Aoi took a cautious, disciplined spoonful, his eyes widening as the savory turmeric broth and the silky porridge hit his palate. It wasn't the simple, salty *okayu* he was used to; it was a complex explosion of warmth and spice that seemed to wake up his entire body.
Hime, seeing her stoic older brother's eyes light up, immediately tugged on Agung's apron with her free hand.
"Magician-Papa! Magician-Papa!" she chirped, her voice bouncing with hunger. "Can I have a bowl too? But... but can you make it without the yellow beans? I don't like the crunch. But I want *lots* of the green onions! The ones that look like tiny grass!"
Agung chuckled, the sound deep and "plump" as he reached for a smaller, colorful bowl.
"One 'Hime-Style' Bubur Ayam, coming right up!" Agung declared. He moved with the practiced ease of a street vendor, his hands a blur. "No soybeans for the princess, but a double forest of spring onions. And maybe just a little extra *cakwe* because you were the first one to believe in the Magician?"
He handed her the customized bowl. It was a beautiful sight: the creamy white porridge topped with a vibrant, emerald-green mountain of freshly sliced spring onions, surrounding a golden pile of shredded chicken.
"There you go, Hime-chan. Be careful, the *kuah kuning* is warm."
Hime took a bite, her cheeks puffing out like a squirrel's. "Mmm! It's so soft! And the green onions make it taste like a garden!"
Aoi, meanwhile, had already finished half his bowl in record time. He looked up at Agung, a stray piece of crispy *cakwe* stuck to the corner of his mouth, his "samurai" mask completely forgotten.
"It... it has a lot of energy," Aoi admitted, his voice regaining its boyish pitch. "It feels like my muscles are waking up for practice. Mister... I mean, Papa... what did you put in this?"
"That's the secret of the Pekalongan street sweepers," Agung winked, leaning against the counter. "It's called heart. And a lot of turmeric."
He then turned his gaze toward the hallway, where the sound of more footsteps—some stumbling and sleepy, some quick and energetic—signaled that the rest of the "Nijigasaki and u's" crew was finally descending upon the kitchen.
"Looks like the rest of the seven are here," Agung whispered to Umi. "Better get more bowls ready. The Panda's kitchen is officially in rush hour."