safety, 9/10 for flavor."
Kian chuckled and nudged his plate slightly forward. "And now you know—next time, maybe just one pepper, not the merchant's hottest."
"Definitely not repeating it ever again."
Kian laughed, then reached for his spoon and took a bite of the rice salad, his eyes widening slightly as he chewed. The combination of ingredients was fresh, flavorful, and surprisingly satisfying.
"This…" he began, pausing to savor the taste, "this is amazing."
Asiya said, amused, "Really? I wasn't sure if you'd like it."
"I never thought of mixing all these ingredients into rice like this," Kian said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Here we usually eat white rice on its own, and if we add anything, it's usually on top—like toppings, you know? But this…" He gestured to the rice salad with his spoon. "This is so good."
The flavors blended so perfectly—the soft rice, the tender meat, the eggs, and the refreshing crunch of the vegetables. It felt so light but filling at the same time.
"It's such a nice idea," Kian added, looking genuinely impressed. "I'm kind of shocked. You just mix everything in, and it works. I would never have thought of it."
Asiya smiled, clearly proud of the dish. "It's simple, but we love it."
Kian nodded, taking another bite. "I'm definitely taking notes on this one."
"And what about this dish here—" he pointed his spoon at the tajine.
Asiya lifted her head. "That's tajine."
He took a bite.
His eyebrows shot up immediately. "Wait… what is this?"
The table paused, watching his expression.
"Tajine! As she just said," Asiya explained, trying not to laugh. "Eggs, meat, fries, cheese—depends on the recipe."
Kian chewed slowly, visibly surprised. "This is... so good. The outside is kind of crispy, but inside it's soft, and the flavors just—" He gestured vaguely with his fork. "They melt into each other."
"It's baked all together," Farah added. "That's why it feels so... complete."
Kian took another bite, clearly hooked. "I've never had anything like this in Korea. We have egg dishes, but nothing that's... this layered. It's like a casserole and an omelette had a genius baby."
They all burst out laughing.
Asiya leaned in. "So, not too strange?"
"Strange?" Kian said, taking a third bite without hesitation. "No way"
Kian chuckled, pointing at his plate. "Honestly this might be the best dinner I've had in months."
Yasmine grinned. "Even with the spicy sabotage?"
He dramatically held his chest. "Even with the sabotage."
Asiya rolled her eyes.
Farah grinned. "So? That means we pass the taste test?"
Kian nodded. "More than pass. This is one of the best meals I've had."
Yasmine smirked. "Guess that means he has to come back for more."
Kian laughed. "If you cook like this? I just might."
The night continued with laughter, teasing, and plenty of food.