Chapter 223: Tournament Approaches Swiftly

[Strength: 85]

[Health: 110] 

[Speed: 72] 

[Skill: 81] 

[UP: 9]

[Exp: 68/100| Level 14]]

Jin sat down at the dinner table of his new concrete house, drinking a cup of coffee. Coffee was still quite disgusting for his tastebuds but Kaylie, who fixed him breakfast didn't know so he simply decided to drink it nonetheless. The table was full of beverages and different foods for him to try. The eye-seizing food was most definitely the ones she baked and all of the confectioneries. His personal favorite was her chocolate cake which was quite moist and with balance in the ingredients that usually either made or broke the goods, like sugar. But Kaylie never once disappointed in her baking prowess, and had she, she seldom would have. 

"How're the goods?" Kaylie asked, wiping her hands in her white apron. She'd been enjoying her new role as Jin's mundane chef. On some days, he didn't answer her when she asked questions. But on others, she got a smile. Her goal was always to have him smile at her. What she saw in that smile was another man when it happened.

"The stuff is good," Jin said, "and don't even give me that 'you're playing' sentence again. I've had it with you and your feigning of despondency and your ambivalence already!"

"Let a woman be proud for christ's sake, Jin," Kaylie said.

"If I don't say anything, you begin to assume I don't like your goods," Jin said. "If I do speak too much about it, you'll tell me I'm being sarcastic. And I straight up tell you that it doesn't taste good, you get mad and ready to quit being my personal chef."

"Since when am I your personal chef?"

"You volunteered."

"Do I get paid?"

"Is your life not better than any payment?"

"Nope," Kaylie said, "but quite frankly, your smile is ..."

Jin grimaced. "Woman, have you been trying to flirt with me ever since we started being alone in this kitchen on mornings?"

Kaylie blushed. "It's just platonic," she said, "but ... uhm ... you could take it romantically if you want ..."

Jin smirked. 

Suddenly, another Jin and the young apprentice, Stevan, came rupturing through the door. Stevan stumbled on his feet, steadied and stood straight, panting. Still panting, he bent river and clutched at his knees. He had been undertaking a lot training since yesterday. He knew he was being overworked, and he knew Jin sometimes had him do chores and things that weren't in relation to his advancement in strength. But even the latter hadn't bothered him.

He had circled the village over ten times without stopping. He had climbed the Great Wall from bottom to top and top to bottom through the over usage of his superstrength to clutch and squeeze at the rock, causing damage such as the holes. For good measure, he was then ordered to climb the wall and fix the damage he'd caused via filling the cracks and holes with soft concrete for which he had paid a contractor with his own personal money. 

He had also scanned the hills, and punched metal to no relent, and heave heavy rocks and assist the contractors he'd gotten the soft concrete (which he used to fix the wall) from as compensation for his inability to pay for all of the said concrete. He also had to fight Jin's powerful clones who had come close to killing him precisely one hundred and eighty-nine times as well as do an old woman's lawn to pay for her healing of his injuries imposed upon him by the clones. 

On the farm where he'd encountered his twin, he had also toted cows and sheep and deer on his back and carried them to different staples and pens and fences in the colony. Then, he asked the head farmer three to assign him some more tasks, going back and forth all day until the breakage of sunlight. 

In the night and on his way home, he had encountered the girl he had a monumental crush on. Usually, he'd greet her and help her do something but this time, he ran and went the other way. He wanted to keep the word he had promised to Jin, After all, it was now etched behind his mind that had no longer had time for women. Unfortunately, his crush, Ryla, was outside right next to Jin's place where he now slept. What's even more unfortunate: Ryla had slept on a front porch, and with her super senses ability, he'd been certain she would have heard or smelled him if he tried to get past her. And so, the young man slept soundly in the grass.

Not soundly enough being that Jin's clone had woken him up at six sharp. He then had to train for the morning, do his chores, and finally, get something to eat. Recall that his ability used chemical energy and fat, which is obtained through digested food. Even activating his ability hurt him.

"I'm hungry," Stevan said, "really hungry." He looked up at Kaylie, who stood amidst the kitchen. "did you prepare anything for me, Jin's new roommate."

"I don't think a welcomed roommate sleeps on the hard floor without a mattress," Jin's clone said, folding arms.

Although Jin had an extra space beside him on his bed, he still had Stevan sleep on the other side of the room, on the wood hard floor with not even a pillow spared for the poor child. And Jin hadn't even raised a finger to sweep the floor since he moved into the upstairs. The grass last night was much more comfortable.

"I'm really hungry," Stevan said, placing a hand atop his stomach. "My body is being eaten on the inside. Fat, cells, tissues, muscles. They're all being depleted because of my ability. I didn't eat anything in over a day ..."

"Well," Kaylie said, "go cook something yourself. Who ya got here, slaves?"

"But .... but I thought I begged you to make something extra for me when you're cooking for Jin in the morning," the boy frowned. 

"I'm just fucking with you, kid," Kaylie started toward the kitchen, "I made you some good stuff to eat too. I tend to hide it from Jin since his eyes scream 'more!' to you."

Stevan stood straight, nodded to the table, and pulled the chair opposite Jin. Finally, he threaded into the space betwixt chair and table and sat down heavily. Watching Jin eat, he licked his lips. 

Jin glared at him. "What'd I tell you about staring at me like that when I'm eating, kid?"

"You simply said not to ..."

"And what are you doing now?"

"I'm doing it on impulse ..."

"Exactly!"

Stevan averted his eyes. He then started biting on his fingernails. "Kaylie, how long must I wait again?"

"Just gimme two minutes. I'm heating the stuff. There's nothing better than hot stuff!"

"What did I tell you about chewing your nails and spitting 'em on the table, boy!" Jin snapped.

Stevan jumped. "I'm sorry ... it happened on impulse again."

"With your behavior in mind, tell me if I'm wrong for hating kids more than I hate pretenders," Jin said, "and I do hate pretends a lot, just a little less than my misogyny, mind you."

"Is there any misogyny in that cold freezing heart of yours for your," she frowned, "personal chef?"

"Of course," Jin said, "but don't take it on a personal level, 'kay?"

"How could I not take that on a personal level?" She scoffed.

"Take it however you want," Jin said brusquely.

There was a burning scent in the air, wafting throughout the air. Yet, Jin and Jin's clone and Kaylie quarreled on. 

"Hey, guys," Stevan said, "I think something's burning in the kitchen ..."

"How could you hate the woman who bakes for you every morning ..."

"I hate all women," Jin said. "So like I said, daren't it take personally."

"I bake for you every morning ..."

"And I'm killing my streak for you on the day of the tournament."

"That's not something you're doing currently," she said, "and I'm not even sure if you're gonna do it anymore. Misogynistic. You said it yourself. I'm busting my arse every morning for you, and that's how you're gonna repay me?"

"What? You want sex or something instead?"

She crimsoned and averted her eyes. "Ewww! Baking for you is already enough ..."

"You're forgetting that your baking isn't free. The payment: I still have to put up with you and your crap every single morning ..."

"What crap are you even ta—"

"Guys!" Stevan shouted. "Something's still burning!"

Recognition dawned on Kaylie's face as she sniffed in some of the dark smoke. "The goods!" She rushed toward the oven. "Stevan, you should have said something before ..."

Stevan's eyes widened. "That's exactly what I did though!"

In short, Kaylie had taken the stuff out of the oven and the microwave. Then, she set them atop the dinner table. Jin immediately left with a grin on his face. The food on the table was burnt to absolute blackness. It looked more like ash than bread and pastries and other goods.

Kaylie folded her arms and looked down at Stevan as he roved at the food by the table. "Well, it looks like you're eating everything burnt today, kid. Enjoy!"

Stevan swallowed saliva and then frowned at the food. Suddenly, the starving young man wasn't hungry.