Chapter 28: Ch 28: Learn to take care of yourself

In the end, Noah concluded that it was a small prank intended for their room, and he had just been the unlucky one to fall for it.

The good thing? He could easily brush it off and laugh about it.

The bad thing? His cast had gotten wet, and now he needed to get it changed.

The loud noise of the water woke Daniel up as well, and his roommate looked disoriented as he looked around to see where he was.

Noah noticed the moment Daniel realized he was in Noah’s bed, and he jumped up in embarrassment. But at least he did not accuse Noah of doing anything, which was a plus.

Daniel looked around the room before his eyes fell on Noah and his soaked state. A frown marred Daniel’s face, and he quickly walked toward the balcony to help Noah out.

"How did you even get wet out there? Was there a sunshower? But everything else looks dry-"

"Don’t come out here. I think someone is playing pranks on our room. A bucket of water fell on me as soon as I opened the door. Ugh, I think my cast got wet. I will likely need it replaced."

Noah warned Daniel before he dragged himself inside.

The other guide looked sorry to see Noah’s state before he sighed and helped him to the bathroom.

"You...make sure to change, and then come out. I will take you to get your cast changed."

"There is no need-"

"We shall go together!"

Daniel did not seem to want to hear a word against his decision, so Noah quickly closed his mouth and kept his opinion to himself. After all, there was no point in pissing off the other guide any more than he already had.

...

Noah’s day had started badly, and it was slowly getting worse. He had already gotten splashed, and now he was being forced to listen to the academy nurse go on and on about his carelessness.

"Tsk, your cast is all wet. Didn’t I specifically tell you to keep it out of the water? Are my words a joke to you? I don’t have time to keep redoing your cast again and again."

The nurse complained while patting Noah’s newly replaced cast before throwing him out as well. His behavior was neither gentle nor calming, which made Noah feel uncomfortable.

So he felt almost thankful when he was thrown out.

"Shall we head back now?"

Daniel, who was waiting outside the medical wing, extended his hand toward Noah, but his expression did not change.

Noah had a feeling Daniel had heard each and every word the nurse had said to him. But the fact that he was not saying anything showed just how thoughtful he was.

It made Noah feel a little more secure standing beside him.

"Yeah, let’s get going now. Honestly, I am famished. Getting some food into me would be nice. It’s nice that there are no classes today."

Noah sighed in relief at the fact that he would not have to interact with Ethan today...not that he disliked Ethan or anything. He just needed some time to himself, and he was sure Ethan would give it to him once they returned to their room.

Unfortunately, the day started to get even worse for Noah.

They arrived almost 20 minutes before breakfast ended, but the esper in charge of the food distribution that day frowned as he looked at Noah.

"Sorry, but we only have one entry left for the current batch. One of you will need to wait for your turn with the next batch."

The esper looked at the pair in front of him, but it was clear that he was making it up.

Noah had never heard of a batch-eating system before, and from the look Daniel was giving the esper in charge, neither had he.

"Hey, are you talking crap? Do you think we were born yesterday? Hurry up and let us in now. There is no ’batch-eating’ on this campus."

Daniel reminded the esper, but the man did not back down. He barely looked sorry as he replied.

"There was no ’batch-eating’ protocol until now, but due to the high demand and pressure on the kitchen, we have decided to implement this new system. Today is the first day, so you won’t be assigned a batch and will be placed randomly. But you’d better check the schedule starting tomorrow if you want to eat here."

The esper continued insisting that this was not a one-time thing but a permanent solution they were implementing. And if that were the case, then there was nothing they could do about it.

After all, it was the academy’s decision...

"Fuck it! I am not putting up with this shit. Noah, you go in and eat. I will wait here for you, and then we can head back to our room together-"

"I am sorry, but the one I registered for breakfast right now is you, Daniel. You should head inside before this batch is done, and your roommate can head in after this batch. You only have 20 minutes left."

Twenty minutes were all that remained of breakfast. The esper was hinting to Noah that he had no place in the breakfast crowd.

And Noah had a feeling this was all deliberate.

He had no idea why this was happening to him in the first place, but he was starting to find it annoying...

Or maybe it was just the irritation from the day finally getting to him?

’This feels so irritating. I really want to throw a tantrum to get my way through this...’

Unfortunately, his mission required him to keep a low profile, so he could not show his true colors. He had to remain subdued and stay out of trouble.

Besides, missing breakfast for one day was not a big deal. He was used to skipping meals all the time. His supplementary nutrients would do the job just fine...

"This is bullshit. Noah, you wait here for one minute! I will be out quickly."

Daniel told him and squeezed his hand one last time before heading inside. Noah had not even realized Daniel had been holding his hand all this time. But suddenly, he felt like he had lost his support, and it made him feel lonely.

And the esper’s glare was not helping matters either.