CHAPTER 2

Rose looked at the wall clock, which showed 8:20. "Yes, I just woke up."

Rose walked to the kitchen, needing to drink bottled water and make a cup of coffee. She grabbed a coffee sachet from the kitchen table and placed it in a cup, pouring hot water from the dispenser.

Rose saw Aslan sitting on the sofa, enjoying his cup of instant noodles, which were provided by the apartment owner. There were only two cups, and one had already been consumed by Aslan. Rose checked the fridge, but there was nothing there except sealed bottled water. They needed to stock up on groceries.

After brewing the coffee sachet, Rose chose to sit at the dining table, sipping it slowly while looking at the TV screen. They were watching the latest news on the coronavirus.

Aslan turned to Rose. "We need to go grocery shopping; we don't have any food supplies," he said, bringing up the topic of conversation.

Rose nodded, agreeing with Aslan that they needed to stock up on groceries if they didn't want to go hungry in the apartment.

"Yes, we should head out and go shopping," she replied.

"Do you want to go shopping together?" Aslan asked, looking at Rose from a distance.

"Yes, that's fine," Rose agreed, knowing that walking alone didn't feel safe, especially since the streets were very deserted.

"While it's still morning, we should go shopping. Supermarkets close at 5 PM," Aslan reminded her.

Rose noticed that Aslan seemed to be familiarizing himself with the rules of the lockdown. She honestly liked Aslan's British accent when he spoke English. The pronunciation was more distinct and formal, and the accent emphasized "our" and "or" sounds.

"Are we going to the supermarket now?" Rose asked.

"Yes, it's better to go now," Aslan replied.

"Okay, let me make a list of what I need to buy," Rose placed her cup on the table and then went into her room.

"Okay, I'll change my clothes as well."

Rose and Aslan went into their respective rooms. Rose took her coat and made sure to wear two layers of masks. She also didn't forget to bring hand sanitizer. Rose sat on her room's sofa and started making a list of items to buy on her phone. She didn't want to leave anything behind.

She listed all the necessary toiletries and remembered to buy canned food for longer shelf life, frozen food, and kitchen spices. After noting down each item, Rose left her room and saw Aslan there. He was wearing a matching leather jacket and jeans, with a black cap. They needed to maintain social distancing to minimize the risk of contracting the coronavirus. Even with his face covered by a mask, it didn't diminish his attractiveness.

"Ready?" Aslan asked.

"Yes, I am," Rose replied.

***

Aslan and Rose left the apartment, descending the stairs since the apartment they occupied was only on the second floor. It's important to note that apartments in Rome are not like the ones in Jakarta with dozens of floors. Here, they rarely exceed a few floors, characterized by typical Roman architecture. The atmosphere was very classic and elegant.

Fortunately, the apartment they were in was located in the city center with a very classic style and a historically rich environment. It felt like diving into the history of Rome. This city had actually been their dream destination to visit together with Oscar. However, she ended up coming here alone to mend her broken heart.

Aslan and Rose filled out the forms provided by the apartment guard, stating their purpose for going to the nearest supermarket, which was only about 500 meters away from the apartment building. They saw that the city seemed deserted, with only the two of them walking. They maintained a distance of several meters between them.

"Where are you from?" Aslan asked, starting a conversation to avoid any awkwardness. They had only exchanged names yesterday, and after that, they had gone to their respective rooms.

"I'm from Jakarta, Indonesia. Do you know Indonesia?" Rose replied.

"Yes, I know Indonesia."

"How about you?" Rose asked, looking at Aslan. He put his hand in his jacket pocket because the wind was quite chilly.

Aslan turned to look at Rose as they walked along the sidewalk, confirming his suspicion that Rose was from Indonesia.

"I thought you were from the Philippines," Aslan chuckled.

"Many people say that."

"I'm actually from Turkey, but I've been living in London for a long time."

"So, you're a British citizen?"

"Yes, I changed my citizenship a long time ago."

"No wonder your English accent is very British," Rose said. At this point, Aslan was the only person she could comfortably talk to. She was actually very awkward when talking to new people.

"Are you an actress?" Aslan asked directly, well aware that his apartment mate was very beautiful.

Rose laughed when Aslan assumed she was an actress. "Why do you think I'm an actress?" she asked, curious.

"Because you have a very beautiful face."

"Really?"

"Yes."