Finding Obsidian

03 - The First Day

"Hello, world!" I spread my arms as I walked into the university's break room. "Miss me?"

"Hanna!" A chorus of yells and cheers responded to my welcome. I laughed as my old classmates crowded around me and bombarded me with questions.

"How have you been?"

"Did you miss us?"

"What was it like to study in France? I'm so jealous!"

"Why are you still so short?"

"Who said that?" I raged. The only response I got was a wave of laughter. I felt my anger dissipate and I eventually joined in.

"Alright, alright." Rokim pushed through the crowd. He had a half-smile on his face but he was trying hard to smother it. "We're all very happy Hanna's back, but let's calm things down a bit. She's not feeling well."

I tsked at him. "For the millionth time, I'm fine. Stop worrying," I insisted. He gave me a skeptical look, but finally nodded in consent. 

"Aww, look at you guys." One of my classmates, Lisa, looked between the two of us slyly. "So cute. Has Rokim popped the question yet?"

"Shut up." Rokim scowled at her. I burst into laughter.

Lisa grinned. "Calm down! I was only kidding," she said with a wink. 

I wiped tears from the corners of my eyes. "Oh, I seriously missed you guys!" I said between laughs. 

"We missed you too, Han." Lisa smiled at me. "Let's sit down before Prof gets here."

We all took our seats at the benches, Rokim on my left and Lisa on my right. I sighed in happiness, feeling like I was finally back where I belonged. 

My eyes fondly went over the familiar surroundings. It was a really small class, tailored to just a few select students. There were a total of five of us including Prof, plus a handful of other students who helped out but were not directly involved in the program. 

After a lengthy examination period, the four of us were accepted into one of the most prestigious culinary programs in the country. We also ran a restaurant together—it was part of the curriculum—under Prof's instruction.

The room itself was huge, with large panelled windows that let sunlight stream inside. There was several kitchenettes scattered throughout the room, each personalized to its own individual chef. Mine was in the corner, still untouched after three years. I could barely contain my excitement, my hangover completely forgotten. I couldn't wait to cook at my own station again.

Just then, our professor walked in. He set his bag down at the front of the room and turned to face us. "Hanna," he said, the corners of his eyes crinkling in a smile. "Good to have you back."

"It's good to be back, Prof," I responded brightly.

"I look forward to seeing how your skills have improved after studying abroad." He redirected his attention to the rest of the class. "As you all know, we'll be starting our new course load today, but before that I have an announcement to make."

Rokim and I shared a look of curiosity. We both turned back to Prof as he continued. "Unfortunately, our Assistant Chef, Leo, was in a skiing accident and broke his leg. According to school regulations, we are required to appoint a replacement AC as soon as possible. Due to the short notice, we had to select a student from another department to fill Leo's position until his recovery."

A few groans echoed around the room. "Uh, Prof," Rokim called out. "Doesn't this other student have class?"

Prof smiled at us. "He finished all his coursework already."