Challenge #6: Breaking the Ice

Room 303

The silence between Rurki and Taylah was thick, almost suffocating. Rurki shifted uncomfortably on the couch, wondering if he should say something. Should I talk to her? he thought, glancing at Taylah. She was still tapping her foot impatiently, chewing her gum with unnecessary force, clearly still upset.

He sighed inwardly, realizing this wasn't going to be an easy situation to navigate.

"I should order something to eat," Taylah said, her voice cutting through the silence like a knife.

Rurki's eyes lit up. This is my chance. He cleared his throat, trying to sound casual. "How about I make you something to apologize?"

Taylah raised an eyebrow, her foot still tapping. "Oh? But if you didn't do anything wrong, why would you want to apologize?" She looked at him, her tone slightly mocking.

Rurki blinked, caught off guard. "Huh? Well, I don't know, actually," he stammered, scratching the back of his neck. "I just thought it might help."

Taylah looked skeptical but shrugged. "What would you cook?" she asked, her arms crossed as she leaned back against the wall.

"Anything you want," Rurki replied, offering a small smile, trying to make up for the awkwardness of the situation.

She gave him a sideways glance before responding, "Okay, let's go to the store then."

Supermarket Mall Z

As they reach the supermarket, Rurki was immediately taken aback. "Wow, it's huge," he muttered under his breath, eyes wide as they walked toward the entrance.

Taylah, walking ahead of him, turned around and gave him a playful shove on the shoulder. Rurki jumped, letting out a surprised noise. "You're weird," she said with a smirk as she pushed the door open and walked inside.

The exterior was massive, but the interior was a whole other world. The supermarket was like a small city inside: a section for fast food, another for shopping food, and even a café tucked in the back. The place was bustling with people, giving it a vibrant, almost exciting energy.

Taylah grabbed a cart and nodded toward him. "Let's go."

As they navigated the aisles, Rurki couldn't help but notice how natural they seemed together, despite the tension earlier. They started picking out ingredients for Taylah's meal, though Rurki quickly realized they were getting more than just food.

"Hmm, since we're living together and we need to cook, let's pick up supplies for the week," Rurki said, grabbing some pasta and canned vegetables. "We should also get some cleaning supplies."

Taylah stopped, narrowing her eyes at him. "Did I say something bad?" Rurki asked, his tone tinged with concern.

"No, you're fine," she said with a small smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm just not the cooking type, you know? But cleaning? I'm all in for that."

"Oh, that's fine. I'll handle the cooking," Rurki said, feeling more confident now. "I'm actually pretty good."

Taylah raised an eyebrow, the sarcasm clear in her voice. "Wow, pervert. Thanks."

"I'm not a pervert," Rurki protested, rolling his eyes. "And my name is Rurki."

Taylah paused, her expression softening a little as she extended her hand. "Well, sorry about earlier. I'm Taylah Augustus," she said, offering him a genuine smile.

Rurki, unable to help himself, grinned back and playfully rubbed her head. "You look extra cute when you smile," he said, his tone teasing.

Taylah's eyes widened in shock, and before Rurki could even process what happened, she slapped his hand away. "The fuck? See why you're a pervert?" she retorted, her cheeks flushing pink.

Rurki stood there, his mouth slightly open, feeling a mix of embarrassment and confusion. "No, wait—I'm sorry. I'll go pay," he said, hurriedly stepping away to the cashier.

At the Checkout

The cashier rang up their items, and Rurki's eyes widened at the total. "$10,000?" he exclaimed under his breath, taken aback by the high price. Well, it's fair, I guess. We did grab two weeks of food and cleaning supplies.

He handed over the payment, still processing the strange encounter with Taylah. That was weird. I thought she'd like the compliment, but I guess I was wrong.

He walked back to Taylah, who was standing by the exit, looking slightly flushed. Wait… is she embarrassed? he thought, noting the way she was avoiding eye contact with him. Why am I thinking about this?

"Shall we go?" he asked, trying to shift the mood.

Taylah nodded, but her voice was softer than usual. "Sure."

As they walked toward the exit, Rurki's mind wandered. Augustus... that name sounds familiar. He kept walking, but his gaze flicked to the right—and then froze.

There, sitting at a small café table, was Francisco, his schoolmate, casually sipping on a drink. Sitting across from him was a girl with light brown skin, almond-shaped emerald eyes, and long black-blue hair that cascaded down her back, tied with a large white ribbon. Her presence was striking.

Taylah glanced over too, her curiosity piqued. "That's weird... I thought Francisco liked guys," Rurki thought to himself, slightly perplexed by the scene.

Back in Room 303

Rurki and Taylah arrived back in their shared room, bags of groceries in hand. The door clicked shut behind them, and the tension that had built up between them seemed to dissipate, though the air was still charged with unspoken thoughts.

"So, what do you want me to cook?" Rurki asked, rolling up his sleeves as he set the bags on the counter. His voice was casual, but his eyes were scanning through the ingredients they'd picked out. I guess this could be a chance to make up for everything..

Taylah, still standing by the door, gave a small shrug. "Surprise me," she said, her voice neutral. She placed the grocery bags on the table and began unwrapping her coat. Her earlier playfulness seemed to have faded, replaced with a kind of guarded calm.

"Alright, surprise it is." Rurki smiled, trying to lighten the mood as he moved around the kitchen. He pulled out a frying pan, some of the fresh vegetables they'd grabbed, and a pack of chicken. He worked efficiently, his hands moving with a practiced ease as he prepped the ingredients.

Taylah leaned against the counter, watching him work with a skeptical eye. "You sure you know what you're doing?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course," Rurki replied with a grin, tossing a few spices into the pan. "I've got this."

Taylah hummed noncommittally but didn't argue. She took a seat at the kitchen table, propping her feet up on the chair opposite. "Well, I hope you're as good as you say you are, 'cause I'm starving."

Rurki let out a quiet laugh, focusing on the sizzling chicken. The smell of garlic, onions, and spices started to fill the room, and he couldn't help but feel a small sense of pride in how well it was turning out. *Maybe this will smooth things over.*

As he flipped the chicken and stirred the vegetables, he noticed Taylah was watching him more intently now, her arms folded across her chest, still tapping her foot lightly against the floor.

"You don't talk much, huh?" she said after a while, her voice softer than before.

Rurki paused for a second, glancing over at her. "Guess not. Just... not really my thing." He resumed cooking, stirring the vegetables. "You seem like you've got a lot on your mind. Something I said bothering you?"

Taylah didn't answer right away. She leaned back, letting out a sigh, her gaze drifting towards the window. "It's not just you," she finally said, her tone a little distant. "I just... don't like the idea of being stuck with people I don't know. I've been on my own for a long time."

Rurki paused again, this time giving her his full attention. "I get that," he said quietly. "It's tough. But you're not alone anymore, alright? We're in this together, at least for now."

Taylah met his gaze for a moment, her expression unreadable. "You're not so bad, Rurki," she muttered, almost under her breath, but there was a small hint of appreciation in her voice.

He smiled, not saying anything more as he finished the meal. The kitchen was filled with the sounds of sizzling food and the occasional clink of pots and utensils.

When he finally plated the food, he set the dish in front of her. It wasn't anything extravagant—just a simple chicken stir-fry with vegetables and rice—but it looked decent enough.

"Here," Rurki said, pushing the plate toward her. "You can't say I didn't try."

Taylah raised an eyebrow but took the plate, staring down at it for a moment before slowly picking up her fork. "Hmm, I'll admit, it doesn't look terrible," she said, her tone still guarded but with a hint of amusement.

She took a bite. Her eyes widened for a split second, then she looked at him in surprise. "Okay... I take it back. This actually tastes pretty good."

Rurki chuckled, leaning back against the counter, arms crossed. "Told you I knew what I was doing."

She rolled her eyes but smiled slightly. "Fine, you win. But don't get used to this, okay? I'm not going to start calling you 'chef' or anything."

"I'll take it. For now," Rurki said, his smile genuine this time. "Glad you like it."

The room grew quieter as they both dug into their meal, the shared silence more comfortable now. As they ate, the earlier awkwardness seemed to fade, leaving only the hum of the fridge and the soft clink of utensils against plates.

Rurki glanced at Taylah, watching her for a moment as she focused on her food. *She's hard to figure out, but I think we're getting somewhere...* He didn't know if they'd ever become close friends or just remain roommates with an understanding, but for now, the tension had lifted, and that was enough.

Taylah broke the silence, her voice softer now. "Thanks for cooking. I guess... you're not as much of a pervert as I thought."

Rurki laughed, a little too loudly. "I'll take that as a compliment." He leaned back against the counter, smiling to himself. *Maybe this won't be so bad after all.*