When they reached the cafeteria, it was as lively as ever. Cadets bustled around, voices filling the air along with the aroma of food.
Elijah, Visconti, and Kieran settled at a table with Enu and Hanz.
The table was already a chaotic mix of banter and food theft accusations when Laurent casually joined them, plopping down without a word.
"Yo," Enu said with a nod.
Laurent just raised an eyebrow, already digging into his plate like he hadn't eaten in days.
Suddenly, Enu's eyes lit up.
Across the room, his other teammate, a tan girl with short hair, was balancing her tray while making her way through the crowd.
Laurent was mid-bite into a sandwich when Enu suddenly stood up, flailing his arms dramatically. "HEY! ANNIS, OVER HERE!"
Heads turned. The cafeteria grew quiet for a split second before resuming its usual chatter.
Everyone, that is, except their table, which descended into stunned silence.
Annis, a tan girl with short brown hair, was across the room balancing a tray of food. She froze mid-step, visibly cringing before continuing her march. She didn't even glance their way, her pace quickening.
"She totally ignored me," Enu muttered, scratching the back of his neck, looking genuinely confused. "Huh. Guess she didn't hear me."
The table collectively winced, exchanging knowing looks.
'Dude, she heard you just fine. She's just mortified to be associated with you,' they all thought in unison, fighting the urge to roll their eyes.
Hanz finally broke the silence, deadpan. "Yeah, I'm sure that's it."
"Yeah, Enu," Visconti said dryly, "Definitely didn't hear you screaming like a lunatic in the middle of the cafeteria."
Enu frowned. "I wasn't screaming. I was projecting my voice. It's a skill."
"Sure, and subtlety is clearly your strong suit," Laurent deadpanned.
Kieran leaned over, whispering loudly enough for everyone to hear, "Smartest guy on the team, huh?"
"Brilliant," Elijah added with a smirk, shaking his head.
A few minutes later, Annis reluctantly approached, tray in hand, and plopped down next to Hanz and Enu. She didn't even glance in Enu's direction.
"You didn't hear me earlier?" Enu asked, genuinely confused.
Annis didn't miss a beat. "Yeah."
Enu blinked, clearly unfazed. "Weird. I was sure I was loud enough. Anyway—"
"Loud enough?!" Visconti interrupted, eyebrows raised. "You were practically a siren. I thought we were under attack!"
Kieran whispered again "Are you sure he's the leader in their team, huh? Yeah, sure."
Laurent smirked, adding, "I think your voice just became a weapon, Enu. Congrats."
Annis, still mortified, muttered under her breath, "I should've sat anywhere else."
"Oh, don't be like that, Annis!" Enu grinned, throwing an arm over her shoulder dramatically. "We're a team! A family!"
"Yeah, and if you keep this up, we're gonna need family counseling," Kieran quipped, earning laughs from everyone at the table except Enu, who looked genuinely perplexed.
Visconti groaned, rubbing his temples. "You really can't take a hint, can you?"
Enu frowned. "What hint?"
Laurent, who had been silent until now, let out a low chuckle. "Man, you're as dense as a brick wall."
"Hey!" Enu protested. "I'm just being friendly."
Kieran leaned back in his chair, smirking. "Friendly? Dude, you're one shout away from becoming a human loudspeaker."
Elijah snickered. "Next time, maybe try not announcing her presence to the entire cafeteria."
Annis, who had been quietly eating, finally spoke up, her tone flat. "Or just don't yell. Ever."
The table erupted into laughter, and Enu crossed his arms, pouting like a scolded child.
"Fine. Next time, I'll just wave," he muttered, before adding under his breath, "but then how will she know I'm being friendly?"
"You're impossible," Hanz said, shaking his head as he stole a fry off Enu's tray.
The cafeteria table was alive with chatter as the group continued eating.
Enu was halfway through his second plate of food, a mountain of rice and fried chicken, while Kieran tried to argue about the best way to season fries.
"I'm telling you," Kieran said, waving a fry like it was a wand, "It's salt and vinegar. Nothing beats salt and vinegar."
"No way," Enu said, pointing a drumstick at him. "It's all about the spicy seasoning. You've got no taste buds if you don't agree."
"Oh, I have taste buds, alright," Kieran shot back. "Unlike you, Mr. Pile-Everything-On-And-Hope-It-Works-Out."
"Yeah, says the guy who drowned his chicken in ketchup," Enu retorted, gesturing to Kieran's plate, which looked more like a crime scene.
"It's called flavor enhancement!" Kieran defended, dramatically placing a hand on his chest.
Visconti, sipping his drink, nearly choked. "Flavor enhancement? That's enough ketchup to qualify as a soup, Kieran."
Laurent, who had been quietly enjoying his salad, finally joined in. "I've seen less ketchup at a hot dog stand. Honestly, I'm impressed the chicken hasn't drowned yet."
The table erupted in laughter, Kieran groaning as he tried to cover his plate.
Elijah, trying to stay neutral, chimed in with a smile. "Kieran, you're kind of making it look like the chicken owes you money."
"Et tu, Elijah?" Kieran gasped, feigning betrayal.
Meanwhile, Annis was eating silently, trying to ignore Enu, who kept nudging her plate closer to him with his elbow.
"Enu," Annis finally said, her tone dangerously calm. "If you touch my food one more time—"
"What?" Enu said, grinning. "It's teamwork! Sharing is caring, Annis."
"Sharing my fist is what you're asking for," she replied, moving her plate further away.
Visconti leaned back, laughing. "Enu, do you ever take a hint, or do you just power through life hoping for the best?"
"Hey," Enu said, still grinning, "That's the secret to success, my friend. You've got to stay optimistic!"
"Optimistic?!" Kieran cut in. "You practically just tried to rob Annis of her lunch! That's not optimism; that's a crime."
Laurent smirked. "Fitting, considering we're all training to be Espers. Enu's just starting early."
Then, they all shifted to another topic.
"I'm telling you," Enu said, leaning forward for emphasis, "This guy was massive. Had to be at least seven feet tall, muscles like boulders, and a scar down his—"
"Enu," Visconti interrupted, raising an unimpressed eyebrow, "You're literally describing a villain from a comic book. Did this 'patrol' take place in your dreams?"
Enu gasped, clutching his chest dramatically. "Visconti! How dare you question my integrity?!"
"Because you have none," Hanz replied calmly, slicing into his steak.
The table erupted in laughter, but Enu remained undeterred. "Fine, doubters, be that way. One day, when my name's in the history books, you'll all regret mocking me."
Laurent smirked. "If your name ends up in the history books, it'll be under 'Cautionary Tales.'"
Kieran, trying to suppress a laugh, choked on his drink and started coughing violently.
Elijah patted him on the back, trying to help, but Kieran waved him off, tears in his eyes. "I'm good, I'm good," he croaked, still grinning.
Annis, who had been quietly eating, finally spoke up. "Enu, you're not even the most legendary person at this table."
"Excuse me?!" Enu exclaimed, offended. "Who is, then?"
Annis tilted her head toward Elijah. "He's got that whole mysterious vibe going on. Quiet but deadly. Classic main character energy."
The table turned to Elijah, who froze mid-bite. "Uh… I'm just eating my sandwich," he mumbled, clearly uncomfortable under their collective gaze.
Visconti leaned in, smirking. "Yeah, but you've got that brooding look down. The kind that makes people think you're hiding a tragic backstory."
Elijah sighed. "I'm literally just trying to finish lunch without you guys making it weird."
"Too late," Kieran said with a grin, nudging him. "You've been voted Most Mysterious. Congrats."
Enu leaned closer, squinting at Elijah. "Wait, does this mean you're secretly a prince or something? Or, like, the last survivor of a cursed bloodline?"
Elijah groaned, dropping his head into his hands. "Why am I friends with you people?"
Laurent smirked. "Because you have no choice. We're all you've got."
The group laughed, and even Elijah couldn't help but crack a smile, shaking his head at their antics.
As they finished their meal, Kieran leaned back in his chair, sighing contentedly. "You know, for all your flaws, you guys aren't half bad."
"High praise coming from you," Visconti replied dryly.
"Don't get used to it," Kieran shot back, grinning.
Annis stood up, grabbing her tray. "I'm going to pretend I don't know any of you and leave now. Enjoy your bonding or whatever this is."
"Come on, Annis, don't deny it—you love us," Enu called after her, grinning.
Annis didn't respond, but the faintest hint of a smile tugged at her lips as she walked away.
The group lingered a bit longer, laughing and teasing each other until they were eventually kicked out by a cafeteria worker who muttered something about "cadets with no sense of time."