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The kitchen smelled like... "a fresh morning."

Karin was standing at the counter, having already tied her hair back and slipped on a light-colored apron over her red jumpsuit.

Runo stood next to her, calmly slicing an avocado.

The movements of the beautiful gray-haired woman were confident and meditative.

Both women worked almost in silence, only occasionally glancing at each other and exchanging short phrases.

- (Karin). "Today we’ll make eggs Benedict with salmon..."

Karin said quietly, taking a package of lightly salted salmon and a carton of fresh eggs out of the refrigerator.

- (Karin). "And... avocado mousse instead of the classic hollandaise sauce. It’ll be lighter and fresher."

Runo just nodded and continued mashing the avocado flesh with a fork.

She added a little fresh lemon juice, a pinch of sea salt, a few turns of the black pepper mill, and a drop of high-quality olive oil.

The mixture quickly turned into a delicate, paste-like mousse of a rich green color with a light, buttery texture.

The charming grandmother tasted it with the tip of a spoon, gave herself a slight nod of approval, and set the bowl aside, covering it with plastic wrap.

Meanwhile, Karin was busy with the eggs.

She poured water into a saucepan, added a tablespoon of white vinegar, and placed it over medium heat.

While the water was heating up, the blonde carefully cracked four eggs into separate small cups, making sure the yolks remained intact.

When the water was almost boiling, Karin turned down the heat, created a small whirlpool in the pot, and began lowering the eggs in one by one.

The egg white immediately curled around the yolk, forming neat white "pockets."

She timed it — exactly three minutes and forty seconds.

- (Karin). "Perfect..."

Meanwhile, Runo was toasting the halves of English muffins in a dry, heavy skillet.

She placed them cut-side down and held them there until an even golden crust appeared.

When the muffins were ready, the elegant grandmother spread a thin layer of soft butter on them, which melted immediately from the heat.

- (Runo). "My sweet granddaughter Phoebe is sure to love these muffins..."

Karin scooped out the eggs with a slotted spoon and placed them on several layers of paper towels to remove excess moisture.

The yolks inside remained runny — just the way she liked them.

- (Karin). "Hehe..."

Runo had already sliced the salmon.

She took a knife with a long, thin blade and cut the fish into thin, almost translucent slices, arranging them on a separate plate.

The salmon was fresh, fatty, with a characteristic pink hue and a slight sheen.

Karin began assembling the dish.

On each toasted muffin half, she placed a few slices of salmon, carefully spreading them out so they covered the bread evenly.

On top, she gently placed a poached egg.

The yolk sagged slightly under its own weight but didn’t run.

The finishing touch was the avocado mousse — Karin spooned it into small mounds next to the egg so that it would spread slightly over the warm muffin, blending with the butter and salmon juice.

While the main course was being assembled, Runo took care of the drinks.

She brewed a fresh, special coffee drink in a cezve over low heat, let it steep for a few minutes under the lid, and then poured it into large ceramic cups.

Separately, she squeezed some orange juice — a few large oranges yielded plenty of the fresh, slightly tart drink.

She poured chilled mineral water into a small pitcher, added a few lemon wedges and a sprig of fresh mint.

The nearly finished servings were already arranged on a large wooden board.

Golden muffins, pink salmon, delicate poached eggs with runny yolks, and bright green avocado mousse.

Next to them were cups of coffee, glasses of juice, and a small pitcher of water.

Karin wiped her hands on her apron and glanced at Runo.

- (Karin). "Just a minute more and... we can set the table."

Runo just nodded.

She was still standing by the counter, gently stirring the avocado mousse and checking to make sure it hadn’t thickened too much.

The kitchen was filled with the aroma of fresh coffee, warm bread, salmon, lemon, and green avocado.

Everything looked neat, appetizing, and very morning-like.

Both women continued working — Karin was checking to make sure all the eggs had the right consistency, while Runo was adding the finishing touches to the table setting.

Breakfast was almost ready, but they still hadn’t stopped.

- (Me). "..."

(Since when did our story turn into... a culinary novel?)

While Karin and Runo were living up to their titles as the "Two Empresses of Cooking," Sohen remained in the living room, periodically glancing back and forth between the soccer game and the two stunning beauties who were preparing breakfast for four people.

(Damn this football game. I’d rather just watch Mom and Grandma cook the whole time. Unlike "The Game of Millions," there was something in the kitchen that... really caught my attention, hehe. Their asses and boobs... Shit! What am I thinking?! I just calmed my dick down.)

It really took some time for Sohen’s "equipment" to calm down from his grandma’s unexpected sexual provocation, and luckily, the TV commercial helped a lot with that.

(What a depressing video about homeless animals that was... It could even make you cry...)

The break ended quickly, and the game resumed.

The second half began just as cautiously as the first had ended.

Italy, holding the lead, immediately dropped deeper and began playing from a defensive stance.

The Ukrainians tried to press, but their attacks looked disjointed and predictable.

The ball circulated for a long time between the defenders and midfielders; the passes were short and lacked sharpness, and attempts to push forward were quickly thwarted by the tight Italian defense.

In the 52nd minute, Ukraine earned a corner kick.

The play didn’t go well — the ball immediately flew to an Italian defender, who calmly cleared it back to his own half.

A few minutes later, the Ukrainian midfielder attempted a long-range shot, but the ball sailed well wide of the goal.

Italy barely responded.

Their rare counterattacks ended either with a turnover or with inaccurate passes.

In the 61st minute, one of the Italian forwards received the ball on the left flank, but his cross was too strong and went out of bounds.

The game was becoming increasingly sluggish.

Commentators were already starting to talk about "caution" and "protecting the lead."

The Ukrainians continued to look for opportunities, but the Italian defense was working flawlessly: cutting off passes, closing down space, and preventing them from building momentum.

In the 73rd minute, Ukraine took another corner kick.

This time, the ball from the cross reached the head of one of the forwards, but the header was weak, and the Italian goalkeeper calmly gathered it in his hands.

Once again, there was no response from the Italians.

The final fifteen minutes unfolded in the same vein.

Ukraine tried to pick up the pace, but they lacked both the energy and fresh ideas.

Italy continued to calmly keep possession, making long passes and running down the clock.

In the 87th minute, the Ukrainians tried once more to shoot from distance — the ball flew wide again.

The referee added two minutes of stoppage time.

Nothing significant happened during that time.

Ukraine’s final shot also missed the target.

The final whistle blew.

The score remained 2–1 in Italy’s favor.

Sohen leaned back against the sofa, took a sip of his now-warm soda, and exhaled quietly.

(How... "spineless" that was.)

- (Karin). "I think it’s ready..."

- (Runo). "Okay... Sohen? Sweetheart? Breakfast is ready. Go get your sister and come to the kitchen."

- (Me). "Okay, Grandma."

Sohen turned off the TV, threw his soda cans and empty snack bags into the trash can, and then went to Phoebe’s room.

(~sound of knocking on the door)

- (Me). "Phoebe? Phoebe, it’s me. Are you still asleep? Wake up and let’s go have breakfast."

The main character quickly found himself at the door of his sweet younger sister and tried to wake her up, but he didn’t get even the slightest reaction from her.

- (Me). "Phoebe? Can you hear me? Wake up and let’s go have breakfast. Mom and Grandma are already waiting for us."

Silence.

- (Me). "Phoebe?"

Sohen’s younger sister continued to ignore him, so he...

- (Me). "I’m coming in, Phoebe."

Sohen quietly opened the door and entered his sister’s room, only to...

- (Me). "Phoebe? Sis, are you still asleep? Wake up. Also, why are you... Whoa!!"

When the young man entered the room of his sweetheart, Phoebe-chan, she was lying on the bed, still lost in the world of dreams.

Everything would have been fine if...

(Phoebe... Since when did you start going to bed... naked?)