"Welcome to Alies Seres," said a man with a bow who opened the door for us as we walked in.
"Wow."
I couldn't help it. When I first heard the word cafe, I hadn't expected much, but this was no ordinary cafe. It was extravagant in every single detail, from the decor to the waitstaff, the entire place breathed class. One look made it abundantly clear that loners weren't the only ones unwelcome here. This was no place for anyone earning less than two thousand points a month.
"Let's use that seat," Selena suggested, though it wasn't really a suggestion since she was already pulling me toward it.
The place was a full story high and I could see the upper level from where I stood. Seats were arranged up there as well, and most people seemed to prefer it over the ground floor.
"Waiter!" Selena called out, visibly excited.
She seemed far too excited for some reason.
'That's because she sees this as a date, unlike some dense fool who is perpetually clueless,' Nelia chimed in.
It seemed she still didn't fear me enough to hold her tongue.
Fine.
'Nelia, for your first punishment, you will serve as my personal maid in my new room. Permanently visible, so you can handle all the chores. I'll make sure to keep you thoroughly occupied. Oh, the things I have planned,' I thought, and felt her shiver at that.
That should do it.
"Yes, what would you like?" asked the girl who approached us, handing over menus with a practiced professional smile.
"I would like a Melted-" I heard Selena start, then stop halfway through.
"What's wrong?" I looked up from the menu and asked.
The menu itself had nearly driven me to the edge. A cup of water was thirty points. A single cup of water.
"...," Selena didn't answer. I followed her gaze instead and found it fixed on the waitress, who was looking at me in a rather particular way.
"And what would you like, handsome?" she asked, gently taking hold of my hand.
Handsome?
Since when was I handsome?
'Don't let her fool you. YOU ARE WORSE THAN AVERAGE!' Nelia screamed, clearly rattled by my earlier threat. If anything, that only made me want to follow through more.
'Just be quiet.'
She was obviously just messing with me, probably mistook me for some kind of noble.
"Um, this one please," I said, pulling my hand back and pointing to the cheapest thing I could find on the menu. "And give her this," I added, pointing to what I figured Selena had been trying to order before she trailed off.
"Of course," the waitress said with a wide smile, cheeks flushed for reasons I couldn't explain, then walked away.
Nobody in this world is normal.
"Wait here," said Selena, standing up from her seat.
"Why?" I frowned. "We just got here."
"I want to change my order," she said, gesturing after the retreating waitress.
"We can just call her back," I said, already raising a hand to do so, but Selena placed a finger against my lips.
Soft.
"I also need to fix my makeup while I'm at it," she said, with a smile that didn't sit quite right.
"You're not wearing any makeup," I said.
At least I didn't think she was. Or was I going blind.
"I am, it's just light. I don't need much to look good for you, or do I?" she said with a smirk, but it lacked the easy carelessness her smirks usually carried. Something was definitely off. If I didn't know better, I'd say she was annoyed.
"You-" I started, but she was already smiling and walking away.
In the same direction the waitress had gone.
'Why do I have a bad feeling about this.'
'Why do you think you're ugly?' Nelia asked.
'I don't think I'm ugly. I just know I'm average at best.'
'Why?'
'You said so yourself just now, didn't you? Average, maybe below. It doesn't really bother me though.'
'That was just me...' She went quiet.
'You what?'
'You're an idiot.'
'Coming from one, so that's fine,' I shrugged internally.
'Why are you so oblivious around women?'
'I only ever had one girlfriend. She wasn't the type who liked me near other girls, so she stayed close and kept them away. I was a loner, and she was genuinely the only person I talked to for as long as I can remember. She was the one who told me I was average, said it more than once, and eventually I just accepted it. But she also said she didn't care about my looks. That she liked me the way I was.'
I thought about Renay.
There were things about her I never quite understood. The way she got controlling whenever I spoke to certain girls, and the way those same girls never seemed to be around afterward. I never dwelled on it much. I didn't regret having her in my life. She made something colorless feel worth living, at least while it lasted.
'Who was she?' Nelia asked. There was something in her tone I couldn't quite name. Something that sounded almost like anger, though I didn't understand why.
'Someone,' I replied, and let my gaze drift.
It landed on the girl now walking toward me.
"Hi! We're in the same class, right?!" she smiled, and it was the kind of smile that made half the men nearby forget they had come with someone. That wasn't really their fault though. It was just what she always did.
"Liliana," I murmured under my breath.
Damn it.