The Alchemists

"What happened to you?" asked Rose, amazed to see Rune hitting his forehead with the spatula. The young man just shook his head and tried to hide his smile.      

His face turned red at the thought of kissing Rose.     

Ahh .. Rune, you can be perverted too, thought Rune to himself. He turned his attention away from Rose and marinated the steak for grilling in the pan.     

He waited for Rose to finish peeling the potatoes and boil them while preparing the steak sauce and other coleslaw salad ingredients. After the dressing ingredients were completed and the salad was finished, he then grilled two organic steaks in the pan and prepared their dinner.     

"I purposely cook steak for dinner, since it is so easy," said Rune. He put the steak on two plates and then added the coleslaw salad and sauce.     

Rose only watched the man who claimed he couldn't cook arranging the dishes on their plates, with a look of admiration.     

"It looks delicious," said Rose in praise. She poked the coleslaw salad with her fingertip and tasted it. The girl then nodded with a beaming face. "It's delicious. Why did you say you can't cook?"     

Rune's face lit up at Rose's words. Ahh .. she liked his cooking! Though Rune knew he lacked the talent, her words meant a lot to him. Ahh.. maybe he could ask his father for more tips to please women with his cooking skills.     

"Thank you," said Rune. "Let us eat."     

Rose wasn't shy. She enjoyed the dinner prepared by Rune with gusto. "I love this. We don't have to eat out. So you can save money."     

Rune just smiled at that. Money was never an issue for him, but Rose didn't know this.     

They eat quietly while talking about trivial things. Rune was excited to hear Rose talk. The girl seemed to have a lot of knowledge and was a very pleasant person to talk to.     

After dinner was over, Rose volunteered to clear up the dining table and wash the dishes in the dishwasher.     

"It's all right, Rose. I can help you," said Rune.      

"But you've already prepared dinner. I feel bad if you do help with cleaning," argued Rose. She patted Rune's hand, who was about to help him. She drove Rune into the living room. "You just sit back and relax. I'll be done in a minute. We can have tea together, or wine, whichever you prefer."     

Finally, Rune relented and let Rose tidy up their dishes. He found a nice space in the living room and opened his laptop again to continue with the data entry work he had done earlier this afternoon.     

Rose arrived ten minutes later with a pot of tea and two cups. She poured tea into their respective cups and began to enjoy the tea.     

"What are your plans for the next month?" asked Rose, watching Rune enter various data on her laptop. "I don't have much to do other than painting and sketching. I just graduated from school and told my parents I want to see the world. That's why now I am here."     

"I also just need to enter the various data I've gathered from the Amazon and do some research with my friends."     

What Rune meant was that he needed to use Aldebar's lab in New York to work from time to time.      

"Oh, that's good .. it means you also have a busy life," said Rose with a happy face.     

She was delighted to know that Rune had a life of his own. Even though the young man quickly chose to move with her, it turned out that Rune did not always spend time in Rose's apartment like a NEET. He had things going on in his life too, and it became a plus point for Rose.     

"That's right. I have a lot of work to do," said Rune. He took a sip of tea and took a good look at Rose. "Are you really okay? Has your headache gone?"     

The girl nodded. "Yes. Thank you for making dinner, so we don't have to go out."     

Rune nodded back. He wanted to know what was bothering Rose, but he held back. They later talked about trivial things, from about New York City beautiful landscape in autumn and Rune's travel to the Amazon. At 10 pm, they then decided to sleep.     

Rune opened the sofabed in the living room and converted it into a nice bed for himself, while Rose excused herself to sleep in the attic.     

***     

"I'm going to draw some sketches in Central Park this afternoon," said Rose that morning as they were having breakfast with toasts, eggs, and coffee. "What's your plan for today?"     

"Oh, nothing interesting. I'm just going to meet my nephews and niece," said Rune casually. "Oh, by the way, I can ask them to meet in Central Park. You want to meet them?"     

Last night, before he slept, Rune got a message from Aleksis and Marie. The two women shared that their children wanted to know how Rune and Rose were doing and what did he think about Rose after he moved in with her.     

The three teenagers were still grounded and were not allowed to use gadgets, so they could only communicate with their uncle through their respective mothers.     

Considering that today Rose was about to make her sketches in Central Park, Rune thought that maybe his cute nephews and niece, who had played a big role in his meeting with Rose, would be happy to meet the girl in person.     

"Nephews and niece?" Rose frowned. "How many do you have?"     

"Oh ... I have three siblings. Two are married with children, and one has a niece who now becomes my niece too... Well, it's a long story. Quite boring actually."     

"Ahh ... of course, I don't mind to meet them," said Rose casually. "I would love to meet your family."     

Rose's words made Rune's face beam. She was truly a dream girl. Rose is not at all intimidated by meeting her fake boyfriend's family members.     

"All right. I'll tell my sister to send the kids to Central Park this afternoon." Rune wanted to hug Rose because he was feeling too excited. Luckily he managed to restrain himself.     

After finishing breakfast, they then shared the task of cleaning up the apartment and washing dishes. Once they were done, they took turns taking a shower. The morning was spent relaxing for a while, shortly before lunch, they left for Central Park.     

"Why are you taking your laptop to Central Park?" asked Rose in puzzlement when she saw Rune carrying his laptop bag before leaving the apartment. "We will spend most of the time outdoor. Can you see the laptop screen under the sun?"     

"Oh .. this is a special laptop," said Rune with a smile. "I was one of the testers for a new laptop with a special screen for outdoor work."     

"Oh .. how interesting," said Rose. "I know they're trying to create anti-glare laptops and cell phones for that purpose, but until now, there is still no laptops that can be used outdoors as comfortably as indoors."     

"Tech companies are always trying to make products that are better than before. I just happen to be lucky because my brother works at one of the companies that produce laptops like this. I can get their newest product before it is released on the market."     

The brother Rune was referring to was London, who was 'working' at the Schneider Group. He wasn't lying to Rose in this regard.     

Rose stared at Rune for a long time. She frowned and tried to think of something. The girl was starting to feel a little suspicious because it seemed like Rune had a pretty interesting life.     

Even though she was just a regular guy, he recently visited the Amazon. Now he had a brand new laptop that wasn't even on the market yet.     

The girl narrowed her eyes and looked at Rune intently.     

"What are you thinking?" Rune asked in amazement. "Is there something on my face?"     

Rose shook her head. "Uhm .. no. I am just thinking. It seems you are not as simple as I thought."     

"What do you mean?" asked Rune, not understanding.     

"I mean ... I think you're hiding something," said Rose. "I thought you were a nice simple guy because we get along quickly, and you are also very relaxed. But it turns out ... you are keeping a lot of secrets."