Thirty minutes of changing and moving boxes all over the room and some of them are thrown out or moved to the science lab. The room was a bit clean but needs to do some deep cleaning since there are still cobwebs and residue from the specimen from dead animals. Chemicals found were left out and Christian will deal with those with the Science club and the maintenance to deal with those.

Of course Christian already went home after cleaning the clubroom since he has business on the Student Council, so I went home ahead instead of waiting for him to finish some of his matters and go home with him. So I hailed a taxi and went home.

I'm currently living on an old two-story house, the walls are now having vegetation of vines and moss as if the moss and vines crawl the wall, iron rails on the balcony and at the window have a rusted color. Well, that house looks like a set-up out from a horror film, but in the inside looks cozy.

Well, the dormitory is a co-ed dormitory, kinda usual around here. The second floor is for the girls while the first floor is for the boys since there are no gender-specific dorms available so I did choose this nice and cozy dorm because it’s the cheapest dorm I can find close to the school.

As I enter the house, the whole image of being ‘Haunted House’ is cleared out since it gives off the rustic color scheme around the lobby. With a lot of porcelain cups and cutlery enclosed in a cabinet, plants paintings and old pictures hanging in frames, and an oversized wooden spoon and fork on hanging on the wall.

I dropped my backpack at the sofa and a girl came rushing around her early 20s with her jet black hair wet, clad in bath towel covering her delicate parts, there are water droplets rushing through her skin, and her face looks like she caught a peeping tom while she was bathing.

That girl is Roxanne, one of the borders of this dorm. She is a college student who looks like follows the new trends from social media as her favorite past-time aside from studying and out with her friends and publish tens of pictures with her friends

Her voice was full of rage and frustration as her steps stomp closer to me.

“Yuuta, the faucet and the shower in the women’s bathroom are not working again.”

“How many times do I have to tell you to not run around the dorm naked?”

She crooked her eyebrows as she started blushing like mad and she covered her more delicate parts.

“I don’t have a choice that the shower’s broken. And I have a date tonight!” She protested while stomping on the floor.

“Well, just use the bucket then. It’s still the same purpose of rinsing your rather flat chest.”

She slapped me by impulse while giving me a sharp gaze that can cut through paper.

I wasn’t looking at her chest, but her mounds looked like it needs a little development. But who the hell am I kidding; she might be mature but immature bring up topics like these.

“Fine, I’ll fix the shower just use the men’s bathroom. It wasn’t occupied the last thing I checked.”

Well, I went there and took a spare faucet, shower head, and pipe wrench and went to the women’s bathroom to fix the shower. As I enter the women’s bathroom, it was tidy with some of the parts covered with fallen hair and sachets of different shampoo and conditioner brands. I put out the sign before closing the bathroom.

Doing everything from installation to cleaning cost over an hour inside the bathroom… And a slap in the cheek from a girl in a hurry is probably not the best compensation for something like this.

I just something… better than a slap in the face.

♦

After cleaning the bathroom, I proceed to wash my hands on the kitchen and prepare some of the ingredients for tonight’s dinner my best bet would be a curry dinner and Curry is my specialty. I brought out potatoes, carrots, and slices of beef from the fridge and spices from the cabinet. Precisely chopped the carrots; potatoes while the beef was thrown into the pressure cooker and the stock aside.

Well, cooking is one of my own daily meditation activities to put my mind off all the stress that has been gathered for the whole day. As I prepare the dish to be served by myself and others. The harmony of mixing ingredients to make a delicious food is something I can be confident of putting my heart and soul into the food that makes it more delicious.

As I throw in potatoes and carrots on the pot with the broth seasoned with salt, pepper, and all the spices include Cumin, Cayenne pepper, turmeric, and coriander to make it more aromatic and mildly spicy.

I left it to simmer while I prepare a side dish from the leftover beef stock from the pressure cooker and turned it into a soup with spring onions, salt, and pepper.

The aromatic smell of the spices fills the Kitchen; anyone can smell the hodge-podge of spices would go hungry according to me.

Since when the hell I’m describing my cooking like a Shounen Manga?

As I lower the heat of the stove, a guy peeks over at the kitchen as if a fox that is about to pounce to its prey.

“Hmm, Do I smell the Nishimura Special?” He said in excitement

The guy’s name is Hans, his early 20’s in a slick black hair, a sharp pair of eyes, stubble forming on his chin, wearing a chef uniform since he’s done for his shift for today just in time for dinner.

“What do you think it is?”

I took a spoon and tasted the outcome of my work and it is spicier than I expected… Maybe I just need a little Cayenne pepper next time.

“Curry, the usual”

“Damn man, the last time you cooked curry, it was spicy as hell!”

“Too bad it’s a bit spicy.”

Hans wasn’t that good on spicy food. he eats less whenever I serve my curry. But I cannot seem to perfect the right spiciness of the curry for him or the rest of the boarders Meh, the next time would work if I add less pepper.

“Heh?!”He expressed in shock, “No way man! I just wanna eat your legendary curry!”

“You’re making it sound dirty!” I retorted.

“Well, I meant that I want to try your dish then.”

I throw in a pinch sugar in the curry and stirred the pot to equalize the spiciness of the curry, as I take a spoon, it was mildly spicy and I’m not sure if this would suit Hans’ tastes. But I ended up preparing at the table anyway.

“Make sure don’t make it too spicy.”

“Fine, fine,” I said while stirring out the pot before pouring the contents to a floral decorated bowl. Well, the brownish paste of the sauce and meat blends the potatoes and the carrots together making it less presentable. I don’t mind if it tastes good even if it’s less appetizing by the eye.

♦

While washing the plates from earlier, Hans is on the counter drinking a glass of water reading through his smartphone.

“Dude, that curry tasted great,” Hans said.

“Didn’t expect to taste that good without being too spicy.”

In fact, the pot that holds the curry I cooked is now empty. Before, there is two days’ worth of leftovers whenever I serve curry. But in the end, it’s surprising that there’s no curry left on the pot.

“So, how’s your sister?”

Hans sighs, “She’s… She’s still inside of her room.”

“I see.”

“Did you have a sibling or sort?” Hans threw a quick question.

“Yeah, I have a sister.”

“So how’s your sister’s holding up.”

“…” I remained silent as Hans would dig further the question.

Onii-san, how come you’ve become like this?!

These are the words that ring out on my mind whenever I bring up my sister. Well, the fight started out on a simple sibling rivalry, but things gotten heated up when she starts aiming higher but I lost motivation to aim higher.

“Well… She’s gone more independent recently.” I said while rinsing the last plate.

“Ohh, I see. She’s gotten a bit strong.” Hans said.

“Yeah.”

But I have no news about her since she blocked me off from all communication even in social media but last thing I know that her school won the championships on the volleyball team but that was more than 6 months ago.

“Guess I should hit the sack,” I said leaving the kitchen as Hans comes along and sits on the lobby and turned on the Game Console.

“How about we play some video games,” He said inviting me as he presents the other controller.

“Not in a mood.”

“eh, suit it yourself." He said returning his gaze at the Television and Booted up Megaton RPG.

“We play Royal Rumble tomorrow. I still have early classes tomorrow.”

Hans smugs.

“Just sleep late just like me even if I am in an opening shift.”

"Also reminds me you're such a hard worker," I said smugly and Hans returns his focus on the game.

"Whatever man, suit it yourself."

I opened the door leading to my room. It has a bed, bookshelf that was barely full and a desk with books arranged across. It wasn't decorated that much but I needed a bedroom that is more functional rather than aesthetic with a lot of decorations, odds, and ends

I slumped myself into my bed and stared at the dark ceiling. It is eight forty in the evening and I feel exhausted from the long day and finally found a club so Garcia-sensei won't end up bothering me for the rest of the semester.

♦

It is eight in the morning, as I arrived and just in time for Physics lessons and to my surprise that Alessia's seat was vacant again after being occupied for a day.

And our teacher is Lucas-sensei, he looks like a generic physics instructor in his mid-forties but he does not present his topics that are too boring but he hates it when his class is being interrupted.

"Okay class, our lesson for today is..."

Lucas-Sensei writes and rambles about the theories related in the movement as well as writing a formula for the topic which would be irrelevant in the end after we graduate. All information and theory in that subject will become irrelevant once reaching into the adult world. It's about the logic, that's the end-goal of these subjects.

"Psst, Alessia's gone again," Christian said whispering at me.

"The hell man, we're in class."

"No, I find it weird man." He paused, "A girl who is not in class for a couple of days suddenly appeared and gone."

"Do you know Alessia?"

"Eh, she talks to me sometimes but she can be a bit 'stingy' to talk to. Just like someone I know."

I recall the brief conversation between me and Alessia yesterday at the vending machine area. She can be stingy but I find it familiar talking to her.

"Yeah right," I said before writing out the notes to act less suspicious before Lucas-sensei catches us talking to his class.

♦

After school, I went to the club room and there are now four Nonobloc chairs on the table, the shelves are now filled with some textbooks, and novels. Nothing in particular but it makes the room less desolate. Somehow a transformation from a storage room to a full-fledged clubroom seemed drastic. I took a chair and sat on the table and scanned through the room.

I took a piece of paper and flipped it over and seen a rather unique artwork that looks more of a doodle,

Need Help! Join Us!

Student Council Help Desk

Come to Eastern Annex Room 303 304

We're waiting for You!

 I cannot help but laugh at the doodle. Based on the handwriting there, it's supposed to be a poster or some sort but it always ends up being a doodle but to add a goofy drawing to top the goofiness of the poster itself. 

As I was enjoying looking at the points where I can laugh at the poster I got earlier at the vending machine area. 

However, I heard that a door opened and It's Christian and he was mortified as he saw me reading a paper.

"Uhh... What are you reading?" Christian asked.

"I found this poster or some sort at the board with a lot of the recruitment posters."

I showed the poster at Christian and he rolled his eyes away from his

"That's uhh, our official poster..."

I looked at the poster in disgust.

"I think this is not a work of a high-schooler," I said monotonously.

"I... I'll say it's a concept that I will give it to the art club will make the final design."

"I see..." I said in a semi-convinced tone.

I took a look at the poster and the longer I stare at it, the goofier it looks.

"H-hey! " Christian took the paper but I moved the paper away from him.

It's kinda fun when Christian tries to struggle on grabbing the paper. Until he got tired.

"Okay fine, here." I gave the paper.

Christian took the paper and grabbed a new one and started re-doing the poster. I took a book and started reading.

"Are you really planning on getting new members?"

"Maybe... Sometime before the exams."

"That would be difficult since most of the students here already have a club," I said while flipping the pages.

I check my wristwatch and it's four in the afternoon and some of the students are already out at this time. As I return the book on the shelf and open the door, I was greeted by a familiar girl with a more ominous aura than I've seen her yesterday.

"Can I talk to Christian Bartolome?" She said in a straightforward manner.

"I'm here, is it about the Student Counci-" Christian left speechless as that girl appeared on the doorstep.

"I'll be joining in your Club." 

"..."

Christian remained frozen from her announcement

"Eh?"