September 28, 8:30 a.m.
After sleeping for seven hours, Gelman got out of bed, washed up, and began his daily training.
After finishing his required exercises, Gelman opened the door and went to get breakfast.
The door across the hall creaked open, and Shizuku came out of her room at the same time.
Honestly, Gelman didn't recognize Shizuku at first. It wasn't until his second glance that he realized who she was.
This was because Shizuku had taken off her glasses. One side of the lenses had shattered, rendering the whole pair unusable, so she had to get a new pair.
When someone who's always seen wearing glasses takes them off, they can seem strangely unfamiliar.
That was exactly what Shizuku looked like.
Extremely nearsighted, she squinted and felt her way along the wall. Hearing footsteps, she peered at the blurry figure in front of her and edged a little closer.
"Is that you, Gelman?"
"It is. Can't you see clearly?"
"No." Shizuku moved closer again, and this time she could make out the outline of Gelman's face.
"When can I get my glasses? Or why not just wear contact lenses?"
"I don't like contact lenses." Shizuku moved closer again, leaning forward until she was almost at Gelman's neck. "Come with me to get my eyes checked later. List said the fastest they could make a new pair was by noon."
"Why do I have to go with you to get your eyes checked?"
"Because I can't see where I'm going." Shizuku reached out as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She studied Gelman from top to bottom, unsure where to grab him, then placed her hand on his head and tugged at a lock of his black hair. "Come on. Let's get breakfast first."
Gelman