The Eiffel tower, check!
Arc de Triomphe, check!
Basilique du Sacre-Coeur de Montmartre, check!
The Luxembourg Gardens, check!
Random French cafe… 'Alright, let's go in.'
"Where's Mr. Golden Hair by the way? I haven't really been seeing…woah, this is nice." She said as we entered a high-end café named Le Fournil.
"It is Indeed nice. And Caner went off somewhere, I don't know where." I said, although the truth is that he is probably experimenting with his magic or shopping for some extravagant things.
"Mhm."
We sat down, and I looked at the menu; most of it was the classics—café latte, café espresso—stuff like that. A sandwich stood out to me though, Jambon Beurre, and I ordered it.
"Are you really not single?" She asked me, again. She has asked this multiple times before we even landed in France.
"I am not—well to be honest, I don't know," I said, finally letting go of my stubbornness.
"You what..?"
"…don't know, yes," I replied.
"Wha—how does that work?" Sypher said in bewilderment.
"It's complicated and I don't feel like explaining," I said as I took a bite of the sandwich—it was nice. The bread was fluffy, and the meat…so good…ah, 'I'll miss these kinds of food.' I suddenly thought.
This world is more of an actual fantasy than my previous one. Unlimited food, endless entertainment, the internet…it's unimaginable.
'One thing is for sure though,'
It's not…fun.
Life is lackluster, dull even.
That is if you repeat everything you do though, and this vacation has proven to be more joyous than I had thought.
"Jeez, so secretive." She said, but I know she didn't mind. We've been hangin' out together since the first departure and I've known her quite a bit.
"That's an exaggeration," I replied.
"Nope, you're just not self-aware." She said as she took a sip of a latte.
Tch.
We have been going around France for the past three days, and although it was fun, I'm tired.
"What do you wanna do after this?" I asked, "I don't really wanna go around more, I'm exhausted."
"Dunno." She said, "The ship departs tomorrow anyway, why don't we just laze around the ship?"
"We've done that so many times…"
"…Urgh, I wish Korea has something more."
"Well, they do have BTS." Sypher giggled.
"I'm not gay, sorry." I jested, making her smile.
"I would be pretty disappointed if you were." She said as she covered her mouth.
"Why do you even like me?" I asked in doubt.
"Straightforward are we? Let's go, I'm getting bored here." She suggested.
"Better than beating around the bush." I simply said, following her out of the door.
"Sure."
"…So?"
"Nothing."
'Maybe I was too straightforward…?' I noticed the shift in the mood, thinking that I might've pushed a bit too far.
'But wait! She's been asking me to date her all this while…or am I getting the wrong signals?'
'Urgh…I'd rather fight another death-defying battle again than do this.'
"Let us go back to the ship, shall we?" I asked, and she stared at me.
I reflexively flinched with that gaze, "W-what?" I said with a slight stutter, giving away confusion.
"Nothing."
And then she just went off in a random direction—not even to the ship, or to anywhere we already went to.
'What?'
Sigh
I grabbed her arm, "You'll get lost if you go alone."
"Hmph! What do you know?" She pouted, but she budged anyway.
"A lot." I replied.
She clicked her tounge, "Arrogant prick."
I held her hand, just in case, before we went back to the ship.
"You mad?"
"No."
"You clearly are."
"I clearly am not."
"Sure."
Turning her gaze away, she mumbled, "Keep holding it."
I didn't quite catch it, however, "What was that?" I asked, but she just smiled at me.
"Nothing. Let's go," She said, swinging our arms widely.
I haven't really been seeing Caner lately. He's not in our room. Heck, I can't even feel his mana signature—and his is flashy, there is no way I can't catch it.
'Damn, did he die already?' I thought, thinking he was caught by the feds or something. I mean, we kinda got caught chilling outside the earthen atmosphere.
"…Shit."
"What?" Sypher asked, startled by my sudden cuss.
"Oh, I just remembered something—a problem, no big deal though," I explained, and she let it go. And it's not like I can just tell her what it is.
I tried to reach out to Caner and feel where his mana is. 'Damnit, where the heck are you?'
After a couple of failed attempts, I gave up, no use in reaching out when you can't get ahold of the other end.
"Well, I'm going this way," I turned to Sypher. I remembered that her room was in the other direction.
"Is Caner there?" She asked.
"Sigh, to be honest, no. I don't know where he is." I said as I felt my figure deflate.
"O-oh. Can I go to your room then?" She asked.
"Well, sure, but you can't stay there for long."
'The mana thickened with both of us there,' I was about to add but held back.
"Yay!" She beamed, raising her arms up like a kid.
"What are you gonna do in there anyway? Please behave."
"I'm not a kid, you know?" She pouted.
"Sure," I said as I opened the door to my room, not bothering to look at her.
I took off my jacket and hung it on the coat rack. It seems like no one came in the room while we were gone, 'twas all the same.
I flopped on my bed, "I didn't know having fun could be this exhausting." I said, covering my eyes with my left arm—my dominant one.
"It is most definitely not. Being introverted, however…"
"I am not even that introverted," I argued, not bothering to turn my head around.
But I was quite startled as I felt the bed bounce a bit. "You can use Caner's." I suggested, "My bed is cramp enough." I added.
"What? Look how messy it is!" She pointed at it, and it is indeed a mess. Piles of shopping bags and obviously used clothes, there are even some souvenirs and unfinished foods on it.
"Well… right….That guy doesn't know how to clean up after himself." I facepalmed and shook my head.
"Heh. That guy's better than you at socializing though. He was flocked by chicks after he carried you out of the bar." She smiled wryly in an attempt to tease me.
"Tch, well—"
"He also told me that you stayed in your house for almost a year without going out even once. Therefore, I stand by my previous point." She cut me off.
My forehead twitched. Most things cannot faze me….but this…I wanna punch this b**** in the face.
"What? You pissed" She smirked.
"Pissed my ass." I turned my back, subsequently rubbing the bridge of my nose as I remembered my 'to-do' list.
Sigh
'Where can I find…'
I turned around abruptly, and she flinched for she was caught off guard. "W-what?"
"Say, I need you to do something for me. I'll even pay you." I wore my usual smile…which I know not how it looks.
She widened her eyes, "E-eh? I'm really not that kind of…" She slid off the bed.
"Kind of what?" I frowned, confused. 'I thought she was a scientist.'
"I like you, but not that deep…" She squirmed, looking shy of something.
"Ha? I know you're a professional, I've seen you on TV!" I said, finding her reactions both confusing and cute.
"W-what??? I'm a scientist, not a prostitute!" She shouted at me.
"H-huh?" I frowned yet again, but the crease on my forehead just worsen as I realized why she was acting like that.
"N-no! I did not mean that! I meant as a scientist! I need you for science. Science!" I hurriedly explained.
"O-oh." She froze…and sighed, but her eyes drooped.
"…Well, what is it?" She disregarded what happened, but the tinge of red on her face betrayed her intentions.
"I am experimenting on something. Uhhhh…like a renewable energy source. I kinda lack the knowledge to even start, so I was thinking that maybe I could use your help…?"
"Oh? Great timing, my team is also working on some stuff that we discovered. Apparently, it's another quantum field."
I flinched.
"O-oh, how does it work?" I asked, putting up a front of curiousity. 'Damn, did they found out already?'
"We don't know yet, but supposedly it's renewable."
'Well...that might be it.'