𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔⭑.ᐟ 𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐔 (✔)

chapter 19

My eyelids were heavy, yet they still fluttered open. The bright light filtering through the curtains was softer than usual, muted by the haze of early hours and the quiet that came with it. For a moment, I didn't move, just lay there staring at the ceiling, letting myself adjust to the unfamiliar feeling of not being immediately pulled into something urgent or dangerous. It was strange, almost unsettling in its own way, because I wasn't used to waking up without a purpose already waiting for me.

The room felt different in daylight. The same clean lines and minimal setup were still there, but the natural light softened everything, making it feel less like a temporary space and more like something I could actually exist in. 

I shifted slightly, sitting up as I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling quietly while the memory of last night lingered faintly at the edge of my thoughts. It wasn't overwhelming, not like before, but it hadn't disappeared either. It stayed there, quiet and present, like something waiting to be acknowledged.

I pushed it aside. Today wasn't about anything that happened yesterday. At least, it didn't have to be, because it was finally my first day off.

I got ready slowly, taking way much more time than I usually would just because I actually finally had the tie to. Simple makeup with mascara and my favourite lip gloss in my bag, paired with a simple yet casual outfit of my choice.

I stepped out into the hallway, half-expecting the usual stillness. Instead, there was a subtle difference in the atmosphere, not loud or chaotic, but more alive than it had been before. Doors had been opened, faint sounds carried through the space, and for once, it didn't feel like everything was held together by tension.

I stepped forward, moving down the hallway without any real destination in mind, maybe just a glance of Rindou before I leave.

I didn't realise my secret thoughts were true until I caught sight of him.

Rindou was leaning against the wall near the end of the corridor, one hand loosely in his pocket, the other holding his phone, though his attention wasn't fully on it. He looked... normal, if that word even applied to him, his posture relaxed in a way that didn't carry the same edge it usually did. 

A long sleeve white shirt layered with a basic navy blue tee with a grey logo on the left side. Blue jeans and a black backpack. I didn't even know an outfit so basic could look so good.

When he noticed me, his gaze lifted slightly, settling on me without urgency. "You look less dead than usual," he commented.

I rolled my eyes lightly, though there was no real irritation behind it. "Good morning to you too."

He hummed softly, pushing himself off the wall as he slipped his phone into his pocket, stepping a little closer but not enough to crowd the space between us. "It's quiet today."

"It's weird," I admitted, glancing briefly down the hallway. "I don't like it."

"You don't like normal?"

"Feels kinda weird." That earned a faint reaction from him, subtle but noticeable, like he understood exactly what I meant without needing further explanation.

"Then do something about it," he replied. I raised an eyebrow slightly. "Like what?"

He shrugged lightly, the movement casual but deliberate. "You tell me."

I considered it for a second, my gaze drifting slightly as I thought about it. The idea of having time without a set objective wasn't something I was used to, and figuring out what to do with it felt oddly more difficult than it should have been.

"...Food," I said finally.

He looked at me.

"That's it?"