"So all of your classes are online now?"
"Yeah… There's no other choice since we can't gather at the university."
"That sounds like a pain… Do you have to turn on your webcams during lectures?"
"That's the annoying part. It feels weird to broadcast my apartment to all of my classmates and lecturers. I would much rather take lectures in the hall."
Althea and I continued talking long after we finished our simple lunch. In the beginning, Althea was nervous about my presence in her apartment, but after an hour of conversations, her worries evaporated away.
Thankfully, there were a few things we had in common. We both went to the same university, we were both living alone in the city and most importantly… We were both starving for some human interactions.
So it became pretty easy to talk to the beautiful young university girl seated right in front of me.
"Really? If I was still studying, I would prefer to have lectures at home rather than travel all the way to the dirty halls."
"Dirty?"
"Wait, don't tell me the business faculty uses a different type of lecture hall? Ours is small and mouldy. It could only fit thirty people tops, and it was always reeking of sweat and foot."
"No? All of our lectures are conducted in auditoriums. There would normally be around one or two hundred people in the hall at all times. And they're all air-conditioned, so there isn't much smell."
"Damn, one or two hundred? Hah… I should have taken business instead."
I tapped my feet on the carpet floor as I thought back on my university experience. Computer science wasn't all that popular, and it was usually filled to the brim with sweaty men who had no clue about what covered shoes were.
Thinking back, if I had a choice between attending a lecture in person or taking a webcast… I would have most definitely chosen the latter.
"Haha, but Computer Science is a good major as well! All of the top-paying graduate jobs come from the Information Technology school."
"Oh, do they? Looks like I have to ask for a pay raise then."
I hid my smile behind my fingers before looking out the window. The extravagant blue empyrean was slowly turning into an orange hue as clouds beckoned from the horizon.
"Damn, what time is it?"
"That… Oh, it's four already!" Althea tapped on her smartphone before revealing the time. "... I didn't even notice that it was this late."
"Four? Wow, I have to start cooking dinner then."
Depending on the meal, I liked to prepare dinner one or two hours early. More complicated dishes would often take some time, but tonight's menu didn't require that much preparation. However, just before I was about to head back to my apartment, an idea struck my head.
"Hold on… Althea, do you mind if I cook here?"
"Huh? Why?"
Naturally, the young woman was befuddled. She tilted her head slightly and pressed her index finger on her chin.
"Well, in the end, you have to learn how to cook for yourself. While I enjoy hearing your reviews, you shouldn't rely on me to cook every meal."
"Right..."
It was natural. My relationship with Althea was one of happenstance. Once the pandemic was over, or her parents returned to the country, my role would be over. Furthermore, it would be wise of her to gain a cooking skill while she was living alone.
"So we'll begin with baby steps. Let me make this kitchen somewhat functional, and you can observe how I cook today. Eventually, you'll learn how to cook all on your own."
The thinking girl moved her finger up to her temples before turning a bright smile: "That sounds good!"
"Alright, give me a moment. I'll bring the ingredients over."
Now that I had her permission, I immediately went back to my apartment and brought over all of the necessary ingredients and tools. Althea's kitchen was fine, but it was rather basic. My guess is that the knives, pots and utensils came with the apartment. However, I had my own preference of non-stick pans, spatulas and strainers. Something that Althea's apartment completely lacked.
"For today, you can borrow my kitchen tools, but you should get your own ones soon."
"Okay..." Althea paused while watching me turn her kitchen into my own. It looked like she had some choice words about my ease in the kitchen, but Althea smartly swallowed her words. Instead, she asked: "What are you going to cook?"
"Turkey steak with sauteed Brussel sprouts. Topped off with a side of smoked salmon salad."
"Wow? That much?"
"Befitting of a New Year's Dinner, isn't it?" I smiled as I finished placing all of the ingredients on the kitchen island.
"Would you mind washing the Brussel sprouts? You can do that, right?"
"I-I'm not THAT hopeless!" Althea protested with flushed cheeks.
"Haha, okay then. Use this strainer and clean them thoroughly. It should be clean, but you can never be too sure these days."
After the pandemic hit our shores, the government had doubled down on hygiene standards, particularly in supermarkets and dining establishments. So the majority of the ingredients here should have been thoroughly cleaned, even by the vendors who sold them. Still, in these uncertain times, it was better to be safe than sorry.
"O-Okay…" Althea nervously stepped up towards the sink and placed all of the Brussel sprouts into the strainer I'd given her. All she needed to do was to rinse and clean, but…
"I don't have to use soap, right?"
"... Please tell me that you're joking."
"T-That… Y-yeah! It's a joke! I wanted to test you! I know that it should be clean and germ-free!"
The black-haired girl laughed bitterly before returning her gaze back to the sink. And before her hand could reach out to the hand soap…
"You know what… just be an observer for today. I'll handle it."
I grabbed onto the soap bottle and gently pushed her away with my arm. Althea, realising her folly, turned around and dropped her gaze to the floor.
I don't know how this was possible, but… Looks like I'd severely overestimated this little girl's cooking prowess...