Project: Socialize (Chapters 1-197)

113. Bitter Sweet

I exited the bathroom with a confused expression on my face. In my mind, I replayed the encounter with Ralus, listening to what he had said to me. I wondered what it was that he was going to tell me but changed his mind... However, that could be saved for later as Luna was still waiting for me.

She was sitting on her bed now dressed in a light autumn outfit: a navy blue button up coat along with a pair of skirts as well as boots. It appeared to fit her perfectly as the outfit made her appear quite mature yet playful at the same time. With a smile on her face, she approached me, throwing herself into my embrace once again with a content smile on her face.

"What do you want to do for the day?" I asked her for the day's plans.

"Maybe a walk through the city?" she suggested. "But as long as you're there."

"Well..." I rubbed the back of my head out of embarrassment as I looked away. "Let's start walking around outside then. We can figure out where we want to go later."

The two of us then exited her hotel room, allowing the door to automatically lock. As she held onto my hand while we walked over to the elevator, I realized that she didn't ask me about why I was at her room yesterday or how I even got in. Maybe she had forgot about that fact already, or it just didn't mean much to her anymore. If I had to guess, I believe it would be the latter.

It was around 8:00 A.M. when we left the hotel lobby and stepped foot on the streets of Saroff. It was pretty chilly, but nothing to big of a deal as our clothing protected us from the cold. I looked around the city for briefly in search of somewhere we could sit down for breakfast, and that was when I discovered a cafe nearby the train station. Thus, that was to be the site where we have our morning meal.

Entering the cafe, we were greeted with a warm air that eroded the cold that our bodies felt, granting us a comfortable warmth. We were led to a window-side booth by the waitress, and once we sat down, we ordered our food. I asked for a simple sandwich and some tea, and as for Luna, her preference was more vegetable based in a chicken salad.

"Would that be all?" the waitress asked.

"Yeah," Luna smiled as she handed her the menu.

"Wait," I said. "Let me also add two cheesecakes."

"Of course," the waitress said as she entered in the order into her tablet before she left the table with out menus.

After the waitress left us alone, I heard a soft chuckle coming from Luna. Looking over, I saw on her face a happy smile that perplexed me. I wasn't certain what it was for, so I decided to inquire her about it.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said, smiling happily at me. "It's just that you would order a cheesecake..."

"You're the one that said you like cheesecakes." I shook my head.     

"I know," she laughed. Then, her facial expression relaxed as she gazed into my eyes. "Thank you, Alevian."

She was sitting opposite of me at the moment with an elbow against the table as she supported her face with one hand. She gazed out the window and at the city outside. What she was thinking of, I do not know, but from her facial expression, I could tell that her mood must be extremely stable and content. 

She seemed to have returned to the Luna that I was accustomed with, making the Luna that I had seen last night appear almost as if it was merely an illusion. However, I wasn't sure whether or not that Luna was the real Luna. What if this girl that sat before me was simply one of the facades that she erected with her medications? Then, a shivering fear flashed through my mind as I recalled what she was like without her medications. Her body was rendered extremely weak and her skin a deathly white color. Without her medicine, she's merely a shell of herself. The spirit of this lively girl cannot possibly live in that frail frame without feeling the pain of the fetters. It is this knowledge of her sufferings that made my heart ache, causing that bitterness to once again arise in my heart.