NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5: Bab Lima
Sukuna stretched as he stepped out of the gym, with his hair still damp from the shower. The sensation rejuvenated him for a few years; his muscles felt lighter and free from the grime of battle. He glanced at his reflection in a nearby window-- a perfectly clean face, except for a faint scar near his eye, "Alright," he muttered, rolling his shoulders. "Now that I'm washed up, let's see what's left."
*Grrrrrrooowl!*
His gaze fell down to his stomach, "In anime, they made this look cool, but damn, I really need to eat some real food." His gaze faintly lifted to the sun in the sky, "I wonder if the local crackhead can give me a Captain America cocktail to keep me running for days."
Since he got into this world, his meals had been limited to street food to feel full or candies for the sugar rush. Quick, cheap, and enough to keep him going, but if he keeps this deep-fried routine of fighting thugs constantly, then he will die first of a heart attack over anything else.
As he wandered the streets, the city's usual sounds filled his senses. Pedestrians were chatting, cars honked loudly from time to time because of a mistake they had probably made, and a skateboard was rolling by. Then, in the middle of all the chaos, a scent penetrated his nose that caught his attention, "Please tell me they sell eggs and bacon or something similar"
He instantly went into the building. The inside was quite average; there wasn't anything noteworthy, yet that gave the place a small charm. Sukuna scanned the room, eventually settling at a small table by the window.
Not even a few seconds waiter arrived, and Sukuna went all in, "I'll take the stack of pancakes, the omelet, the sausage platter, and a coffee. Black. No sugar."
The waiter, slightly startled, blinked before scribbling it down, "Coming right up..."
...
...
...
"Here is your order--HUH!" Without warning, a stranger brushed past the waitress. Startled, she fumbled the plate, dangerously wobbling the coffee.
Not even bothering to look up the asshole that almost made his drink fall, Sukuna mumbled with a slightly annoyed tone, "You should be careful if you are blind."
The stranger replied calmly, "Don't worry. Places like this can be thorny to navigate after a long journey."
Sukuna was slightly surprised that the stranger took his quippy comment too well; he turned his gaze toward the man who was now adjusting his cane and clothes... 'OH SHIT! HE IS REALLY BLIND'
He stood there watching him for a good three seconds, not knowing whether to double down on his sass or apologize. First, he said a bit awkwardly, "Don't... worry..." before going back into his usual nonchalance, "I feel like we should pay more attention to people with disabilities."
Sukuna glanced around and noticed the cafe was nearly full. He moved the plates a bit and gestured at the empty seat across from him, "Want to sit? The place is quite full anyway."
'Wait... Did I just gesture a blind man...?'
The stranger replied, "Thank you." He smoothly tapped his way to the chair and sat, with some relief, "I just need a moment to catch my breath."
Sukuna continued eating, not minding about the stranger. The food was really good, perhaps because he hadn't had good food since he was here, "This breakfast-" he muttered between bites, "-goes unreasonably hard."
The stranger smiled faintly, tilting his head toward Sukuna, "Do you visit this place often?"
"First time," Sukuna said, gesturing at the spread with his fork. "But I feel like I need to come back."
The man nodded, sipping his coffee, "It's a gem I visit from time to time. Great coffee, good food, and a nice place to unwind."
Sukuna added without much thought, "I can see why. It has a nice atmosphere, it's in the open city, and a good chunk of the thugs seem to evade this place."
The man's expression was a mix of agreement and curiosity, "It is. Hell's Kitchen may have its rough edges, but it's home. We all do what we can to make it better."
"Yeah? That's noble of you." Sukuna leaned back, finishing the last of his coffee, feeling completely full, "Me? I'm just passing through. Nice to meet you, stranger. If you live near here, maybe I'll run into you again as I really need to eat the entire menu."
Sukuna tossed the dollars on the table, being more than enough to cover his meal, as he stepped out and opened the system.
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Author note:
YOU KNOW WHAT FUCK IT! I didn't mean to write more chapters until next Tuesday.
Why did I write it? (Also, probably tomorrow, there will be one more)
I was just hearing my 1000-song playlist after I pressed the random.
Then the first song was 'Ready to Die,' so I already had Pinkie Pie baking cupcakes.
Then, the second song was 'Smile HD.'
Somehow, it sent my mind into a feral state. The thought of imagining Pinkie Pie making a visceral mess out of everyone just sprawled, and then I recalled this fic.
Now, I imagine Sukuna doing an absolute massacre with that song in the background. AND I'M GOING TO WRITE EXACTLY THAT.
I'm writing 3 goddam things at the same time.
1 fic of MLP, 1 fic of Marvel (DC), and the damn script for my original novel.
I have a project for this Friday THAT I HAVE ZERO PROGRESS DONE, but I'm going to powerhouse the four things at the same time. (I'm not going to sleep more than 4 hours.)