The Engineer & The Physicist

Chapter 5: Rest

JANNE

Janne went out of his apartment and sighed, "My alarm goes off every 5 freaking minutes but it won't really work if I keep shutting them off instead of waking up."

He started to walk and then checked his wristwatch. It was 8:20 am. Janne shrugged his shoulders, "Oh well, it's normal for a girl to be late, right?" he convinced himself.

"Wait," he said after walking for some minutes. He squinted his eyes and saw a figure of a bespectacled-curly hair girl eating a donut inside a 7/11, "Isn't that.." he trailed off and walked faster.

"Darn, don't tell me she's been waiting for 25 freaking minutes?" he thought.

Janne opened the door and the chime rang. Upon hearing the sound, Cadence raised her head and found Janne in her line of sight. She smiled, "Hi."

"That smile ain't fake, right? She's not angry?" Janne thought.

Janne smiled awkwardly and approached Cadence. Janne noticed the girl's clothes. She was wearing a yellow polo shirt with color white hem lines, below the knee jean shorts, a pair of black sneakers, and a black sling bag.

"Um. Sorry. How long have you been waiting?" Janne asked. Cadence stood up and finished her choco butternut donut, "Well, I don't want you to feel guilty." Cadence responded. Janne's forehead curled up as they stroll towards the door.

"Why? What time did you get here?" Janne asked then opened the door for Cadence. He followed after the girl went outside.

"Hmm," Cadence said and thought for a second, "7:45, I guess?"

"7:4-?" Janne responded, "Oh darn, sorry."

"Don't be. It was hard to have a jeepney ride outside Panello after 6 so I intentionally left early." Cadence replied then tapped Janne's shoulder. She gestured the jeepney to stop and they climbed inside. Both of them gave their fare to the driver and they settled beside each other.

"So," Cadence said, shoving her waste into her bag and putting it on her lap, "This is gonna be a long ride." She added and looked at Janne. The latter nodded, "Yes. Not to mention that we also need to ride another jeepney after this." He replied.

Cadence leaned forward and nested both of her elbows on her thighs. Her palms rested at the center and she gently stomped her feet as if she was creating a beat. The jeepney had less six passengers on it so Cadence could sit whatever she wanted.

Janne observed Cadence's position and unconsciously tilted his head a bit, "She sits like a guy." He thought and then stared at this own sitting position. Janne had his legs crossed, his arms folded across his chest while his jacket was disheveled on his sides, and his grey drawstring bag on his back.

"Anyways, is there something you want to talk about?" Cadence asked. Janne shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know." He honestly replied. Socializing was not really his thing in the first place.

"Hmm," Cadence thought, "What anime genres do you watch the most?" she asked.

"Well, anything that piques my interest." Janne replied. Cadence pursed her lips, "So vague. Hmm, what was the last anime you watched?" she asked.

"Kaguya-sama: Love is War." He replied. He was not sure if he it was his imagination but he barely saw how Cadence's eyebrows flinched in a matter of seconds. He looked puzzled.

"What?" he asked. Cadence lightly laughed, "Well, I expected you to be more of like a shounen-type of otaku." She said. Janne rolled his eyes, "Well, sorry to disappoint I guess."