Having made his plans for the coming week, Arthur got ready for the rest of the day.
~hiss~
The lid of the Dream Pod V3 slid open, allowing Arthur to get out.
"Let's get some real food today." Arthur wished to give himself a little treat today.
He quickly washed up and donned some fresh clothes, before heading out. On the way down, Arthur didn't encounter anyone though he did look at Boyd's apartment for a moment as a thought appeared in his mind.
'Am I supposed to inform him I'm leaving?' Arthur wondered.
In his last life, he had been kicked out thus he didn't need to do any formalities. But this time, he was leaving willingly, and wondered if there were some contractual requirements he needed to fulfill.
"Now that I think of it… What even was my rent agreement?" Out of all things that Arthur had memorized, his rent agreement was certainly not one of them. "Sigh~ I'll have to look for it later. It should be somewhere in the apartment."
~Creak~
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtArthur opened the door of the building and left for the bus stop. His destination was the district next to his current one. He lived in District Seventeen and the one that he intended to go to was District Sixteen.
While the two districts were next to each other, the difference between them was significant. District seventeen was the last district of Maxwell City and was also the least developed.
It was mostly intended for people of the lower class. It was also quite large, being the third largest district of the entire city. It housed a lot of low wage workers as well as other people who could not afford to live in the other parts.
But District Sixteen was intended for the people who had middle class income. The streets were clean and the roads were well maintained. The electric signs everywhere were also well maintained, with better transportation all around.
"Just a few kilometers of difference and it's already this good." Arthur smiled looking at the change.
>You've arrived at District Sixteen, Bus stop number 22<
The automated electronic announcement was heard, prompting Arthur to get down.
"Hmm, what should we get for lunch today?" Arthur tapped his finger on his chin while looking at the restaurants and eateries lining the street.
The street he was on was a food street, with several good yet favorable restaurants on it.
He could see advertisements and promotions running on the screens above their entrances, trying to attract customers. Arthur walked around the street before one particular restaurant picked his intrigue, or rather it was the aroma coming from it.
"Oh?" Arthur halted in his steps, the scent of freshly roasted meat rushing into his nostrils.
Glancing into the restaurant, he could see tens of patrons munching down on some barbecued meat. On the screen above, Arthur could see several different cuts of meat of various types being displayed.
"Alright! Barbecue it is!" Arthur couldn't resist the temptation and entered the restaurant.
"A table for one, please!" Arthur said to the staff at the front desk.
"Sure, sir. This way," the staff quickly showed him to an empty table in the corner. "Please wait a moment. The waiter will be here to quickly take your order." He said before leaving.
Arthur didn't even wait for ten seconds before the waiter appeared with a practiced smile.
"What would you like to order?" The Waiter asked.
"I'll take the promotional meat set." Arthur ordered a set that included several different cuts of meat.
It was a mix of pork and chicken, and cost about 120 UC.
For the Arthur of the past, an amount like this would be enough to feed him for a couple weeks. But now here he was spending it all on a single meal. But then again, he was at a decent restaurant.
"Sure sir, it'll be just a few minutes." The Waiter said before leaving.
Arthur looked at the table, which had an electronic grill. The waiter would bring freshly cut meat, which would then be cooked right in front of the customers. It allowed for one to have the meat according to their reference, and also served as a visual appetizer.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThe aroma of the grilled meat was just the cherry on top that would make everyone's mouths salivate.
"MMMHMM! Grilled beef if the best!" but while Arthur was waiting for his order to arrive, he heard a relatively loud voice.
He turned to look and saw that it had come from the table next to him.
A girl seemed to be sitting there, enjoying some barbecue on her own. Dressed in a simple black t-shirt and blue jeans, she looked elegant. Her hair reached below her shoulder and was blonde, with purple highlights. It was currently tied with a simple hair tie, preventing it from getting in the way of eating.
Arthur looked at her with intrigue, not having seen her face yet. But a few seconds later, she turned to grab a glass of water, allowing Arthur a clear view.
"Pretty…" Arthur muttered unconsciously.
The girl's eyes were strikingly beautiful. They were light grey with purple flecks in them that seemed to match her hair. A small mole was also present under her left eye, accentuating her face even more.
But at the same time, the eyes seemed to spar a sense of familiarity in Arthur's mind.
'Those eyes… where have I seen them before?' Arthur tried to recall, but couldn't.
They felt close yet distant to him as if the memory associated it with being very old. Still, Arthur seemed to be lost in them, his gaze locked onto the girl's face. He didn't even realize that the girl was looking at him now too.
It was to be expected, the way Arthur was gawking at her.
Her expression changed too, turning a bit stiff. Thinking that she should do something about the act, she was just about to speak when Arthur suddenly spoke.
"Stella…" A name escaped his lips