Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed



After weighing their purchases, Owen and Roseanne continued their shopping spree, filling their cart with vegetables, meats, and eggs.

As they passed through the household goods section, Owen stopped and asked, "Need anything here?"

Roseanne remembered they were running low on shower gel and laundry detergent: "Yeah, actually."

While Roseanne was picking out shower gel, Owen too was busy adding items to the cart: towels, slippers, hooks...

Before long, their cart was overflowing, practically a small mountain of goods.

When it came time to pay, Owen insisted on covering the bill. Roseanne didn't argue but asked him to keep the receipt so they could settle up later.

Owen nodded and suggested she wait outside the crowded checkout area: "It's too packed here."

"Okay," Roseanne agreed, stepping out through the express lane without purchases.

Soon after, Owen emerged, his arms laden with three large bags.

Roseanne reached out to help, but he stepped back, "No need, I've got this."

"But it's so much..."

One bag was filled with groceries, while the other two contained their household purchases, neatly divided.

"Are you sure I can't carry anything?" Roseanne asked again.

"No, it's fine."

Indeed, Owen seemed to have no trouble climbing seven flights of stairs with the bags, not even out of breath. Roseanne took her two bags and placed them by the door, then asked Owen for the shopping receipt.

"Cough—" Owen hesitated, "It wasn't that much, no need to pay me back."

"But how can that be? Is the receipt in one of the bags? I didn't see it in mine, can I check yours?"noveldrama

He recoiled as if shocked, hastily moving back to keep her from seeing his shopping bag.

Roseanne was puzzled.

"...It's not in there. I'll calculate it later and send you the amount on Venmo. You can pay me back then."

"That works," Roseanne nodded.

But still...

What was he hiding?

Why did he seem so reluctant to let her see his shopping bag?

The question flickered through her mind, but Roseanne didn't dwell on it.

She moved on to prepare dinner, feeling quite hungry.

She whipped up a simple bowl of

noodles for herself, topped with

fried egg, a few slices of ham, and

some greens.

It looked and tasted delicious.

After finishing her meal and resting for a bit on the sofa, she rolled up her sleeves and got back to the kitchen.

Kneading dough, letting it rise, preparing crab filling...

Two hours later, steaming, plump crab rolls were ready, filling four pots. Counting them, Roseanne realized she had made over thirty, enough to last a while.

Meanwhile, Owen let out a sigh of relief as he entered his apartment.

Glancing at the shopping bag, he felt almost like a thief, although he hadn't stolen anything.

Shaking his head with a wry smile, he started unloading his purchases: towels, slippers, hooks...

But those weren't what mattered most.

He had primarily gone shopping for-

Underwear.

That was why he was so anxious about Roseanne touching the shopping bag.

Perhaps it was the innate embarrassment in front of the opposite sex, or simply bashfulness, or even guilt.

Whatever the reason, he had frozen when Roseanne reached out.

Thankfully, he reacted quickly enough.

Sitting on the sofa, Owen sent Roseanne a message:

[The total was $542. Mine came to $263, so you owe me $279.]

Roseanneving with her phone a

who was multitasking

ween

for the next batch of

replied instantly:

[That little? Didn't seem like you bought much.]

[Towels, slippers, underwear, hooks, dish soap, that's it, right?]

All that for over two hundred?

Owen: !