The kitchen was a battleground. Jiyeon stood by the stove, stirring a massive pot of pumpkin soup with an exaggerated amount of flair, while Kang glowered at the mess she was making. Pumpkin bits dotted the counters, the floor, and, for reasons beyond comprehension, even the ceiling.
"Do you have to treat that pot like it's some ancient cauldron?" Kang snapped, wiping pumpkin puree off his apron. "This is a kitchen, not a carnival sideshow."
Jiyeon waved her ladle like it was a magic wand, ignoring the splashes that flew from it. "You're missing the point, Kang! Cooking is an art, and sometimes, art is messy. Not everything can be as clean-cut as your weird obsession with perfectly diced onions."
"Clean-cut is the foundation of good cooking," he muttered. "Without precision, your soup will be as bland as your sense of humor."
