278 Request

I walked at a rather slow pace, dragging my feet on the ground as I rounded the corner of the first story of the lecture building as I headed in the direction of the faculty office. The hallway of has cleared up from the initial wave of students that accompanied the bell that signaled the end of the school day, but there were still the occasional students who walked by, returning to their classrooms to retrieve something or for some other purpose like chatting with people they have a crush on. Their matters are of no matter to me.

I kept my eyes on the path before me and soon, I came across the closed door that will lead into the faculty office. I looked up at the door plate, taking in the characters in black ink inscribed on the white background. Slowly, I brought a hand to the door but was reluctant to open it. With a sigh of disappointment in myself for this hesitation, I slid the door open and entered.

"Finally here," Mura greeted me from her desk.

I surveyed the faculty office and saw that none of the other teachers were present. This made it just Mura and myself in this room, but oddly enough, I feel more comfortable this way. I would prefer if no one else hears our conversation.

"Do you know why I called you over today?" she crossed her arms before her chest as she leaned back against the backrest of her chair and crossed her legs.

"Because I'm unsure about my future?" I guessed. I suppose this is the only reason that she would call me over.

"Your partially correct," she said, spinning her chair such that it was facing her desk. She then got up from the chair and grabbed her purse.

"Let's go get something to eat while we talk," she said.

"Is this allowed?" I asked as my eyes followed her while she walked past me. "A teacher going to get food with a student..."

"I guess it won't look good," she paused and thought. "But you're over sixteen, so legally it shouldn't matter. Like we can get married legally."

"I guess...you're right about that," I nodded my head as I recalled the legal age of marriage in Vilheim.

"Besides," her countenance softened and deviated from her usual authoritative teacher look into a more gentle and almost girlish look that one would not expect from a woman like her. "I don't suppose I should care about what other people view me as anymore, especially here."

Her voice was soft, almost inaudible. Yet, I was able to barely perceive it. As I followed her and left campus, I thought back on her facial expression. That countenance, it was one that seemed to be filled with a sense of uncertainty.

Mura and I walked to the nearest train station, but instead entering to board a train, we walked right past the station and continued on down this busy street before the station. This was an area that I am unfamiliar with, as my range of activity typically ended at the train station. I do not have a reason to go down this way, so the scenery that I am seeing are rather alien and unfamiliar.

After walking further down the street and making a turn, we soon came across a small cafe. This cafe appeared to be nothing special as it was simple in its furnishing, not particularly eye-catching. Yet, the simplistic and almost traditional style made it appear even more calming and tranquil.

My eyes naturally wandered to the blackboard stand that was placed by the door, facing the street. On it were words written in chalk, the day's recommended brew I suppose. By the looks of the remnants of chalk on the blackboard, this sign seemed to be updated on a daily basis.

"This is one of my favorite places," Mura explained as we took a seat at a booth by the window. "Not that many people come this way, so it's nice and quiet. The owner's also quite dedicated to this atmosphere."

I nodded as I took in the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans and the sound of water being slowly poured onto the coffee bean flour that rested on a filter.

"They make everything by hand," I observed.

After ordering a drink for both, we simply sat and waited in silence. I glanced over at Mura as she rested her cheek against her right hand while staring out the clear glass window and at the street. This part of Nocsinis is rather quiet, a stark contrast as to the bustling downtown that people imagine Nocsinis to be. Mura seems to prefer this calm atmosphere, as on her face there was a look of an almost sleepy and silent and calm joy.

After the coffee had arrived, that was when we began to talk.

"So," she said as she dropped a sugar cube into her cup of coffee and stirred with a small silver spoon. "What seems to be the problem?"

"I'm not interested in anything," I said as I stared at my reflection in my cup of coffee.

"That's...rather difficult," she nodded her head. "High school's almost over, and you'll soon have to take the entrance exams for college. What major did you write on your college application?"

"Undeclared," I answered her. "What was your major in college?"

"Mine?" she glanced over at me and then shifted her gaze back to the cup of coffee that she was still mixing with the spoon. "Business."

"Business?" I looked at her with a confused expression.

"You know my family background," she said softly. "Muria and I have no other siblings, so...we will have to inherit the company. The two of us...we're bound by it. Business...that's the major Muria put on her college application as well."

"Then why did you become a teacher?"

"Because of Muria... Our father was busy before he got remarried, but after he remarried, we had even less time with him. In addition, Muria does not seem to get along well with our stepmother. She was also...rather reluctant to accept that she will have to inherit the company. That is why I became a teacher: so that I can convince them that Muria can live with me while she goes to school."

"That's...admirable," I nodded.

"But...that will all end soon," Mura sighed. "They want us to go back and live with them. They want us to move back by the end of this month..."

"Does Muria know?"

"Not yet," Mura shook her head. "Although she might not look like it, she's rather sensitive about things like that. If she knew, I'm afraid she will just keep it all within herself. Why can't she just cry and let it all out like she used to do when she's a child?"

"She doesn't want you to be worried for her," I commented.

"But that behavior of her's is what's making me worry for her," Mura sighed once again. She paused and took a drink from her coffee. "That's...bitter," she muttered as she slipped another sugar cube into the coffee. "She needs someone to vent herself to...I used to be that person, but...I feel like I'm slowly slipping out of that niche."

"..." I remained silent as I listened on.

"She is trying in her own way to not rely on me, but...this method won't work. She needs to reconcile with our stepmother, really try and get to know her. Our stepmother isn't a bad person. She tried to make it all work with us when she first married our father, but...I suppose Muria was simply too attached to our mother to be willing to accept this woman. Oh," Mura shook her head in defeat. "We were going to talk about your problems first but you just pulled everything out of me..."

I glanced up at her.

"Since we're at it now," she placed the spoon on the saucer. "Alevian, can you...talk to Muria about accepting her stepmother?"

She had a begging look on her face. It was an expression that I suppose is only possible because the subject of the topic is her dear younger sister that she loves. Seeing her like this...it really made it difficult to reject, but it is not as if I was going to reject in the first place.

"I'll do what I can," I said, taking a sip of my coffee.

"Thank you, Alevian," Mura released a sigh of relief. "Once this year is over...I will have to quit my job as a teacher and return to the company, learn how it is all ran in detail so that one day I can inherit it from my father. If...if you're still unsure about what to do after college, I can find a job for you in the Edel Group."

"Thanks," I nodded. "But...I'll see that as a secondary plan."

"I'm sorry, Alevian," her countenance softened as it was replaced with what appeared to be a sense of guilt. "For having you do things that should be figured out by me..."

"Don't be," I responded. "I suppose if I find out about the situation some other way, say someone else told me about it, I would still help."

"You're awfully kind," Mura said with a dazzling smile, one that is capable of attracting the hearts of any man in the world.