The darkness was a deep, impenetrable blackness, a void that seemed to swallow everything in its wake. I stared at it for what seemed like an eternity, but it was eerily quiet, not even the sound of my own breath could be heard.
As far as I knew, I had never dreamt before. It wasn't that I was disinterested in dreams, I just never had any reason to be interested in them. Dreams were supposedly a manifestation of our innermost desires, but I didn't believe I had any unspoken desires... or desires at all for that matter.
Eventually, the darkness lifted, replaced by a sudden burst of light that pierced my eyes. I woke up, my eyes already open, and sat on the edge of my bed. Rubbing my eyes, I got up and turned off my phone alarm before it could sound, reminding me that it was already Tuesday.
I made my way to the bathroom for a quick shower, got dressed, and headed to class.
As I walked through the schoolyard, I was greeted by Fujiharu, who had come up behind me and tapped me on the back.
"Congratulations on getting sixth rank, Ayato!" she exclaimed.
I gave a bland nod, barely acknowledging her as I kept walking. But she persisted, following me as we made our way to class.
"You're early like usual," she said.
"The same to you," I replied.
"Of course," she replied. "Want to have breakfast at the cafe?"
I had forgotten to make breakfast, an unusual occurrence for me. They say forgetting something means it's useless, but fuel is not useless. It's necessary for my body to function. If I could survive without food, I would never eat.
Unlike some people, who enjoy food for its taste, I simply eat to keep my body going. Fujiharu, on the other hand, enjoys food for pleasure and would keep eating even if it weren't necessary.
"Sure," I replied.
"Wow, really?"
"Yes."
"I'm getting suspicious now..."
"What makes you say that?"
"It's just... unusual."
"I just forgot to make breakfast."
Fujiharu lifted her hand and placed it on her other palm. "I see."
Despite the early hour, I doubted if any cafe was open yet. But it was worth a try, as we already made our way towards the mall.
The mall was seemingly open, however, as I strolled inside, I noticed that the majority of the facilities remained closed. Perhaps they had yet to fully open their doors, either due to the early hour or the ongoing midterm exams.
Strangely enough, the mall tends to shut down during midterms for reasons unknown to me. But now, post-midterms, it appears to have opened up once more, albeit somewhat hesitantly.
It was quiet as we walked, but Fujiharu kept trying to make small talk, and I just nodded along without saying much. After a while, we finally arrived at the cafe, but most of the places we passed by were closed. Even the popular ones seemed to be stocking up on ingredients.
The cafe we entered had some fancy Italian name, but I wondered if the food here was actually from Italy. I took a seat at a round table, and Fujiharu sat across from me. I picked up the menu and saw that most of the food wasn't Italian at all.
"I'm going to get the fried rice, what about you Ayato?" Fujiharu asked.
"I'll get the same as you."
Her cheeks suddenly turned red, and I wondered why until I saw that there was a promotion for couples. If you ordered the same dish as your partner, you would get a big plate for half the price of two regular plates. However, since we weren't a couple, I chose to order the one with fried eggs on it.
"I'm getting the fried eggs one," I explained.
"Yeah, I guess that's fine…"
We placed our orders and waited for the food to arrive. As we waited, I couldn't help but notice the cosy ambience of the cafe. The walls were painted in warm colours, and there were paintings and photos hanging on them.
Soft jazz music played in the background, which added to the soothing atmosphere. I felt my tense muscles relax, and I let out a sigh.
Fujiharu looked around and nodded. "This place is cosy and nice, I like it."
I just simply nodded in agreement.
The food arrived quickly. I ate without much thought, and Fujiharu talked a bit about her studies, but I didn't really pay attention. As our breakfast came to a close, I pushed my chair back and got up, heading to the counter to settle my bill.
The cost wasn't exactly cheap, but it wasn't too pricey either. I pulled out my phone from my pocket and flicked through the screen until I found the points app. With a quick tap and swipe, I settled the bill and stuffed my phone back into my pocket.
However, I soon felt a soft tap on my shoulder and turned around to see Fujiharu standing behind me.
"Are you seriously not going to treat a lady?" She teased.
"You're the one who invited me here, so it's only fair that you pay."
Fujiharu's lips pouted into a playful frown. "Well, you could at least offer to split the bill."
"I'll leave first then," I said, sidestepping her and heading towards the exit.
But before I could get far, she grabbed onto my shirt sleeve, stopping me in my tracks.
"Don't be so cold, Ayato. You should at least escort me to the main building."
"Fine."
I left the cafe and stood outside, waiting for Fujiharu. The minutes ticked by slowly, and I began to wonder if she had left me behind.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she emerged from the cafe. "Sorry for making you wait. Did you wait long?" she asked.
"Ten minutes is a long time to pay for food."
Fujiharu chuckled. "Well, you know how it is. Sometimes us girls have to take care of business," she said, grinning mischievously.
"That's a weird way of putting it," I said, starting to walk towards the mall exit.
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