The One Who Kills Time

Just as the bell rings to dismiss us for the break, also known as recess, I finish my last sentence.

"Hand in whatever you have completed, it's only the second timed essay of the year so don't worry too much if you didn't finish it. Just ensure that there is some quality so I can give all of you tips on where you can improve."

Damn it, my essay is clearly quantity over quality. I just wrote a bunch to make it look like I put in a lot of effort. He's definitely going to find out that I was just rambling on and on to use up more space on the paper. Well, at least it isn't going to be graded. It's just a timed practice after all. I got to write whatever I wanted to so it's all good.

Even though I did enjoy writing it, I'm rather tired so I guess I should head to the canteen to get a drink and treat myself. Perhaps I'll ask Randy if he wants to join me.

"Hey Randy, wanna go grab a dri-"

Wait a minute, he just got a drink with Celeste an hour ago. He probably wouldn't need another drink right now. Plus, he doesn't eat in the late morning. He only eats during the second break sometime in the afternoon.

"Sure."

"...?"

"Why do you look so surprised when you are the one who asked me to join you? Were you expecting me to say no?" Randy chuckled to himself. "I don't have to get anything to join you, do I? Not like there are single seats in the canteen anyway. It'd be weird for you to sit alone."

"..."

"Don't worry about it man, I'll get my basketball friends to come too. One of them watches anime too, so I'm sure you guys will get along fine!"

"..."

Sounds like I just invited unnecessary trouble. Should have quietly gone to get my milk tea and straight to my private cubicle in the library after. I really hate it whenever I get caught up in the moment and feel like spending time with others. For temporary happiness, I'm forcing myself to suffer from the loneliness after they leave.

Well, since I've already led myself to this situation, I should just make the most of it. I follow Randy through the hallway and down the stairs to the canteen.

"I'll grab some seats so you can just go ahead and get whatever you planned to get."

"You want me to help you get a drink? Or maybe a snack? I'll be going to the S&D stall."

The S&D stall sells hot and cold beverages alongside tidbits like "Pokey" and "Yo Pando". They also sell sandwiches and steamed buns among many other things.

"It's fine, thanks!" Randy replied while texting his friends.

I head over to the stall and order a hot cup of tea together with a steamed pork bun. I mean, I'm the type who skips breakfast in the morning to ensure that I have more time to sleep in. Naturally, to make up for it, I need to eat at the first opportunity I get during the day.

Although I say that, I could honestly manage to last at least half a day without eating. My limit is around 3 to 4 pm in the afternoon. By that time I'd be quite hungry and could probably eat just about anything.


In case you are wondering, I managed to get my food fast, and Randy got seats so quickly because, in Junior College, the time allocated for each class's break is different. As a result, only a small percentage of the cohort has a break at the same time as us. Thus, there was not much of a queue, and not many students occupied the seats in the canteen.

It also helps that most students are part of more significant and thus larger social groups. Those groups usually go to the place known as the "void deck" with large tables and benches more suited for their social gatherings. The tables there are large enough to even accommodate an entire class if need be.

Back to the seats Randy secured, I sat down and began consuming my meal. Unlike most loners in anime, I have no secret spot in school to eat and drink alone. It is rather unfortunate. However, thanks to the fact that I'm forced to constantly be surrounded by people, I have acquired the skill to force everyone into the background. Ha! How's that? I can reverse the roles of me and "everyone else". I'm usually the one blending into the background, but I can make others blend into the background as well! Through my perception only of course...

Though right now I am with Randy, so I need to make sure I only make everyone else aside from Randy a background character.

Not that there are a lot of people around.

I looked up to see Randy sigh and quietly put away his phone before facing me.

"Sorry, forgot that my friends don't have a break at this time. So it's just gonna be me," Randy said while seeming a little apologetic. Honestly, I don't know why he's sorry cause I'm actually feeling relieved. He may have thought that it was an excellent opportunity for me to make new friends, but meeting friends of a friend is not my thing. Most of the time, it leads to awkward situations that make you so uncomfortable you want to kill yourself inside. Why? Not knowing how to approach them but forced to at least act comfortable since it's a friend of a friend invites nothing but trouble! Especially when they start talking to you basing what you are like on what your friend has told him. In the end, I am usually forced to listen to what he has to say and nod in agreement even if I do not really understand what he is saying. A truly terrifying scenario which I would very much like to avoid.

"It's fine, don't worry about it," I replied. It's great that I only have to deal with one person. Even better that it is someone who I'm at least reasonably comfortable with.

"Anyways, I always wondered, don't you ever get sick of eating and drinking the same thing every morning?"

"Huh? Why would I? Each time a new day starts, everything basically resets."

"Everything?"

"Yeap, everything. I'm too lazy to think of what specifically."

"Hmmm..."

"You don't sound convinced... anyways, I'm just the type of guy who doesn't mind eating the same thing every day for every meal."

"I could never do that..."

"It's okay, no one is asking you to."

"Say Laz, surely you have seen how much anime characters eat? Why don't you try eating more?"

"I do like anime, but it doesn't dictate how I live my life... Plus, the amount of food anime characters eat in shounen series is ridiculously impossible!"

"..."

"They often fixate on one thing too. Meat. So what's wrong with me just fixating on steamed pork buns and milk tea?"

"Haha, I guess there really is nothing wrong with that. Although it would be good to have some variety every now and then."

Indeed a dull and meaningless conversation befitting someone who merely wants to kill time. However, even a conversation like this makes me feel a slight sense of happiness. Why? Having your existence and words acknowledged is a wonderful feeling when you are more used to being ignored.

I'm not complaining though, I ignore others quite often myself. I've come to terms that it is a natural thing people do when they want nothing to do with you.

Anyways, him commenting on my diet also feels like I'm being cared for. Not that I have any intention to actually change my diet cause it'd be a pain. I mean, you'd have to find something new and the price would likely be more expensive than a simple steamed bun. So troublesome... Right?

"Yup..."

Ack! I accidentally agreed with him while reaffirming my own thoughts.

...

Perhaps next time I'll eat a chicken bun.

Since he went out of his way to indirectly suggest that I try more things... Unless I'm just reading too much into the situation. It's not good to assume things but one could call me the king of assumptions. Hey, if I wrote a book it would probably be based on my assumptions on what people are like since I rarely interact with others haha. You could say that this one is not so indirect as it is direct though, so it is not so much of an assumption as it is a deduction.

It's good to exercise our brains every once in a while and deduce things from our observations... Although I don't observe much in the first place, so I have not much to deduce from most of the time. Considering how much time I spend on studying and the fictional realm one could say that I'm a master of my own world. Cause I live in my own world. Haha... Ha...

I just realised that I've been thinking to myself for some time and Randy hasn't stopped me from doing so. I look up and see that he's on his phone. Probably reading some chats, he is actually pretty sociable after all. Guess I should check my phone for messages too.

No new notifications.

I expected this, but it's still pretty painful.

I look at the time on my phone and realise that we should be heading off to our next class.

"Hey Randy, we should get going." I casually said as I finished the last bit of my food and drink. Since you know, I was spacing out. Just need to make my excu- reason clear. Not that it matters honestly.

Just as we picked up our things and started for the stairs to our next class, the bell started ringing.

The ringing signified the end of our short half an hour break.