chamomile valley // snk levi

prologue.

PROLOGUE. Lotus

year 2018.

Hands grazed against the cold metal that seemed to freeze more against the cold breeze of the small town. It was a village away from tall skyscrapers and busy vehicles, where everyone knew each other and everything was silent and serene.

"Stop slacking off! We got a whole day ahead of us."

At least was the first impression of the place you are in was somewhere along those lines.

The buildings were not entirely modern. Most was made out of muted colored bricks such as the houses and most shops. The streets were filled with mostly bakeries and other food related businesses and the sidewalks were made of patterned stones. In fact, the whole place is filled with patterned stones and there were no physical transportation devices parked out of the street. A new sight for your eyes you could get in good terms with.

You had no idea such a place existed, let alone any intentions of coming there at all.

And yet, your friend didn't have a hard time finding such a place as this.

"Marie, the baguettes! Hurry up!"

You looked around as the sudden sound of an accordion began playing in your mind, more likely influenced by the fashioned café's and the exact utterance just a while ago that matched those to the ones sang in a Beauty and the Beast song.

Flash forward to years of continuously escaping the lemons life was constantly throwing your way, telling you to stop and enjoy the sourness of life. You finally made it out and into the small town of Aelindr.

All in all college life was how it was shown in movies. Of course it was a stereotypical depiction that you'd never forget your college years, like your high schools. Even with all that, you can guarantee you pretty much are familiar and fond of the idea of liking your college years. Now the only question running across your mind is what you could remember of it and how you manage to graduate from it.

Your friend, the one you keep on mentioning, was already making rounds around town, greeting people who seemed like lovely folks.

"Great to see you back, Hange!"

You stopped on your tracks whilst following Hange's long legs that seemed to find a new place to immediately run off to every second. The said person grabbed you by the arm and you used the other to grab your trolley as the folks Hange was talking to a while ago was now talking to you.

You smiled and bowed a bit, nothing too formal and not that awkward. After, you offered your hand for a shake and uttered your name in the decibel you've been practicing. What you were going for was subtlety after all.

"You're too formal, dear." an old man smiled kindly at you after he shook your hand with a tight grip. Hange was still walking around, looking for people that would, as per the idiot's words, love to meet you.

Another toothless small smile crept to your face as you greet the old man, "I hope Hange's been calmer when you two were studying together."

"There were a few adjustments." you told him truthfully with a much larger smile, "But everything came up roses in the end."

"Do you like roses, dear?" he raised a brow at you, probably not having heard the phrase which was understandable, "Roses are soon to bloom in season in the next month or so. We'd be glad if you've stayed for it."

"I definitely will, sir." he extended his hand to you once more and you took it to exchange the tight grip he had given you minutes ago.

Not long enough, that had was yanked so suddenly by Hange once more to give you the tour of the place.