SAMSARA

SAMSARA [10]

The moment I came home, I rushed up the stairs. Not before greeting my mother in the living room, though. I'm not heartless.

I entered my room on the left side of the hall on the second floor. There I immediately placed my sword, Frost-Eater, back inside of the black case lined with gold. Then I undressed, and performed my usual routine that I do whenever I come home from Tempesta Defense Academy. With that done, I went to the closet and grabbed clothes I usually wore indoors, and put them on. It's merely something simple, I have a black shirt and gray shorts. Don't ask me why I have such an affinity for dark clothes.

I sat down on my bed on the edge of it and took a deep breath. I let it out.

I lazily grabbed my holographic phone from the nightstand and unlocked it. I checked for any messages, and found some unread messages. Obviously, they were from Akaza. I clicked on it and read through it all. "Hey bro, you home yet? Honestly I don't want to go on Friday, it's full of fighting and no writing or listening." It read.

I started typing replies on my holographic phone and that made the usual tapping noises that still oddly sound so comforting. I replied, "Yeah, I just got home right now. And you can't just be absent tomorrow for no reason, man. If you're going to be drained, deal with it." Yeah, I probably sound a lot more mean over text than I like. I can't help it though, it seems.

Eventually I saw my holographic phone's screen saying Akaza is typing. I waited intently for him to finish as I then opted to lay down on my bed instead for comfort. I leaned my head on the pillows as the message finally sent. "What if I called in sick? Could I do that?" It read, with a small sobbing emoji at the end of the message. I snorted out loud and started typing something back. I said, "You're not even sick. Plus how could you suddenly get an illness in like, half a day? No one would believe that."

For a few moments, my only response was an enraged emoji. Then he started typing again, and sent, "You never know until you try it! Though, I guess if you won't be absent tomorrow, I won't be either." I laughed quietly in my bed. Then I replied almost immediately after I stopped laughing at him, "Some loyal best bro you are."

To mess with him, I acted as if the bro part was a spelling mistake, and I typed, "best friend*. Typo."

I snorted as I got the reaction I wanted. The message from him read, "I know you didn't make a spelling error! Stop lying, or I'll go offline on you right now," and all it did was make me laugh.

"I'm just messing, man!" I sent him replies again. "Anyway, just don't be absent tomorrow man, you have no actual reason to. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow Shirou," was his last message then he went offline, for real this time.

Sick. I'm all alone now, and as I decided to check the time on my holographic phone, it says it's currently 15:00. I decided to just read the books I got to pass the time. I laid down the holographic phone on my nightstand after closing it, and then I stood up from my bed. I picked a random book from the bookshelf, and sat back down on the bed. I saw that it was one of the books I got from Seer's Books and Novels this week. I smiled and started reading the first chapter. Eventually I stopped myself around the tenth chapter and realized I read rather slowly, as it was now only 16:00.

Cool. I guess?

I should probably just watch the news.

And so I got one of those bookmarks I had and placed it on the page I left off, and placed the book back on the bookshelf exactly where I got it from. I smoothed out my shirt, just because I felt like it. And I fixed my hair since I noticed it got a bit messy.

Then I opened the door to my room, left, and closed it. I made my way down the stairs as I approached the living room and decided to turn on the television. I realized my mother wasn't there, so she was probably up in her own room or in the kitchen. I decided to watch the news, so I put it on the news channel. It was just a bunch of boring stuff, though, so it really didn't do anything to stifle my boredom. I sighed as I probably looked immensely bored or just.. not entertained, staring at the television.

Even if it was boring, I decided to pay attention. A male reporter's voice was the one speaking through the television, saying, "..Reports are saying that our local fishermen in Winflame City have caught one of the largest fish in the rivers so far this decade," as the television displays clips of a giant fish almost the size of one's nightstand. "It is currently ranking as the top fourth largest in the past nine to ten years. What is truly quite the coincidence, however, is that in the same week, hunters of our city have killed one of the largest boars this year." The live changed from the giant fish to an overgrown boar? What? Well, that's.. odd but cool.

Whoever's going to eat that fish and that boar is rather lucky, I comment in my head.

"Now, that's all about the local hunters and fishermen this week. Moving on with the weather.." and by then I zoned out. Well, not really zoned out, but more like I stopped paying attention. Look, I can't help it if something is too boring for me. It just happens all the time. Whatever, I'll just go eat dinner then sleep. I sighed.

Good timing, though, since my mother called for me and said that dinner's ready. So I went to the kitchen and ate on the dining table. Delicious, I think. It was actually just cooked salmon and rice. But homemade cooking just tastes different, I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks the same. My mother and I mostly sat in silence. I put the dishes away once we both finished eating, though not before cleaning my mouth, and my mother then started speaking, "I know you're probably going to sleep early today so.. good night."

"Good night.." I replied as I walked up the stairs. Honestly, the only thing I did when I entered my room, was close the door and then put on my sleepwear. Then I turned off the lights and.. immediately went to sleep. That's it. Tomorrow awaits, I thought as I fell asleep.