Spaghetti

"It smells great," Miku commented as she entered the kitchen. She intended to take some plates for their dinner. Only two of them. She and Carl. For the others, they hadn't come home yet. And yes, the chef was Carl.

"It's only spaghetti. Everyone can make it," Carl said as he stirred the pan to combine the sauce, pasta, shrimp, and vegetables. He could say spaghetti was the easiest dish. He just needed to cook the noodles and mix them with the finished sauce.

"But you make it much tastier by adding shrimp and vegetables."

"Is that really a compliment?" he asked, doubting her sentence. Once again. There was nothing special about his spaghetti.

"Sure. Remember what Kate said? We have to respect food."

"So you'll still eat it even if it's not tasty?" Carl ended his sentence in a questioning tone.

"That's another thing."

And a small laugh escaped his lips. He couldn't help but shake his head at her reaction. It really didn't match what she said before.

Moments later, Carl finished with his spaghetti. He carried his pan to the dining table, where Miku was waiting for him with the plate set.

"I hope this won't make you throw up." He put the pan in the middle to make it easier for them to pick the spaghetti up themselves.

"Stop it, Carl," Miku pleaded with a stifled laugh. "Don't joke about food, or your mother will scold you," she continued.

Carl took a seat in front of her. "She's not home yet. We're safe."

Then their dinner began. Carl and Miku enjoyed the spaghetti without protest. That meant there was no problem with the taste.

"What do you want on your birthday?" Miku broke the silence with her question.

Carl swallowed his food and then replied, "How did you know?" There was a surprise in his voice. As far as he remembered, they never talked about his birthday.

"I live here, Carl."

Even though it didn't directly answer his question, it meant that she would find out about that since they lived under the same roof.

"I'm not used to celebrating my birthday. So, no gifts won't be a problem," Carl responded casually. He then rolled up the spaghetti and put it into his mouth.

Miku was silent while rolling her spaghetti. She thought about his answer and what she would do about that. Giving him a gift or not.

"How about you? When is your birthday?"

Miku was a little surprised because she didn't expect it to change the topic about her. "We have a different calendar system. It's fourteen months in a year. Remember?"

Yes, it reminded him of an introductory lesson about the Calledar planet. There are many differences between Calledar and the earth. "How about us celebrating together? Your birthday and mine?" Suddenly, the idea crossed his mind.

"Us?" Miku asked to confirm.

He gave a definite nod. "Yes."

Seeing that, she flashed a smile. "That would be a lot of fun."

After that, they continued their dinner.

"Is it true that you're ageless?"

Instantly, Miku laughed at that. The word ageless sounded funny to her ears. "Is that what you pinned to us?" She asked back.

"Yeah. People say so. Your people don't age when we do. What else if it's not ageless or stayed young?" He explained what he knew.

"No, it's not like that. Our bodies are different, so we have different lifespans. I think there's an explanation for this in your book."

"Is it?" He recalled his lesson. Faintly, that brief explanation appeared in his memory. "I must have forgotten it." He gave the only probable reason. He forgot.

"You know we have magic, right? That's what makes us live longer." Miku added an explanation.

Carl nodded in understanding. "So, how old are you really?"

Miku leaned back until she hit the back of the chair. "You can guess. How old do you think I look?"

Carl mumbled as he studied her and thought. "About twenty?"

"You can multiply it by 100."

His eyes rounded. Without counting it, he immediately knew it was a large number. "So you're 200 years old?" he asked in disbelief.

Miku smiled. "Yes, Carl. Do I look young?"

"You'll definitely not look 200 years old."

Miku chuckled. Initially, she was also surprised by their differences. And she was sure all the companions also experienced it.

"I became curious about your planet."

"Then, come to my place."

"There's no way of going there."

Yeah, the inventor hadn't found the tool yet. Also, he didn't have magic, so traveling to another universe was impossible.

"Make the tool."

Carl was taken aback. "Me?" He pointed himself. "But you said I should be a fighter."

"Yes, you do. Your important task is to be a fighter." Miku confirmed. "But that doesn't stop you from learning other things."

Carl shook his head in disbelief. "Wait. You want me to be an inventor too?"

"Or a doctor as you wish."

"You want me to learn everything?"

"If you wish. You may need it."

"What for?"

Miku paused for a moment to think. She then looked straight into his eyes. "Something big in the future."

His brow furrowed in confusion. Sometimes, Miku was mysterious, so it was hard to understand her. He guessed she was hiding many secrets. "You won't tell me what it is, right?" He asked while squinting at her.

Miku smiled meaningfully. "It's no fun if you know the future."

"But, you know," he blurted. "Does that mean you can see the future?"

She gave a shake. "I can't. But I promise I'll tell you everything later." She still wore her mysterious side.

Carl let out a long sigh. "That means I can only hang my future on you."

Miku just smiled. That was not entirely wrong. She had indeed managed his life since her arrival. But that didn't have to make him give up on anything else. Her request would only change his priority.

"The only thing I can tell you is you have an important duty as a fighter. That's why the fighter will remain your main path."

"And what is that about?"

"To protect the universe."

Just then, there was the sound of the door opening. Before long, his mother appeared from behind the door.

"Hi, honey. Sorry, I'm late. Have you had something for dinner?" Kate asked as she walked to the dining room. "Oh, spaghetti! Nice. That must be good," she said after seeing what was on the table. "I'll change and join you."

"It smells good," Stary commented.

Miku looked at Carl with a look she-was-right on him. Meanwhile, Carl shrugged and continued eating.