chapter 5 daily life

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It had been two weeks since Amy and Zahn began dating officially. Yet, nothing seemed to have changed, their relationship remained the same. Amy often wondered if this new label even meant anything.

As usual, Zahn entered the room Amy had occupied. He looked at her, covered well inside the blanket. A part of him was frustrated with her lack of responsibility, but another part of him was concerned.

"Amy, get up. It's time for class," he said, his voice firm but gentle.

When she didn't respond, his concern turned into impatience. "Amy, you better wake up! How much longer are you going to sleep?" His tone was now loud and cold.

"Ugh, don't bother..." Her voice was groggy from sleep, filled with a mix of annoyance and exhaustion.

Zahn then snatched the blanket away from her. "Get up! Why are you so lazy?" His frustration was evident.

"Ugh! You're not my mother, why bother me!" she complained.

He frowned. "Do you think I like wasting my time? You should be thankful."

At first, Zahn had ignored Amy's lifestyle, letting her do as she pleased. But it had become unbearable to witness. She would wake up late, rush to get ready, and miss breakfast daily. Despite his usually cold demeanor, Zahn felt pity for Amy's haphazard routine. He wanted to see her thrive, not just exist.

Amy sighed, complaining again as the blanket was snatched from her. "You're doing it all wrong. I don't like waking up early."

He mocked, "This is early for you? Well, whatever. Go wash up and have breakfast."

Amy gave up fighting back and decided to follow his orders.

Soon, they were having breakfast together. Amy quickly stuffed the food into her mouth, hoping to avoid another scolding from him.

"Slow down, at least eat properly, will you?" Zahn spoke.

He complains so much, just like Mom!

Trying to change the topic, she said, "You know, you cook so well... that's why." She smiled.

"Oh." He ignored her comment, making her feel annoyed again.

Zahn got up from his chair, picked up his bag, and prepared to leave for his classes. "After you finish, go to your classes," he instructed.

"Hey, I don't go anywhere else," Amy retorted.

He shot back, "Then why do I barely see you in elective class?"

Amy : "....."

He instructed further, " don't come home drunk again. You bother my sleep at night."

"Fine, fine! Just go already," she waved her hand disinterestedly.

How come he is so disciplined? Waking up early, making breakfast, attending his classes. I can't even imagine doing that, Amy wondered.

Amy's life was so different. She took some classes but didn't focus much on them. If she felt like it, she would skip them, go to the arcade, or simply hang out with her friends, eat random snacks, sometimes party, and then come home to eat and sleep.

Later that day, as evening approached, Amy returned home. She noticed Zahn sitting on the couch, reading book

How boring, she thought.

Without a care, Amy threw her bag aside, hopped onto the couch, and started mindlessly scrolling through her phone.

Zahn noticed. "....." Does she have no other work?

He scolded, "Ever considered reading your textbooks?"

"Nah, I'm not a nerd," she replied, half-joking, half-serious.

He realized, once again, that it was useless to talk to Amy, so he focused on his books.

After a while, Amy started feeling drowsy. She scooted closer to Zahn and used his lap as a pillow, stunning him once again. Despite his frustration, he felt a pang of affection for her.

But he didn't push her away. Instead, he let her be. He couldn't deny the warmth he felt when she was close.

After some time, he noticed she had already fallen asleep. He gently moved, placed a pillow under her head, and draped a blanket over her.

When she woke up and saw the blanket, a smile formed on her lips.

How caring,

she thought, feeling a warmth in her chest.

At that moment, he came out from the kitchen. "Are you up now? Dinner is ready."

"Oh, already? So nice of you," she said, genuinely touched by his gesture.

"That's nothing new."

"Still, thank you for my meals," she grinned.

Amy was trying to butter him up as always. He ignored it. "Go wash up, then let's have dinner."

She nodded.

While having dinner, Amy started the conversation. "You are way too disciplined. Aren't you tired?"

"Nothing is tough for me," he said straightforwardly,

"You manage to cook the meals, attend classes, study, do chores. For me, everything is hard, even getting up in the morning."

"What's tough about it? I've always done that, but you are just too lazy. Did your parents never discipline you?"

"Haha, I've gotten used to it. I've become so shameless now, haven't I?"

"Clearly."

Amy just laughed heartily. She appreciated how straightforward Zahn was, not minding his words.

After they were done, he started reading his books again. Amy was getting too bored now.

"Hey, stop studying!" She took away the book from him.

"Huh?" He raised his eyebrow.

"It's too boring. You can't be doing that all the time! "

"..." He had no words for her.

An idea popped into her mind, the same as always. "Let's watch a show."

She always made him watch those, and as usual, he had no choice but to do as she said.

The shows Amy made him watch were always childish, comedic, or silly.

"Why do you like watching these shows?" he asked, genuinely curious.

Amy replied, "It's just fun. You should find enjoyment in these things too"

"Oh?"

I can never relate with her

Deep down, he enjoyed these moments, even if he'd never admit it.

Later, when it was passed midnight he told her to stop watching and go to sleep.

But instead of sleeping, she kept on watching TV.

"Are you going to sleep or not?"

She said, while munching on chips and laying lazily on the couch, "Just a little more. Also, I'm not a school kid..."

He snatched the chips packet from her. "Huh, you're going to wake up late again."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Geez, don't bother. I will wake up anyway."

He sighed, holding his head. "Oh Amy, it's too useless to say anything to you. Fine, do whatever."

"Good! Anyway, good night, Zahn," she showed a contended smile.

He looked at her, wondering how things would go in the future, their worlds are so different from each other..

The next day, Zahn spotted Amy on the college campus. As always, she was surrounded by friends, her laughter echoing through the halls. Amy was the center of attention, always in the limelight and popular.

In contrast, Zahn's life was vastly different. He had no interest in socializing, his focus was solely on working hard and aspiring to be successful. They were polar opposites.

Things can never work out between us... but why is it so hard to give up?

He reminded himself again that this was all just temporary, that it wouldn't last long.

The following day, Amy returned home with her arms laden with an assortment of chocolate from her classmates. She couldn't help but smile at their thoughtfulness. The cheerful atmosphere of the campus still lingered with her.

Zahn came home later that evening, immediately noticing the pile of chocolates on the table. His eyes narrowed slightly as he scanned those.

"What's all this? Did you buy all this? Do you want to rot your teeth?" he asked, trying to keep his voice casual but failing to hide his unease.

Amy laughed, the sound light and carefree. "Oh, these? They're just some Valentine's chocolates from my classmates," she replied, unwrapping a piece and popping it into her mouth.

"Classmates, huh?" Zahn muttered, clearly not pleased.

Sensing his unease, Amy smirked inwardly and decided to tease him a bit. "You know, all these were given by guys. They must really like me. After all, I am so beautiful."

Zahn shot her a look, his eyes cold but with a flicker of something deeper, "oh?"

Amy chuckled again, the sound filled with mischief. "I have something for you," she said, taking out a heart-shaped chocolate from her bag and holding it out to him.

"I don't need one," he replied, his voice gruff.

"But I personally bought it for you," Amy insisted, her tone softening.

"For me?" Zahn's eyes lit up despite himself. He held the chocolate, feeling an unexpected warmth spread through him. Moments like these made him think that Amy actually cared for him.

But he tried to maintain his cold demeanor. "I told you, I'm not fond of sweet things."

Amy rolled her eyes playfully. "Fine, I'll have to take it back then," she said, pretending to be disappointed as she reached for the chocolate.

"Uhm, never mind. I'll keep it with me," Zahn said quickly, clutching the chocolate tighter.

Amy chuckled, knowing he liked it even though he didn't admit it.

Later that day, Zahn noticed Amy doing her usual skincare routine. She seemed very thoughtful about her appearance, her delicate fingers moving gracefully over her skin.

She caught his gaze. "Do you want to try?" she asked with a teasing smile.

"No," Zahn replied, waving his hand dismissively as he continued cleaning the table.

"Skincare is a must if you want to have youthful skin, even when you're older," Amy said, her tone filled with pride.

"Food habits and exercise also matter," he corrected, knowing that Amy was too lazy to do either.

She simply ignored him. "How about I do your skincare?" she offered suddenly, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"What? No need."

"Nope! You gotta listen to me," she grinned, bringing her products along with a cute rabbit ear hairband.

Why did I ever bother to talk to her?

Zahn wondered, looking skeptically at the hairband.

Reluctantly, Zahn sat down in the chair. Amy carefully placed the rabbit ear headband on his head, pushing his hair back to reveal his forehead.

"You look so cute in it," she said, stifling a giggle.

"What's cute? This is ridiculous"

Amy ignored his protest and began the routine, her fingers moving gently across his skin. Since his eyes were closed, she allowed herself to linger on his face. Too handsome...

She found herself mesmerized by his features, the sharp jawline, his straight nose, his thin lips. She was awed by his looks. If Zahn wasn't so cold and aloof, girls would be all over him. But Amy was secretly glad that he kept his distance from others. It meant she could have him all to herself, without any competition.

"You have really nice skin, you know," Amy said softly, her voice filled with genuine admiration.

"Oh?" Zahn felt lost in the moment. Her fingers were so soft and gentle on his skin, he was surprised by how soothing the sensation was.

Amy noticed the relaxation on his face and smiled, her touch even gentler than before.

Feeling a sudden impulse, she took out her phone and snapped a picture of Zahn in the bunny hairband.

He noticed and his eyes flew open. "Hey! Did you take a photo? Delete that!" he exclaimed, trying to grab the phone.

"No way, haha. You look too good in it, you know?" Amy laughed, holding the phone out of his reach.

"Amy... you!" Zahn huffed.

She was too much of a brat.

"Anyway, I'll be doing your skincare every day!" she announced cheerfully.

"No!" he protested.

However, in the end, Amy managed to do it just once a week.

Their relationship was different from other couples, but they were very used to each other. Their daily life started with Zahn waking Amy on time, having breakfast together, then Amy talking on random topics to Zahn, whether he was interested or not.

In the evenings, Amy sometimes came home late, drunk, or when she came home early, she would find Zahn reading books as always.

She would try to bother him, it was entertaining for her. It was clear their lives were too different from each other. He preferred solitude, and she preferred a social life.

Despite being an unmatched couple, Amy was satisfied with her life.

But she hoped for more-to break through his exterior, explore his deeper emotions and feelings, to see his softer side...