79 Brotherly Love X

"Yukio, you're a fucking angel!" Yuliang declared, dropping onto one of the stools at the kitchen island and digging into the meat and vegetable dish on it with relish.

Estish food, his favourite.

In the months he'd lived in Linos, Yuliang had occasionally allowed his brother to drag him around to restaurants to try the varieties of cuisines available.

Something Yuliang only went along with because he didn't have to pay for everything anymore. Yukio's part-time job being a certified slut was a lot more profitable than working at the bakery was, so his brother always had spare cash to burn. Yukio had been quite adamant about Yuliang trying every region's specialty at least once before he had to go back home in a few months.

In Sundan, food typically consisted of varieties of bread, rice, and curries. Their palates were usually accustomed to spicy and flavor-filled dishes. The Sundanese were also quite fond of their desserts and sweets, especially if they had fruits or nuts in them.

So far, Yuliang has tried Nordish, Kulonian, and Estish food. However, Yukio insisted that they leave Medinian for last since their food was everywhere and was just a hybridized version of many regional cuisines.

Nordish cuisine consisted mostly of seafood and soups, which incorporated many preserved and nonperishable ingredients like beans and grains like oats. Yuliang thought that their desserts were delicious, but he found their main dishes to be quite bland and mild as fuck. The Nordish used salt and spices quite sparingly for him.

Kulonian dishes, on the other hand, were almost as spicy and rich in flavor as Sundanese dishes, with lots of meat, rice, and other grains, but favored sourness over saltiness. When Yuliang had first tried it, he hadn't been a fan, but over time, once he had gotten more accustomed to it, he had come to enjoy it a bit more.

Estish food was Yuliang's absolute favourite. Their cuisine included lots of meat, seafood, rice, noodles, and other flour-based dishes unique to them. Estish food was generally milder but still flavourful.

It also brought forth a strong nostalgia.

The first time they tried a noodle soup, Yukio burst into tears in the middle of the restaurant where they had been enjoying their meal that day.

Yuliang hadn't cried, but he had ended up snapping his wooden chopsticks in half from how tightly he had gripped them.

It tasted just like their mother's cooking.

Feeling a tightness building up in his chest, from the memory of it, Yuliang cleared his throat and grabbed a bottle of water from the take-out bag to wash down the sour aftertaste his emotions left behind.

Yukio, probably sensing the downturn of his emotions, was quick to offer distraction.

"You know, I was thinking…."

Yuliang snorted, "Don't hurt yourself."

Yukio smacked him on the shoulder, "Says you! Mr. I-only-think-with-my-fists! Seriously though, I was thinking that we should go out for a drink this weekend. You wanna?"

Yuliang frowned, "The same place as last time?"

Yukio smiled, "Sure, why not. The owner's your friend, right?"

Yuliang shrugged, "I guess. It would be nice to see Jeremy again."

"Then it's settled!" Then Yukio's demeanor shifted into a more uncertain one, piquing Yuliangs curiosity and worry equally.

"What is it, brother?"

Yukio breathed in deeply as if to brace himself.

"Do you mind if my boyfriend joins us?"

Yuliang's reaction was immediate.

His chopsticks snapped in half.

"What the fuck did you just say?"