The Shadow Within Me

Chapter Thirty Eight - Comfort

Crystal Raine Meadows

It wasn't a while until I arrived at the library of our University. The smell of the old and new books that embraced my nose the moment I entered should calm me down, but it didn't.

What Jenny said to me a while ago heated things in my head and I couldn't think clearly. How can she say that when she knows that to both of us, bonds are really important?

We promised each other that we would only be with someone whom our bonds felt real and cherished. Now that she found hers, she can just say what she wants and I don't understand why she's insisting on it.

I just sighed and took some books that I might need and chose a space where people wouldn't dare to approach me, I just want to be alone to think and study.

Reading calms me down, it helps me get lost in thoughts that I might use instead of being stressed out on the things that I don't need in my mind.

I don't know how many hours or minutes I have been reading there, but I was distracted when someone slammed their books on my table.

I raised my eyebrows after seeing that it was Calyx looking at me intently with his red glinting eyes, "What do you want?" I asked before peering down again to my books.

"If you're here to annoy me, I don't have any time to spare to care for it right now," I firmly said before writing down some notes on the reference books I borrowed.

"You haven't eaten, woman and it's almost time for our training," he coldly stated before sitting comfortably on my front. My eyes slightly widened before I shifted my gaze at my wristwatch, crap! I only have 30 minutes left to eat before training!

I stood up and fixed my things, "I-I have to go eat and eat first," I excused myself, but he grabbed my wrist, stopping me from going further.

"W-What are you doing? You're wasting time!" I complained, but he didn't say anything as he dragged me outside of the library.

"H-Hey! Where are you taking me!" I noticed that we're entering some forest, I tried to struggle but he was just too strong.

The place looked eerie, creepy, and it felt like no one was going here often, "A-Are you going to kill me here?" I blurted out of nowhere, so he stopped before glaring at me.

"Why would you think of that? Tss," he just shook his head before turning his back on me. I noticed that he pushed something on the trunk of the tree and it revealed to us a passageway towards the outside.

"W-Woah! You know a passageway from the outside!" I exclaimed before checking out the trail that appeared before us.

I only read that in a book and, amazingly, I'm seeing it for real right now! "A-Are we going somewhere?" I excitedly asked before glancing at him.

My eyebrows furrowed when I noticed that he already had a big bag on his side and the other bag was the one I've been keeping on my lockers.

Where and how the hell did he manage to get that? "We're going to eat first before training at the enchanted forest," he informed me, so I just slowly nodded at him.

"O-Okay, so um we're taking this route?" I pointed at the passageway below us, so he just nodded.

I stared at that dark space for a moment and stepped back a little, "T-There's a way out of there right?" I nervously asked, so he just looked at me before grabbing my wrist again.

"If there's a door, there's always a way in and out," he firmly stated, "And you don't have to be afraid, I'm right here with you," he coldly added, so my heart thumped for a moment.

It was pounding so rapidly like it wanted to get out of my chest, how can he say those words so casually? I just shook my head and decided to heave a deep long sigh.

We walked together inside that passageway and him holding my wrists helped me to calm down while walking on that dark trail.

"Torches here we're not lit up because only a few of us use this when we want to skip class or eat somewhere nice," he started informing me, I think he's just doing this to distract me from our route.

"I see, you mean the student council?" I curiously asked and he just nodded, "It's fun to do this with many people sometimes," I commented, but he didn't say anything.

I sighed in relief when we got out, but I got confused after realizing that we're inside the White Market, but we're in the dark, empty corners of it.

"W-What? That route leads to this place?" I curiously asked and he just nodded again. I couldn’t contain my excitement anymore.

"It's amazing!" I beamed, so he just stared at me for a moment.

"Quickly, we have to eat first before we train," he reminded me, so I flinched before deciding to catch up on his pace.

The White Market was always so loud and festive, it hasn't changed ever since I started going here with Ate Kathy.

I just followed Calyx from behind and I'm still surprised that I'm not weirded out or worried about being with him right now.

Having this moment right now helps calm my nerves and clears my mind. I don't know if he's doing this on purpose to help me because of what he witnessed a while ago.

But that would be too absurd, maybe this guy just really wants to eat out of the University and train outside.

We can't assume things right now and why would he care about me? He's just my tutor and classmate while to him…

I'm probably just a woman who's so weak, just smart, and not so interesting to his red glinting eyes. My heart ached when I thought about how he doesn't look at me that way.

"Woman, can't you go any faster?" he complained in front, so I flinched before deciding to run and catch up to his pace again.

He stopped in his tracks when we arrived at some store, my eyes widened when it's the ramen house I visited before our hiking.

Calyx reached towards the handles of the door and opened it, the aromatic smell of strong broth, steamed and fried chicken filled my nose right after we entered the place.

I followed him from behind to look for tables. He stopped on a specific table on the corner and immediately glared at the people sitting over there while they're eating their freshly made ramen.

"Would you two leave this table?" I almost gasped after I heard Calyx say those words, how can he say that?! They're freaking eating!

Those two men didn't look at us as they continued eating, "Leave kid, there's a lot of tables available," one of the men stated like they didn't care about us.

"C-Calyx, they're eating, we should just go and find another--" I was startled when someone slammed their fist at the table.

It was Calyx and he was extremely mad, "I want to eat at this table," he muttered through gritted teeth, so those two men were about to attack him but stopped when they noticed who it was.

"S-Sir Calyx, we're sorry for our rudeness, please take our table," those men looked like they're trembling with fear as they left with their bowls. I furrowed my eyebrows at them and Calyx because I was deeply confused by what just happened.

Calyx called someone to clean the table, after all that, he sat there comfortably before looking at me intently.

"What are you waiting for? Sit," he pointed on his front, so I just sighed and bit my lower lip before sitting over there.

"We could've just looked for another table, they were eating peacefully before we came," I glared at him, but it didn't have any effect on him.

"This table is mine, this is where my sister and I first shared our meals, this is where I should always eat," he informed before grabbing the paper menu on the side.

My eyes literally widened at what he said, I didn't know that this table was that special to him...he could've just told me.

I stared at Calyx for a moment, he's still busy choosing what he'll have for lunch. Come to think of it, I haven't learned anything from his past yet, but people seem to fear him that much. I wonder why though?

"I already have an order, what's yours?" he coldly asked while handing me over the menu, so I casually took it and checked for what I'm craving for today.

I didn't know that this place also takes orders from our tables, I thought we could only order at the counter at first. Their menu all look so delicious, I can't wait to try all of them!

"I-I already have a pick," I informed him, so he just nodded before raising his hands like he was calling for someone.

A strange man in a suit of a waiter came to greet us with a bright smile plastered on his lips, his hair was gray and he had a lustrous mustache above his chapped-looking lips.

"Sir Calyx! It's good to see you today and you brought your sis--" the waiter stopped after glancing at me, "Oh it's not Mrs. Lux, you brought a woman that is not your sister!" he cheered, so Calyx glared at him as my eyebrows furrowed.

What does he mean about that? I just shook my head and waited for that waiter to take our orders.

"Shut up, Bernard, and take our orders because I'm starving," Calyx complained, so Bernard just laughed while taking out some notebook and paper from his clean apron. It's weird to have a waiter like this in a ramen store. Usually, waiters dressed in feudal outfits are more suitable in this place.

I just shook my head and looked at Bernard, "My apologies, I didn't mean to pry, but my, your date is just so beautiful," the waiter complimented me, so I gave him a small smile before lowering my head because I was so embarrassed about it.

"Shut up, we're not on a date, will you just take our orders?" Calyx sounded pissed as Bernard decided to take our orders.

I stopped when I realized that this feels like a date, I bit my lower lip while glancing around our surroundings.

No one is around aside from a couple looking travelers eating peacefully at their tables, with other men that look like they've just finished their shifts at work.

I bit my lower lip because I could feel my heart pounding so rapidly against my chest, I have never been this nervous and excited about being around someone I don't know personally.

"Hey woman, here's your chopsticks," I flinched when Calyx called me, I looked at him and noticed that he was handing over the wooden chopsticks for me.

"O-Oh um, thanks," I slowly reached out towards his hands and almost gasped when our fingers brushed against each other and a spark was formed in there.

My eyes gazed at him and it looked like he felt it too but he didn't mind it as he casually pulled his hands away from me after I received those chopsticks.

I don't know why I feel like he's acting so nice today, my heart is aching because I'm assuming things that I shouldn't have.

And also, it feels like he's comforting me from what happened a while ago, I don't know...that's what my instincts are telling me.

I just shook my head because it's absurd, Calyx wouldn't even dare to comfort me, I'm just a nuisance to him right now.

"Here's the order of the lovely couple!" Bernard arrives with a large tray that's carrying both of our ramen bowls.

"Bernard, I'm warning you, stop fooling around," Calyx threatened, so Bernard just chuckled before placing Calyx's order on his space and mine.

After he casually placed mine on my front, he leaned in towards my ear, I'm too surprised not to move away, "I've been working here ever since he and his sister had their first meal here," Mr. Bernard whispered.

"I observed him long enough to get his behavior and I think he's trying to comfort you, did something happen at school? He gave me a note where he told me to make yours lighter on your stomach," my eyes widened at what he said as he moved away before winking at me.

"Bernard! Move away from her!" Calyx slammed his fist on our table, good thing is I held on to our bowls.

I heard Bernard kept apologizing to Calyx as I continued biting my lip, what he said lingered on my mind and I don't know what I'll do about it.

My eyes secretly gazed at Calyx and he's just still arguing with Bernard who keeps scratching the back of his head.

I could feel my lips lifting for a bright smile before separating my chopsticks against each other, "Thank you for the meal!" I beamed before digging in.

I was just thinking not to assume that he was comforting me for what happened a while ago in our room, but Bernard is breaking that mindset.

Calyx calmed down after I started eating, Bernard excused himself as we two ate our lunch peacefully, "10 minutes and we're out of this place," Calyx mumbled, so my eyes widened in disbelief.

Fine, I'll just let this slide for now.

To be continued...