After the service, they walked from the Temple to the Refectory which was another world of its own. Silence ruled in the Temple while the Refectory was the War Room. It did not matter whether you were barbaric or 'classy', the food that was meant to go around would end up in the belly of the 'sharp-eyed'. Anyone who has been to boarding school should know this.
As I mentioned earlier, yes, there is food. It should be enough for everyone, given that there are no greedy students or entitled seniors. And if you wanted to follow the Rules that hung as a giant picture on the wall next to the doors that led into the Refectory. You would learn that even the school authorities had so much they could do to hangry students.
The students formed a line as they entered the Refectory, it was not rowdy as the students of Forgeron Academy were basically in their late teens and early adults. After all, kids don't have the stamina to hammer all day nor do they have the muscles or will owing to the fact that it gets tiring and boring after a certain time. With a larger population of boys to girls, a 5-to-1, 7-to-1 ratio is quite expected in this field of work.
Seri quickly lost track of Shania and the rest as they entered the Refectory, how she could miss babbling Akra is still a mystery every single time. It was about time she forfeited breakfast, after rushing for the Morning Service and rushing again to the Refectory for breakfast and having nothing to eat every single morning. The thought of skipping Service was lingering more in the 'random' thoughts running through her mind.
She just stood silently as she watched the students eat amidst their noisome chatter. It was extremely loud and rowdy and maybe unhygienic.- Is it hygienic to talk while eating? Because I don't think it is, never mind.
Still lost in her daze as she searched for Akra, it happened she was in the middle of the passageway in between the rows of large dining tables. Jephthah grabbed her hand and gently tugged her along as he walked through the tables. Seri was startled for a wild second but it soon turned to embarrassment as her blood rushed through her face and a huge smile plastered on her face that she hid as she used her hand to cover her mouth when she noticed Jephthah by his long dark luscious hair tied in a ponytail and willowy shoulders. They walked out of the building and signed attendance that the Refectory Prefect held at the Exit Door.
"How have you been doing?' Jephthah asked when they had finished signing and they walked away from the Refectory and the Temple, passing the dormitories toward the Lecture Halls.
"... Good" Seri answered as she looked at her boots, personally crafted by the great Busan from the House of Dapil, and the tracks they were walking on.
"That's all?" Jephthah asked as he glanced at her with his glassy green eyes.
"Uhm," She hummed, unable to think of a response as her brain froze for a 'moment'. "Nothing much, how was your term?" she asked as she dodged the question.
"It was smoother than I expected," Jephthah answered as he looked around the school running his right hand through his hair.
"I didn't expect to see you, why did you come back mid-term?" Seri asked as they walked by their dorms.
"I wanted to check up on you" Jephthah answered.
The wind grew cold as the tension between the two increased. Seri was most affected as her heart thumped almost audibly amidst her irregular breaths. Her cheeks grew many shades redder and her mind went berserk unable to think for a brief moment.
"I know it's weird," Jephthah said as he took a step closer. "But I need something."
Seri looked away from his eyes and stared at a window in the building under which shade they stood. 'He stayed three months away and the day he comes back he needs something.' Seri thought as her heart ached a little. But she still wanted to hear what he heard to say, if it meant she was going to spend more time with him then it would not be as bad. 'Or am I doing too much? I mean...'
Jephthah stops her thoughts as he holds her hand. "I need your permission to use your shack, 20 minutes walk from here."
Seri is taken aback as shakes off his grip and starts to walk away. "I knew I did too much." She muttered under her breath as she angrily matched away. "It's just the audacity to take his filthy legs to ask me that! Not even asking about my health or how I have been faring!"
'Or was there something more I should have done to make him care a little more?' She thought to herself as she bit her lip in self-disgust.
"You know I could have used it without your permission?" Jephthah asked as he slid his hands into the pockets of his brown striped trousers and walked towards her.
"How do you know it was mine?" Seri asked as she turned back to see him standing behind her a little flattered by his speed.
"It's your father's land and no one will bother with those experiments or use those machines apart from you," Jephthah stated as he pinched the space between his eyebrows. "So is that a yes?"
Seri stared in the distance thinking. 'He has already gone through my stuff and it's only my so-called shack that's standing in those bushes. I'm not sure Dad remembers he has that land. I wonder what he wants to do with those..."
"Fine, you will just update me on whatever you find," Seri said with a satisfied look, obviously grinning.
"Thanks, I would," Jephthah said as he drew closer. "not," he said before swiftly backing away.
"But..."
Seri stopped as he turned back to see the look in his eye or maybe it was her imagination as his hair danced around his face due to the windy weather. Walking towards the building they stood under its shade. But this time someone was there standing in a black overall coat and black Stetson with a shine at the tip of the hat. And the both of them walked into the building, The Administrative Block.
She stood silently as she watched more students leaving the Ref under the shadow of the Senior Building opposite the Administrative Block as she closely watched the windows expecting something to happen. Akra and the others could be easily spotted, as Akra talked the whole time. Shania moved towards her and tugged her hands between her right elbow, holding it close to her chest as they walked away and the bell rang. Drawing her closer to the group as they walked toward their lecture hall, the first building from the gates.
A third of the students were going in their direction, and the number of apprentices was reduced this year due to the increase in school fees. Reason why? The management knows best.
The students that occupied the hundred meters were 70 and each sat in front of their work table. It had a hammer, a pair of tongs with 'earmuffs'- a pair of tuffs of fur welded together by some short wires. But most students came with their scarves that they were going to use to wrap around their heads like the inhabitants of the Sahara desert to protect themselves not only from the noise but the heat too. They quietly sat as they waited for their teacher, while Shania stared at Seri as she looked around the class with her chin in her right hand absent-minded.