damage || (𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘦 × 𝘰𝘤!𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘶𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭)

iii

19th August 2018

"Dave?"

_____

"Wait, that Dave? the Dave? What is he doing here? Did he also have UC Berkeley in mind? I thought only UC Berkeley students go here to have lunch." I thought as I reexamine the whole room for another empty seat. Yet again, to my luck, there still isn't any seat left. Nobody's really agitated to leave their seat immediately and went back to college, is there? No there isn't.

Now here's the ultimate would you rather! Would you rather have to wait in line and asked the minimum waged employee to redo your other because of your own mistake or sit next to an old barely-known acquaintance that has an awkward relationship and you haven't seen him for over two years? Well... Uh... I don't think I have enough courage to go back to the cashier. It's my mistake anyways! I can't just drag down strangers into my mess, let alone a sad, poor fast-food chain worker that has been capitalized by the megacorporation.

"Hey, move already, bucko!" I felt a sharp shove from my left shoulder, almost sending me forward and topple over my tray of food. "Sorry, sir," I said, with a hint of harshness, but with enough guilt that the person wouldn't be able to hear my Karen side. Okay, Eden, don't be nervous. It's just an old acquaintance. Just greet them, and be nice to them. Don't ask anything weird, especially do not say that fridge in the Antarctica actually makes food warmer. Your professor even said that you should be more adventurous! Just go already!

"Um," I started, as my tray filled with, now already lukewarm food, trembled. He looked up from my book At that point, I have never felt such fear and anxiety in my life. It feels like all my life's mistake have been pilled on to me at the exact same time and I was being judged whether I went to hell or not (Which the obvious answer is heaven, but I seriously want to go to hell, but I'm also too afraid to do anything bad). Focus, Eden!

"Do I know you so—"

"Is this seat ta—," we said, at the exact same time, the worst time imaginable to do an introduction. My face plastered such an indistinguishable face, a mix of awkwardness, regret, and fear. At that point, I couldn't take it any longer, I put down my food tray, just to avoid any accidental spilling.

"Uhm, sure, you could take that chair," He said, in a deep husky voice. To be honest, I am shocked to the core to hear his voice for the first time after 2 years. When he came to that book club and started to introduce himself, it was his prepubescent voice talking. And, his voice didn't trail behind him since then because he didn't talk to anyone except if it is necessary and he never even directly talk to me. As I thought about that, my stomach has once again rumble.

Therefore, I took a bite of my already cool tray of food, and my face scrunched up to a face alerting other people of the unexpected taste of the food. It is, to say, disgusting. People, don't ever eat cold usually warm food. The regret digs deep and circulates within my consciousness. To that, Dave responds with a dry chuckle.

"Sorry, it just had to be done," He mocked, grinning. He closed up the book he was reading, it was a book titled The Art of War. Huh, I didn't expect him to be into eastern philosophy regarding war tactics. I was legitimately expecting him to read self-improvement books about 100 ways to be happy.

"Sorry, it was so awkward—"

"Don't worry, the great Sun Tzu once said; 'Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.' I know your strategy upon entering my domain here. And, I fear your power because I know it will overtake my reign," this guy..., is really something. He stores his book inside of his bag, hastily but neat. When he sat nicely once more, he eyes me as if I'm prey and he is just a low-class predator, no wait, it seems like he's just recalling something in his mind.