The backyard grows silent.
The picnic table is set. The buns are stacked. The sauces are lined up in suspiciously dramatic order. Somewhere near the cooler, the Ketchup Twins are whispering.
Captain Char steps toward the grill wearing an apron that says “Trust Me, I Own Tongs.” He lifts the lid. A small puff of smoke drifts upward. Nobody speaks.
Click. Click. Click.
The tongs echo across the yard. The guests understand. The cookout has begun.
Panel 1: The Arrival
Captain Char enters from the side gate like a hero returning from a charcoal mountain. Behind him: burgers, sausages, vegetables, chicken, and one suspicious bottle of sauce.
Panel 2: The Tool Check
He checks the spatula. He checks the clean plate. He checks the thermometer. He checks the tongs twice, then clicks them three times because some traditions are bigger than science.
Panel 3: The Warning
Tonga-San, the wise tongs, glows from the tool tray. “A cookout without preparation,” Tonga-San says, “is just panic with mustard.”
Panel 4: The First Mistake Avoided
Captain Char reaches for the raw-meat plate, then freezes. A clean serving platter sits nearby. He nods. Growth has occurred.
Panel 5: The Grill Accepts
The grill heats. The grates are clean. The cooler zone is ready. The food is staged. For one perfect moment, the backyard is organized.
Panel 6: The Omen
From under the condiment table, the Ketchup Twins grin. In the distance, a tiny smoke curl appears. Episode 2 is already getting ideas.
