After such a hectic and busy day, Klaus logged out of Rise Online still a bit pensive. However, he wasn't tired, on the contrary, he was excited that he had found a Legendary Rank creature, which meant that he could gain Epic, Mythic, and even Legendary items by defeating this boss.
Naturally, when he woke up, he got out of the deep diving pod and stretched his arms and then his legs to loosen up his muscles. Then he walked to the reception desk, where he nodded to the military man.
With his ID, he passed through the turnstile and ended his weekend of gambling for the time being. Since he was concentrating on the upcoming Special Program exams, he had arranged with Ashley to do some studying in the campus library, which he hadn't even set foot in yet. So Klaus went back to his dormitory, thinking about the upcoming meeting.
The next day, first thing in the morning, Klaus hurried to get ready, putting on a long-sleeved white shirt and black jeans. He looked in the mirror of the communal bathroom and moved his dark hair to the left, as usual. Just then, Andrew appeared by chance, walking slowly and with a sleepy face.
At first, Andrew walked right past Klaus without noticing him, and the broad-shouldered boy followed him with his eyes in the mirror. Seconds later, Andrew suddenly stopped and looked back, still sleepy, only this time he faced Klaus with a slightly serious and confused expression.
"Brother, you're hungover, aren't you?" Klaus asked, almost laughing at his friend.
It was only after hearing Klaus' voice that Andrew was able to recognize him from his sleep, so he widened his eyes and said:
"Klaus? Is that really you? What are you doing up at this hour? It's still dark outside."
"Dark at ten in the morning? I doubt that a bit." Klaus said, now laughing uncontrollably.
Andrew looked to the side where there were some tall windows near the showers and realized that it was indeed daylight.
"Ah... Yes... I think I went a little overboard with the beer yesterday. By the way, where have you been?" Andrew inquired, approaching one of the sinks to wash his face. "David and I sent you a few messages inviting you to a pub, and we went to the archery department to see if you were there, but we couldn't find you."
In general, Klaus wasn't very good at lying, and he felt that he had run out of creativity in coming up with excuses so that his roommates wouldn't suspect him of playing Rise Online, so he decided to tell the truth.
"I was at this place downtown where there is a deep immersion capsule. I'm playing that game David and Nathan were commenting on that day."
"Rise Online? Really?" Andrew asked in surprise, looking at him in the reflection of the large mirror in front of them.
"Yeah, and it's pretty fun. In fact, I was told it was a great way to make some extra money, so I decided to try it out."
"I played it a while ago too, only I found it very difficult, and yet I felt addicted. So try not to get addicted."
"Puff... Addicted? No, that would be impossible."
*
As he made his way to the place he had arranged with Ashley through messages, Klaus' heart was racing with excitement. He had only met Ashley recently, considering that the last few months of his life had been very hectic, but considering all the times they had met, this would be their first real date, even if it was only for studying.
He finally arrived at the café where Ashley had suggested they meet. When he saw her, Klaus felt as if the whole world had disappeared. Ashley looked even more beautiful than usual, and all the people around her looked at her with fascination and wonder:
"Who is this beautiful and elegant girl?"
"She's so beautiful..."
"Are you kidding? She is Ashley Cox, leader of the Dagger Dispute Society."
"She has such a mature look."
Ashley was wearing a pink silk blouse that fit her slender body perfectly, and tight black pants. Her black hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and she wore small pearl earrings that accentuated her natural beauty.
Klaus approached her as everyone looked on, trying to appear calm and confident even though he felt his heart beating faster. And when she caught sight of him, she smiled fondly, as she rarely had since she set foot on this campus, after all, she was known to be a bit cold.
"Hi, Ashley. I'm sorry for being a little late. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," he said with a gentle smile.
"No, don't worry, Klaus. I just got here too," Ashley replied, smiling back.
They greeted each other with a shy hug and Klaus offered Ashley a chair. The people around them looked at them in awe, surprised not only by her beauty, but also by his.
"Oh! I wonder if that guy is her boyfriend?"
"I don't know, but they look really good together. They look so comfortable together."
All the people walking around Klaus and Ashley stared at them in fascination. It was inevitable that they would marvel at the beauty of the two of them blending together in such a pure and loving way.
Klaus ordered a coffee from the waitress, who was also so stunned that it took her a few moments to start taking down the order, and Ashley ordered a green tea before they started discussing what they were going to study and what subjects they both had.
Ashley and Klaus began talking about the required and elective classes, and soon their nervousness disappeared as they engaged in a lively conversation about their mutual interests. Although they were focused on each other, Klaus and Ashley couldn't help but notice that the crowd around them was growing. So Kaizen turned to Ashley and said:
"I think we should go to the library, what do you think?"
It was then that she realized how many people were around them, so she nodded, a little blushing and shy. Immediately, Kaizen left the payment for the drinks and the tip on the table, took Ashley's hand, surprising her, and left the cafe while everyone was still looking at them.