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MEANWHILE, a few hours earlier in the boys’ dormitory…
It was early morning when Vincent began running a brush through his hair. He did so more meticulously than usual, eyes fixed on his reflection in the mirror in front of him.
It’s a date…
It wasn’t actually a date, strictly speaking, and yet at the same time, it kind of was. The nature of their outing wasn’t explicitly romantic, but he did invite Oriana out to the city, and she did agree to go. Plus, it would be just the two of them. That definitely made it a date.
“You’re going out?” Miguel’s groggy voice called from bed, eyelids still heavy with sleep. Considering he normally struggled with getting up so much that he couldn’t even speak coherently, he must have been awake for a little while. Miguel pushed a hand through his bangs and rolled his head back and forth like a cat, trying to shake off the drowsiness.
“Yeah, I am.” Vincent could provide no other answer than that. If he revealed who he was going with and where, he was sure Miguel would insist on tagging along. That wouldn’t normally be a problem, but today at least, he’d prefer Miguel to remain in bed, lounging about like a feline.
Miguel purposefully kept his silence. Vincent made no attempt to interrupt it, but that didn’t make it any less comfortable; Vincent felt it as keenly as a knife stabbing into his back.
“I might be a bit late returning, so feel free to eat whenever you want,” said Vincent.
“What’s wrong with the two of us? We sound like an old married couple.”
Vincent glanced over his shoulder, displeased by the comparison. To his surprise, Miguel stood right there beside him, having climbed out of his bed at some point during their exchange. Miguel promptly thrust his hand into Vincent’s hair, tousling it.
“Huh?” Vincent blurted, stunned.
“Hmm-hmm.”
Despite how painstakingly he’d groomed his hair, Miguel had left it looking far more disheveled than it normally did.
“Miguel, what do you think you’re doing?”
“What’s with those clothes?” Miguel asked, ignoring him. “You visiting a theater or something? Even assuming you are going to an afternoon program, these clothes are way too formal.”
As his friend stared pointedly at him, Vincent glanced down at himself. There was little else he could do, much as Miguel scolded him; it wasn’t the season for balls right now, and since he was staying at the Academy, he hadn’t brought any evening attire with him either. As far as Vincent was concerned, this was casual wear.
“Lose the tie at least,” Miguel advised. “And get rid of the handkerchief in your pocket. Those pants are made of some good material, but don’t you have anything a little brighter? You do realize it’s the fourth month of spring, right?”
Vincent sighed. “Miguel, as much as I appreciate your advice—”
Before he could finish, Miguel sensed what he was about to say and interrupted, “Come with me, then.”
“…All right.” Vincent reluctantly acquiesced, the bitterness showing on his face.
As they busied themselves with that, time flew by before Vincent knew it, until he only had thirty minutes left before he was slated to meet Oriana.
“Miguel, are you quite done?”
“Mm, not quite.”
“And how many times do you intend to have me try on the same outfits over and over again?”
“Tch.”
After scolding his friend for being too occupied playing around, Vincent removed his slippers and pulled his outside shoes on. His hair hung loose around his face, looking far more unkempt than usual. He had little choice but to leave without grooming it.
This is awful. With nothing else at his disposal, he resorted to combing his fingers through his hair in an attempt to smooth it out.
“Vincent,” a voice called behind him before he slipped out the door.
“What is it?”
The words barely left his mouth before Miguel shoved a lollipop past his lips. Vincent glared disapprovingly, having half a mind to bite the confounded candy in two.
“Welp, I’ll be off to grab me some grub, then.” Miguel hurried past him and disappeared out the door before he could. He tottered on ahead as Vincent followed behind him. If he was headed to the cafeteria, it was located near the gates, so at least he wouldn’t run into Oriana unless he purposefully sought her out.
This was supposed to be Vincent’s first date, but he felt completely out of sorts; his hair was a mess, his tie was missing, his cuffs were unbuttoned, his handkerchief was gone from his pocket, and his pants were something he’d borrowed from Miguel. Although he felt far less confident not being in his normal attire, he nevertheless set out to meet up with Oriana.