+5 Free Coins
“Oh, got it.” Freya didn’t know who that man was anyway. If the big boss said he wasn’t important, then he wasn’t. She hadn’t found any trace of the guy in the cannon fodder’s memories either.
Once they stepped into the food street, the lively atmosphere rushed up to greet them. Freya took a deep breath, catching all kinds of delicious smells in the air. Surprisingly, none of them clashed–they each kept to their own flavor, and the combined aroma made her instantly hungry.
This is it. This is the smell of real life.
Freya pointed to a stall near the entrance that already had a crowd lined up. “That one over there–corndogs is really good. It’s a cheesy snack. Want to try it?”
She said “want to try it,” but didn’t even wait for Louis to answer before continuing, “Hold on, I’ll go get it for you. There are a lot of people here. You can go over there and grab a seat–I’ll find you once I’ve got the food.”
Then she took off running, as if she were afraid she’d miss out if she didn’t hurry. Louis had never seen her so excited before. He hadn’t heard of this “corndogs” thing before, but it looked popular, so he followed her suggestion and went to find a seat.
This food street had only been built in the past couple of years, so everything was still pretty new. For snacks you had to sit down to eat, the shops provided indoor seating. But for things like corndogs, which you could eat right out of a paper tray, there were public seating areas–or you could just walk and eat.
Most of the public seats were already taken. But just like always, when people saw Louis, they couldn’t help but stare. Then, snapping out of it, they’d start whispering to their friends.
There was one upside though–Louis didn’t have to look hard for a seat, because someone had already noticed him and waved him over enthusiastically.
“Hey bro, here to eat?” the young man called out. “Come sit here–I’m almost done anyway.”
He stood up, dragging his buddy with him, picked up the rest of his food, and even flagged down a staff member to come clean the table for Louis. The whole handoff was smooth and thoughtful. After giving Louis a polite nod, the guy ran off.
Nearby, a group of girls were chatting among themselves:
“Man, even guys are simps for good–looking guys now. I was just about to use the ol‘ ‘seat’s taken‘ trick to start a convo.”
“Girl, don’t even dream. Didn’t you see that guy’s whole ‘don’t mess with me‘ vibe? That other guy gave him the seat, helped clean the table, and he didn’t even say a single word in return. That’s cold.”
“Exactly! And that’s what makes him so attractive. Who wants a guy that’s flirty with everyone and probably cheating behind your back? Cold but classy–ugh, he’s too hot.”
“Alright then, go invite him to eat. I won’t stop you. Let’s see if you get anywhere.”
“… Forget it. I don’t have the guts. I’m just imagining stuff–it’s not a crime to imagine, right?”
Louis had heard that kind of thing too many times over the years to even care. None of it mattered anyway–no one would actually come up and bother him.
Roughly twenty minutes later, Freya came over carrying a whole load of food. She was juggling it all in her arms, and when she reached him, Louis was looking down at his phone. She quickly set everything down on the table.
“Okay! I bought a bunch, and there’s still more that’ll be ready in a minute. Just wait here–I’ll go grab the rest.”
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