I put my phone away and broke into a sprint toward the cafeteria.
The cool night air rushed past me as I moved, my mind already focused on food. By the time I reached the entrance, my stomach was growling.
Stepping inside, I glanced around and noticed a few people already seated at different tables. None of them looked familiar, so I didn't bother stopping to greet anyone. Instead, I shrugged it off and headed straight for the washroom.
At the sink, I splashed cold water onto my face, letting it wash away the sweat and exhaustion from training.
The refreshing chill snapped me awake a little more. After a quick pat down with a paper towel, I ran a hand through my hair and walked out, making my way to the counter.
Without wasting any time, I placed the orders for myself, North, and Sara, then found a table to wait.
I sat down at the table, tapping my fingers against the surface. One second. Two seconds. Three, nope, I couldn't just sit there.
Pushing back my chair, I stood up and started pacing near the counter, glancing toward the kitchen every few moments as if that would make the food come faster.
I checked my phone, then my watch, then the kitchen again. Still nothing.
Letting out a breath, I stretched my arms, rolled my shoulders, and did a few quick squats. That burned about fifteen seconds. Great.
My eyes darted around the cafeteria.
No one I knew. No one interesting. Maybe I should shadowbox a little? Do some footwork drills? No, that'd be weird.
I exhaled sharply, ran a hand through my hair and muttered.
"What's taking them so long?"
Then, I heard a voice from behind.
"What are you doing?"
I turned to see the lady at the counter, a woman in her mid-twenties with sharp eyes and furrowed brows.
"Waiting," I replied simply.
She blinked.
"By doing squats?"
I straightened and grinned.
"Exactly."
Finally, I found a way to pass the time.
I realized the folly of this lady—her weakness, her Achilles' heel. She was completely unaware of the benefits of squats.
And so, I decided to enlighten her.
While I was busy educating the not-so-eager-to-learn lady about the greatness of squats, I spotted North and Sara approaching.
She wore a baby pink top paired with dark blue jeans and simple flats. Her hair cascaded freely over her shoulders, framing her face, and when she spotted me, her eyes lit up with a warm smile.
I completely forgot about my ongoing squat lecture and turned away from the counter lady, striding toward them instead.
"Took you long enough."
North raised an eyebrow.
"We're exactly on time."
Sara folded her arms.
"He's just impatient."
"Very," North agreed with a knowing look.
I sighed dramatically.
"Unbelievable. I invite you both for a meal, and this is the attitude I get?"
Sara smirked.
"We could leave."
I pointed, gesturing away from the cafeteria.
"Go ahead. But just so you know, I already placed your orders, and they'll be here any second."
North sighed.
"Fine. Let's sit."
We walked over to an empty table, settling into our seats. The cafeteria was still lively, filled with trainees grabbing late-night meals, their chatter blending into the hum of activity.
North leaned forward, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"So, how exactly did you get my number?"
I chuckled, leaning back in my chair.
"Why don't you believe me when I say it was because of the commander?"
She crossed her arms.
"Because, I don't believe you'd actually ask him for it."
I blinked.
"Why not?"
Her eyes widened slightly, as if the answer was obvious.
"Because he's the Commander. And also my grandfather."
Before I could respond, Sara waved a hand dismissively.
"Just let it go, North. Do you want him to delete it or something?"
North glanced at her, then back at me.
"No, I'm not saying that. I was just curious."
Sara smirked.
"Don't worry, we'll get the full story out of him someday. Right now, I want to know how Mr. Famous over here is so powerful."
I grinned.
North groaned and facepalmed.
And just like that, I launched into another enlightenment session, this time on the wonders of hard work, dedication, and most importantly, why squats were the key to true strength.
Sara listened with mild amusement at first, but by the time I was done, she huffed and shook her head.
"Fraud."
I frowned. That wasn't the reaction I was going for.
Rubbing my chin, I fell into deep thought.
'Hmm… I might need to work on my delivery. This is the third girl I've failed to convince.'
We chatted casually while waiting for our food, the conversation flowing easily. When our order was finally ready, I got up to grab it from the counter and set everything down on the table.
With that, we dug in, the warm aroma of freshly prepared food making the wait worthwhile.
As we ate, the conversation shifted between different topics, mostly Sara and North talking about the training schedule and some gossip from their Academy days.
I listened, occasionally nodding while focusing on my food.
Then North turned to me.
"So, what kind of food do you actually like?"
I paused, mid-bite, and raised an eyebrow.
"Food."
Sara snorted.
"That's not an answer."
North rolled her eyes.
"Obviously, but is there something specific? You always seem like the type who just eats whatever is in front of you."
I chewed thoughtfully.
"That's not true. I have preferences."
Sara leaned forward.
"Yeah? Name one."
I pointed at my plate.
"This."
North sighed.
"Billion, that's just grilled chicken and rice. That's as basic as it gets."
"Exactly," I said, as if that explained everything.
Sara shook her head.
"So, no favorite dish? No special meal that makes you happy?"
I shrugged.
"As long as it's filling, I don't really care. Food is fuel."
North gave me a skeptical look.
"That's such a boring answer."
I grinned.
"You asked the question. Don't blame me if you don't like the answer."
She huffed.
"You can't tell me there's nothing you crave or look forward to eating."
I thought for a moment.
"Hmm… not really. I just eat whatever's in front of me."
Sara scoffed.
"Boring."
I shrugged.
North drank some water and spoke.
"Alright, I have questions."
I raised a brow. "Questions?"
She smirked. "Yeah. Answer fast, no thinking."
I exhaled. "Alright."
She started immediately.
"Close combat or ranged?"
"Close."
"Speed or strength?"
"Both."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Pick one."
"Strength."
"Why?"
I shrugged.
"I like to smash."
North rolled her eyes but continued.
"Solo or team?"
"Solo."
"Seriously?"
I nodded.
She scoffed.
"Fine. Sword or spear?"
"Spear."
"Why not a sword?"
I tapped my fingers on the table.
"I can use the shaft to smash"
She chuckled.
She hummed, thinking.
"Okay, if you could have any elemental ability, what would it be?"
I answered instantly.
"Fire."
She blinked.
"That was fast."
I just shrugged again.
She continued.
"Hot or cold?"
"Hot."
"Training or vacation?"
"Training."
"Training or food?"
"Training."
"Training or sleep?"
"Training."
Her lips twitched.
"Training or Steve?"
I blinked. That one actually made me think for a second. But then I answered.
"Training."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Ohh."
"Training or a girlfriend?"
"Girlfriend."
North leaned back, crossing her arms.
"No. Liar."
I met her gaze, dead serious.
"No, I'm not lying."
She scoffed.
"You just picked training over food, sleep, and your best friend, but suddenly a girlfriend wins? Yeah, right."
"It's true."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Explain."
I spoke succinctly.
"Men."
North stared at me, her expression unreadable. Then she huffed.
"Unbelievable."
And just like that, we launched into a heated debate about how I was, in fact, not a liar, while North insisted I was a shameless liar.
As we ate and talked, I caught a glimpse of movement near the entrance. A new group had entered the cafeteria.
King Holt.
He walked in with a few others, his presence drawing immediate attention. Among them, I recognized two faces, Michael Hightower and Ash Holt. They weren't exactly friends, but I had crossed paths with them before.
King's gaze swept across the room, and the moment his eyes landed on me, I saw it—rage simmering just beneath the surface. His jaw tightened, his hands curled into fists for a fraction of a second. But then, just as quickly, he turned away and moved forward, ignoring me entirely.
I smiled a little.