NOVPUBThe cafeteria was alive with its usual midday commotion, the clatter of trays and cutlery mingling with the constant chatter of students, an occasional burst of laughter breaking through the din.
Sunlight filtered through the large glass panels lining the ceiling, casting long shadows over the polished wooden tables.
The scent of freshly baked bread, roasted meat, and something vaguely suspicious wafted through the air.
At the center of this bustling chaos sat Silas, Lyrium, Lily, and Ren—the most dysfunctional group of people forced to share a meal together.
And, as expected, Ren was the problem.
Somehow, through sheer force of will (and an unhealthy amount of persistence), he had managed to get them all at the same table.
The details of how this happened remained unclear, but the reality of the situation was undeniable.
One table.
Four trays.
No escape.
Lyrium sat with his arms crossed, his fork untouched.
His golden eyes flicked from face to face, assessing the situation with a growing sense of regret.
"I don't remember agreeing to this."
Ren, already halfway through his meal, waved his fork lazily in the air.
"Because you didn't."
Silas groaned, resting his forehead against his hand.
"I hate that he's right."
Lily, who had long since resigned herself to her fate, stirred her tea in slow, deliberate circles.
"I could leave."
Ren clicked his tongue.
"But you won't."
Silas raised an eyebrow.
"And why's that?"
Ren grinned, leaning forward.
"Because I provide entertainment."
Lyrium sighed.
"More like irritation."
"Same thing."
Silas groaned again.
"I swear, one day, I'm gonna throw you out a window."
Ren shrugged, taking a sip of his drink.
"I'd land on my feet."
"No, you wouldn't."
"Yeah, but you'd still be the one in trouble."
Lily smirked.
"He's got a point."
Silas looked at her, betrayed.
"Why are you on his side?"
"Because it's funny watching you suffer."
Ren grinned wider.
"See? She gets it."
Lyrium, having already tuned them out, stared at his plate with the quiet patience of someone who had long accepted that his life was surrounded by nonsense.
*****
The first real mistake was letting Ren get too comfortable.
Halfway through the meal, he turned his attention toward Lyrium's tray, eyes flickering between his own nearly finished plate and Lyrium's untouched food.
"You gonna eat that?"
Lyrium didn't look up.
"Yes."
Ren nudged the plate slightly.
"You don't look like you're gonna eat it."
"I will."
"When?"
Lyrium exhaled sharply.
"When I decide to."
Ren grinned.
"So… never?"
Lily smirked, sipping her tea.
"Ren, if you want to steal someone's food, at least be subtle about it."
Silas, already finished with his meal, propped his chin on his hand.
"Or just accept the fact that Lyrium will stab you with that fork if you keep pushing."
Ren, completely unfazed, leaned closer.
"You wouldn't stab me, would you, Mate?"
Lyrium finally looked up, locking eyes with him.
"Try me."
Ren blinked, then leaned back dramatically.
"You're all so aggressive. It's like you don't appreciate me."
Silas snorted.
"We don't."
Ren placed a hand over his heart.
"That hurts, Silas. Deeply."
Lily smirked.
"If it truly hurt, you'd stop."
Ren grinned.
"Yeah, but where's the fun in that?"
Lyrium, no longer interested in the conversation, finally picked up his fork and took a bite of his food.
He chewed slowly, savoring the brief silence that followed.
It lasted for exactly three seconds before Ren turned his attention back to Silas.
"So, Silas, any new reckless decisions lately?"
Silas scoffed.
"What do you take me for?"
Ren didn't hesitate.
"An idiot."
Lily nearly choked on her tea, barely holding back laughter.
Silas glared.
"Why are you like this?"
Ren leaned back, completely relaxed.
"Because it's fun."
Lyrium sighed.
"This is exhausting."
Lily smirked.
"And yet, we keep coming back."
Silas groaned.
"I hate that she's right."
Ren stretched his arms above his head.
"See? No matter how much you all complain, you love me."
Silas grabbed a piece of bread and threw it at him. 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝔭𝔲𝔟.𝖈𝔬𝔪
Ren caught it effortlessly.
"Oh, a peace offering. How sweet."
Silas threw another.
"Shut up."
Ren only laughed, and despite their mutual irritation, the banter continued, tangled in the growing threads of a friendship none of them could quite escape.
*****
At some point, the chaos died down—only slightly.
The cafeteria had emptied out a little, and the late afternoon sun was casting golden light through the windows.
Silas stretched, leaning back against his chair.
"I still don't know how you managed to get all of us here, Ren."
Ren smirked.
"Talent."
Lyrium shook his head.
"No, manipulation."
Ren winked.
"Same thing."
Lily sighed.
"At least he's honest about it."
Ren grinned, clearly pleased with himself.
For a brief moment, there was quiet.
Not an awkward one.
Not the kind of silence that weighed heavily or carried unspoken tension.
Just a moment of stillness, of shared understanding between people who, despite everything, had somehow found themselves in the same place.
Lyrium, usually distant, seemed less guarded.
Silas, always brash, looked almost content.
Lily, ever composed, sipped her tea with a small, almost imperceptible smile.
And Ren…
Well.
Ren was still annoying.
But somehow, that was part of the balance.
*****
Eventually, the cafeteria began to empty.
The last of the students trickled out, leaving their table as one of the few still occupied.
Silas stood, stretching.
"Alright, I'm done dealing with you people. I'm leaving."
Ren gasped dramatically.
"Abandoning me? How cruel."
"Not abandoning. Escaping."
Lily smirked, standing as well.
"I suppose I should get going too."
Lyrium was the last to move, exhaling softly as he picked up his tray.
He didn't say anything, but there was something almost settled in the way he moved—as if, for once, the constant tension had eased, even if just a little.
Ren leaned back in his chair, grinning as he watched them all leave.
"Same time tomorrow?"
Silas didn't even turn around.
"Not a chance."
Lily smirked.
"We'll see."
Lyrium, ever the mystery, simply didn't answer.
But as they walked away, Ren's grin only widened.
Because he knew.
They'd be back.
They always came back.
But the most mysterious thing?
'When did we become so much close?'
*****
The hallway was quiet, save for the distant murmur of students chatting in their own groups, the occasional footsteps echoing through the polished floors.
Lyrium and Ren walked side by side, their pace unhurried.
Ren, as always, was rambling about something inconsequential—some nonsense about a bet he had won earlier that day, much to the misfortune of some poor soul.
But Lyrium wasn't really listening.
Ririring—!
The sudden vibration in his pocket pulled his attention away.
His brows furrowed slightly as he reached into his pocket, retrieving his phone.
The screen lit up, revealing the caller ID.
Mother.
He clicked his tongue.
He hadn't called her in a while, had he?
He was so caught up with everything happening at the academy that he had forgotten to check in.
With a quiet sigh, he clicked the answer button.
Click—!
Bringing the phone to his ear, he spoke.
"Hello?"
A warm yet teasing voice greeted him almost immediately.
"Ahh, Lyrium, my baby boy! How are you? You haven't called me in a whole month! And did you forget to call your sister Rihana?"
Lyrium exhaled through his nose.
"Mom."
Ren, who had been minding his own business, immediately perked up at the shift in Lyrium's expression.
His lips curled into an amused smirk as he slowed his pace, shamelessly eavesdropping.
Lyrium shot him a side glance but ignored him for now.
"I've been… busy."
"Too busy to call your mother?"
His mother's voice was light, playful, but there was an unmistakable undertone of accusation.
"And your sister? She's been sulking, you know. Every time I call her if she's spoken to you, she just got this silent acts at me and stomps off. I swear, that girl acts more like you every day."
Lyrium sighed.
"She could've called me."
"Hah! That girl? Call first? Lyrium, sweetie, you know better than that."
Ren, listening in, snickered.
Lyrium shot him another glare before turning his attention back to the call.
"I'll call her later."
"You'd better."
There was a slight pause before his mother's tone softened.
"Really, though. How have you been? You're eating well, right? Not skipping meals? Not getting into trouble?"
Lyrium hesitated.
He had been fine—tired, annoyed at Ren at least three times a day, and constantly dealing with Lily and Silas' nonsense.
But fine.
"I'm managing."
His mother clicked her tongue.
"Managing? That's all you're going to give me?"
"I'm not starving. I sleep enough. I keep up with my work. That should be enough."
Ren made a face.
"Phrasing it like that makes it sound depressing."
Lyrium turned and punched him lightly on the arm.
Ren yelped dramatically, rubbing his shoulder.
"Abuse! I'm telling the headmistress—!"
Lyrium ignored him.
"I'm doing fine, Mom."
There was a short hum on the other end.
Then—
"And your friends?"
Lyrium paused, glancing at Ren, who was still rubbing his arm, now pouting exaggeratedly.
Friends.
A few months ago, that word would have felt foreign.
Alien, since he was basically an anomaly.
But now?
He exhaled, rubbing his temple.
"Annoying."
His mother laughed.
"Oh? So you do have friends now?"
Lyrium rolled his eyes.
"That's not what I—"
"No, no, I get it. You're surrounded by people who drive you insane. Which means you like them."
Ren, still listening in, grinned.
"See? Your mom gets it."
Lyrium elbowed him this time, earning another dramatic
"Ow!"
His mother chuckled.
"Sounds like someone's with you."
Lyrium sighed.
"Unfortunately."
Ren pressed a hand to his chest.
"You wound me."
Lyrium muttered,
"Not enough."
His mother hummed again.
"Well, whoever it is, I'm glad you have people around you."
Then, her voice turned slightly mischievous.
"No girlfriend yet?"
Lyrium nearly choked.
"Mother."
Ren burst out laughing.
"Oho! What's this reaction? Don't tell me my son is still hopeless when it comes to romance?"
Lyrium groaned.
"I'm hanging up."
His mother cackled.
"No, no! I'll stop, I'll stop!"
Ren, wiping tears from his eyes, grinned.
"Oh, I like your mom."
Lyrium glared.
"No, you don't."
"Yes, I do."
His mother, apparently having heard that, laughed again.
"I like him too! He sounds fun!"
Lyrium closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"I'm truly suffering."
Ren nudged him.
"Aw, come on. Admit it. You're having fun."
Lyrium didn't answer.
His mother sighed fondly.
"Alright, I'll stop teasing. But really, Lyrium, take care of yourself. And call your sister. Don't make her wait too long."
Lyrium exhaled.
"I will."
"Good."
There was a pause before she added,
"Love you, my baby boy."
Lyrium's ears turned slightly red.
It was his first time hearing this kind of thing from someone.
From someone...
After coming to this world.
Ren noticed and smirked.
"Yeah, yeah,"
Lyrium muttered.
"Love you too, Mom."
Click—!
The call ended, and Lyrium slipped his phone back into his pocket, exhaling slowly.
Ren grinned.
"So… baby boy, huh?"
Lyrium stopped walking.
Ren took one look at the expression on his face and immediately started backing away.
"Wait, wait, I was just joking—!"
Lyrium lunged.
Ren ran.
And down the hallway, a very one-sided chase ensued, filled with Ren's screams of mock terror and Lyrium's silent, murderous intent.
