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Fight
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaN5GS7KgU_9Nv4BJ4c26aHlHyxe3GkKZhaeQA0/?igsh=aGF2em0ya2dqeHM2
THE DAD
Anton returns home after losing everything he thought defined success.
Jobless, directionless, and carrying more weight than ever before, he must face his estranged father—a former policeman and strongman who believes strength comes from discipline, not excuses.
As old wounds reopen, both men are forced to confront grief, pride, and the truths they’ve spent years avoiding.
A story about father and son and the difference between looking strong and being strong.
new story coming soon❤️
Chapter 25
It was Sunday. Adam lay on his bed staring at the ceiling. He kept asking himself what all this overeating had really been for. Nowhere had it ever said they were supposed to stuff themselves like pigs. They were supposed to cook from their mom’s recipe book. Sit down. Taste the food. Remember. Maybe talk about a few things. Maybe understand their father. Maybe understand themselves. They were supposed to eat like normal people. But they didn’t eat like normal people. He thought about the number on the scale. 141 kilograms. Then he looked down at himself. All he could see was his enormous belly. Slowly, he got up. He had slept naked, which wasn’t something he normally did. Apparently, he couldn’t even stand wearing clothes through the night anymore. He walked past the mirror and stopped.
He looked at himself. A massive, imposing figure. His belly dominated the entire image.
Yesterday they had eaten another mountain of food. He wondered how many stuffed peppers he had eaten himself. Matúš had eaten ten. That meant he and Jonáš had eaten around ninety peppers between them. He slowly straightened up and stretched his back. His belly spilled forward in all its glory. The towel stayed in place. The belly wasn’t going anywhere. Adam opened the refrigerator. Today was going to be another sweet day. His mom’s recipe book was very clear. Dukátové buchtičky.
The house gradually woke up. The sun began to warm everything pleasantly. They stood by the veranda railing like massive, dominant statues with enormous bellies. Each of them had found his own way to get comfortable. Adam leaned against it sideways. Matúš rested his hands underneath his stomach. Jonáš simply let his belly rest on the wooden railing. “Thank God for this railing,” he remarked.
They drank their coffee in silence.
“Guys, we’ve been together for seven days, and all we’ve done is eat nonstop,” Matúš said thoughtfully. “But we enjoy it,” Jonáš replied.
Adam looked at Matúš’s huge belly and said, “We do. Especially you, since you were live on air.”
Matúš perked up. “On air?”
Jonáš heavily lowered himself beside him. He wrapped an arm around his shoulder like a brother. He wanted to give his belly a solid pat, but sitting down made that surprisingly difficult because he had to lean over his own stomach. Eventually he managed it. Matúš’s belly gave off a deep, heavy thud beneath his palm. Matúš looked confused. “That’s right, Matúško. That belly of yours was seen by the whole world yesterday.”
Matúš didn’t understand. Adam sat down on his other side. He also put an arm around him and gave his huge belly a firm slap. “Matúš, the way you were eating yesterday, all those dishes—it was streamed. People were betting on you.”
The smile disappeared from Matúš’s face. “What?”
Adam continued. “More than 8,400 calories in two and a half hours. A lot of people clearly lost money. Tibor made a profit.”
“At least you ate like a king,” Jonáš added.
Adam looked at him and asked, “You want breakfast?”
Matúš stood there in shock. Nobody had told him anything. Nobody had explained it. He walked into the kitchen, where he had left his jacket. In one of the pockets, he found the paper he had signed the day before. This time, he read it carefully.
The longer he read, the stiffer his face became. “Oh. So I actually signed up for five more feasts like this.”
Adam leaned against the counter. Matúš looked up. “What does that mean?”
Jonáš answered before Adam could. “It means you’re going to eat like that five more times. Maybe even more.”
“People want to see more,” Adam added.
Matúš looked down at his belly. “I can’t do that.”
Jonáš walked over to him. Matúš was sitting while Jonáš remained standing, and suddenly Jonáš’s enormous belly appeared so close in front of him that it briefly blocked his view of everything else.
“I’d like it,” Jonáš said.
Matúš looked up at him. “Seriously, Jonáš?”
Jonáš glanced at the paper and said, “The next stream is already today.”
Adam placed their mom’s recipe book on the table. The last day. Dukátové buchtičky.
“We need to start baking. How many do you think?”
Matúš was still trying to process everything, but he answered almost automatically. “A lot.”
Jonáš nodded. “We could never get enough of those. Now even less.”
Just then, a car pulled into the yard. Tibor stepped out. His large ears glowed in the morning sunlight. He looked seriously good. He walked up to the veranda and knocked. Matúš froze. He didn’t want to talk to him.
But Jonáš already had a plan.
He pulled his sweatpants lower beneath his belly to make himself look even more imposing and stepped outside.
Jonáš stood in the doorway like Goliath. Huge. Broad. His belly pushed out in front of him. Tibor looked like a delicate flower beside him.
“Good morning. I came to arrange today’s event,” Tibor greeted him.
Jonáš smiled calmly. “Good morning. Looking forward to it.”
“We’ll start at four.” Tibor seemed slightly surprised.
“Okay. The full menu again today?” Jonáš asked.
Tibor shook his head. “Not today. Today it’s only dukátové buchtičky. This is about quantity.”
“Fine. But let’s do it this way. I’ll be the main event. My brothers will be having lunch at your place too. Dukátové buchtičky for them as well. So make plenty.”
Tibor smiled. He stepped closer to Jonáš and placed a hand on his belly. He gently stroked it, then leaned in and whispered, “I’m glad it’s you. Matúš is great, but you’re my monster.” Jonáš didn’t move. “You’re going all out today,” Tibor added.
As he pulled back, one of his large ears accidentally brushed against Jonáš’s. The touch lasted only a moment. But Jonáš liked it. A lot.
The guys arrived at the café dressed up. They looked sharp. Jonáš was wearing a button-down shirt. He knew why. Tibor greeted them at the door. He looked at each of them in turn, but he lingered longest on Jonáš. Tibor walked past him, smiled, and rubbed his belly.
“Gentlemen, today is all about you. We’ll keep bringing you dukátové buchtičky for as long as you want them.”
Matúš was immediately excited. Adam looked more cautious, but even he seemed pleased. Sweet foods had a special power. They weren’t just dessert. They were a challenge.
They sat down at the table. Tibor brought out the first servings. These weren’t the tiny school-cafeteria pieces their mom used to make. They were bigger, fluffy, golden, and covered in thick vanilla cream.
“You’re doing this before the stream?” Matúš asked Jonáš.
“One serving to stretch the belly,” Jonáš said with a grin.
“Your belly’s already stretched so much that one serving can’t possibly be a warm-up round,” Adam laughed.
The buns disappeared quickly. Vanilla cream lingered on their lips, their fingers, occasionally even on the tablecloth. The sweetness was soft, warm, and deceptively light. The first servings vanished before they could really feel any pressure.
“How many are actually in one serving?” Adam asked. “Mom used to make little ones like they served in school. These are basically slices we’re dipping into cream.”
Jonáš looked at his plate. “Eight.”
Tibor arrived with another batch. “May I serve?”
The guys nodded. Tibor mischievously wiggled his ears at Matúš. Matúš blushed. The movement was so obvious it felt like a private signal.
Jonáš looked up at Tibor. “And my serving?”
Tibor looked at him, then at the belly trapped inside his shirt. “You’re being served in the other room. Follow me.” Adam and Matúš watched as he disappeared with Tibor. Jonáš and Tibor entered the bright room Jonáš recognized from yesterday’s stream. Nothing was hidden anymore. The camera was visible. The lighting was ready. The table was set. The room felt calm, but Jonáš immediately sensed this was going to be a performance.
“Today it’s all out in the open. I’ll keep bringing you dukátové buchtičky. We’ll start with larger amounts, and later you’ll decide how much you can handle. I trust you won’t disappoint me,” Tibor explained.
Jonáš sat down. The shirt pressed so tightly against his stomach that breathing was difficult. He carefully adjusted his belly so the buttons wouldn’t pop right away.
Tibor left and soon returned carrying two full plates. Sixteen buns. And a huge bowl of vanilla cream.
Jonáš started eating. Like a man. Without hesitation. He grabbed a bun, dipped it into the cream, and took a bite. Cream dripped onto his shirt, but he didn’t care. His ears moved slightly with every bite, as if his entire body was working to the same rhythm.
Less than ten minutes later, both servings were gone.
Adam and Matúš watched the stream from their table. More plates had already appeared in front of them, and despite being full, they kept eating.
“What should we bet on him?” Matúš asked.
Adam looked at him. “On our brother?” Matúš shrugged.
“We’ll see how he gets going. The final rounds will be the deciding ones,” Adam said.
“We’re not slacking off either. I’m already sixteen in,” Matúš replied, dipping another piece into the cream.
In the other room, Jonáš licked his fingers clean. A moment later, Tibor arrived again. This time he carried three servings. He placed them in front of Jonáš and leaned toward him.
“You started strong. Now you’ll do twenty-four.”
Jonáš stretched slightly toward him. Tibor leaned closer.
“You should unbutton your shirt. But try to finish these with it still buttoned. I think the buttons will give up on their own. Relax.”
Jonáš dug in. Again, like a man. Almost like a lumberjack. His mouth filled with dough and sweet cream. He no longer cared if he made a mess. Cream dripped onto his shirt, his pants, and the tablecloth. All he saw were the buns. He ate.
Soon the plates were empty.
He needed a stretch.
He leaned back, raised his arms, and stretched hard.
His belly pushed against the shirt.
The buttons didn’t survive.
They shot across the room, and his stomach burst free. It settled majestically against the edge of the table.
Relief.
Adam and Matúš were already full. Matúš looked at the screen. Jonáš had just finished another two servings. Tibor quietly entered the room. Jonáš was licking cream out of the bowl. He looked at Tibor and smiled. The idea that he could eat this long made him happy. He could feel his body protesting, but it hadn’t given up yet. He took a sip of coffee. Then some milk. Then started on another round of buns. Time-based bets were running on the stream, predicting how much he would eat in an hour. The counter was relentless. Adam and Matúš watched the screen.
“Look at that belly,” Matúš commented. “He’s not getting out of that chair today.”
Adam stayed silent.
“People are betting he’s eaten a hundred buns. I think it’s more. He put away forty in the first twenty minutes alone.”
Jonáš no longer thought in servings. He thought in volume. Capacity. Cream. Warmth. Sugar. Pressure. His belly kept bumping into the edge of the table, covered in cream and crumbs. Any pieces that fell onto it, he picked up with his fingers and ate too. Gong. The first stage ended. Jonáš sat there catching his breath.
“You’re incredible. One hundred and nine buns in an hour. How do you feel?” Jonáš sprawled in his chair. “Good.” Then he lifted his belly and placed it on the table. He groaned. “This is better.”
“You’ve got cream everywhere. Even behind your ears,” Tibor smiled.
“So is it over now? Did you make your money?” Jonáš asked.
“There’s still the finale. People will bet on how many you can eat. We’ll start with a serving of eight. After that, you decide the size of the next one.”
Jonáš straightened up. Now he would be the one pushing past his own limits. The stream resumed.
Adam and Matúš sat there with their bellies hanging out, watching Jonáš. They were completely full themselves, but they still had to finish the last buns in front of them. Nobody left the table.
“What’s happening now?” Matúš asked.
The fatigue was already visible on Jonáš. His body was grinding away. He was sweating. Beads of sweat ran down his face. His ears glistened. Everyone waited for his number.
“So how many?” Adam wondered.
“At least ten. I know him,” Matúš replied.
A number appeared on the screen. 12. Twelve golden buns now towered in front of Jonáš. He grabbed them with both hands. He alternated between dipping them in cream and chocolate, eating from both hands at once. The buns disappeared. The betting climbed higher.
Finished.
Jonáš felt he had reached his absolute limit. But the pressure, the pleasure, and the sight of the numbers kept pulling him forward. He signaled another eight. Eight more appeared. He wiped his hands on his huge belly. He ate them too. Tibor’s large ears had practically turned purple with excitement. He watched Jonáš and waited for the next number. Five. Tibor set down another serving with five buns. He clearly sensed Jonáš was crossing a line. He leaned in and whispered, “Don’t stop if you don’t have to.” Jonáš reached for another bun. And ate it.
Adam watched the screen with growing concern.
“He needs to stop. He’s done. This is becoming a health issue.”
“Let him get at least four more. I already placed a bet,” Matúš said.
“You idiot,” Adam muttered. Then he added, “Seriously though, I’m more concerned about how we’re getting him home. Look at that belly. There’s no way a human being should be able to eat that many buns.”
Tibor waited for Jonáš’s signal. Jonáš held up four fingers. Tibor smiled and brought another serving. As he set the plate down, Jonáš mumbled, “After this, I’m done.”
He started on the final four. His head was beginning to spin. He was full of sugar and baked dough. His stomach was stretched to the limit. Finished. Bing.
But Tibor returned with another serving. Eight buns.
Jonáš looked up sharply. “Why?”
“This is the mandatory final bet. People wagered how many you’d eat.” He placed the buns directly on Jonáš’s enormous belly. This time Tibor’s voice was firmer. “Eat.”
Adam froze in front of the screen. “Seriously? He’s going to burst.”
Matúš watched Jonáš. “Relax. He’ll do it.”
Jonáš picked up the first bun. Then another. He scooped up cream and chocolate with his hands, slowly, savoring every bite. He bit. Chewed. Swallowed. Another. Another. Only two remained.
Tibor brought him a glass of milk. “Drink this. It’ll help.”
Jonáš didn’t even try to sit up straighter. He was eating the buns directly off his belly. Another. One left. He wanted to stop. But then he looked at his majestic stomach and picked up the last one too. The room filled with the sounds of chewing, breathing, and silence. Finished. The camera shut off.
His brothers staggered into the room. Their bellies hung heavily in front of them. Overstuffed and weighed down by food, they walked over and patted him on the shoulders and stomach in approval, almost ceremonially.
Adam looked him over. “You’ve got to weigh two hundred kilos today.” Then he looked at Matúš and asked, “How are we supposed to get him home?”
Chapter 23
Tibor gave Matúš a subtle, man-to-man smile and set the first plate down in front of him. It was ravioli. Large, glossy ravioli coated in butter and sprinkled with Parmesan. The aroma of pasta, cheese, and herbs immediately drifted up toward him. Matúš’s eyes lit up. He loved ravioli. For an appetizer, it was a respectable portion—almost suspiciously respectable—but he didn’t think much about it. Tibor said, “First appetizer.”
Matúš picked up his utensils and started eating. On a screen in a small room next door, betting immediately opened up. People were placing wagers on how long it would take him to finish the first serving. Tibor started a stopwatch. Matúš had no idea. He ate quickly, calmly, with the confidence of a man who didn’t like wasting time. The ravioli disappeared fast. Twenty-five. Twenty-six. Twenty-seven. Stop. Four minutes and twenty-seven seconds. Nobody guessed it correctly.
Tibor poured Matúš a glass of wine and brought out the second appetizer. This time it was warm potato croquettes with bryndza cream, bacon dust, and onion oil. Maybe two hundred fifty grams, but plated elegantly. Tasting-menu style. Innocent-looking. Matúš figured this wouldn’t be a problem. It wasn’t. Tibor stood nearby, occasionally topping off his glass, occasionally encouraging him with a short comment. Matúš ate and felt his competitive side slowly waking up. Not against the audience he didn’t know existed. Against himself. After the second appetizer came another glass of wine and a third plate. Matúš thought it would finally be the main course. It wasn’t. A beef tartare on toasted bread landed in front of him. Another appetizer. Matúš was already starting to feel pressure in his stomach. He’d basically eaten almost a kilo of food and they were still just getting started. He finished it.
Tibor poured more wine and asked, “Everything okay?”
Matúš wiped his mouth and nodded.
Tibor added, “Everything so far is going on the menu.”
Matúš leaned back. His shirt was stretched tight across his stomach.
“Compliments to the chef. The food is outstanding.”
Tibor smiled and asked if he was ready for the next course. Matúš nodded. A moment later, a bowl of thick tripe soup was sitting in front of him. He loved tripe soup. He scooped up a hefty chunk of tripe with his spoon like an excavator. The soup was spicy, rich, heavy, and thick. He didn’t even notice there was almost four hundred milliliters of it. The hot paprika flushed his face. His ears turned red. The tripe soup vanished into his belly like a glass of water. The betting intensified.
Back home, Adam and Jonáš sat in front of a laptop, staring at the screen in disbelief. They watched Matúš as one dish after another disappeared from the plates. After the tripe soup came a rich beef broth with liver dumplings. Then Hungarian goulash with homemade bread dumplings. In the corner of the screen, estimated calorie counts kept updating.
4,200 kcal.
Jonáš didn’t move. Adam sat with his hands resting on the table, watching Matúš’s shirt struggle more and more against his stomach. Watching the fabric stretch. Watching the mass of his belly press against the edge of the table. Watching his brother keep a calm expression while his body was already working at full capacity. Tibor brought another dish. Roasted duck liver with onion jam, butter brioche, and red wine sauce. Matúš looked up.
“How much more do you have prepared?”
Tibor smiled.
“You’ve already eaten more than half.”
The betting picked up momentum. Tibor leaned toward Matúš and whispered that he could unbutton his shirt. It would be more comfortable. If he wanted, Tibor could do it for him. Matúš agreed. Tibor slowly loosened the buttons. The shirt opened, and Matúš’s stomach finally spilled forward. The next dish was already in front of him. Pork cheeks with root vegetables, potato cream purée, pan sauce, and crispy onions. Matúš picked up his utensils. He ate. He was surprised himself that he still wasn’t full. Then another dish arrived. Grilled sausage with bean ragout and sauerkraut. Another glass of wine. The wine was lighter, but it helped. It dulled the boundaries.
Adam kept staring at the screen. He wanted to do something. Turn it off. Call him. Go get him. But he sat there, hypnotized. He was starting to get worried. In the corner of the screen it now read: 8,400 kcal.
Adam remembered the time he’d tried to eat ten thousand calories at a Chinese buffet. It hadn’t ended well. Even though he’d absolutely stuffed himself that day, he’d been banned from that buffet ever since.
Jonáš looked at him.
“You actually have experience with that? I never would’ve guessed.”
Adam didn’t answer. He kept watching Matúš.
Matúš was served cottage cheese crepes with butter, sugar, and fruit sauce. He thought that had to be the end. After the crepes came their famous steamed buns. Four large ones, soft, sprinkled with poppy seeds and drenched in butter and sugar. A lot for a tasting menu. Then came tiramisu in a deep bowl. Creamy, heavy, sweet. Matúš ate more slowly. But he kept eating. The last bite disappeared into his belly after two and a half hours. Everything.
Tibor walked in carrying a pitcher of water. He poured a glass and then looked at Matúš. He was slumped back in the armchair, shirt open, jacket pushed behind him, his stomach enormous, stretched tight, and heavy.
“Can you stand up?” Tibor asked.
“Don’t you have anything else?” Matúš said with a smile.
“No.” Tibor shook his head. “I’ll help you up.”
Matúš stood. He felt a little drunk, but after seeing the four empty wine bottles, he wasn’t surprised. He took off his shirt and handed it to Tibor. It was soaked with sweat and missing buttons, but it had done its job. Matúš tried to pull his T-shirt back on. His stomach was too large, too full, and hanging too low. The fabric caught on top of his belly and refused to go any farther. After a moment, he gave up. He kept only the jacket on. His belly remained exposed. Full. Heavy. Visible.
Tibor looked at him, then at the monitor in the next room. The numbers stopped. The betting was closed. Matúš had no idea how many people had just been watching him. Not yet.
Chapter 24
A taxi came for Adam and Jonáš. Matúš still wasn’t answering, and meanwhile they’d already gotten a call from the dining hall by the cultural center saying the feast was ready. They put on their suits. Once again, they squeezed themselves into narrow dress shirts that their stomachs accepted only with great reluctance. The buttons held on with little confidence. They left their jackets open. There was no other option. They called Matúš several more times. Nothing. The taxi dropped them off in front of the cultural center. They walked into a small room set up as a simple buffet. On the counter were large heated serving trays full of stuffed peppers, bowls of boiled potatoes, containers of sauce, and several bottles of mineral water. Adam paid. They sat down and waited for a while. The manager looked at them, then at the food, and asked, “Where are your guests?”
Adam smiled a little too calmly and replied, “It didn’t work out in the end.” The woman looked at the hundred stuffed peppers and asked, “So what are we supposed to do with all this food now?” Jonáš leaned back. His shirt stretched tight across his stomach, and he calmly replied, “Don’t worry about that. Just look at us.” The woman sized them up. They were big, solid, heavy men. But a hundred stuffed peppers was still a hundred stuffed peppers. “I don’t think two guys can eat a hundred peppers. Not even guys built like you.” She added that and walked away.
Jonáš opened his mouth and repeated, “A hundred?” Adam smirked.
“You’ll eat half of them by yourself.” Jonáš looked at him.
“You should’ve told me.”
“You’d be smiling a lot less,” Adam replied. Then he stood up and said, “Let’s eat.”
Jonáš sat down, and Adam brought him the first two plates. Ten stuffed peppers and a huge pile of boiled potatoes. He served himself about the same. The sauce flooded the plates until the potatoes around the edges started disappearing into the tomato gravy.
They started eating.
Jonáš’s ears practically glowed from how happy he was. He loved stuffed peppers. One pepper after another vanished into his belly. Meat, rice, sauce, potatoes. Every bite tasted exactly the way he remembered it. Adam wasn’t about to fall behind. He ate more slowly, but steadily. At the same time, he kept thinking about Matúš.
What was going on with him?
The broadcast was over. The bets had ended somehow. Matúš had to still be at Breafeast. But Adam had no idea what he looked like, what condition he was in, or whether he could even drive.
The phone rang. Matúš. Adam put him on speaker. Matúš’s voice came through the phone speaker. Cheerful, tired, and a little slurred. “Guys, where are you? I’ve been drinking, I can’t drive, and I’m stuffed like a pig.”
“We know,” Adam said. Silence on the other end.
“How do you know?” Matúš asked, surprised.
“Don’t worry about that right now. Stuffed or not, there’s stuffed pepper waiting for you here. You’re not getting out of it.” Matúš went quiet.
“Stuffed pepper... God. I think I might burst. I’m sitting in a café right now trying to digest a little. Tibor even brought me some enzymes. Hopefully they’ll help and I’ll still be able to eat some peppers. I can handle one serving, at least,” he added cheerfully.
“Get over here,” Adam said, ending the call.
Meanwhile, Jonáš had finished another five peppers. Adam laughed. “See? Didn’t I tell you? You’ll eat at least fifty by yourself.”
Jonáš smiled, though he was breathing harder now. “That scrambled eggs breakfast is slowing me down. But I’ll do it.” He bit into another pepper.
They ate alone in the dim light of the small room. The peppers disappeared along with the potatoes. The sauce levels dropped in the serving trays. Plates came and went. Mineral water kept getting refilled.
Forty minutes later, the door opened. Matúš walked in. He was cheerful. In a great mood. His belly hung completely out, wearing only a suit jacket with no shirt underneath. His face was red, his ears were glowing, and he walked toward his brothers happy and drunk.
Adam looked at him. “You actually walked through town like that?”
Matúš spread his arms. “Of course. I’m a big man.”
“Yeah,” Jonáš muttered. “We saw.”
Matúš stopped. “What’s with you guys and this whole ‘we saw’ thing?”
Adam calmly took a sip of mineral water. “You ate more than eighty-five hundred calories. And now you want to cram stuffed peppers into that belly too?”
Matúš walked over to the serving tray, opened it, and took one pepper. Then a second. Jonáš looked at him. “Serve yourself properly.”
So Matúš loaded up six peppers to start with, along with potatoes and sauce. He sat down between them and started eating.
“Guys, today I was testing the menu. You’ve never had food that good. We’re going there next time. Tibor will set it up.” Matúš said it between bites.
“Sure. Tibor will set it up. He sets up everything.” Adam smiled.
“You got something against him?” Matúš immediately turned toward him.
“Nothing. Just saying he’s a capable guy.”
“You’re hiding something from me.” Matúš frowned and bit into a stuffed pepper.
“We’ll tell you when we get home,” Adam and Jonáš said in unison. And they kept eating.
Adam looked at Jonáš. It seemed like he was slowly running out of steam, but there were still plenty of peppers left. One entire serving tray remained. Adam stood up and opened it.
“There’s the last thirty, just in case we were missing any.” Jonáš rested a hand on his stomach.
“How many did you stuff into yourself? Judging by that belly, I’d guess fifty.” Adam looked him up and down.
“Look at yours. I could make a few assumptions too.” Jonáš wasn’t about to let that slide. He took a deep breath.
“And look at mine. This one’s packed with twelve courses,” Matúš bragged.
Jonáš straightened up completely. He let his belly do its job, as he always liked to say. He stretched, inhaled deeply, puffed out his chest, and his huge stomach shifted as if it were creating new space inside his body. “Stretching helps make room for more food.” And it was true. A few moments later, he was shoveling down the last five peppers from the second serving tray.
Adam looked at Matúš. “You don’t seem very excited about this anymore. What’s wrong? Don’t disappoint us.”
Matúš sighed, but reached for another pepper. Adam served himself five more as well. In the end, they ate everything. One hundred peppers.
Jonáš could barely catch his breath. An empty plate sat in front of him, and his stomach was stretched so tight he could hardly bend forward. Matúš was slowly falling asleep over the table. Adam’s eyes were drooping too, although he tried to look like he was just thinking.
They called a taxi. They waited outside the cultural center. Three men who had eaten very well. Far too well. Their suit jackets were unbuttoned. Their shirts were stretched tight or ruined. Their stomachs pushed far out in front of them. Breathing came hard.
When the taxi arrived, they all went quiet. The driver had shown up in a Fiat Panda. For the three of them. Adam looked at the car and asked, “We’re supposed to fit in there?”
The driver looked them over. “Well, there’s nothing else available. But looking at you guys, I’d say this is going to be a challenge.”
“It is,” Adam agreed. “You probably haven’t transported nearly five hundred kilos of passengers before.”
Jonáš took the front seat because he was the biggest. His stomach immediately spread out between the seatbelt and the dashboard. From the back seat, Adam called out, “Move up. I can’t fit back here.” Jonáš scooted forward as much as possible. It didn’t help much.
Matúš sat behind the driver and tried not to breathe too deeply. He could feel his belly pressing against the seat in front of him. Adam wasn’t much better off. Every inch of the car worked against them. The ride home was short, but it felt long.
When they arrived, they barely managed to squeeze themselves back out. Adam simply opened the gate and said, “Let’s go to sleep.”
Nobody argued.
Chapter 22
It was ten o’clock in the morning. Adam woke up to Jonáš’s snoring. At first, he just opened his eyes and lay there for a moment. The room was filled with soft morning light, and next to him lay Jonáš, turned on his side, with his huge belly wedged between them like another piece of furniture. He snored deeply, heavily, rhythmically. Like a saw that occasionally catches and then starts up again. Adam slowly got up. For a second, he lost his balance, his belly pulling him forward, and he had to grab the wardrobe. He stood there and exhaled. He made himself a coffee, set it down on the kitchen island, looked at his belly, and spent a moment thinking about what to have for breakfast. Then he opened the refrigerator. Yesterday he had bought two trays of eggs, ham, cheese, sausages, and everything he considered a classic breakfast staple. One by one, he laid it all out on the counter. He sliced the ham, melted cheese in a skillet, browned the meat, and added the eggs. It wasn’t some delicate scrambled egg dish. It was his homemade, heavy, dense, salty breakfast mix. The smell woke Jonáš up. By the time he walked into the kitchen, Adam was already scooping a full bowl for him. Adam pointed to a chair. “Sit down and eat.”
“How many eggs?” Jonáš smiled.
“Twenty. That should be enough for you.” He set the plate in front of him.
“For me?” Jonáš raised an eyebrow.
“For us. Obviously for us.” Adam laughed and served himself too.
Jonáš could still feel last night’s doughnuts sitting in his stomach, but he didn’t complain. He sat down, picked up a spoon, and started eating. Adam ate across from him, quietly, his eyes occasionally drifting toward his brother’s belly. After a while, Jonáš looked around and said, “It’s kind of quiet in here. Is Matúš home?”
Adam shrugged. “No idea.”
They ate breakfast in silence. Eventually, Jonáš asked timidly, “When are we making the stuffed peppers?”
Adam froze. “Jesus. Right.”
He looked toward the pantry, then into the fridge. “We don’t even have any peppers. And Matúš has the car.”
Jonáš wiped his hands on a kitchen towel and asked, “So what now?”
Adam thought for a moment and said, “Best thing is for me to order it. Either we’ll go out to eat, or they’ll bring it to us.”
A brief spark appeared in Jonáš’s eyes. Adam asked, “Do they make it at Breakfeast too?” Jonáš shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“I’m going online. I’ll figure something out.” Adam said, then walked back to the bedroom.
Jonáš stayed alone in the kitchen. He cleaned up for a few minutes, but he couldn’t help himself. He opened the refrigerator and stood in front of it like he was watching television. He had just finished breakfast, but he could still eat more. He looked at the sausages. The cheese. The leftover ham. Then he closed the refrigerator.
Back in the bedroom, Adam scrolled through restaurant delivery options. Eventually, he found a small cafeteria near the cultural center. He dialed the number. A woman answered on the other end. Adam explained that he needed stuffed peppers. A lot of stuffed peppers.
The woman asked, “How many servings?”
Adam stared at the wall and answered, “What I really need is at least eighty stuffed peppers.” Silence.
“Are you having some kind of big celebration?”
Without hesitation, Adam lied. “Something like that.”
The woman did some quick calculations, then recommended ordering a full hundred. The price supposedly didn’t change much at that quantity, and at least they’d be sure to have enough. Adam agreed. The order was placed. Later that day, they would go to the cultural center, where the small cafeteria operated. The stuffed peppers would be ready in the afternoon. He was just about to close his laptop when a pop-up window appeared in the corner of the screen.
BET ON THE EATER.
Adam frowned. He was about to close it, but the text underneath the headline stopped him. Can he eat every item on the menu? Watch the live challenge. He clicked. A page with a dark background, numbers, odds, and a video window filled the monitor. Adam didn’t even really know how many dishes were part of the challenge, or what they were. He assumed it was something stupid. Out of curiosity, and as a joke, he placed a five-euro bet. Then he clicked on the video.
And froze.
On the screen was a small room. A fully set table. A white dress shirt stretched across a large belly. A suit jacket. A fresh buzz cut. Large protruding ears glowing in the backlight. Matúš. At first, Adam couldn’t believe his eyes. He leaned closer to the screen and stopped breathing. Matúš was sitting at a table in Breakfeast. In front of him was an elegant place setting, glasses, plates, silverware for multiple courses. His belly was pressed against the edge of the table, his shirt stretched so tightly that the buttons looked like the last knots holding a rope together. Numbers streamed through the corner of the video. Bets. Odds. Comments. Adam’s face went numb.
Behind him, Jonáš appeared in the doorway. Jonáš asked, “Did you find the peppers?”
Adam didn’t answer. Jonáš stepped closer and looked at the screen. At first, he didn’t understand what he was seeing. Then he went pale.
“Is that Matúš?”
Adam quietly said, “Yeah.”
On the screen, the door to the room opened and Tibor walked in carrying the first course. Elegant. Calm. Like a man who knew exactly what was about to begin.
Jonáš braced himself against the table with one hand and asked, “What is this?”
Adam read the name of the website one more time. Bet on the Eater. Then he looked at Jonáš.
And both of them realized at the same moment that Matúš had no idea what was actually happening.
Chapter 21
Matúš got up a little earlier. He went downstairs to the kitchen and made himself a coffee. He sat at the island and listened to the house sleeping. Matúš smiled. The big protruding ears they had hated as kids now felt almost like an advantage. As if they picked up the house better than his eyes did. Adam was nowhere to be found. Jonáš was nowhere to be found. He went upstairs. Quietly, he opened the door to Jonáš's room. The bed was empty. Matúš stopped. He went back downstairs to Adam's room and carefully cracked the door open. He smiled. It was like when they were kids. Except now, instead of two boys lying on a narrow bed, there were two giant mammoths. Adam and Jonáš were asleep, squeezed together with barely any room, belly against belly. A ridiculous sight. And somehow nostalgic at the same time. He didn't wake them. Matúš sat in the armchair by the door for a while and drank his coffee.
He walked into the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. He checked the hair around his ears. There was no way it could have grown back in a day. But he was already developing hair paranoia. At this rate, Tibor probably got a haircut almost every day, he thought. Matúš ran his fingers along the sides of his head. “I'm going too,” he told his reflection. He put on light blue chinos. He loved them. They were slim, hugged his legs and butt just right, and made him feel better built than he probably really was. Then he pulled on a pink LV T-shirt. He tried tucking it in, but his belly had other plans. The fabric rolled up, stretched tight, and the bottom of his stomach stayed exposed. He didn't care. Over it, he put on a light blue blazer. Standing in front of the mirror was one solid man. Big, powerful, freshly showered, with a belly like a tank and ears nobody could miss. He quietly closed the door behind him and left. The barbershop was already open.
When he walked in, Tibor was sitting in the chair. Matúš spotted him in the mirror before Tibor turned around. Tibor had a cape around his neck, his head slightly tilted down, while the barber finished up the sides. When he saw Matúš, he smiled. His big protruding ears gave a little wiggle. Matúš sat down in the other chair and couldn't resist a comment. “Morning. Heading out already? Your ears just waved at me.” Tibor smiled at his reflection. “I can wiggle my ears.” Then he did it again. Matúš saw it in the mirror. It was absurdly adorable. The big ears moved as if they had a life of their own, and with the perfectly shaved sides, they stood out even more. Matúš said, “You could use that as a greeting now.” Tibor smirked. “Probably only with you.”
The barber finished Tibor's fade. There was something oddly satisfying about watching him brush away the tiny hairs around Tibor's ears, then apply cologne to the skin and run his fingers briefly along the edges as if checking the clean line. Tibor sat calmly, though his ears had turned slightly red. When he stood up, he said goodbye to the barber. Before leaving, he leaned toward Matúš and quietly whispered in his ear, “Whichever one you are, I'll be waiting for you.” Then he gave his belly a solid slap. Matúš smiled and, in return, tugged hard on Tibor's ear. Not rough. Brotherly. But enough to make Tibor hiss and laugh at the same time. The barber watched the whole scene in the mirror. “Looks like something's going on here,” he remarked.
Matúš sat down in the chair and let himself be covered with the cape. The fabric immediately lifted over his stomach, creating a large rounded hill in front of him. The barber asked, “What are we cutting? Not much has grown since yesterday.”
Matúš looked into the mirror. “The top. Give me a proper buzz cut.” The barber nodded. The clippers buzzed.
Matúš closed his eyes. Half an hour later, he walked out of the barbershop. His hair was almost shaved off. He felt good. Dangerously good, actually. And hungry. He headed straight to Breakfast. There were already a few people in the café, but it wasn't crowded. He sat more toward the corner so he could see both the room and the counter. Tibor was quick. He came over right away, but he didn't take his usual server posture. He looked at Matúš, then at his clothes, his belly, his fresh haircut, and said, “I have a different seat for you today. Come with me.”
Matúš was a little surprised. But that was exactly what intrigued him. He got out of the chair with more effort than he'd like to admit and followed Tibor. They walked past the counter and entered a small room, something like a meeting room. It was cozy and separated from the main café area. Bright light, minimalist décor, and a table set in the middle. Tibor seated him. Matúš noticed the chair was sturdier. Wider. The table was set a little farther away from it. Somebody had thought this through. Tibor stood across from him and asked, “Ready for a real breakfast?”
Matúš looked at the table setting. He placed a hand on his belly, which pushed forward beneath his white T-shirt as if it already knew the answer before he did. “I am,” he said.
This wasn't a regular table in a café. It was set almost too nicely. White tablecloth, large dinner plate, smaller plates off to the side, two glasses, silverware arranged by course, cloth napkin. It felt more like a private tasting event than breakfast for a guy who had only decided to visit the barber an hour earlier.
Matúš sat down carefully. The chair was sturdy and wider than normal café chairs. Tibor stood beside him and calmly explained that they were testing a new menu today. Several courses. They wanted the opinion of a true food lover, someone who genuinely appreciated good food. The rule was simple: if he finished the entire serving, the dish could go on the menu. If he didn't, he had to pay for it. Tibor placed a document in front of him. Matúš barely skimmed it. The food already interested him more than the text. It was probably in their genes. Whenever a feast appeared in front of them, reason stepped aside and let the body make the decisions. Besides, if it was a tasting menu, he wasn't worried. Tasting menus meant small portions, after all. He signed.
“Will somebody be serving us in here?” Matúš asked.
Tibor smiled and said yes. He added that today would be a more upscale experience, and that he appreciated Matúš's nice outfit and fresh haircut. It would have looked even better with a dress shirt. Matúš glanced down at his pink LV T-shirt stretched across his belly and nowhere close to covering all of it. “If you've got one I can wear, I don't mind.” Tibor stepped out for a moment. He returned with a white shirt. Matúš took off his blazer and pulled off the T-shirt. He stood there with his massive torso exposed. Tibor helped him into the shirt. It was XXXL, but with Matúš that didn't mean much anymore. The shoulders fit well. The chest fit well enough. The problem started at the belly. The buttons refused to meet.
“Need some help?” Tibor asked.
“You'll have to. Hopefully those buttons are built tough,” Matúš joked.
Tibor calmly replied that a popped button would just be a bonus part of the test.
Matúš took a deep breath and tried pulling in his stomach. It helped a little. Tibor grabbed the edges of the shirt firmly, pulled the fabric across Matúš's belly, and started buttoning it up. The shirt stretched, the belly resisted, but eventually the fabric gave in. Then Tibor tucked the shirt into his pants. That wasn't easy either. The pants were slim, the belly hung low, and the fabric didn't want to cooperate. But Tibor worked calmly, almost professionally. Finally, he helped Matúš back into the blazer and seated him at the table. Matúš's enormous belly touched the edge of the table. Tibor stepped back for a moment. It was a good picture. A big man, white shirt stretched across his stomach, blazer open, broad shoulders, strong jaw, fresh buzz cut, big protruding ears, and a beautifully set table in front of him.
Tibor walked into a small room next door. A little technical room. He checked the feed from the meeting room on a monitor. Perfect. The soft light fell across Matúš's belly, making it look even bigger. Backlighting shone through his large ears, which looked more prominent than ever after today's barber visit. This guy has to show what he's capable of today, he thought.
Numbers appeared on the monitor. Something like a calculator, only more alive. The numbers changed and slowly increased. Carefully at first.
Matúš had no idea what he had actually signed. It wasn't just about the food. He had also agreed to an online test. A live stream. Everything that came with the betting company behind it. It was written in the document, but buried among the formal language people skip over when they're already waiting for the first course.
Music started playing in the room. Pleasant. Soft. Almost luxurious. Matúš sat at the table with his hands resting beside the silverware.
The door opened.
Chapter 19
The guys were heading home stuffed with pancakes and sausages. Adam drove slowly, one hand on the wheel. The sides of his head were cleanly skin-faded, his ears fully exposed, the lines sharp. Matúš watched him from the back seat for a moment, then nodded approvingly. “That fade looks awesome. Absolutely perfect.” Adam ran his fingers around his ears. They lightly bounced under his touch, and he smiled. “I love it like this.” The house welcomed them in the evening light. They unloaded groceries for even more food. Today was supposed to be a sweet-food day. They cut themselves a little slack and bought the steamed buns ready-made. Adam grabbed four packs with eight buns each. Thirty-two buns. Hopefully that would be enough.
Matúš and Jonáš unloaded flour, eggs, milk, oil, and the rest of the supplies. They were making donuts, steamed buns, and even langoš. Sweet, greasy, heavy food. After the pancakes, it was an absurd plan. But absurd plans were starting to become normal in their house. Once they changed into comfortable clothes, they finally let their stomachs spill free from their tight shirts. The relief was instant. Jonáš and Matúš took their coffee out to the porch. Warm rays of sunlight fell across their large, exposed bellies. A moment later Adam joined them and rested his gut on the railing. Jonáš looked at him. “What?”
“I’m okay.” Adam rubbed his stomach. He was quiet for a moment, then added, “We need to remodel the bathroom. You can’t even move around in there normally anymore.”
Jonáš nodded and said dryly, “Tell me about it. Did you weigh yourself?” Adam smiled. Matúš immediately perked up. “So how much?” Adam stayed silent for a moment, as if double-checking whether he really wanted to say it out loud. “Guys, this probably shouldn’t even be possible. One-forty. Right now, after the pancakes.” Matúš didn’t look surprised. “Are you really shocked? We eat like machines around here. We barely move. We eat and sleep.” Later, a curse came from the bathroom. Matúš immediately lifted his head. “See? I’m guessing one-fifty.” Jonáš came outside, rested his gut on the railing next to Adam’s, and stared out into the yard. Adam ran a hand across the freshly shaved back of his head and smiled. “Your ears look perfect.” Matúš had less patience.
“Just spit it out.”
“Guess.”
“I said one-fifty.”
“Higher?” Adam asked.
“One-sixty,” Matúš pushed further.
Jonáš blushed. He straightened up, but his stomach stayed resting on the wooden railing. He lowered his eyes. “One fifty-two.” Then he added, “Let’s eat, guys.”
Adam started steaming the buns. Matúš made the donuts—small, soft, fluffy ones. He mixed up a huge batch of dough because if the buns weren’t enough, they’d make up the difference with donuts. The langoš was their backup plan for something savory. They set the table. Adam served eight buns to each person. On the club plates, they stood like little pyramids. He placed another eight in the middle of the table. Matúš stacked around fifty small donuts into two bowls. Next to them, he set down about ten langoš and said, “In case somebody wants something savory.”
Adam looked at him. “Somebody? There are only three of us here.”
Jonáš made tea, cocoa, and coffee. They stayed in sweatpants even though the evening was getting cooler. Nobody had the energy for formality. After the barbershop and Breafeast, it was time for their home ritual. They ate buns. Jam, poppy seeds, butter, soft dough. They had plum jam on their lips, poppy seeds between their teeth, sugar on their fingers. When they finished their portions, Adam leaned back and looked at the bowls. “Should we go for the donuts too?” Jonáš pointed out that there were still buns left. Matúš asked him, “Do you want them?” Jonáš looked toward the middle of the table. “I’m having donuts now.” Adam wasn’t surprised. He already knew what was happening. He slid the bowl in front of Jonáš. Full of donuts. About twenty-five of them. Then he said, “All right, let’s see if you can handle it.”
Jonáš obeyed. He liked hearing the command. Not because he couldn’t say no. But because someone had defined his place at the table before he had to admit it himself. He ate slowly. One donut after another. They were small, easy to finish in two bites, but after each one he felt his stomach filling more and more. Matúš applauded him while helping himself to another bun. Jonáš looked at him. “Leave a few buns for me.” Adam served himself ten donuts and ate quietly. That strange feeling returned—the soft huffing, the brief groan on an inhale when someone is so full they feel like their skin has nowhere left to stretch. The conversation faded. Their stomachs grew. Adam pointed at the langoš. “What about those? They should get eaten. Or are we throwing them away?” Matúš immediately frowned. “Absolutely not.”
Jonáš had just finished the last bun from his plate. In the middle of the table there were still about five donuts and ten langoš left. Adam stood up. He leaned across the table, his gut pressing against a club plate, and picked up the bowl with the last donuts. Without any discussion, he divided them up: one for Matúš, one for himself, and three for Jonáš. Then the langoš. Two for Matúš. Two for himself. Four for Jonáš. Jonáš looked at the serving. “I can’t do that.”
Adam looked at him with a dry, stern, completely calm expression. “You’ll eat it. I’m not discussing it.”
Jonáš lowered his eyes to his plate. He picked up the first langoš. He obeyed.
Chapter 20
It was already late at night. The house had gone quiet. Heavy snoring echoed from the bedrooms, the sound of men who had eaten more over the past few days than they ever meant to. Jonáš sat on the bed in his room. He was naked except for Superman-logo briefs, facing the mirror and staring at himself for so long that his own reflection started to feel unfamiliar. It looked like a scene from one of those extreme makeover shows, just without the cameras, without a trainer, without dramatic music, and without the promise that everything would change tomorrow. He was looking at a huge man. Looking at a belly that wasn't just big anymore. It was dominant. Heavy, round, pushed outward, stretched tight. It seemed like a thing of its own. Jonáš placed both hands on it.
Was he really the fattest of the three?
The question crossed his mind without any irony. Matúš and Adam had serious bellies too. All three of them had changed over the past few days. But with him, it felt different. At least that's how it seemed. Maybe he wasn't the biggest by measurements. Maybe not always. Maybe it was the way he carried himself, the way he ate, the way he could stay at the table longer than anyone else. Maybe I'm just the biggest eater, he thought. He smiled. He felt warmth spreading through his ears. He tugged one, then the other. His big ears flexed and sprang back into place. After today's haircut, they stuck out even more. Clean, exposed, unmistakable. But he already felt like something was growing around them again. Do you have to go to the barber every day or what? He laughed to himself, but the laugh pressed against his belly. He'd only been here five days. Five days of nonstop overeating. Goulash. Szeged stew. Pirohy. French potatoes. Dessert day. And in between, breakfast, pancakes, sausages, eggs, sweet rolls, coffee, wine. Laughter, sweat, buttons. He lay down on his back.
His belly moved with him at first, then against him, then finally settled. After a bowl of donuts, about twelve sweet buns, and four langošes, it sat on him like a mountain. Literally like a mountain. Raised, firm, heavy. When he inhaled, it barely moved. He hadn't seen his own crotch in a long time. That gave him pause. How much did he weigh now? How much had he gained since arriving? He knew he'd put on more than fifteen kilos in just the last month. He could feel it in his pants, his T-shirts, his button-down shirts. Is this still okay? He really needed to start going to the gym. He'd have to drag Matúš along. Maybe Adam too. Then he remembered another recipe. Tomorrow would be stuffed peppers. His entire determination collapsed at the thought of tomato sauce, potatoes, and ground meat stuffed into soft peppers. He loved stuffed peppers. How many would he eat? Ten? Definitely more.
He had to roll onto his side to breathe more easily. He lifted his belly, at least a little, and turned his whole body over, letting out a loud breath. It's weird that none of us need one of those sleep apnea machines yet. All of them snored like chainsaws. He could already hear Matúš from the room next door. Heavy breathing, uneven, deep, exhausted. Adam was farther away, but he was probably no better. Jonáš closed his eyes. Another thought appeared in his head. If someone brought him food right now, he'd eat. Not a lot. But he'd eat. There was still room. He still felt that pleasant, stuffed fullness inside him. He sat up. Lowered his legs off the bed, braced one hand on the mattress, and used the other to support his belly. A short grunt escaped him. He sat at the edge of the bed staring into the mirror across from him. How much do I weigh?
He stood up. Slowly, with one hand resting on his stomach, he opened the door and stepped into the hallway. The house was dark. A faint light from the kitchen downstairs had been left on. The scale was downstairs. Jonáš walked down the stairs. Each step creaked softly beneath him. The bathroom was cooler. He stood in front of the scale and stared at it for a moment. He took a deep breath, which wasn't easy because his belly pressed up beneath his ribs. Then he stepped onto it. The scale beeped and Jonáš looked at the display. 157 kg. He stood motionless for a second, then smiled with almost alarming satisfaction. Beautiful. What is wrong with him? He should have been scared. He should have sat down, added up the last few days, thought about the stairs, the shower, his breathing, the fact that he couldn't even see his own crotch anymore. But fear wasn't his first reaction. Triumph was. Jonáš stepped off the scale, slid both hands underneath his belly, lifted it, and gave it a good shake. It rippled heavily. Warm, big, and his. Then he slowly rested it on the bathroom counter. The counter accepted the weight with a soft creak. Jonáš looked in the mirror. He was a handsome man. He admitted that to himself without embarrassment. A Viking. In both ears and belly. Then a thud came from the kitchen. Jonáš became alert.
Jonáš stepped out of the bathroom. Adam was standing in the kitchen. He was wearing nothing but sweatpants and had the expression of someone who didn't expect to find his brother wandering the house at night in Superman briefs.
"Damn, you scared me." Adam let out a breath. Jonáš leaned against the doorway.
"What are you doing creeping around with that belly?"
"Look at yours. It's not any smaller."
Jonáš glanced at Adam's midsection. Adam's stomach hung out in front of him. Heavy, round, and clearly bigger than it had been a few days ago.
"Come on. I don't weigh a hundred fifty-three kilos." Adam smirked.
"Yeah, right." Jonáš smiled sarcastically. Adam's smile stiffened a little. He looked Jonáš directly in the eyes. "You weighed yourself?"
Jonáš straightened up as much as his belly allowed. "I'm already at a hundred fifty-seven," he announced. Adam said nothing. Jonáš placed a hand on his gut and slowly ran it across the surface. "This is a magical house."
Adam didn't respond. He walked past him into the bathroom. Jonáš stayed in the kitchen, naked, leaning against the counter and listening. First silence. Then the brief creak of the scale. Then more silence, this time longer. Jonáš called out:
"Well?" A sigh came from the bathroom. Jonáš added: "Magical house."
Adam emerged slowly. He looked like he was trying to decide whether to laugh or curse. "Five days ago, what was I? One thirty-five?"
Jonáš watched him. Adam looked down at his stomach. "Now I'm one forty-one."
Two men stood in the middle of the night inside their parents' house. Both with enormous bellies. The numbers weren't just numbers anymore. They were proof. Adam sat down. The chair creaked beneath him. Jonáš sat across from him. Slowly, one hand resting on his gut. For a while they just looked at each other. Then at their bellies. Jonáš leaned back and said: "So you're growing too."
Adam rubbed his face. "Six kilos in five days."
Jonáš said: "Magical house."
Adam looked at him more sharply. "That's not magic. That's physics."
Jonáš shrugged and placed both hands on his belly. Then he looked at Adam differently. Not mockingly. Not challengingly. More with curiosity. "How's your pride doing?"
Adam knew exactly what Jonáš meant. He didn't need him to be more specific. Outside, it was dark. The house slept. Only the refrigerator hummed quietly. Adam rested a hand on his own stomach.
"With a gut like this, I don't think about it much." Jonáš looked up at Adam's belly.
"I pee sitting down," he continued. "Sometimes I get a good wet dream, and that's about it. My body's doing its own thing. But male pride? That's been somewhere else for a long time."
Jonáš fell silent. Adam looked directly at him. "And you? You're a virgin, right?"
Jonáš's ears instantly turned red. Not a little. Completely. They turned into two beacons. Jonáš lowered his gaze, but it was pointless. Adam had already seen it. "I am," Jonáš said quietly.
Adam finally said: "Probably a family curse."
Jonáš laughed briefly. "Maybe."
"That's why gaining weight feels good to you." Adam leaned back. "It's emotional eating. I know it."
He studied Jonáš more carefully. He sat at the table, his belly hiding his manhood, and the Superman logo felt pretty ridiculous in the situation. All that masculine pride, everything the world said a man was supposed to prove through his body, his achievements, or women, seemed drowned in fat. Adam stood up and left the kitchen. Jonáš stayed at the table listening to his footsteps. First down the hallway. Then a door opening. Quiet rummaging. Then footsteps returning. Adam came back carrying a bowl of donuts. He set it in front of Jonáš. There were about thirty small donuts inside. Round, soft, dusted with sugar. The kind you eat in one bite. Left over from earlier that evening. Left over from the dessert day that was supposed to be over and wasn't. Jonáš looked at the bowl.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
Adam stood beside him. "Eat."
Jonáš opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something. Maybe protest. Maybe ask if Adam was serious.
"Eat." Adam's voice was firm. No room for negotiation.
That familiar tension stirred inside Jonáš's chest. He picked up the first donut. It was small. It disappeared almost instantly. Soft dough, sugar, a little oil, sweetness. Then a second. A third. Jonáš ate slowly, in a steady rhythm. After only a few pieces, he felt his body slipping back into that strange mode. After everything he'd eaten all day, he should have refused. But the order had been given. The bowl sat in front of him. Adam stood beside him. Jonáš put another donut into his mouth and closed his eyes. He savored every bite. Not because the donuts were special. They weren't. They were ordinary, sweet, soft. But that was exactly their strength. They could be eaten without thinking. One after another. Like small confirmations. Like steps along a path someone else had ordered him to walk. Adam slapped his belly. Hard. Almost aggressively. The sound echoed through the quiet kitchen, and it hurt a little. His stomach was stretched tight, sensitive, and still full. The blow woke him up, but somehow strengthened him too.
Adam repeated: "Eat."
Jonáš obeyed. Another donut. Another. Another. The bowl slowly emptied. Jonáš's body worked. He started sweating. A shine appeared on his forehead, his breathing deepened, and between bites he let out short puffs of air. His belly stretched tighter and tighter. Heavy, round, pressed against the edge of the table. Sometimes he had to support it with one hand, as if helping it carry another layer. Adam watched him. He knew that feeling too, just in a different form. Jonáš ate, and every bite carried a little shame, a little pleasure, and a little of that old emptiness that food had always filled so easily in their family. Jonáš could see the bottom of the bowl now. Sugar stuck to his fingers. His lips were greasy. In his stomach he felt pressure turning into heavy warmth. Another. Another. Adam remained silent. Jonáš reached for the second-to-last donut and paused. His hand hovered above the bowl. Adam leaned closer to his large ear and calmly, gently ordered: "Finish it."
Jonáš looked at him. His ears were still burning. His eyes held exhaustion, but also something like an admission that this was exactly the boundary he both hated and sought out. He took the donut. Ate it. Then the last one. When the bowl was empty, Jonáš placed both hands on the table and simply breathed for a while. Adam picked up the empty bowl and slid it aside. Jonáš sat motionless. His gut was enormous, stretched tight, warm, and heavy. He could feel every bite. Adam sat across from him.
"So. This is it?"
"What?"
Jonáš looked up.
"When somebody tells you to eat. When you don't have to pretend it was your decision." Adam pointed at the empty bowl.
Jonáš didn't answer. He didn't have to. His face said enough. Adam rested a hand on his own stomach. "I understand that more than I'd like."
The kitchen was quiet. Upstairs, Matúš's snoring echoed. Heavy, uneven, completely unaware of what was happening downstairs. Jonáš leaned back. He had to lift his belly with both hands just to find a more comfortable position. "Do you think we're lost?"
Adam looked at the empty bowl, then at Jonáš. "No."
Adam looked at his brother and, for a moment, stopped seeing a giant man who weighed one hundred fifty-seven kilos. He saw a little boy. Sitting hunched over his belly, heavy, overstuffed, his ears still red, wearing the expression of someone pretending he had everything under control when the opposite was true. A few minutes earlier he'd finished an entire bowl of donuts simply because Adam told him to eat. Now he sat quietly, as if he wasn't looking at an empty bowl but at his own destiny. Adam sighed.
"Tomorrow we're having stuffed peppers. Your favorite." Jonáš looked up. Adam continued: "You need to enjoy it."
Jonáš smiled, but there was fatigue in it too. "I'm afraid I will."
Adam leaned back. His belly pressed against the edge of the table. "How many are you gonna eat?"
Jonáš's expression answered for him.
"Let's go to bed," Adam said.
"Can I sleep in your room?" Jonáš asked quietly.
"And where exactly? We won't fit on the bed." Adam said it jokingly.
Jonáš didn't answer. Adam's smile slowly disappeared. He looked at his brother one more time. At his huge body, his tired face, the shame mixed with the plea. Jonáš didn't want to be alone. That was all.
"But we can try," he added.
The bed in Adam's room seemed big only until two men like them looked at it. They stood beside it for a moment in silence.
"This is gonna be an engineering problem," Adam remarked.
Eventually they managed to fit. Adam lay closer to the wall, and Jonáš slowly settled beside him. The mattress clearly wasn't happy about it. The wood beneath them groaned. Their bellies pressed against each other as they settled in. Heavy, soft, and unavoidable. Neither of them had the energy to pull away anymore. So they stayed like that. Belly against belly. Breath against breath. Two large grown men in a small room in their parents' house. Jonáš fell asleep first. Adam stared into the darkness a little longer. Tomorrow would be stuffed peppers. Tomorrow they'd be eating like crazy all over again. The thought crossed his mind, and instead of disgust it brought a strange sense of peace. He closed his eyes.