The Shadow Within Me

Chapter Thirty Five - Ramen

Crystal Raine Meadows

The food hunting was fun, I didn't know that Liam knows how to shop here a lot. I've never seen him around here.

He accompanied me most of the time since we're busy watching that couple we’re with has a nice and fun date, we're like third wheels here.

"Are you having fun?" he curiously asked, so I flinched before nodding at him while eating kwek-kwek, it's my favorite food here in this market. It’s quail eggs coated with orange flour, this tastes so amazing as always.

"Yes, I'm having so much fun, it's the first time Jenny and I went out with other friends," I admitted, so he stopped for a moment before smiling.

He looks really surprised at what I said, "Wow really? Then we have to make this day over the top!" he beamed, so I just chuckled and stared at Jenny and Rowen before us. They’re teasing one another at the food they bought.

Jenny looks like she's having fun with Rowen's company, I'm genuinely happy for them. I hope they'll just be happy at all times.

I roamed my eyes around the market and saw that ramen store I've always wanted to visit, oh my dragon! I can't believe I found it!

"Say, Crystal, are you interested in finding your mate?" I didn't hear Liam's statement because I'm busy ogling at that ramen store.

I heard the noodles there taste so amazing! "Uh? Crystal? Did you hear what I asked?" Liam tapped my shoulders, so I flinched.

"O-Oh yeah um, wait here, I'll just visit someplace, you guys can meet me at the exit!" I bid him goodbye and ran.

He called me one last time, but I didn't mind him as I paced towards that ramen store. I could feel my heart pounding while staring at it from the outside.

"This is it! I'm finally going to have a taste!" I beamed before entering that place, my nose was greeted by many different aromas of broth inside.

My eyes were already full from the mouth-watering menu that they have that's plastered and bordered on the top of the cashier. I just can’t believe that I have really found this place! I can’t wait to taste all of them!

"One of these, this, oh and please may I have this?" I beamed while pointing at the beef, tonkatsu, and white chicken. The cashier just smiled at me as she offered me to eat their topmost favored dish to which I immediately agreed. Who am I to reject such heavenly meals?

After I paid for my meal, I looked for a table around that place and didn't realize that there were a lot of people here that I know from the university.

"Oh? Crystal? Is that you?" I flinched after hearing that familiar voice. I slowly gazed at my back and there I saw the student council group in their casual outfits together with the blizzard guy who's glaring at me intently.

Shoot, am I in trouble or something?

Calyx Nyxerian Paraiso

I was having a bad morning and was taking it out on the enchanted forest, what happened yesterday still pisses me off.

And also the other night where I lost control and didn't realize what I just did about that woman, I just couldn't help myself!

Something's inside of me was telling me to do that to her, it's something I couldn't control even if I wanted to. It's lurking and yearning inside of me.

Though I didn't regret what happened, it was the best night I had in my entire life. I don't know why I wanted to repeat it.

What's better is that because she responded to me, her lips tasted divine, if that happens one more time, I might lose my sanity and have her beside me.

But I can't have that, not yet until I prove to myself that I'm already better and that voice inside my head is gone for good.

And she's probably looking for some answers and questions that I don't think I might answer, answering her would just be trouble. Because I’m not even sure myself if there’s an appropriate explanation for what happened.

While having these thoughts in my mind back there, these three idiots appeared and dragged me out of the enchanted forest to invite me to eat with them.

Of course, I didn't agree on coming with them without my terms, and just like I requested, we ate lunch at my favorite ramen store.

This store is very special to me because this is where I ate with the best girl here I have in my life, Hailey.

These idiots were too noisy as they kept on talking about things I usually get bored about, why do they talk about natural disasters? It's not fun.

"Oh? Crystal? Is that you?" Peter exclaimed, so I almost stopped after hearing that woman's name. 

I glanced near the cashier and my heart skipped a beat after I saw her. I've never seen her in such a cute casual outfit. She was dressed perfectly for a hike, is she going to do that?

My eyebrows furrowed because of my statement inside of my mind, what the hell is wrong with me? Why am I having those weird thoughts?

She looks surprised and nervous at the same time after seeing us, she looks like she wasn't expecting someone she knows that'll be eating here.

"Someone looks excited," David Ronin teased, so I glared at him. He laughed like it was the best moment of his life.

"Relax, I'm just teasing you, you're being so moody lately, did something happen with Crystal that you don't like to share?" he asked, he sounded like he knew something was up.

"Nothing you should care about, so just shut up," I firmly answered, so he made a funny face before shrugging. He looks like he's not convinced.

"Crystal, come here! Sit with us!" Peter invited her, so I wanted to curse this guy for making this more awkward for me.

"H-Hello, I didn't know you guys were here," she greeted politely as she roamed her eyes around everyone.

It's only us boys we're out, Peter said his mate is busy doing some part-time for something important. It's probably for his upcoming birthday.

"Yeah! We also didn't expect that you were here too, you're going to eat right?" Peter asked, so that woman nodded.

"Great! Razer would you?" Peter looked at Razer who was sitting beside me, so he immediately stood up and sat on the other side.

"There! That's your seat!" Peter beamed and I wanted to smack his face for what he did. That woman hesitated for a moment before sitting right next to me.

I could feel her shaking on the inside because of fear, she must be wondering why I'm here right now. I'm supposed to be training too. I also hated that she canceled training today, but I guess it’s fine now.

The smug-looking faces of these idiots were visible as I glared at them intently, they're making things worse. I just sighed and the food then arrived as they started distributing the foods that they bought.

All eyes were on this woman as we saw that she had three bowls right in front of her, I didn't know she ate this much. Good for her.

"I-I hope you guys won't mind, I really wanted to try these goods," she sounded apologetic, so Peter just laughed.

"No worries, don't mind us, are you with someone today?" he asked while using some chopsticks to slurp some noodles.

I peacefully ate mine while listening to their conversation, "Yeah I am," she answered, so I almost stopped slurping my noodles.

"Really? Who?" David curiously asked while staring at me intently, he’s gazing at me with that face I don't like to see or I might punch him.

"With friends, Jenny, Rowen, and Liam," she explained with a smile as she ate her ramen, "Though Liam and I, we're just third-wheeling to the happy couple," she answered, so David laughed.

"Sounded like a double date to me, where are you guys going next?" he curiously asked as I kept on gripping the chopsticks that I was holding. She skipped training today because she wanted to go out with that man?

This was the important thing she has to do today? I almost wanted to laugh because of the strange feeling inside of me.

"N-No it's not a--" 

"So you skipped training today to have a freaking double date?" I raised my voice, not realizing that I cut her off before glancing at her. She furrowed her eyebrows at me like she’s confused why I asked her that.

"I-I didn't skip it, I asked for permission and it isn't a freaking double date," she sounds like she's starting to get mad at me.

"It's a stupid excuse," I firmly stated, I don't know why my blood is boiling after hearing that she's here with that man. Doesn’t she realize that she’s giving false hope or whatever, f**k! Does she like that stupid man?

"What the hell is your problem?" she glared at me, "I could leave if you don't want me here, jeez," she fumed.

"I didn't say that you had to leave, I just said that it's a stupid excuse to use the word important when you're just going out today with your friends," I fumed, the tension in the air was rising until David decided to cough to break it.

"U-Um high tension here, the food tastes great right?" he commented while slurping his noodles, Razer and Peter were just looking at us two intently.

She didn't say anything else as we all ate quietly after all that. I didn't notice that she was almost finished eating up her bowl until someone approached our tables.

"T-There you are, I was looking everywhere for you," William Jay Falkor was catching his breath while looking at this woman beside me.

"L-Liam? How did you find me?" that woman replied while dabbing some tissues near her peach-like lips, "Here, have some water, you look out of breath," she stated the obvious while providing him some water.

I could feel the idiots looking at me intently as I stared at what these two were doing. I don't know what's more irritating, this guy being around here or this woman giving him some water?

"Jennifer told me you'll be here, this place is so hard to find and," he just noticed that she had company as he roamed his eyes around the table, "O-Oh sorry, I didn't notice you had company," he gave us a small smile, the idiots greeted him and I scoffed.

"Why would you? Your eyes were already on her the moment you arrived here," I raised my tone before slurping my noodles, the idiots were just biting their lips while this woman beside me just sighed and stood up.

"I-I think it's time for us to leave, we're still going to climb some mountain," she excused herself while looking at the table, I could tell that she was avoiding my presence.

"We had a great time, Crystal! Hope we could repeat this next time, invite your friends too!" Peter beamed at her, so I could feel that she smiled.

"Also be careful, natural disasters are very active these days, you might never know what might greet you on that mountain so be careful," David reminded her.

They're really going to climb some mountain? What dragon are they riding? Are they two riding together? I gripped my hands underneath the table while swallowing my food.

I can't stand the thought of it, why am I feeling these stupid feelings that I shouldn't have from the very beginning? It's a nuisance.

"Of course, we will, thank you and see you!" she bid us goodbye together with that stupid human dragon that has some secret feelings for her.

It was quiet until those two left, so Peter heaved a deep long sigh, "Crystal looks upset and disappointed, why are you treating her that coldly, Calyx?" Peter asked, but I didn't answer him.

"I know right? I think someone here really needs to have mood therapy," Razer Black claimed while quietly slurping his noodles.

A heard a playful whistle from David Ronin, so I raised my head at him, "Come on, that's not it guys, someone's just jealous that's why he's acting like that," he smirked, so I glared at him.

He's talking nonsense again, "Shut up if you got nothing good to say," I fumed while finishing up the rest of my ramen.

I stood up and stopped when he grabbed my wrist, "If you're not jealous, why are you planning to follow them?" David Ronin claimed, so I tried to struggle at his touch.

"I'm not going to follow them, I want to inhale some fresh air in the mountains," I gritted my teeth, so he just laughed.

"That's also a stupid and lame excuse, Calyx, if you want to go there just say it," David laughed, so they stood up after finishing up the rest of their ramen.

"Where are you three going?" I curiously asked while raising my eyebrows, so they looked at me before smirking.

"We're going hiking today too! We're coming with you!" David Ronin cheered together with Peter, so I just sighed while scratching the back of my head.

To be continued...