After breakfast, James suddenly clapped his hands, catching everyone's attention.
"Come on, let's play a little game to decide who does the dishes," he said enthusiastically.
Theresia looked at him suspiciously. "Are you actually willing to help, or do you just want to have fun?"
James laughed. "Both! To be fair, let's decide with a game of rock-paper-scissors. The loser does the dishes."
Everyone agreed, and they started to play. The previously calm atmosphere transformed into a lively one filled with cheers and laughter. One by one, people were eliminated until only two contestants were left—Viona and Steve.
James, who had been excited, suddenly felt a bit uneasy. "Hey, but Steve already cleaned the house and did the dishes this morning…"
Steve just shrugged casually. "It's no problem; I actually enjoy doing the dishes."
Viona turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "Really?"
Steve gave a small smile. "Yeah, it feels relaxing. So don't feel guilty about it."
James and Theresia exchanged glances and then raised their hands in surrender. "Okay, then we'll just sunbathe in the backyard," James said, pulling Theresia with him.
Frans glanced at Viona for a moment, as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately he just smiled and stood up. "If you need any help, just call," he said before following James and Theresia outside.
Now in the kitchen, there were only Viona and Steve. A brief silence ensued, with only the sound of water flowing from the tap and the clinking of dishes against each other.
Viona took a sponge and began to scrub the dishes while Steve rinsed them. The atmosphere felt strange—not awkward, but also not entirely comfortable.
"So..." Steve began the conversation. "You were pretending earlier, right?"
Viona glanced at him. "Pretending about what?"
Steve smiled slightly. "Pretending not to know that I can cook."
Viona sighed softly and then shrugged. "Well... I just didn't want them to suspect anything."
Steve didn't respond immediately. He continued rinsing the plate in his hand before placing it on the drying rack. After a moment, he said, "Do you miss just chatting alone with me?"
Viona's hand movement paused for a moment. She didn't turn to look at him, but she could feel Steve's gaze beside her.
"I don't know," she finally answered. "But maybe I do."
Steve didn't say anything else after that. He just smiled faintly and continued with his work, as if understanding something that even they couldn't put into words.
After breakfast, Frans and Sharone hurried to their respective rooms to shower. They were the busiest among the six of them—Frans with his internship schedule and meetings with senior doctors, while Sharone had a series of rehearsals and meetings with her music producer.
Sharone, who had been mostly quiet, simply said, "I'll go first," before disappearing into her room.
Frans didn't want to linger either. "I need to get ready too," he said while grabbing a towel and heading to the bathroom.
James, watching both of them, scoffed. "These two are like busy young executives, huh?" he said while stretching in his chair.
Theresia chuckled. "Well, they're both ambitious. But the nice thing is, we can relax for now."
Meanwhile, Viona and Steve were still busy washing the dishes. Occasionally, Steve glanced toward the room where Sharone had just entered. There was something in his expression—whether it was doubt or perhaps something deeper.
Viona noticed him for a moment but chose not to say anything. In her heart, she wondered if Steve was still trying to maintain his relationship with Sharone or if he was just going through the motions without truly knowing what he wanted.
In the kitchen, it was just the two of them. The dirty dishes were almost finished, water flowed slowly from the tap, and the atmosphere in the house felt peaceful. Frans and Sharone were still in the bathroom, while James and Theresia were busy talking in the living room. This was the first time since the night before that they could talk without anyone watching.
Steve peeked toward the door, making sure no one could hear, and then leaned slightly toward Viona. "So, you just found out I can cook?" he asked teasingly, repeating the little lie Viona had told everyone earlier.
Viona chuckled softly, whispering, "Yeah, I had to pretend to be surprised. How could I say 'Oh yeah, I've known all along' in front of them?"
Steve laughed softly too, then shook his head gently. "You're clever. But honestly, I didn't expect we'd have this dishwashing moment together."
"I didn't expect it either," Viona replied, still whispering. Her hands kept moving to dry the dishes while Steve rinsed them.
A moment of silence followed. The sound of flowing water served as the background for their conversation. Then suddenly Steve said, "But honestly, I miss chatting like this with you. Like that time... at your house."
Viona fell silent for a moment. Steve's words seemed to pull her back to that night—the night they spent alone together, laughing, cooking, watching a movie, and for a moment, it felt like the world belonged only to the two of them.
"I miss it too," Viona finally admitted, her voice barely audible.
Steve turned to her, his eyes looking intently at Viona. "Are you happy with Frans?"
Viona blinked, slightly surprised by the question. "Of course," she replied quickly, but there was a slight nervousness at the end of her voice.
Steve nodded, but his lips formed a small smile that was hard to interpret. "I'm glad to hear that," he said softly, returning to rinsing the last plate.
Viona bit her lip, wanting to say something, but she knew that it wasn't a good idea. They were on separate paths now. But why did every time she was with Steve, it felt like returning to square one?
Suddenly, footsteps approached. Quickly, they both returned their focus to the dishes in front of them, pretending nothing was happening.
James appeared in the doorway, yawning widely. "Are you done? Hurry up, we want to make coffee."
Viona and Steve exchanged glances before finally laughing softly. "Yeah, yeah, just a moment," Steve replied.
Their moment together was brief, but it was enough to leave a mark that was difficult to erase in each of their hearts.
After breakfast, Frans and Sharone got ready to leave. They were the two busiest among the six, with schedules waiting since morning. Frans had to attend meetings with doctors related to his internship program, while Sharone had rehearsal schedules with the orchestra where she worked.
"I'll go first," Frans said, patting James on the shoulder. "Don't mess up the place, okay?" he teased, glancing at Viona.
Viona huffed. "I'm tidier than you," she shot back quickly.
Sharone, already standing by the door, elegantly swept her hair back. "Don't forget to lock the door when you leave," she said to Theresia.
Theresia shrugged casually. "Don't worry; the house will be safe," she replied, adding with a teasing tone, "But if you're worried, you can always come back later to check."
Sharone just laughed softly and then turned to Steve. "Aren't you coming?" she asked.
Steve looked hesitant for a moment. He glanced towards Viona and then back at Sharone. "I'll stay here for a bit, just to keep them company," he replied casually.
Sharone frowned slightly but didn't say anything. She just nodded briefly before stepping out with Frans.
As soon as the door closed, the atmosphere inside the house became more relaxed. Theresia stretched and immediately flopped onto the sofa comfortably. "Finally, they're gone," she said, pulling James to sit next to her.
James laughed. "They're like old parents, so busy."
Viona, still standing in the kitchen, glanced briefly at Steve. Now it was just the four of them. Without Frans and Sharone around, the atmosphere in the house felt different—lighter, but there was also something tickling the air.
Steve walked toward the living room, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "So, what should we do now?" he asked casually, but his eyes glanced briefly at Viona, who was just staring at him without saying anything.
Theresia answered immediately, "Let's relax! Watch a movie? Or... play cards?"
James raised an eyebrow. "Playing cards sounds good, but if we lose, there should be a punishment."
Viona laughed softly. "No more alcohol, okay?" she reminded them of the night before.
Theresia laughed immediately. "Don't worry, we can find another challenge. How about the loser has to cook lunch?"
James clapped his hands once. "Agreed! But I don't want to cook."
Steve smiled faintly. "If that's the case, let's see who's the unluckiest today."
The four of them laughed, and for a moment, the atmosphere felt light again. But even though they all seemed to enjoy this togetherness, in the corners of their hearts, there were unfinished matters—especially for Steve and Viona.