Morning Shower

When Raphael arrived back in the dorm housing after his morning routine, he could hear faint voices coming from the rooms. Some sounded sleepy while others were quite pumped up.

He went back to his room and grabbed a basket to fill with body wash, lotion, facial cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer, hair oil, and a fresh towel. Next, he carefully removed his clothes and put on a bathrobe.

Harian is still knocked out, huh?

Raphael let out a small breath of amusement.

After grabbing everything he needed, he strolled down the hallway once more, walking towards the common bathroom located in the middle part of the room.

The bathrooms were dimmed and quiet as he stepped in.

With a flick of the switch, the bathroom was filled with a white luminous glow, and a slight buzzing hum from the fluorescent lights broke the silence.

The space looked almost bare with rows of private frosted-glass door cubicles lined on one side, a long communal sink, and an option for open showers separated by low partitions.

He found a nearby cubicle and laid out his belongings properly before he stripped down naked to take a cold shower.

The first drop from the shower sent chills down his skin as he heaved a deep sigh.

The coldness contrasted with the warmth his body felt after having that morning workout. It was a wonderful sensation, like a waterfall gently trickling down his skin. Almost meditative.

He twisted the knob off just as the water stopped dripping.

He carefully scrubbed himself with a sponge, soaking up all the suds as he lathered himself all over in long, methodical strokes.

Then, he applied scented shampoo to his messy locks, foaming it properly to coat himself with more suds.

Afterwards, he rinsed himself thoroughly before drying completely.

Then the ritual continued: a facial mask was lightly applied to his face,  moisturizer was smoothed in upward strokes all over his skin, and hair oil was worked through damp ends to tame the texture.

This is one of the reasons why he needs to wake up early.

He has a lot of things to take care of.... his hair, his skin, and his face.

The calming atmosphere was broken when a bunch of loud voices rumbled into the room. Two guys entered the bathroom, talking at full volume.

"No way, dude, that crossover in the third quarter? It's crazy. Coach is gonna punish us badly in practice."

"Bro, I feel bad for you, man."

One of the voices sounded familiar, like from the guy on the basketball team. Was it Robin Spencer? Meanwhile, the other one didn't ring any bells except that it sounded more like a confident husky tone.

Sneakers squeaked on tile, and then, bags thudded onto the benches.

"How bout you, man? How are things going for you?" Robin asked.

"Swim team is pretty cool, right. We're probably going to aim for nationals soon," the other guy replied.

"Lucky man. Your girl's definitely an unstoppable force. What's her name again?" Robin complemented.

"Her name's Yana. You say that like you don't have one," he chuckled softly.

"Damn. You surely scored with someone like her. Handworker, smart and responsible." Robin continued to compliment.

"Seriously, man. Your girl, Judy, is a great catch too, ya know?"

Raphael paused, listening curiously through the frosted partition in his own cubicle.

Robin's laugh rang out. "Yeah, dating her is a whole different game. Judy keeps asking me for meaningful gifts. Like, what even counts as meaningful? Flowers die. Chocolates get eaten in one sitting."

"Man, I got a problem too. My girl's been zoning out lately. Here I am thinking whether I did something wrong or forgot something important about us."

"Edmund, my brother. I feel you. I  just can't understand them sometimes."

"Same man. We just get punished if we don't meet their expectations."

Laughter bounced off the walls.

Raphael carefully removed the mask before proceeding to apply the toner and serum on his forehead and cheeks in small dots. He didn't really mind listening to the noise. It was just part of life. People talking, laughing, existing in the same space.

"Hey man, I also noticed something weird yesterday afternoon." Edmund began

"Hm? Spill the beans."

"Some guy was staring at Yana during the practice. I kinda don't like how he stares at her," he casually said with a bit of worry in his tone.

Raphael just stood frozen in his spot after hearing that. Was he referring to him?

"Don't worry too much, man. You know weirdos like to stare at pools to catch a glimpse of a hottie." Robin waved it off.

"Perverts, you say?" he scoffed.

"Yeah, man. It happens all the time, just scare them off."

"Aight. That will do."

Their footsteps echoed down further into the room, followed by a couple of laughs as they passed by Raphael's. 

That gesture indeed meant something like a warning. His hunch was right, but he didn't mean to stare that long. That girl, Yana? There was something about her for a split second, but he couldn't think of any reason. 

She didn't look at anyone he knew in particular, nor did she resemble her. 

Was it because he stared at her unintentionally? Like a pervert, huh?  He didn't understand what the word meant. Apparently, it's not a compliment.

A sigh huffed out of his lips. He didn't want to cause any trouble, but it seemed like he was under his watchlist for now.

 The steam drifted into the surroundings around him, slowly dissipating from his view as he continued to linger for a few more minutes to dry out the products he had just applied all over him.

Meanwhile, the two guys' conversation switched to weekend plans, then back to practice schedules as their voices echoed further away into the two adjacent cubicles.

Just as the time had passed quickly,  Raphael slipped back into his bathrobe and gathered his things. The fluorescent hum felt softer now.

He stepped out of the cubicle with his hair still damp and tousled, and his skin flushed slightly with a tinge of red from cold water and sweaty routine.

The mirror along the vanity area caught his reflection: sharp features softened by early-morning haze, and calm crimson eyes.

Second day of being in the Academy.

Still no leading clues.

Still searching.

He headed back down the hall with his basket tucked under his arm, ready to face whatever the academy threw at him next.

Currently, the dorm rooms around the third floor have started waking up fully now with alarms chirping, doors opening, and a smell of instant coffee drifting from somewhere.

Raphael smiled faintly to himself as he passed through the hallways once again.