Monster Academy [ EXO fanfic ]

36: Cafeteria Drama

"Here it is," Doctor Jung said as he handed you your new glasses which had just arrived earlier this morning. You took it and grimaced at its striking color of pinkish red. "That's the same measurement as your old one so that should fit you well, assuming that the condition of your eyesight hasn't changed. Try it on."

You took off the temporary glasses that you have been wearing for the past days and finally put on your new glasses. You took on the familiar clarity of your surroundings and smiled thankfully that you didn't have to go through the headache you always got when you wore the temporary ones.

"Well, how is it?" The doctor asked.

"The lenses are perfect," you told him.

"Great," the doctor smiled and put away the temporary glasses he lent you in one of his many drawers. "By the way, you don't need to worry about the fees for that. The school decided to take care of it for all the trouble you've had, even though some of it was your fault," he added the last part pointedly.

"Mweoya," you pouted, but you really couldn't argue because you knew he was right. "Say, can I request to change the frame by any chance? The color at least?"

"That would be pushing it. Why do you want it changed anyway? I think the color looks fine," he told you.

"It's too bold," you answered as you eyed yourself in the mirror.

"No it's not. On the other hand, you're the one that's too plain. At least now people will see something in you that doesn't scream boring. Who knows, that might actually help you get friends."

"They're just glasses," you rolled your eyes.

"Well, you can have it changed if you really want to. But that would be off your own pocket."

"Nevermind," you answered almost immediately. "I'll be going now. Thanks."

"Not yet!" Doctor Jung stopped you.

"What?"

"I didn't call you here just to give you your glasses. I still need to do a few checks to make sure you're already fine," he said.

"But I'm already fine," you told him.

"We need to make sure," he said.

"Can we do this later?"

"Just quit complaining and sit down," he ordered.

"But it's almost lunch time," you whined.

"The cafeteria won't run," he answered dismissively and started checking on your pulse.

You frowned but sat obediently anyway. Doctor Jung had told you the day before that your new glasses would arrive today and you can come pick it up first thing in the morning. Needless to say, it was already noon when you finally came to pick it up. Aside from the fact that you're not a morning person and it's a Saturday, the events of the past days had really worn you out, not to mention that core-releasing incident plus the exhaustion you got from yesterday's hearing when you were supposed to stay in bed; you ended up sleeping in until the final hours of the morning. You immediately went to the infirmary after your early morning preparations – or in this case late morning preparations – and didn't even have time for breakfast. Your excitement to go to the cafeteria wasn't out of hunger, however. You have this unexplainable, nagging desire of wanting so much to see the soccer team. Maybe it had something to do with the stress you were all in the past days, or maybe because you've been locked up in your room and eating meals alone for a long time, or maybe because you were being too much of an emotional wimp these days. But no matter, all you know is that you have this strange longing feeling, like when you suddenly lost someone very important and you suddenly met each other again, and you want nothing more than to spend your time with that person. Though really, if you would summarize everything, it all boils down to three words: you miss them.