It's already the third week of university life, and honestly, the past two weeks have been exhausting. Endless lectures, assignments piling up, and barely any time to catch my breath. But this week feels different. Like the universe finally decided to throw me some time for enjoyment.
I glance to my side. Sora's there, as usual, scribbling notes in his neat handwriting. We sit next to each other in every class, yet we barely talk. Even after lectures, it's the same routine. Pack up, nod goodbye, and head home.
But today, today's going to be different.
After what feels like forever, Sora and I actually made plans. We're going to grab dinner after lectures, and maybe even stop by the mall to browse some books. My chest tightens just thinking about it.
As the professor talks about something that should probably matter, I find myself zoning out. My notes are a mess of half written sentences, and my mind keeps wandering.
What are we even going to talk about?
Will it be awkward? Will he get bored?
What if we've both changed too much in these past two weeks?
Two weeks. That's how long it's been since the last time we ate together. It doesn't sound like much, but it feels like an eternity.
My heart's racing, and I don't know why. Excitement? Nerves? Both? I chew on the end of my pen absentmindedly.
"This is just dinner," I whispered under my breath, careful not to let anyone hear. "Just two friends hanging out. Nothing weird. Nothing nerve-wracking. Right?"
But even as I tell myself that, I can feel my face heating up. My thoughts are all over the place, and no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to calm down.
What is wrong with me?!
I glance at Sora again. He's so focused, so calm. Not a care in the world. Does he even remember our plans?
As the professor dismisses us, I feel a jolt of nervous excitement. This is it. The moment I've been thinking about all day.
Sora turns to me with that usual calm expression of his and says, "Ready to go?"
I blink. Then nod. "Y-Yeah. Let's go."
And just like that, the butterflies in my stomach start fluttering again.
The soft sound of our footsteps filled the space between us as Sora and I walked side by side. The silence was not by any means uncomfortable, but it felt heavier than I expected. My thoughts were a tangled mess of questions.
Is he as nervous as I am?
Probably not.
He's just the same old Sora, calm, collected, and completely unbothered.
"Should we just go straight to the mall?" Sora asked, his voice breaking the silence. His lips curved into a small smile, the kind that always seemed so effortless for him. "We can grab something to eat there. Might be a nice change of atmosphere."
"Sure! I was actually thinking the same thing," I replied, a bit too eagerly. I quickly glanced away, hoping he didn't notice the slight rush in my tone.
We reached the train station, and to my relief, it wasn't too crowded. For a Monday afternoon, the platform felt unusually calm, the quiet hum of the approaching train blending with the soft chatter of a few scattered passengers.
Once aboard, we managed to get some seats by the window. The rhythmic clatter of the train accompanied us as we watched the city blur past. It was nice, just sitting there, watching the world go by.
The mall wasn't far, maybe a 30-minute ride from campus. It gave us just enough time to chat about small things, the mountain of assignments, how overwhelming lectures had been, and how neither of us had adjusted to the new routine.
What surprised me most was Sora admitting he was struggling too. "Even I'm having a hard time keeping up," he said, running a hand through his hair with a sheepish chuckle. "It's a lot to take in."
I blinked. Sora, the studious guy was feeling the pressure too? It was hard to believe at first, but hearing it somehow made me feel a little less alone.
"So even you." I said, trailing off.
"You know what, this city is beautiful," Sora said suddenly, his voice cutting through the soft hum of the train.
I blinked, caught off guard. "Pardon?"
"At first, I thought this place was a bit too noisy for me," he continued, staring out the window. "Don't get me wrong, it is noisy. But it has its appeal."
What is he even talking about? I tilted my head, trying to make sense of his words. "I don't think I get what you're saying, Sora."
He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Back home, you could just sit in silence and admire nature. It's lovely, peaceful, really. But here, it's different. You don't get that kind of quiet during the day. It's chaotic, loud, and overwhelming. And yet…"
He paused, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
"Here, you can admire the contrast. How noisy it is during the day and how unexpectedly quiet it gets at night. You can sit by your window and watch the city lights. It's that contrast that makes you appreciate the stillness of the night so much more. The city teaches you something. It makes you value things you used to take for granted. Things that once felt so normal. Suddenly, they're meaningful."
I stared at him, unsure how to respond. His words lingered, swirling around in my mind like an unfinished puzzle.
"I see," I murmured after a moment, though I wasn't sure I fully understood. Sora always had this way of saying things that made me stop and think, even when I didn't quite follow him at first.
He smiled, turning back to me. "It's just a thought. Maybe it doesn't make sense right now, but one day, you'll get what I mean."
The train slowed as we neared our stop, but his words stayed with me, echoing in the quiet spaces of my mind.
And there it was, towering in front of us, the much awaited mall. A lively bustle of people moved in and out of its wide doors, the air brimming with possibilities.
I wasn't particularly hungry yet, so an idea popped into my head.
"Are you hungry already?" I asked, glancing at Sora.
"Not really. How about you? Do you have something in mind? Or something you want to do before eating?"
A grin spread across my face. "Actually, I do. I think it'll be fun! Just follow me."
Sora raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. "Alright, lead the way," he said, a mix of curiosity and confusion in his tone.
I felt a small rush of excitement as I led him through the mall. This is going to be great, I just knew it. It had been so long since I'd been to this place, my old go to for blowing off steam.
And then, there it was, bright, colorful lights glowing like a beacon of nostalgia. The familiar sound of beeping machines, laughter, and the clinking of tokens surrounded us. Crowds of people filled the space, their smiles genuine.
"An arcade?" Sora said, stopping in his tracks.
"Yeah! What do you think?" I asked, watching his reaction.
He paused, then broke into a wide smile. "Let's do it. This'll be more fun than anything I had in mind."
Our first stop was the claw machines.
Rows upon rows of plushies sat inside, their soft, colorful shapes practically begging to be rescued. My hands tingled with anticipation as I scanned the targets.
"I'm definitely getting one today!" I declared.
When I glanced at Sora, I couldn't help but laugh. His expression was just as intense as mine, like we'd both silently agreed this was our mission. For a moment, it felt like we'd become kids again, brimming with excitement.
Taking turns, we faced the claw machine like warriors in battle. One attempt. Two attempts. Five attempts.
"Come on!" I groaned, watching the claw drop the plushie mere inches from the chute.
"This thing's rigged," Sora muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. His frustration was the same as mine, but neither of us could give up.
We spent fifteen solid minutes trying and failing. Finally, Sora sighed. "Maybe we should try something else and come back later. You know, let the machine reset or something."
I couldn't help but laugh at his logic. "Alright, fine. Let's take a break."
We moved on to the basketball game, and that's when Sora truly shined.
"Wow," I whispered, watching in awe as he sank shot after shot like a pro. The points on the screen climbed higher and higher until we finally shattered the machine's high score.
"YES!" we shouted together, our voices ringing out above the arcade noise. We jumped in celebration, high-fiving like we'd just won a championship.
The rest of the arcade was a whirlwind of games. Racing, air hockey, whack-a-mole, we did it all. But no matter how much fun we had, our minds kept circling back to the claw machine.
With our last four tokens, we returned to the battleground. The first try? A miss. The second? Agonizingly close, but no luck. The third? My frustration was nearing its peak.
Now, there was just one token left.
"This is it," Sora said, gripping the controls like a man on a mission.
I leaned in beside him, my voice hushed. "Okay, okay, listen. Go left, a little more….now forward. Do you think we've got it?"
Sora flashed a confident grin. "Yeah! Let's do this!"
He pressed the button.
We both held our breath as the claw descended. It closed around the plushie, the one we'd been eyeing since the start. Slowly, it rose.
My heart was pounding.
And then....success!
The claw carried the toy to the chute and dropped it with a satisfying thud.
"We got it!" I shouted, my voice filled with uncontainable joy.
Sora and I jumped up and down like little kids, laughing and cheering. Around us, a few people stopped to watch, their amused smiles and soft chuckles making the moment feel even sweeter.
But we didn't care.
We held our prize high, like we'd just conquered the world. For that moment, we weren't just two college students at an arcade. We were champions.