Side effects of the unknown part 1

Upon reaching the entry point, Reo observed that the aforementioned groups had preceded them. Consequently Alice, Amelia, and Aurora waved their goodbyes to Liam and Michael, prior to seeing them off to their separate dormitories.

As they traversed the corridor, Liam and Michael maintained a conspicuous silence. However, Reo, seeking to dissipate the quietness, addressed Liam expressing gratitude for the remarkable day, attributing the idea to Liam. He mentally contemplated whether he misjudged Liam's character type, but ultimately chose not to verbalize his thoughts.

As they arrived at the dormitory ahead, Reo made a farewell gesturing, promising to meet the next day. Surprisingly, Liam reciprocated with a goodnight wish, expressing his satisfaction with the day.

Following the removal of his shoes, Michael quickly jumped on his bed. In the meantime, I made my way to the bathroom. Once I returned, I noticed he had fallen asleep without changing. Consequently, I made my way up the ladder to the bunk bed and prepared myself to sleep as well.

Despite being in bed for two hours, sleep eluded Reo. He was left wondering what was amiss. Surprisingly, he was not just devoid of sleepiness but also felt distinctly invigorated. So, he climbed down the ladder and opted to meditate, as it often induces sleep in those who are tired. However, to his surprise, he was still wide awake. This state persisted until morning, and he continued to feel as invigorated as he had when he first awoke.

With his usual morning routine, he rose, awakened Michael, and proceeded to shower and dress. As he navigated the hallway, his gaze shifted to the window panes, void of sunlight. Upon exit from the dorm building, his eyes surveyed the night engulfed sky, prompting him to ask Michael, standing by his side, "Is it morning?". The intention behind his question was clear; if it indeed was morning, it could only signify extreme exhaustion leading him to hallucinations.

Michael replied with a hint of confusion in his eyes, "Yes, it's morning." Traversing towards the school building, Reo kept scrutinizing the night-like sky studded with stars and the moon, unable to comprehend the anomaly. However, he dismissed it, thinking a little sleep might clear the ambiguity. As a result, he paid no heed to his surroundings, which were as enveloped in darkness as the night itself. Without any further delay, Reo proceeded directly to his classroom.

Upon departing from school, he noticed that darkness still enveloped the surroundings. He proceeded towards the muffin store, informing his companion, Michael, about a job commitment. The said muffin store had intrigued him during a previous visit.

As he arrived at the venue, he noticed the same lady from his earlier visit. She was engrossed in a book, seated comfortably on a quaint wooden bench.

Introducing himself as Reo - a previous visitor interested in a job, he caught her attention. Setting her book aside gently on the bench, the lady introduced herself as Luna Celes.

She then escorted him to the front desk and requested Reo to follow her. Luna intended to show him around so he understood the functioning of the muffin store better.

The instructions were not overly complex to comprehend. She positioned herself in the bakery area of the shop working on the muffins, while I assimilated the process by observing her. Once I had decoded the muffin-making technique, we alternated our roles. For instance, she handled muffin-making on Tuesdays, with me addressing the customer orders. Come Wednesday, our roles reversed. This arrangement provided a well-deserved break, allowing the other person to rejuvenate in the open air after toiling in the kitchen all day. However, being my inaugural day, my mandate was to observe and learn, enabling me to assist more effectively the subsequent day.

Learning the muffin recipe was quite straightforward. It required common, easily available ingredients such as flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, eggs, milk, and oil. A unique addition to this recipe was the dew flower—an azure-tinted blossom, renowned for its inherent property to magnify the flavor of any dish it was added to.

Having committed the recipe to memory, I was startled by the sound of the bell signaling the entrance of a customer. The individual was distinctive—with black and purple hair, blue eyes, and donned in a black and purple tuxedo. He was also holding a black briefcase in his left hand.

Without pause, he chose a seat at one of the round wooden tables and summoned Miss Celes for assistance. She promptly took leave, instructing me to manage any upcoming customers. She made sure to mention that our specialty—the dew flower muffin was priced at 20 semi coins. Following her instructions, I stationed myself behind the front desk, ready to welcome any new customers, while Miss Celes attended to the peculiar gentleman.

Reo's face brightened with excitement as he saw the first customers pushing the door open. A woman, bearing long brown hair and matching brown eyes, approached the front desk.

"May I take your order?" Reo asked politely.

The woman perused the menu prior to placing her order. "I'll be having a few of the flower muffins," she said, opting for the priciest yet most popular choice amongst the various muffin flavors available.

Upon receiving her order, Reo excused himself for a moment and disappeared behind a door leading to the kitchenette. There he prepped and packaged her order, completed the financial transaction, and returned to hand over the muffin set.

The woman flashed a grateful smile, murmuring a 'thank you' before exiting the premises.

Stunned, he muttered, "this is already two multi-coins." He suspected he wasn't being compensated fairly, given the number of customers he had seen frequenting the bakery in demand of varied types of muffins.

A quick glance at the clock marked the time at 7:30. His earnings for the day totaled one silver coin and two multi-coins. He handed over the money to Luna, who was engaged in a conversation. "Well done," she commented, "You're entitled to keep the day's earnings."

"Really!" The unexpected bonus took him by surprise. He couldn't believe she would reward him such an amount within a single day. "It's only just," Luna retorted, "You worked on your rest day, aiding me in running the bakery." He thanked her and prepared to exit, ignoring the icy stare coming from the blue-eyed man.

Just as Reo was about to secure the door and depart, the man beckoned him. Reo moved unhurriedly towards the round table where the man was seated. "I apologize for having you work on your first day," the man said, reaching into his pocket before placing a gold coin in Reo's hand.

"This is too much," protested Reo, who was already surprised having received a silver coin and two multi-coins earlier.

"Not at all. On the contrary, this sum is trivial," reassured the man, with a look of overconfidence.

The man introduced himself, "My name is Darren White. You'll be seeing a lot of me around this shop as Luna is a dear friend of mine."

Meeting Mr. White was indeed a pleasant experience, I introduced myself as Reo Vermont. However, upon hearing my name, his expression turned into a frown. He glanced at the clock, rose from his chair, and bid his farewells to both myself and Luna.

Regrettably, Mr. White is often preoccupied; consequently, I reciprocated his goodbye to Luna and exited through the front door. The ambiance was pitch-black, with the only light being the stars and the moon. I steered my way back to the dormitory; thus, continuing my habitual routine.

My schedule typically begins with waking up, getting dressed, and rousing Michael from his sleep. Subsequently, we make our way to the school, attending classes conducted by Miss Olivia and Professor Tomiya. Post school, I work at a muffin store. This earns me enough money to acquire 'traveler papers' for communicating with Amelia or John and Sonia back home.