Herman, you have to help me cook tonight, you have to teach me to cook until I'm the equivalent of a 5-star hotel chef, I don't want to know, there's no reason for you to refuse

After a few seconds Herman also replied to a short message with a threatening tone from Vino. Vino pulled his cell phone in his trouser pocket while his eyes still pretended to focus on the cashier table which was busy scanning their groceries.

​​

Herman replied to the message.

Who do you think you are huh! Isn't tomorrow the weekend? Why are you forcing me to work? I'm already outside at the moment, to have fun with my friends, food stock is ready, You just need to warm up, that's even more than enough for a monthly food stockist.

Vino was surprised to read a reply to a message from Herman which was curt and annoying to him. "The problem isn't about the stock of food, it's about how to cook!" Vino hissed to himself while patting his back hair, he looks very confused and panicked, he has made the wrong decision because he is burning with jealousy with Hazel.

"Vino, I don't have much money to pay for our groceries!" Vira nudged her husband's waist while whispering, she and the cashier looked at Vino who had not heard the total of the purchases.

Vira smiled stiffly at the cashier who was faithfully waiting even though her eyes looked different.

"Vino..." Vira called her husband's name in a voice that was as calm as possible.

Vira panicked even more when she saw the long queue, if she elbowed her husband's waist it would not make Vino realize that he intended to pinch Vino's arm.

"Ouch!' Vino half screamed then returned to reality, where he was the center of attention, he looked confusedly at the line and stuck on the face of the cashier who was tired of waiting for Vino back to reality.

"Your total expenses are five thousand dollars." Said the cashier with narrowed eyes, her work was already tiring and getting tiring because of customers who failed to focus like Vino.

"Ah, no problem," Vino said, then he took out a card from his pants pocket.

it's not a problem for you, but it's a problem for the people queuing behind you.

"wait!" Vino realized something, he couldn't find the card in his pants.

"what is it?" Vira asked with a confused face.

"No cards in my pants, I left my wallet in the car," Vino said in a calm voice.

The cashier smiled a little, "Good, so what should I do now sir?" She asked politely but her tone sounded off.

Vino patted his forehead, his face reddened. "What is wrong with you?" Vira whispered.

"Sorry," Vira apologized to the line of customers who were waiting in line with an uncomfortable face.

"Give me some time, I'll get my husband's wallet in the car." Vira tried to talk to the cashier.

"Okay, madam." The cashier agreed to Vira's request, she gave another alternative to the queue of customers, they opened another cashier's desk to break the queue.

"Thank you very much," Vira said, she immediately asked her husband for the car keys.

"You are waiting here, I will go to the car, the parking lot is far enough you will be tired." Vino didn't want to give up his car keys, he rushed out of the supermarket.

"Madam, even though he is a clumsy man he seems to love you." Said the cashier smiling at Vira.

Vira replied with a small smile and blushing face, she was embarrassed because she made a queue of customers and blushed because of the cashier's compliment.

"Thank you very much..." Vira replied.

"Because he's being nice to you, so I'll forgive his carelessness." Said the cashier with a friendly smile.

Ah, he's not a perfect man, he still makes mistakes even though his appearance looks almost flawless, but that's why Vino becomes a perfect man for Vira.

They are an imperfect couple and are trying to achieve a journey to perfection.

****

"Try to grip the bottom of the knife with your four fingers and then try to relax!"

"You can't bend over backward, you're slicing meat not researching bacteria!"

Vira continued to chatter while teaching Vino in the kitchen.

Vino tried to follow Vira's instructions without protesting, he tried to work hard so that tomorrow he could conquer the hearts of his wife's two best friends, and he hoped that there would be no more praise for Hazel but himself.

"You have to massage the meat and then add spices to make it soft and tasty!"

Vin furrowed his brow. "What does massage mean?" He raised both his hands that were wearing rubber gloves.

Vira pointed at the meat in front of them, "meat should also be massaged and treated well!"

"Are you teasing me?" Vino asked, "I saw the chef put the meat in the oven and then wait and the meat is cooked perfectly, isn't it just like that?" Ask Vino with the face.

"You think the oven is a magic box, if you don't add seasoning and set the time then no good food will come out of that box!" Vira pointed at the oven in their kitchen.

"Why are there so many I need just to make a steak!" Vino hissed in annoyance, he wiped his face with the rubber glove still attached.

His nose picked up an unpleasant odor. "What smell is this?" he asked.

Vira shrugged lightly, "it's the smell of blood from fresh meat sticking to your gloves."

"Whoa... What!" Vino hissed with a bright red face, he felt his stomach churning with nausea.

He ran towards the bathroom, he threw up!

"I told him, it's better to order cooked food from a famous hotel if he doesn't want to sell his pride!" Vira sizzle and chop! The knife stuck to the carrot on the cutting board.

After waiting a few minutes, her husband came back with a pale face and sweat on his forehead, Vino took off his gloves and threw them into the trash, he took new gloves and put them on.

"Why are you so far away to go to the bathroom, in the kitchen, there is also a sink!" Vira pointed at the sink which was located not far from the two standing positions.

"I think about cleanliness and hygiene," Vino replied in a weak voice, he was still trying to calm himself.

"Then, what about next?" Vira asked pointing to the ingredients they had bought.

"I still haven't given up!" Vino replied trying to gather his spirit again.

"Okay!" Vira nodded her head, she was ready to help Vino.

They try again to start preparing the ingredients for cooking, teaching Vino is not an easy matter, even the clock hands are showing two o'clock at night and what comes out of the oven is meat that burnt.

But Vira could see Vino's seriousness and hard work, her husband did not give up, again and again, he kept trying.

After four o'clock in the morning, Vino managed to remove the steak meat with perfect doneness, when he pressed it with a knife, the meat released a juicy oil, he was very proud of the results of his hard work, he almost screamed but his eyes first realized when he saw Vira was asleep with her head down on the dining table.

Vino smiled happily, he whispered to the meat that made him proud. "I managed to beat you after more than eight hours of hard work!" He smiled again.

Then he turned to his wife, carried Vira, and climbed the stairs to their room.

Vino's eyes narrowed, he felt the base of his arm sore from working hard in the kitchen all night.

He put Vira on the bed carefully, stroked his wife's forehead, removing the hair that was bothering his wife's face. "I never intended to conquer the kitchen were it not for you!" he smiled and landed a small peck on his wife's forehead.

----

"Oh my God!" Vira threw the blanket over her body, she immediately jumped out of bed after waking up from dreamland, she remembered her husband in the kitchen.

"Could it be, he's already burned the whole kitchen!" Vira grabbed her slippers and ran out of the room, she hurried down the stairs.

"Vino, Vino!" She shouted with a panicked face.

Vira almost slipped because she was surprised by what she saw at the dining table, her eyes widened, her jaw dropped, she froze.

Vino smiled with a clean white shirt, he wore the lacy apron that Herman usually wears, he also wore a white linen-resistant sheath and didn't forget a professional chef's hat.

Meanwhile, at the dining table, there is already a vase with a wide sunflower, the tablecloth has been replaced with a clean white motif and a black list on the edges, in the middle of the table lined with thick lace typical of a Victorian-era French wedding dress.

Plates and cutlery are neatly arranged.

"How?" Vino asked proudly of what he had done.

Vira could not say a word.

"Does this look nice and professional?" Vino asked his wife who was walking slowly towards the dining table.

"I've also managed to cook a steak to perfection complete with stir-fried vegetables and roasted potatoes."

Vira did not believe her husband's words and what her eyes saw.

"Look!" Vino showed off a plate that was ready with meat and a drizzle of thick sauce, he showed it to Vira.

"You amaze me," Vira whispered.

Vira approached the plate filled with her husband's steak with a touched face, she couldn't believe that Vino had been trying all night.

Vira couldn't stop staring at the food Vino made, she could imagine her husband's struggle.

Vino grabbed his wife's hand from behind, and Vira could feel behind the glove, Vino had hidden his fingers with many cuts and burns.

"I'm a little sleepy, I can sleep a little." Vino put his head on Vira's back.

Vira held back her tears that were moved, she nodded her head.

"Get some sleep, I'll take care of all this," Vira said holding back her tears.

Vino looked for a comfortable position on Vira's back, his fingers squeezing his wife's hand, he smiled.