Chapter 202
After the credits rolled, everyone was buzzing with excitement. "Let’s hit the arcade next!" Whitney suggested, eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
I hesitated, rubbing the back of my neck. "Uh, I think I’ll pass this time," I started to say, but before I could finish, they all grabbed my arms, practically dragging me along.
"Come on, you can’t just sit out," Christian grinned, pulling me towards the door. "It’ll be fun!"
Reluctantly, I gave in, and soon we were laughing and competing at the claw machines, racing each other in racing games, and trying to beat high scores on the arcade cabinets. For a while, I was right there with them, caught up in the fun.
But as the hours went by, my eyelids start to get heavy. They didn’t seem to tire, bouncing from game to game with endless energy. I wondered if I was older than them mentally, or maybe just more exhausted.
I found myself acting like the "mother hen," watching over my friends as they played, making sure everyone was having a good time, and quietly checking that no one was overdoing it.
As I leaned against the wall, watching them laugh and compete, I couldn’t help but smile. ’Being young sure is fun,’ I thought as I quietly slipped away from the others, careful not to draw attention.
It was already night time when I quietly slipped away from the others, careful not to draw attention. Once I was outside the mall, I pulled out my phone and sent a quick message in our group chat: "Already gone home. See you all tomorrow!"
Almost immediately, the notifications began pinging nonstop—messages flooding in from everyone, asking where I was, if I was okay, and teasing me about leaving early. I sighed, chuckling to myself, then turned off notifications and put my phone on silent for the next hour, giving myself a much-needed break.
Feeling a bit hungry after the long day, I decided to swing by the nearest food shop. I ordered a variety of snacks—some sweet, some savory—to share with Glacier and Macaron later.
With bags in hand, I made my way back to the academy, walking alone under the quiet night sky. Once I reached my dorm, I quietly slipped inside, closing the door behind me.