When he woke up, he immediately checked his phone, flipped it open, and looked at the time. Only 4 hours of sleep. He never could get any more than that. Even as a kid, it was hard to sleep with constant yelling, something being thrown and broken, or even the siren of a police car in the distance. His family was always the ones having the police called on them. With the recent murder of his mother, he could only assume it would be like this for a while longer. 

He finally pulled himself out of bed, but when he turned toward the living area, Vanille was still perfectly in front of the TV. She hadn't moved an inch; the show she had criticized earlier still played. She seemed immersed in it. Oki ran a hand through his hair, refusing to say hello. 

"Wow...Not even going to say 'good morning'?" Oki was never good with his facial expressions, but he had gotten into so many misunderstandings in the past that he could usually tell what someone was feeling by the tone of their voice. Even with Vanille facing the TV, he could feel the smirk on her face. "Sorry," He said. He walked toward the bathroom to get ready for school. Vanille gently moved her head toward the sound. She gave a small smile, "Bro! He didn't even notice you!" She stood up from the TV and headed to the small kitchenette. There was a wall blocking any visible movement, so Vernon moved, so he was more visible. 

"It's only 5 am...what is he doing up?" He said a slight frown on his face. Vernon turned to his sister with a worried look. She could only give him a reassuring smile, "I know...Don't mention it for now. Hurry, though!" She quickly pushed him toward the fridge. 

Oki washed his face in the sink, ensuring he wasn't grimy for class. It wasn't like it was a problem now, merely an insecurity. No one made fun of him anymore, but it was a parent's careless mistake, as usual. When he finished wiping the water from his face with a face towel, he looked himself in the eye. He gently ran a hand through his hair, trying to check for any bruises or dried blood. 

Nothing. Oki was shocked. Yes, Oki was strong, but it wasn't like he was free from bruises or injuries. When it comes to injuries, he knew how to clean them up well enough. 

So that left him even more confused. What happened last night? Should he see a doctor? He couldn't afford one right now, though...He decided to hurry and change into his school uniform. He had a little time before school started, but Ain fed him breakfast every morning if Oki was fast enough. No matter what, though, Ain was also kind enough to prepare lunch for him. Oki felt grateful to him. He exited the bathroom, pulling his tie on tight. 

It was a shame the first thing he noticed was the smoke coming from the small area where his kitchenette was. 

To say that Vanille and Vernon knew nothing about humans wasn't accurate. From watching Oki for the past month, they knew humans had to eat, go to school sometimes, and work every day. Plus, do stuff in the bathroom. They don't ask questions about the toilet. Still, they weren't taught much about them. So trying to make breakfast from scratch for Oki may have been a bad idea for inexperienced monsters of the night. 

Vanille was on toast duty; she'd seen him do this many times. She grabbed the bread from the bag and chucked it into the toaster. She playfully flipped the dials, landing on the highest setting and flipping the switch.

Next came the eggs, which Vernon knew more about than Vanille, so that was his job. But apparently, it was different on TV than trying to cook from memory. So that was how two eggs ended up bare on an off-oven and why a vicious black smoke filled the studio. Oki looked between them. 

Vernon was currently using a wooden spoon to scramble two eggs, which were still raw, while Vanille was frantically trying to wave off the threatening cloud with her hands as if that would magically make it go away. Oki made his way in easy stride, first unplugging the toaster. "Open the window." He leaned over the cramped space, snatching the utensil from Vernon's hands. Not wanting to anger Oki anymore, Vernon quickly made his way to the window that led to the fire escape. He pulled it open. 

Oki reached into his drawers and pulled out a fan. He rapidly tried to fan out the black smoke, making sure not to fan the toaster while he was at it. The whole process took an hour and thirty minutes. When the air was cleared, Oki closed the window. It was silent for a few minutes while Oki began snatching his stuff. He pulled his shoes on. He knew he would have to skip breakfast, instead opting to grab lunch. 

The twins stood by, looking dejected and sad. "Um...Sorry, Oki-" Vanille started, but Oki raised his hand for her to stop, effectively interrupting her. She pursed her lips, closed and patiently waiting for him to speak. It came as a shock when Oki turned to face them, showing no traces of anger. "It's fine. You two didn't know." Vernon's eyes widened, and at the same time, Vanille's jaw dropped. 

"But don't do it again until I can teach you two how to cook properly. You guys will accidentally kill me next time." He turned to sling his bag over his shoulder, only noticing the rapid footsteps too late. They tackled him in a tight hug, wrapping their arms around his neck. Or at least they tried to without suffocating him. 

Oki frowned but let them anyway. While he was uncomfortable with physical touch, he decided to let them be this time since he had felt bad about getting angry at them. Not that they ever had to know he was even angry. When they pulled away, Oki noticed something off. 

"Okay, Oki! Let's go!" Vanilla said, grabbing her book bag. 

"What do you mean?" inquired Oki. 

"Um? We're going to the restaurant, aren't we?" Vernon said absentmindedly, putting his backpack on his back. 

"And then to school!" Vanille looked down at the watch on her wrist. "But we need to go now!" She ran to the door. Oki watched as the twins walked away. He noticed their clothing last. The gothic style they had been wearing just moments before was replaced in seconds by his school's uniform. 

"Fuck."