Night came and went.
"Yawwwwn~" I sat, bored, in my biology class. Suppressing my yawn wasn't going to happen with the amount of boredom I was feeling. The professor yapped about basic biology, so I turned my focus elsewhere.
Today, the sky hung heavy with thick, gray clouds, the kind that looked like they were stitched together by a sullen god. The weather forecast had practically sworn it would rain, and for once, I hoped it was right. It would be my first rainy day in this world.
I had always loved the rain. There was something about the way it hammered rooftops and hissed against windows, a beautiful kind of chaos that drowned out the world's noise. No matter how wild or relentless the downpour, it always made me feel calm, like my thoughts could finally breathe.
When the rain came, the world softened; the air cooler, the light dimmer, the usual sharpness of life blurred into something gentler. Somehow, in that muted, rhythmic storm, my mind sharpened. Ideas came easier. Focus came faster. It was as if the rain washed everything clean, including me.
This was just me yappin' though. It hadn't even started raining yet!
Pulling out my phone, I felt a vibration—it was a message from Kate responding to my good morning text. She apologized for responding so late, but apparently, things had run longer with her father than she thought.
[Me: Make sure to eat before class. (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و]
[Kate❣️: Of course~, you better not skip out on lunch either (੭ ˃̣̣̥ ︿ ˂̣̣̥)੭ु⁾⁾]
"Pfft~" I couldn't help but laugh. She was a master of the phone, I swear. I only learned how to do mine from the internet; copy and paste style. Oh. She could be doing that too. Nah, I've seen her type; she really knows the keyboard like a sword master knows their sword.
"Is something funny, Mr. Rhyse?"
The professor caught me off guard. My phone slipped out of my hands and, thankfully, landed in my lap instead of falling to the floor. Sure, I could buy a new one, but I didn't want to waste time with all that!
"Phew~ No, professor. I sneezed."
"Do you think I'm stupid?"
"Not at all!"
'I do know that you don't have as much money as me.'
Wow, that sounds like such a dick thing to think, but it was true. Kind of hard to take someone seriously when you're richer than them. I made sure not to voice or show my disrespect, though, the professor didn't deserve it. He was just trying to work.
He shook his head with light reprimanding and went back to teaching.
I immediately texted Kate, and she got mad at me for not paying attention. Now, she was someone I took seriously, so, begrudgingly, after her lecture, I focused on the rest of the class. It was about DNA, ribosomes, tRNA, and RNA.
The lecture finally ended after who knows how long, and I left the class behind me. Originally, my plan was to call Marcus and travel around near the house, but I decided against it. I wanted to explore the city around the university more.
"Eiz~!"
That voice could only belong to one person. Light, lilting, and just chaotic enough to make heads turn.
I turned, already smiling. Sure enough, there she was, running toward me with the kind of energy that could probably power a small city.
"Ophi," I said, warmth bleeding into my tone. "Nice to see you."
She struck a dramatic pose, hand to heart, eyes gleaming with mischief. "My~ I'm honored to finally have the attention of the great Eiz!"
"Bhaha~! You're welcome! The great me blesses you!" I declared, tossing my hair back with an exaggerated flair. Theatrics deserved theatrics, after all.
Ophi finally reached me, skidding the last step until we were practically shoulder-to-shoulder. The moment she got that close, she gave a radiant smile, like her excitement couldn't be contained in just words.
"I'm just happy the tyrant finally released my best friend!" she blurted, her voice tipping over with giddy relief.
My lips twitched.
"Alright, you got me beat."
"Pfft~! You gave up too quickly."
Shrugging, I said, "A king knows when to retreat from battles."
"A king wouldn't faint at the sight of a girl."
"G-Guah! That hurts! It was a bit more complicated than that."
Ophi didn't say anything. Instead, she covered her mouth with both hands. I looked at her weirdly but picked up the hint.
"It's fine that you know. I figured she would tell you anyway—you are basically her sister."
"Phew~, thank God." She looked genuinely relieved.
We walked past the university's north exit and paused, unsure what to do next. Suddenly, she made a sound and took the initiative.
Want to go to a café?" Ophi asked, her voice bright enough to slice through the lazy afternoon air.
"Sure," I said, already reaching for my phone. The cool glass of the screen pressed against my fingertips as I tapped it awake. "Just let me text Kate."
When I glanced up, Ophi was staring at me — flat, unimpressed, deadpan. Like I'd just suggested we wrestle a bear instead.
"What?" I asked, lowering the phone a little.
She gave a short, airy laugh, crossing her arms with a dramatic little shake of her head. "I don't think you have to tell her. She trusts you lots already!"
The breeze ruffled the loose ends of her obsidian-black hair, and I found myself wondering why she couldn't keep a boyfriend. Kate had mentioned it offhandedly, but Ophi was attractive and energetic, so I really couldn't understand it. Not that it mattered all that much to me, I have my lovely Kate!
"I mean, yeah, but what do I lose by telling her?" I felt great knowing she trusted me, and hearing that from her literal best friend made me feel even more joyful. Sure, Ophi could just be lying to help her friend, but either way, it was best not to think negatively. It was a great day, and there was absolutely no need to ruin it!
"Huh... I've learned a great deal already!"
She had some grand realization, but I didn't play into it. I shot my lovely girlfriend a message, and she sent me a big heart and a thanks for letting her know. See? Being open and honest is better than not doing anything at all; clarity does a lot!