The five of them stared at the plate like it contained a bomb.
The last dumpling sat there, innocent and steaming, right in the middle. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. Even the rain outside felt quieter, as if it waited to see who would blink first.
Kenzo's hand drifted forward an inch.
Saffi's chopsticks lifted at the same time.
Kenzo froze. "Don't."
Saffi didn't look at him. "Don't what?"
"Don't take it like you own it."
Saffi finally glanced up, calm and deadly. "Kenzo, you ate half the plate like you were trying to erase it."
"I call it efficiency."
Raizen watched the plate, then looked around the table. Kenzo's jaw stayed tight. Atman sat straighter than usual, hands folded as if he tried very hard to appear normal. Eiden's face remained neutral, which somehow made him the most suspicious person in the room.
Saffi set her chopsticks down slowly. "Okay. We're not fighting over it."
Kenzo scoffed. "Who's fighting? I'm being civilized."
