11:45 p.m. local time. The apartment was already deathly quiet and dark, with only the dim glow of the hallway lights remaining.
Inside her room, Kirana's stomach growled fiercely. She let out a soft groan while clutching her empty stomach.
"Ugh, I was so busy this afternoon that I never had dinner," Kirana muttered.
Tiptoeing, Kirana opened her bedroom door. She slowly made her way to the kitchen in search of a cup of instant noodles.
Suddenly, the kitchen light blazed on. Kirana nearly jumped out of her skin.
Aldo stood near the refrigerator wearing gray pajama pants and no shirt. The man looked at Kirana with one eyebrow raised.
"Planning to rob the place?" Aldo asked flatly.
Kirana rubbed her chest. "You scared me half to death, Sir! You always walk around without making a sound, like some kind of fridge ghost."
"What are you doing in the kitchen at this hour?" Aldo interrogated her, folding his arms across his chest.
"I'm making instant noodles. My stomach's demanding its share," Kirana answered honestly, holding up a packet of chicken curry-flavored instant noodles.
Aldo slowly shook his head. "Don't make a racket. It's late."
"Relax. I'm a god-tier instant-noodle chef," Kirana replied confidently. She immediately turned on the stove and started boiling water in a small pot.
Fifteen minutes passed. The mouthwatering aroma of instant noodles filled the kitchen.
Kirana was busy pouring the seasoning into a bowl. But because she was so sleepy, her hand trembled slightly.
Crash!
All the chili powder and seasoning oil spilled onto the burner, which was blazing away.
In an instant, the small flame caught the oil and flared up.
"Oh my God! Fire!" Kirana screamed in sheer panic.
She grabbed a glass of water and poured it directly onto the stove. A fatal mistake. The flames only grew larger, licking at the exhaust fan above.
The apartment's fire alarm immediately began blaring.
Whee-oo... whee-oo... whee-oo...!
Red emergency lights flashed in every corner of the room.
Aldo, who had already gone back to his room, came running out in a panic. He saw the kitchen thick with smoke and a small fire burning on the stove.
"Idiot! Don't throw water on it!" Aldo barked.
Without wasting a second, Aldo snatched a thick, wet dishcloth from beside the sink. He quickly covered the source of the flames with it.
Within seconds, the fire went out. White smoke billowed through the kitchen.
Whee-oo... whee-oo... whee-oo...!
The building alarm was still screaming noisily.
The automatic sprinkler system in the kitchen ceiling suddenly activated. Cold water blasted down from above, drenching Aldo and Kirana without mercy.
In less than ten seconds, they were both soaked from head to toe.
Kirana stood frozen in the corner of the kitchen. Her short hair hung limp, water streamed from the tip of her nose, and her clothes clung wetly to her body.
She looked at Aldo with overwhelming guilt. He stood beside her, breathing hard, his wet hair slicked back and his pajama shirt transparent from the water.
"S-Sir... I'm sorry..." Kirana squeaked softly, like a kitten caught red-handed.
Aldo wiped his face with both hands, clearing away the remaining water. He glared sharply at Kirana, though a flash of frustration gleamed in his eyes.
"You..." Aldo's voice caught. "...are truly a walking disaster, Kirana."
"It wasn't on purpose!" Kirana protested, her voice trembling from the cold. "Who knew the noodle seasoning would spill like that?!"
Suddenly, loud knocking sounded from the apartment's front door, followed by the voice of a building security guard outside.
"Mr. Aldo! Hello! We've received a fire alarm report from your unit! Please open the door!" the guard shouted from outside.
Kirana's eyes widened in panic. "We're dead! The security guard's here!"
Aldo let out a long sigh, surrendering to the chaos of this early morning. "Stay here. I'll handle it."
Soaking wet, Aldo walked over to open the front door and explain the situation to the security guard.