Now, you’re going to want to start with four young adults (preferably live). Today I’m using all males in their lower twenties, but it’s all about personal preference. You first put them in a medium apartment. At first, one or two might try to escape. This is normal and, if you were smart about it, you will have already made preparations to avoid this being possible. If not, you will probably need to secure replacements for any that escape.
Next, you are going to want to collect your bags of sugar and secrets to have on hand. Throughout the process, make sure to regularly add small amounts of both as needed. You’ll want to put a lot of sweet in the mix at the beginning so it seeps in and offsets more bitter elements added later. Also keep in mind, secrets tend to be thick so add slowly.
Now that we’ve got the base, next comes the more customized parts. Today I have with me; two mind controls, shapeshifting, a mad scientist, a bag of references, three different forms of time travel, and fairies. I also have a cup of characters from other stories. This is good when you want to serve alongside other creations as it will cause them to compliment each other.
Don’t worry about using all of it. Blend in small chunks at a time until smooth. At this time we’re going to add in the romance and... Shoot, my romance got mixed in with the sugar. How did I not notice before? What do you mean it’s my fault for storing them together? You’re the one who was supposed to set up the ingredients for me. You should have noticed and gotten me a new container of just sugar. Whatever, hopefully they don’t notice how romance heavy it is. ...and remember to pour it in evenly. Nothing ruins a good dish like unnatural clumps of romance that didn’t fully mix in.
Now it is finally safe to start adding in any bitter elements you have prepared. Hanahaki Disease? Sure, put in a few petals. Fear of hurting others? Drop some in. Emotional wounds from past relationships? Wouldn’t be complete without a pinch of that. The important thing to remember is don’t dump it all in at once and make sure to keep adding in small amounts of sugar and/or romance to balance it out.
Finally, just keep stewing, adding seasonings to taste, until complete.
Enjoy