Chapter 34: Hot Chocolate

Emerald’s POV

I woke up this morning in a rather foul mood.

Perhaps ’embarrassed’ was a better word.

The previous night’s failed transfer still lingered in my mind.

I had finally gotten Professor King’s bank account details after all the trouble I went through, only for the transaction to fail the moment I tried sending the money.

It couldn’t have happened at a worse time. Thankfully, I had sent him a message explaining what happened. His reply had been short.

Take your time.

Those three words had eased my mind considerably, but they hadn’t erased the embarrassment completely.

I still couldn’t understand why the transfer failed.

The thought stayed with me as I got ready for class.

---

By the time I arrived at the lecture hall, a good number of students were already there.

I made my way to my usual seat and settled down before taking out my laptop.

A few minutes passed, then a few more. I glanced at the empty seat beside me. I looked away again. Maybe Elias had stopped somewhere.

The first lecturer arrived shortly afterwards, and class began. Even then, the seat beside me remained vacant.

I found myself looking towards the entrance every now and then, but he never came. That was unlike him.

Yesterday, we had spent almost the entire evening together. If he had planned to miss today’s lectures, I was certain he would have mentioned it.

A small crease appeared between my brows. I hoped nothing had happened.

The rest of the day’s lectures came and went without him.

After classes ended, I headed to the library as usual. Studying had become something of a routine since arriving at Lanard. It helped me clear my thoughts or at least... it usually did.

By the time I finally closed my laptop and packed my books away, the sun had already begun its slow descent.

I rubbed my eyes and checked the time. No wonder I was hungry.

I had nothing prepared back in my dorm, and the thought of going home only to start cooking was enough to drain whatever energy I had left.

A café just outside the campus suddenly came to mind. The idea of sitting somewhere quiet with something warm to eat sounded far more appealing.

I picked up my bag and headed there.

---

The café wasn’t particularly large, but it had a comfortable atmosphere.

Soft music drifted through the room while people occupied scattered tables, either chatting quietly or working on their laptops.

A waitress approached me with a warm smile and handed me a tablet displaying the menu.

Every item came with a clear photograph and its corresponding price. I scrolled through it for a moment.

"I will have a hot chocolate."

The weather had become noticeably windier this evening, and the thought of something warm immediately appealed to me.

"And one croissant." I paused before adding, "Two blueberry muffins as well."

The waitress entered the order into the tablet before smiling politely. "Cash or card, ma’am?"

"Card," I answered, reaching into my handbag.

My fingers brushed against two bank cards. Without thinking too much about it, I picked up the same card that had failed at the supermarket a few days ago.

If it worked, then I would know everything was back to normal. If not, I still had my premium card with me.

The waitress accepted the card and swiped it through the payment terminal. A second later, the machine beeped.

She handed the card back to me with a smile. "Payment successful."

"Thank you." Relief quietly settled over me. At least the card was working again. That saved me a trip to the bank.

Only a few minutes later, the waitress returned carrying a tray. She carefully placed the steaming mug of hot chocolate before me, followed by the croissant and the two blueberry muffins.

"Enjoy your meal."

"Thank you."

The rich aroma rising from the hot chocolate made me smile. I wrapped both hands around the mug for a moment before taking my first sip.

It was warm and smooth. Exactly what I needed.

The blueberry muffin turned out even better than I expected. It was soft and moist, not overly sweet. Before I knew it, I had already finished half of it.

Just then, my phone vibrated softly inside my bag. I reached into the larger compartment where I kept my laptop and notebook, then pulled it out.

The screen lit up. A new message had appeared in the WhatsApp group I shared with Claire and Laura.

Before I could even open it, the screen changed. Claire & Laura were calling. A smile naturally spread across my face.

I answered immediately before taking out my purple AirPods and slipping them into my ears. The moment the connection was established, familiar voices greeted me.

"There she is!" Laura’s voice came first.

Claire laughed. "We were beginning to think Boston had swallowed you whole."

I couldn’t help smiling. "I’m still here."

"So," Claire asked, "how is Boston treating you?"

"It’s been alright."

"Just alright?" Laura gasped dramatically. "That’s all we get?"

I laughed softly. "I’ve mostly been attending classes and studying."

"I should’ve guessed." Claire sighed. "Have you at least gone anywhere interesting?"

I thought about it, then shook my head. Where else had I gone apart from classrooms, the library, restaurants, supermarkets and back to my dorm?

"Not really," I said. "I haven’t had much time."

Laura immediately clicked her tongue. "You need to learn how to enjoy life even when you’re busy."

"I will try."

"No,

"No. You will do better than try," she corrected. "Since Claire and I aren’t there to drag you outside, you’re going to have to make an effort not to waste away inside your dormitory or that library."

Claire agreed. "Exactly," she said. "All work and no play makes Emerald a dull girl."

At that exact moment, the familiar oud, black pepper, fresh peppermint fragrance drifted gently past me.

My fingers paused around the mug. I had smelled that scent enough times to recognise it immediately.

Someone walked past my table. Almost instinctively, I began turning my head.

But just as I was about to look up, Laura suddenly let out a loud screech through my AirPods.

I flinched.

"What happened?" I asked, my attention snapping straight back to the call as I hurriedly set my phone down on the table.