Project: Socialize (Chapters 1-197)

164. To the Hospital

What was supposed to be the time that I pay attention to what the teacher was lecturing about and took notes was the time that I spent staring out the window. Even though this might not be that different from what I usually do, but unlike the norm, I was in a state of melancholy as I gazed out the window and at the cloudy winter sky. Luna was still in the hospital, and the plan was that after school, we will all go visit her. However, it was still only me that was suffering from this melancholy as the others do not know even a fraction of the reality regarding Luna's condition.

It felt as if time was passing by extra slowly as I kept my eyes fixed on the digital clock near the front of the classroom with eyes that were devoided of emotion. I simply kept my eyes fixed on the digital display and kept track of how much longer it will be until school officially ends. It was the longest school day that I had ever experienced, but time will always continue to flow and things that might appear endless will always come to an end, similar to life...

With the ringing of the bell signaled the end of seventh-period homeroom. Without waiting for the hallways to be cleared, Loyd, Noah, Irina, and Muria got up from their seats and started in the direction of the door. The plan was that we will meet up with Zaksus who should be at the front gates before us as the first year students' classrooms were located on the floor below ours.

The journey through the crowded hallways was a slow and agonizing one. Usually, we would sit and wait for the hallway to be cleared of traffic first before we entered the hallway so that we may walk with leisure. However, no matter how slow and annoying this short journey was, it was one that needed to be taken nonetheless.

The hallways were loud with the sounds of footsteps as well as the chattering of the other students. We saw many people headed in the opposite direction as they made their way towards the upper level for the accessway to the club rooms in the secondary building. However, the majority of the students were headed downstairs either to head home or to their respective sports clubs. This made the hallways extremely congested, especially the stairs. However, once we reached the ground floor, the congestion was alleviated and we were able to walk with a greater ease.

As we walked, we went past the refurbished cafeteria that was finally opened after spending a while being remodeled from last semester, and towards the front entrance of the lecture building. The large exit meant that many people could flow out at once, which made the flow of traffic speed up even more.

Like we were expecting, Zaksus was leaning against the concrete wall of the school and by the open gates, waiting for us. When he saw us approach, his face lit up and he removed the earbuds from his ears.

"Everybody's ready to go?" Loyd checked with the group one last time before we made our way towards the nearest train station to commute to the hospital. He looked around and observed everyone's faces like he usually does with his great crowd control and observance capabilities before nodding. "Alright then. Let's start walking to the station."

The walk to the train station was accompanied by numerous other students as it was the main method of transportation for the majority of the students attending the school. When we neared the train station, we approached a busy street with numerous restaurants, cafes, and other stores. It wasn't busy when compared to the major streets. It was just so since near major hubs of transportation there will always be a great area to conduct business due to the increased traffic flow.

"So the hospital is located in eastern Nocsinis..." Loyd whispered out loud as he checked the map on his phone. "We'll have to take the metro then."

He then started leading everyone towards the ticket gates before the escalators leading down to the metro platforms. The others started following him without saying anything. However, I stood there motionlessly and simply watched them.