8. Stay The Night

They chatted about many things, ranging from their college majors, hobbies, favorite movies, how Arsen had ended up in college late and eventually managed to open his own restaurant, to other trivial matters.

Arsen felt that Claire was a pleasant person who could warm his heart. Her demeanor made him realize that not all girls were only concerned with wealth and trying to charm men. Claire acted normally toward him, treating him like a fun friend even though they had only met and gotten to know each other today.

But still, Claire’s current change in attitude bothered him a little. It seemed impossible that the Claire from earlier that afternoon could be this relaxed and friendly while talking to him, considering how she had reacted earlier when faced with a long-haired stranger.

But he did his best to hold back his curiosity. After all, they’d only just met today. It would feel presumptuous and inappropriate to suddenly demand an explanation from her about her change in attitude. He wasn’t even anyone special.

“Claire, can I stay here tonight?” Arsen asked after they’d been silent for quite a while.

Claire looked at Arsen with weary, reddened eyes, then nodded. Her index finger pointed toward the room next to the kitchen.

“You can sleep in that room. There’s a bathroom inside. I’m sorry if the room is a mess—I haven’t had a chance to tidy it up yet. Well, I’m going to sleep now. I’m so tired. Good night,” Claire said, giving a faint smile.

Arsen nodded and thanked her. He watched as Claire got up from the sofa and made her way to her own room, her steps slightly unsteady. He began to follow her and entered the room next to hers, which looked clean, though it seemed rarely—or perhaps never—occupied.

He lay down on the bed with its light brown sheets and stared at the ceiling. So many questions were swirling in his mind right now. If only he hadn’t seen Claire’s eyes almost closing just now, he would have bombarded her with all the questions on his mind.

But hadn’t they just met? It would be incredibly rude to immediately ask so many personal questions. Especially about why she could so easily allow a stranger like him to stay the night, whereas when she met that long-haired man earlier, Claire looked so terrified, as if she had a phobia.

Uncontrollably, the image of Rose’s face flashed through his mind again. That girl’s teasing smile never left his mind.

“Rose, where are you really? Don’t you miss me the way I miss you?” he muttered.

He wanted to leave this room and go into Claire’s room to ease his longing for Rose, but he might end up being mistaken for a pervert with bad intentions toward her. He wasn’t sure she would just stand there if he hugged her out of the blue.

“This is really not good. Claire isn’t Rose. I have to stop thinking of her as Rose,” he muttered before drifting off to sleep, exhausted both physically and mentally.

***

Arsen blinked repeatedly as he heard loud noises outside the room. He hadn’t fully regained his bearings yet, so he just stared at the ceiling of the room, which looked unfamiliar to him.

His eyes scanned every corner of the simple-looking room, trying to remember where he was, until he finally realized that he had spent the night at Claire’s apartment.

He hurriedly got out of bed and headed toward the source of the noise. The increasingly strong aroma of cooking guided his steps toward the small kitchen next to his room. He saw Claire, busy stirring her dish on a Teflon pan.

Arsen deliberately stayed silent and watched what Claire was doing. He felt like he was seeing a scene like this for the first time in 15 years. It truly felt like being at home.

If only his mother were still alive, perhaps he could still see her doing the same thing Claire was doing. He quickly pushed away the bitter memories of his mother that had resurfaced.

"Arsen? Have you been awake for a while?" Claire asked with a surprised look, noticing that Arsen was leaning against the wall, watching her.

"Yeah, something like that. I’m used to waking up instantly at the slightest sound," Arsen replied with a shrug.

"You should take a shower first, then have breakfast. I’ll wait for you. There’s a fresh towel in the bathroom that I prepared earlier,” Claire said as she set breakfast on the dining table and poured coffee into two white mugs.

Arsen followed Claire’s instructions without saying a word. He was surprised at himself for willingly following the girl’s advice. The girl he’d met by chance on campus just yesterday afternoon, and who’d acted strangely last night.

After finishing his shower, he headed to the dining table and found Claire waiting for him with a warm smile. She had changed her clothes and looked refreshed. He was stunned by that smile. It was the same smile his mother used to give him when she was still alive.

“Arsen? Let’s have breakfast.” Claire’s voice snapped him out of his reverie. He quickly sat down across from Claire and looked at the breakfast in front of him. His brow furrowed when he saw a plate of light brown rice.

“Chinese food?” Arsen asked before taking a bite of the rice.

“Umm, I don’t know where this fried rice actually comes from, but I used an Indonesian recipe because it’s more flavorful. Food from that country is really delicious and full of spices,” Claire replied before eating her breakfast.

Arsen raised his eyebrows as he tasted the fried rice on his tongue. He had eaten fried rice at a Chinese restaurant before, but it didn’t taste as delicious as this. She was right—Indonesian cuisine was indeed more delicious and savory.

“You’re really good at cooking. Do you actually like cooking? Why don’t you just cook food from your own country?” He asked after finishing his breakfast.

“Ever since I tasted Asian cuisine for the first time a few years ago, I’ve been hooked. I’ve tasted dishes from various countries on that continent. Eventually, I was tempted to try different recipes, and my palate really suits Indonesian cuisine,” Claire replied before finishing her breakfast.

Arsen nodded. “Next time I’ll do some research on Asian cuisine; who knows, maybe the number of restaurant patrons will increase with a menu featuring dishes from that continent.”

“That’s a great idea. If necessary, serve dishes from countries other than Japan, China, and Korea. Cuisine from Southeast Asia and South Asia is just as delicious as that from those three countries,” Claire suggested as she cleared their plates.

“You seem to know a lot about Asia. Does any of your family come from there?” Arsen asked curiously.

“No, my family and I are from Spain,” Claire replied, turning her back to him as she faced the sink.

Arsen froze in place. There was one question he absolutely had to ask right now, or he’d be haunted by curiosity forever.

“Claire, do you… have a twin sister?” he asked hesitantly.

The question made Claire stop what she was doing, making Arsen feel both anxious and even more curious. If it was true that Claire had a twin sister, then his chances of reuniting with Rose were very high. Suddenly, his heart began to race. What if Rose showed up at this apartment at any moment?