Albert follows me behind while I browse through the wide variety of food that we have in the university cafeteria. We have mixed rice, Western, Japanese, local, and many more. If I'm looking for a heavy meal, I can just head to the convenience store and buy bread or a drink.
The only problem here is that I'm really indecisive. I can't decide what to get.
What if I order one meal and regret not ordering another kind? What if I can't finish the food? What if it doesn't taste good at all?!"
I've walked a total of two rounds of the cafeteria and I have yet to decide what to eat. I see Albert just following behind me. "Yknow, you don't have to follow me all the way. I'm really indecisive. You can just go grab your own food first," I said with a guilty look.
He is probably sick of following me and just wants to go off on his own to get his food.
"Hey, don't worry about it. We're all indecisive sometimes. Since you can't decide, how about we just get something from the same stall?" Albert suggested while pointing towards the stall that sells a mixture of Japanese and western meals.
"Sure..." I agreed without thinking much honestly.
"Hello there! What do you want to eat today?" The stall owner asked us so very friendly. "We have porridge, Japanese curry rice, Chicken chop, Spaghetti, and many more," She said.
"I'll have a bowl of porridge. Thanks," I ordered while looking over to Albert. I noticed how Albert was only around my height. He looked taller when he was on the bus. We're merely a few inches apart.
"I'll have Japanese curry rice. How much will that be in total with the porridge?" Albert asked, taking out his wallet.
"I can pay for myself," I said out loud but Albert had already paid for me. I looked at Albert in disbelief. "You can pay me back or treat me to a meal next time," Albert said, smiling away.
I immediately took out my wallet to pay back Albert. "I don't like being in debt to anyone," I said as Albert just smile in reply. We stood at the side of the stall waiting for our food. We didn't talk or do we actually have anything to talk about in the first place. I took out my phone to scroll through my Instagram and shortly after that, I received a notification.
albediddy started following you
"How did you find my Instagram?!" I turned to Albert in shock. "It wasn't that hard to find @owlen," Albert said as he reveals that he found my account through the mutual following.
"The two handsome fellas! Your food is ready," The stall lady shouted, serving us our food. "Thank you," Albert and I both said together simultaneously. Albert then grabbed our orders. "Let's go"
Returning back to our table, Albert started talking to me more like he was trying to dig some useful information.
"So Owen, what do you like doing in your free time?" Albert asked so very casually. What do I like doing in my free time? To be honest, I haven't been doing much. Most of the time I'm attending classes and when I'm not, I'm usually catching up on sleep.
"I don't do it a lot anymore but I like writing. Poetry and stories," I answered hesitantly.
Albert looked very surprised and amazed. I can't tell if he is faking it or he is genuinely amazed. "What about you? Is your hobby singing in public and attracting hordes of girls?" I asked sarcastically.
"I'm extremely well known among the ladies," Albert said while giving off a charming smile. "Be careful. You might become a fan yourself," Albert continued.
Narcissist. My taste in music is very specific. If I like a song, I'll be repeating that song for two weeks straight.
"You can keep dreaming," I replied sarcastically while eating my porridge. Albert is extremely casual despite being newly acquainted. It's like I'm his best friend already. He is already getting along well with Elly and the rest, laughing and making jokes.
As much as I would love to sit down and chat with Albert more, Elly and I still have another class to get to. I excused myself and Elly, telling Albert we have to go.
"I'll see you later!" Albert shouted as he waved goodbye to us. He seems confident that we'll be seeing each other again, smiling so widely like the Cheshire Cat.
2.00.p.m. I'm done with all my classes for today. It's still early so I want to head to that lively café near Fern District. The place seems nice so it wouldn't hurt to check it out. I make my way to the bus stop, arriving just in time before the bus leaves.
The bus is quiet, barely anyone is in it honestly. It is past twelve. I expected more students really. It didn't take long for the bus to arrive at the café, there wasn't any traffic that could make the journey longer than it would be anyways.
One Cup Stop.
That is the name of the café. There are some tables and chairs arranged outside of the café with large parasols. Whitewood fences surround the café with baskets of white flowers. The signboard says 'Welcome' with a small handwoven dreamcatcher hanging off it.
"Welcome to One Cup Stop!"
The staff greeted all the way from behind the counter. I smiled in reply with a slight bow. It was my way of acknowledging someone.
The café gave off a peaceful vibe, the walls decorated with paintings and small potted plants. The plants are probably fake but they do give the place a better look on the inside.
The staff ushered me to a window seat since I was alone. In this corner, I could see almost everything in the café. Outside the window, I can see the sky slowly turning dark.
"It's about to rain again," I said to myself as I see droplets of water run down the window slowly. I took out my notebook and started writing down every idea I could possibly think of.
To write a good story, I have to start somewhere.
YOU ARE READING
Next Stop, Us
Romance"If you have a dream, then you must have the courage to chase it," Owen is a young adult who has always been admiring his dreams from afar, the dream of becoming a successful writer whose work will touch the hearts of others. Owen however is afraid...
