Kaizen stood up, gathering his empty bowls.
He scraped every last bit of yolk. He drank every drop of coffee. He wiped the tray down with a napkin.
'Leave no trace,' he thought. 'A good NPC never leaves a mess for the developers.'
He walked back to the counter to return the tray.
"Thanks for the food," Kaizen said, bowing slightly. "It was... efficient."
Helga didn't look up. She was scrubbing a pot with the intensity of a woman trying to erase a crime scene.
But as Kaizen turned to leave, a gruff voice stopped him.
"Oi. Twig."
Kaizen froze. "Yes?"
Helga wiped her hands on her apron. She reached under the counter and pulled out a plastic bag. It was heavy.
She slammed it onto the counter. Thud.
"Take it."
Kaizen blinked. He peeked inside. Two apples. A wrapped sandwich (meat unknown). A hard-boiled egg.
"For the road," she grunted. "You said you're hiking. You'll pass out halfway if you don't eat."
"I... uh..." Kaizen stared at the bag. "Is this free?"
"Did I ask for money?" She scowled. "Now give me your water bottle."
Kaizen fumbled with his backpack and handed over his empty plastic bottle.
'She's going to give me water. Hydration is key. Thank god.'
Helga unscrewed the cap. She walked over to the massive, steaming cauldron of "Industrial Strength Morning Brew."
Glug. Glug. Glug.
She filled the entire liter bottle with scalding hot, pitch-black coffee.
Kaizen watched in horror.
'Coffee? For a hike? That's a diuretic! I'm going to be dehydrated in twenty minutes! My heart is going to explode!'
She screwed the cap back on tight and slammed the bottle down next to the bag. The plastic warped slightly from the heat.
"Fuel," she stated.
Kaizen looked at the lethal dose of caffeine. Then he looked at the ladle hanging from her belt—the same ladle that had just concussed a faculty member.
"Thank you," Kaizen squeaked. "I... I love coffee. It's my blood type."
He reached out and took the items.
The plastic bag was warm. The bottle radiated heat against his palms.
Kaizen paused.
He stood there, holding the warm weight against his chest.
Something strange happened.
A feeling—not a glitch, not a system notification—spread through his chest. It started in his stomach and moved up to his throat. It was warm. It was heavy. It was... soft.
'What is this?'
He racked his brain. He tried to remember the last time someone gave him a packed lunch. He tried to remember a mom handing him a sandwich, or a dad handing him a water bottle.
Static.
Nothing.
In his memories, there was only the cold blue light of a menu screen. There was only the script. 'Student #4, proceed to Class A.'
Nobody had ever given him extra food just because he looked hungry. Nobody had ever cared if he passed out on a hike.
He was just a background asset. If he fainted, the game would just despawn him and spawn a new one.
But Helga... Helga saw him.
Kaizen bit his lip. His vision blurred. A single, traitorous tear escaped the corner of his eye and rolled down his cheek.
"Hey!"
Helga's voice was sharp. She waved the ladle aggressively.
"What's with the waterworks, you little shit?! Are you saying my coffee smells bad?! Why are you crying?!"
Kaizen sniffled, quickly wiping his face with his sleeve.
"No... no, it smells great..."
"Then stop leaking! You'll salt the oatmeal!" She looked flustered, her cheeks turning a slight shade of pink. She clearly wasn't equipped to deal with little shits like his emotions.
"I just..." Kaizen looked at the sandwich. "I remembered my aunt. She... she used to pack me lunch like this."
It was a lie. A generic backstory lie. But it felt nice to say it.
Helga snorted. She crossed her massive arms.
"Hmph. Well, she sounds like a sensible woman."
She gestured at the plastic bag with her chin.
"I gave it to you because you looked like a stray dog about to keel over. Better to eat this than that useless, expensive garbage out there."
She pointed a thumb toward the exit, toward the fancy Arcane Exchange with its floating croissants and sassy waiters.
"Those fancy shops? All flash. No substance. Tasteless," Helga spat. "A growing boy needs real food. Not 'mana-infused air puffs'."
Kaizen smiled. A real, genuine smile that reached his eyes.
"You're right," he said, clutching the bag tighter. "This is much better."
Helga scoffed, turning her back to him to hide her expression.
"Get going. Before I charge you for the bag."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Kaizen bowed again—deeper this time—and walked out of the cafeteria.
The morning air was still freezing. The wind still bit his face. But as he walked toward the mountain trail, holding the warm coffee against his chest, he didn't feel cold at all.
For the first time since waking up in this terrifying world, he didn't feel like an NPC.
He felt... real.