As they walked.
More precisely, Ren was running, and Kai was just keeping up.
Downstairs, students carried their trays, chatting as they sat in their respective seats to enjoy their meal.
The sound of bowls and plates clanking together drifted throughout the room.
Kai bent at the entrance, panting.
“Ha….”
“Told you, we were late.”
A pause.
Sigh.
“What do we—”
“Right here!” a voice rang out from the counter.
“Ren, Kai!”
she called,
and waved at them.
Ren paused.
So…
his name is Kai.
“Let’s go,” Kai said as he started walking toward the lady.
Ren followed.
As they approached,
the lady reached under the counter and took out two bowls of chicken soup and a few pieces of bread.
“I saved them for you.
Enjoy them.”
Ren’s eyes lingered on her hand for a moment.
Kai, beside him, noticed it but didn’t speak.
Instead, he elbowed him.
“Just take it.”
He reached out and accepted his bowl.
“Thank you, Aunt Miranda.”
Ren took his portion.
He looked at the soup.
“Thank you, Aunt.”
Then Ren and Kai took their trays and walked toward the corner of the cafeteria.
And began eating.
While eating,
Kai glanced toward Ren, his shoulders a little tense.
“Hey, did you finish packing?”
“….Yeah.”
Seeing Ren’s lukewarm reaction,
Kai’s tense shoulders relaxed.
Then he continued,
“Really?”
Ren noticed it.
So he…
let his guard down.
“…Half done,” Ren replied.
“Bro, we seriously have to leave for Orun tomorrow, and you still didn’t finish your packing?” Kai said playfully.
“….I will.”
Ren continued to eat his meal calmly.
Kai picked up his spoon to take a sip of soup from his bowl.
“You were so excited yesterday,” Kai said.
“…..Was I?”
“You were.”
Kai looked at Ren as if he were looking at an alien.
“…You were like, ‘Tomorrow will be our day…'” Then Kai brought his spoon toward his mouth, using it as a mic.
“The day we turn our lives upside down!” he shouted.
All the gazes in the room turned toward their table.
Conversation stopped.
The students walking nearby paused.
Ren looked at the drama queen in front of him with a calm expression.
…..
…..
“Does this guy have some mental issue?”
Nerd while walking and an anchor in the middle of eating.
Kai’s face flushed red.
As he exhaled,
“…Sorry.”
Then he continued eating.
Or…
at least, he wanted to pretend like he was eating.
Ren reached toward his glass and answered,
“…I am adapting.
I am excited.
But…
I can control it now.”
Kai’s eyes visibly softened, and his posture relaxed.
When everyone retracted their gazes,
Ren finally took a sip of water.
Kai spoke with his head down,
“Well…
…that makes sense.
But…”
A pause.
“You weren’t excited in the first place.”
Ren paused.
The hand holding his glass stopped mid-motion.
Silence.
“I was…
…tricked.”