" WAKE UUUUUP!"

Kai shot out of bed with a loud yelp, then looked down in his lap

A three year older with messy hair and purple night dress with flowers all over it sat in his lap, showing him her baby teeth

" Kaiiiii....."

Kai groaned and rubbed his head. " Yeah?"

" You take under weaww out of owenn?"

" Su- what?!"

Mia nodded eagerly, showing her teeth. " Ya! Jay an oterss gone. Dey towd me to make bweakfast."

Kai jumped out of bed and ran to the kitchen. " Oh, no..." He muttered, thinking of the worst case scenarios.

Kai skidded to a stop as he reached the kitchen, eyes widening in horror. Clothes were scattered everywhere—draped over chairs, tossed on counters, and most alarmingly, stuffed into every kitchen appliance he could see. Underwear poked out from the oven, microwave, and even the dishwasher. It was as if Mia had decided that breakfast wasn’t a meal but a laundry experiment gone wrong.

“M-Mia…” Kai stammered, rubbing his forehead as if that would somehow help make sense of the chaos. “What…what were you doing?”

Mia grinned up at him proudly, hands on her hips. “I maked bweakfast! I use undaweaww like Jay said!”

Kai blinked, his brain trying to process. “Jay told you…to use underwear…for breakfast?”

Mia nodded enthusiastically. “He say, ‘Use undaweaww,’ so I do! I make food for you, Kai!”

Kai held back a laugh, realizing she must’ve misunderstood something her brother said. “Uh…Mia, I think Jay meant to say something else, not…this.”

Just then, Blackie strolled into the kitchen, sniffing around the chaos. He gave Kai a look as if to say, “Welcome to the madness.”

The cat glanced at the underwear in the sink, flicking his tail. “Interesting choice, little human.”

Mia tilted her head. “Blackie, it yummy?”

The cat raised a single eyebrow. “Let’s just say, I prefer chicken.”

Kai let out a sigh, scooping Mia up into his arms. “Alright, little chef, how about we clean this up and make some real breakfast?”

Mia giggled, leaning her head against his shoulder. “Oki, Kai! But can I help?”

Kai grinned, giving her a playful nudge. “Only if you promise not to put underwear in the pancakes.”

" Kai?"

Kai looked up from his book and sighed.
" Yes?"

" Why Mastew Wu angey?

Kai put his book down. " what do you mean?"

Mia pointed to the kitchen. " Wew, I fownd these weiwd tings in bathwoom. So I toowk dem."

" What did they look like?"

" Dey were wong and had two stwings coming out of sides."

Kai groaned. " Those were his robes."

" Oh? What dose?"

Kai sighed. " The clothes he usually wears."

" Tink he wants dem gwilled?

Kai rubbed his temples, trying to stave off the headache forming from Mia's innocent questions. “No, Mia. Master Wu does not want his robes grilled. He probably wants them back, intact.”

Mia tilted her head, her big eyes full of curiosity. “But why did I fownd dem in da bathwoom?”

Kai glanced toward the bathroom door, imagining the chaos that had likely ensued. “Maybe he was trying to wash them? Or… I don’t know. But it’s not good to take Master Wu’s things without asking.”

“But I wanted to make him happy!” Mia exclaimed, her voice full of sincerity. “Like you do when you cook!”

Kai couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “I appreciate that, but maybe next time, you should ask first. Just because you think it’ll make someone happy doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.”

Mia pouted, crossing her arms. “But I thought it was funny.”

“Funny doesn’t always mean it’s right,” Kai replied gently, setting his book aside. “How about we go find Master Wu and explain? I’ll help you.”

Mia brightened up at that, her pout disappearing. “Oki! We can apowogize!”

As they headed toward the door, Blackie ambled by, casually licking a paw. “You two are in for it. That old man is going to be furious.”

Kai shot the cat a look. “Thanks for the encouragement, Blackie.”

Mia giggled. “Maybe he’ll waugh when he sees us!”

“Let’s hope so,” Kai said with a smirk, nudging her forward. “But first, let’s find those robes before he gets back.”

***
As Kai stepped outside, he squinted against the bright morning sun, taking a moment to adjust. The fresh air was a welcome relief, but his heart sank as he took in the scene before him. There, propped against the side of the house, was Master Wu, staring in disbelief at a pair of his cherished robes skewered on the barbecue grill.

The robes, usually draped gracefully over Master Wu's shoulders, were now seasoned and marinated as if they were the main dish for a feast. Wu’s expression was a mix of confusion and annoyance, his brows knitted tightly together as he turned to face Kai, who stood frozen in place, mouth agape.

“Oh no…” Kai muttered under his breath, instantly regretting the moment he decided to step outside.

“What is happening here?” Wu finally asked, his voice low and steady, but laced with a sharp edge of irritation.

Mia, who had been trailing behind Kai, peeked out from behind his leg, her wide eyes taking in the bizarre sight. “Um… Master Wu? I—”

Wu raised a hand, silencing her before she could finish. “Mia, do you know why my robes are on a skewer? And more importantly, do you have anything to do with this?”

Mia gulped, her small fingers twisting nervously in the hem of her dress. “Well, I found dem in da bathwoom, and I thought you wanted dem for a cookout…”

“Who told you I wanted my robes grilled?!” Wu exclaimed, the frustration bubbling over now.

“I just wanted to make you happy!” she squeaked, her voice small and pleading.

Wu’s expression softened for a brief moment, but then he glanced back at the robes, the beautiful fabric now splattered with marinade. “Mia, robes are not meant for grilling. They are sacred garments, not food!”

Kai couldn’t help but step in, sensing that this could escalate quickly. “Master Wu, it was an accident. Mia didn’t know, and I—”

“Don’t defend her,” Wu cut in sharply, his eyes narrowing. “This is unacceptable. Do you understand how much these robes mean to me?”

“Um, I—” Kai started, but he felt the heat of Wu’s glare on him.

Wu turned his attention back to Mia. “You need to learn the difference between things that are edible and things that are not. How do you feel if I took your favorite toy and decided to grill it?”

Mia’s face scrunched up in horror. “No! You can’t do dat!”

“Exactly,” Wu replied, a small sigh escaping his lips. “Now, what do we do about this mess?”

“I can help!” Mia chimed in, trying to salvage the situation. “I can wash dem!” She started to move toward the robes, but Wu held up a hand again.

“No! No washing will fix this. These robes are ruined,” he said, disappointment heavy in his tone.

Kai took a step closer, placing a reassuring hand on Mia’s shoulder. “I’ll help you find a way to make this right, Wu. Maybe we can get you a new set?”

“New robes don’t carry the same meaning, Kai,” Wu replied, shaking his head. “These were passed down to me. They are irreplaceable.”

A moment of silence hung between them, the weight of the situation palpable in the air. The sun continued to shine down, almost mocking the tension.

Mia’s lower lip trembled. “I’m sowwy, Master Wu. I didn’t mean to. I thought I was helping.”

Wu’s expression softened again, seeing the genuine remorse in her eyes. “I know, Mia. I appreciate your intention, but it’s essential to understand the difference. I suggest you help Kai clean up the kitchen, and we will talk more about what you can do to fix this.”

Mia nodded vigorously, her small frame deflating a little but accepting the consequence. “Oki, I can do dat!”

Wu glanced down at the skewers, and a thought crossed his mind. “And I suppose I should consider that there is more than one way to show love for others, even if it results in a culinary disaster.”

Kai couldn’t help but chuckle, the tension in the air slowly lifting. “So, you’re saying that maybe we can salvage this? Just in a different way?”

Wu nodded slowly, a hint of a smile creeping onto his face. “Let’s focus on how we can make a new memory rather than dwell on this one.”

“Like a new batch of robes?” Mia suggested, her spirits lifting as she began to think about how they could make it up to Wu.

“Perhaps we can make a new set, yes,” Wu agreed, feeling more relaxed now. “But first, let’s get back inside and clean up the kitchen.”

With newfound determination, Mia turned to Kai. “Come on, Kai! We have work to do!”

“Right behind you,” Kai said, relief flooding through him as they began to head back inside, leaving Wu with the remnants of his former robes.

As they walked away, Blackie sauntered over to Wu, licking his paw nonchalantly. “Well, that was quite the breakfast mishap, wasn’t it?”

Wu shook his head with a chuckle. “You might be right about that.”

“Next time, I recommend wearing an apron,” Blackie quipped, and Wu couldn’t help but laugh despite the situation.