Noah sliced through the onion with practiced movements, easily dicing it within moments as Kaden watched with interest. Then he moved to copy Noah's actions.

The dragon's anxiety spiked every two seconds, watching the violent knife come too close to grazing skin on multiple occasions.

When Kaden finally finished, Noah scooped up the pile of diced onions into a bowl. A few students glanced at the two of them, tears free of both the pair's eyes, and then wiped away the tears that were in their own from cutting onions.

"They're too powerful." whispered one. "Do their tear ducts even work?"

Noah glanced over, indifferent to the gossip in the corner of the room.

Kaden followed his gaze before looking down at the onions, confused. He called out to the students, "Am I supposed to cry?"

The student flinched, startled, but then nodded. "I cry out a river whenever I cut onions." said the other man, still sniffing as he dabbed his eyes with a tissue. "As you can see."

"That's interesting. You should demonstrate."

"...how... how to cry?"

Kaden nodded, intrigued. "Yes."

"I'm already crying! I've almost dried up all the water left in my body!" sniffed the other miserably, his eyes still burning red from the onions.

"Cry some more."

"I physically can't!"

Kaden hummed before nodding foolishly, slightly disappointed. Since when did onions make tears fall from a person's eyes? He was a little curious about the reasoning behind that, but kept to himself.

He didn't press on the matter anymore and turned back to his fried rice mission, feeling a little stupid.

During the conversation, Noah placed the box of wriggling shrimp back on the counter—he'd mainly chosen it for the sake of seeing Kaden's reaction, anyway—and grabbed a pack of already neutralized shrimp.

Pulling them out, he placed a few on Kaden's board. "If you cut anymore vegetables after, you'll have to wash the board. Don't cross-contaminate meat and vegetables."

"Alright." Kaden nodded like a diligent student listening to his teacher, and Noah stared at him a little oddly. "Hold on... if there were already dead shrimp, why did you choose fresh ones?"

"If you keep talking, I won't teach you anymore."

"This is why you don't have friends."

"...the lesson's over."

"...! Wait."

Watching Kaden abruptly shut his mouth somehow satisfied Noah, whose mood brightened slightly. "Cut the head and remove the skin. Place them both in separate bowls—we will use both of them."

"Really? Isn't it a waste? How can we eat it?"

"The shell can be used to make stock, along with the vegetable scrap. The head can be fried in oil to make shrimp oil, and then crushed into a paste we can mix into the rice."

Kaden thought about it and burst into a bright smile, innocent and free of any sarcastic words or gloomy thoughts.

The sort of smile that stretched wide across his face, naturally curving up his eyes that also seemed to be lit with a sort of joyous smile. Noah hesitated, taken aback as his knife accidentally slipped, slicing the shrimp sideways.

Kaden nodded to himself, interested in the new knowledge. "Is that so? Alright, that's good that we won't waste anything."

He wasn't a fan of wasting food, used to surviving on scraps in the slums, so wasn't it lovely that such an efficient dish could be created with all the parts?

"....." Noah cleared his throat, continuing the lesson. "The only part we can't use is the vein—it contains the shrimp's waste."

"I see."

The class continued, with Kaden closely following Noah's movements, and the latter slowing down his actions to accommodate his new student.

Soon, a delightful aroma filled the room, attracting attention from all the other students. Although the variety of fried rice ranged, each displaying a unique fragrance, there was something particularly alluring about the odd pair.

To begin with, several students had continued to peek and watch the duo, laughing and whispering at Kaden's ridiculous questions and Noah's exasperated sighs.

A side of each that was rare and unknown had come to surface, brought to light by the other person.

Noah's patience, Kaden's curiosity.

Kaden's frustrated complaints, and Noah's confident teachings.

Admittedly, the end plating had been a little ugly, though the flavour and aroma couldn't be denied. It'd only been messy due to Kaden's insistence on plating the dish, although Noah's picky comments had salvaged the appearance slightly.

Wonderful job, class." said the teacher with a soft smile, pleased at the work of her new pupils. "You may spend the rest of the class eating your dish."

Kaden hesitated, hovering the spoon over the plate.

Noah looked at him, narrowing his sharp gaze in question. "What is it? You aren't hungry anymore?"

"...Can I?"

The question left his lips before he could realize the strangeness of it. The sinner wasn't used to such trivial times, of freshly made food in such a peaceful environment.

He once starved to the point his ribs protruded underneath the white shirt, eating minimally for most of his life. It felt wrong to indulge in the meal, and despite him knowing that it was fine, he hesitated.

Finally, the dragon stretched out and spooned out a small portion for the other man, placing it before him.

"Are you insulting my cooking ability by refusing to eat?"

"That's... not it."

Hearing that, Kaden hurried to take a bite. After all, it would be rude to reject the dragon after the man taught him this whole time.

His entire face lit up.

Kaden happily scooped up another spoonful of the rice, and positively melted. Practically slime on the ground, the taste filled the cavity of his mouth and the satisfaction of having made the dish himself made it all the better.

A soft snort sounded at his side, and Kaden perked up to squint at Noah, whose expression returned to the normal dull face.

"...did you just laugh at me?"

Noah glanced at him calmly, plating a bowl of the rice for himself. "If I laughed at you, isn't it your fault for acting foolishly?"

"If I was born a fool, then aren't you judging me for being myself?"

"And if I am?"

Kaden shook his head, feeling more relaxed than he had in a very long time. He waved the spoon in the air. "Then you're plain rude, Bellamy. I've been disillusioned."

"And if I was born rude?" wondered Noah, returning the question between elegant bites. "Aren't you disappointed in me for being myself?"

"I think I like you better when you shut up, dragon."

"It seems we have something in common, then."

"You like yourself better when you shut up?" Kaden smiled lightly, raising an eyebrow at Noah's darkening expression. "Why, I can't say the self-depreciation is healthy."

"You have a death wish, fool."

"Can't say I don't."

His response earned another well-deserved glare from Noah, who finally shook his head—as he often seemed to do in Kaden's company—and finished eating the rest of his rice in silence.