Always Around - 3

3

After a few hours doing calculations on paper (something I had been used to for years, though it was not exactly common in Novadía), our teacher announced the end of class.

Like her, my classmates and I packed up our things and got up to go to lunch… But it did not end there.

One of us was taking a long time, and he did not seem to have any intention of leaving, or even moving.

Twen: Hey, what's wrong? Is everything okay?

???: No… It's not! It's not okay at all! Just because we finish eating doesn't mean we have to keep working on this project, and I'm fed up!

Twen: So that's what it was… But don't worry, I'm sure if we work hard we'll finish it today. Come on, cheer up!

I grabbed one of his arms and he complained, but those who were waiting for us decided to help me by forming some sort of a human chain.

That way, we managed to get our exhausted friend to get up and finally leave the classroom, although he was still dragging his feet.

???: Twen, aren't you tired?

Twen: Me? Of course I'm tired too, but not so much that… Ah… Well, maybe it's a little different for me.

Of course, like anyone else, I could feel low on energy and motivation. However, there was one thing that always set me apart from others, and that was my mask.

An OV can mean the opening of countless doors, a tool that can fix everything, or a cushion to fall back on in any situation.

That is why things like a university assignment simply were not going to be as stressful for me as they would be for someone without an OV. And, although I did understand what it was like to be exhausted, it was not a point I reached very often.

???: Yeah, you're right… Damn! You even got a job, and here I am barely surviving on so little.

Twen: No, it's not really a job, it's just a little help-

???: Could it be that… You're trying to steal his position?

Twen: Steal his position?

???: Hey, don't say that.

???: I heard you! How could you say something like that?

Stopping and turning around, everyone in our group stopped to look and judge the one who had made what seemed to be an inappropriate comment.

Although I had not expected it, I thought I understood what he meant by his question.

However, I could not answer him by saying he was right. I was doing this by my own choice, and for my own benefit and that of the person I was helping, equally.

???: Don't listen to him, Twen. He sometimes says some weird things.

Twen: Sure, I get it.

In the end, I could not answer at all.

That day we all went to eat together at the JJRU cafeteria, a place I ironically did not frequent. And after that, everything continued just as my companion had planned.

…

The JJRU food was not anything special, but it was still nutritious food after all. That is why I would have liked to be the one eating it.

At that moment, I found myself several meters above the ground, being held up by a large bluish tentacle, trying to straighten the large television that had just been placed in the open dining hall of Novadía.

This was something I was doing simply to help the dining hall staff, and it was not the first time I had done it.

But, to tell the truth, it was not something I did for money, but rather to lend a hand to someone who helped me every week. I got along well with the people in the dining hall, and they seemed happy when I offered to help them, although they often told me it was not necessary.

Twen: But it's true that I'd also like to be eating something…

???: Really? Then why don't you sit down and eat with us?

I looked down to see who was speaking to me, since I did not recognize their voice. And, sure enough, it was someone I had not seen before.

A girl with short hair, maybe a little older than me, who was looking up, her body slightly curved, and blinking exactly twice.

Twen: Sorry, but I'm helping with the renovations right now.

???: Oh, but it'll only be a-

Many: Hey, don't bother the professionals at their job.

Twen: Oh, Many!

It certainly was not a face I expected to see that day, but Many was the kind of person who could appear anywhere, at any time. Something that goes hand in hand with his title of "friend of all."

Many: So? Everything alright?

Twen: As always, hunger is my biggest worry.

Many: Well, if you finish soon, come sit with us! Although if you can't, there's no pressure.

???: Yeah! I'd be so happy if you hung out with us~.

Twen: Right… We'll see how things go.

Smiling, the girl turned her back on me and went to sit at a table not far away. Many followed her, but not before giving me a sideways glance and raising an eyebrow.

I admit I understood her message, but there was not much I wanted to do with that knowledge.

So, I simply went back to what I was doing, although the fact that they were sitting so close made me feel watched. And not just by Many and her friend, but by everyone else at the table too.

Even though I would have preferred not to be so nosy, I could not help but overhear a bit of their conversation.

???: Damn it! I couldn't bring him with me…

Many: Well, he's working, what did you expect?

???: That he wouldn't be able to resist my charms~.

Many: Sure, sure. You'll have another chance… Right? I heard Twen has been coming around a lot to help out in the cafeteria.

Zena: Yeah! He's been coming almost every weekend, for some reason I still don't understand.

Noe: But that seems pretty good for the cafeteria itself. It's not like it usually was empty, but now it seems like more people are trying to come just to see Twen.

???: You think so?

Noe: Yeah… Twen is kind of like a celebrity, in a way. It's a face everyone wants to see.

Jean: A mask.

Noe: It's a mask everyone wants to see.

Apparently, they were talking about me and my beloved OV. The influence my frequent appearances might have was something I had questioned before, but if it was not negative, then I had no reason to stop.

In any case, it was interesting to see how Many and her friend's group interacted with the group of friends I used to have lunch with at that same place (or right outside, actually).

However, there was one voice I had not heard yet. It was exactly when I started wondering where she was that I saw her arrive, her shoulders a little more slumped than usual.

Lani: Sorry I'm late, but some things happened and I ended up leaving school late…

Zena: Lani! You're finally here!

Noe: You seem to have had a rough week. Are you okay?

Lani: Mhm (yes).

Zena: And since you arrived so late, you're gonna have to gobble all that up in record time.

Lani: Mhm… (yes…)

Zena: Oh, sorry…

Even though I did not hear much of her voice, the noises Lani was making certainly sounded like she was not having the best days of her life lately.

Thinking about that definitely worried me, but I also had things to do at that moment.

My tentacle stretched out to let me see if the big new TV was upright, and if it could be seen properly from a farther corner of the dining room. Luckily, it seemed to be.

I thought for a bit, and I started imagining how great it would be to sit with the others and watch something on that TV. Hearing the reactions and comments of everybody whenever something happened sounded really fun to me.

It was a happy future I could start aiming for. An idea that did not easily leave my head.