Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Cafeteria Trouble Chapter 34: Cafeteria Trouble
Later in the day
The hallways were still buzzing. After the Teacher’s announcement, the entire hall felt like a pot about to boil over. Students were talking, arguing, theorizing about who would make the Top 10.
Lynx and Kira walked side by side toward the cafeteria, the noise following them like a shadow.
A few students still stared at Lynx. Whispers trailed behind him wherever he went. He was used to it by now. The stares didn’t bother him, it made him even more sure of his charm.
Kira broke the silence first, her voice softer than usual.
"Mom was so worried about you. She thought something bad had happened. She was ’this’ close to storming to the Academy Headmistress and causing trouble." She held up two fingers, barely an inch apart.
Lynx sighed. The sound came out heavy.
He knew his lovely Aunt Isabel would be worried sick about him. And it was his fault too, for not seeing her before he left for the Forbidden Zone. Guilt tugged at the edge of his chest. Well she wouldn’t let him leave. No sane person would leave for the forbidden zone.
"I know," he said quietly. "I’ll visit her as soon as possible. I was just... busy. Training for the past month."
He glanced at Kira, tilting his head. "Hey... have you made up with your mother?"
He already knew the answer. But he wanted to hear her say it.
Kira rolled her eyes, but the corner of her mouth twitched up. "Yeah, I did. I was a fool back then, keeping grudges like that." She exhaled and picked up her pace. "Anyway, let’s eat. I’m starving."
Lynx smirked. "Lead the way, then."
---
The cafeteria smelled like warm bread, fried meat, and sugar. Blessed Students filled the long tables, but the moment Lynx stepped in, a ripple of quiet spread.
At the counter stood the attendant. A young woman, normal human. No blessing. Just a tired smile she gave to everyone.
"What are you both having?" she asked sweetly. When The Duo approached her.
"I’ll have whatever she’s having," Lynx said quickly, not even looking at the menu.
Then he bent down, leaning close to Kira. His voice dropped to a whisper only she could hear. Warm breath brushed her ear.
"I’m pretty much broke. You’ll have to pay for me."
Kira choked on air. She stifled a laugh behind her hand, shoulders shaking. "Yeah, I got it covered," she said, shaking her head. "The overly handsome Lynx Azarion is broke. You know if your fangirls hear about this, they’ll think I’m saying something blasphemous."
"Fangirls?" Lynx straightened up, locking eyes with her. His heterochromatic eyes one blue, one silver both with golden streaks, caught the cafeteria light. They were like magnets.
Kira’s breath hitched. For half a second she forgot how to speak. Those eyes pulled at her, dragging her in. She snapped out of it and cleared her throat, cheeks warming.
"Y-yeah," she stammered. "You have fans now. Mostly girls though. Juniors." She started listing it off on her fingers, trying to sound normal. "Most handsome guy in probably the entire Human Continent. First Blessed to have more than 3 Affinities. Started AETHER Academy and got instantly promoted to Year Two."
Lynx listened with a faint smirk, arms crossed. When she finished, he leaned in again.
"You know... I’m starting to think you might be one of them."
Kira’s eyes widened. Heat rushed to her face.
"S-shut up," she hissed. "You’re saying trash."
Lynx laughed, low and amused, right before the attendant cleared her throat. Loud.
"Sorry to interrupt," she said, still smiling but clearly done waiting. "But you’re on a line. Your order please?"
She tried hard not to stare at the dreamy guy in front of her.... She Failed. She kept stealing glances at him.
---
A few minutes later.
Lynx and Kira carried their trays to an unoccupied table near the window. He’d picked the same things as Kira: vanilla flavored ice cream, sweet pastries, and a sandwich he wasn’t sure would fill him. He didn’t pay. Kira did.
They sat down and began eating. He took a bit from the sandwich and sipped some ice cream from the straw given to him. The taste hit him different.
"Ahhnn," Lynx moaned, eyes closing in pure content.
It had been so long since he tasted something sweet. Demon meat kept him alive in the Forbidden Zone. It kept him full. But this? This was heavenly.
Kira watched him from across the table, her spoon pausing halfway to her mouth. The way his brows furrowed in satisfaction, the way he looked almost boyish for a second. He was effortlessly charming and didn’t even know it. Maybe he did.
"You seem to be enjoying your food a bit too much," she teased, taking a sip of her drink. "Looks like you haven’t eaten human food in a long time."
Lynx just smiled. If only she knew how true that was.
They fell into comfortable silence after that. Occasional jokes. Occasional bickering. Lynx even stole bites off Kira’s plate.
"Can’t let all that sugar go to a beautiful lady," he said with the lamest excuse he could think of. Kira threw a napkin at him and called him shameless.
Halfway through the meal, Lynx looked at her properly. Really looked.
"You look stronger than last time I saw you."
Kira paused mid-sip. She scoffed, but pride flickered in her eyes.
"Yeah. Seems you’re not the only one who got an upgrade, pretty boy."
She set her drink down. "I’m training directly under Teacher Rose now."
Lynx blinked. "Teacher Rose? No way."
"Yes way," Kira said, puffing her chest out a little. "She didn’t agree at first. But I was constantly on her neck. She said she saw potential in me. So she agreed. I just had to survive her hellish training."