It had been six days since Klaus last hung out with Link and Quinn.

Klaus decided to spend his time at home helping his mother with house chores and running a few errands before planning his return to Higher World. With Quinn and Link already departed, he found it easier to focus on helping at home without any distractions.

Even though it was the weekend and Natalie had the day off, Klaus insisted on doing all the hard work, urging her to rest. After completing a bit of housework, he noticed they were running low on food and decided to go grocery shopping.

While Klaus was at the supermarket, his phone rang. He pulled it out to check the caller ID and saw the name "Aura" displayed on the screen.

CONVERSATION

Klaus: Hello?

Avalon: Hey, Klaus. Did you see the messages I sent you?

Klaus: Messages?

Avalon: Yeah, I figured you wouldn't read your texts. It's Avalon, by the way.

Klaus: Avalon?

Avalon: Are you seri... it's Aura.

Klaus: Oh.

Avalon: Yeah. Anyway, I sent you the details of the location for the da... I mean thank-you dinner.

Klaus: Right, I forgot about that.

Avalon: I know you did, that's why I called. By the way, it's by 7 pm and I'll meet you there.

Klaus forgot about the dinner completely and had no intentions of going out that evening so he felt like trying to talk his way out of it.

Klaus: Well, I have a lot of house chores to do today, and I promised my mom that I'd get them done by the end of the day, so I don't know if I'll make it.

Avalon: Oh no no no. You're not talking your way out of this. I've already made reservations and you gave me your word last week.

Klaus: I don't really remember giving you my word.

Avalon: Still. Please, just... let me do this one thing.

Avalon's dedication to the dinner made Klaus feel like there was no way out of it so he had to give up and accept it.

Klaus: *sighs* Fine.

Avalon: Yes, thank you. I've sent you the location, as mentioned before. So I guess I'll see you there.

Klaus: I guess.

After that, Klaus ended the call and resumed his grocery shopping.

Later that night, after finishing all the house chores and errands, Klaus decided to get ready for the dinner. He took a shower, styled his hair, and put on his contact lenses. Not one for dressing up, he opted for a pair of black jeans, a white long-sleeve shirt, and black shoes.

As Klaus walked out of his room, he ran into his mother in the kitchen.

"Going somewhere?" Natalie asked.

"Oh, I forgot to mention it earlier. But yeah, a colleague of mine asked me to join them for dinner," Klaus replied.

Natalie smiled, giving him a nod of approval. "That's fine. And you're free to come back late, depending on what kind of outing this is," she said, a playful smile on her lips before heading upstairs.

Klaus sighed, grabbed his skateboard, and headed to the location he was given. The sun had just set, so he considered using his Burst Speed to get there quickly but decided against it to avoid arriving sweaty and exhausted.

Once Klaus arrived at the restaurant, he saw the name "Luigi's," matching Avalon's description. He approached the booking desk and inquired about Avalon's reservation. The hostess confirmed it and directed him to the table. Avalon hadn't arrived yet, so Klaus sat down to wait.

A few minutes passed, and Klaus started to get bored. He knew he was at the right place since the reservation was confirmed, but he began to wonder if Avalon, after all her nagging, had actually stood him up. He checked his messages but found nothing. Just as he was contemplating leaving, he felt a tap on his back.

Turning his head, Klaus locked eyes with Avalon. She wore a red dress that complemented her signature scrunchie, now wrapped around her right wrist instead of in her hair, which flowed freely and made her look even more beautiful. She also wore heels, but Klaus noticed she seemed unaccustomed to walking in them as she made her way to his side.

"Hey, Klaus," Avalon greeted with a bright smile.

"Hey," Klaus replied, his eyes fixed on her.

Noticing his stare, Avalon stretched her arms sideways and did a little twirl, showing off her outfit. "So, what do you think?"

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

Klaus paused for a moment before finally responding, "You look amazing."

Avalon's face instantly turned red as she blushed. "Oh, t-thanks," she managed to say, taking her seat, still taken aback by the compliment.

A while later, a waiter arrived at their table to take their orders. Klaus chose something simple, while Avalon went for a fancier option, deeming it a special occasion.

After a few minutes, their food arrived, and they began eating. Avalon started to feel that her choice of a thank-you dinner wasn’t ideal, as Klaus seemed more interested in the food than in her. The distance between them at the table made it difficult to connect, and her regret grew when she noticed Klaus yawning. They had brief conversations, but it wasn’t enough for Avalon to get to know him better.

Sensing this, Avalon suddenly had a brilliant idea and sped up her eating.

"Aren't you eating a bit too fast?" Klaus asked.

"Yeah, I just remembered something we can do after dinner," Avalon responded while quickly devouring her meal.

"After? I thought this was it," Klaus said, puzzled.

"Well, that was the plan, but I think dinner is kinda boring, and there's still a lot of time left before the day ends. Don't you think?" Avalon explained.

Klaus sighed and agreed with an "I guess."

After finishing their food, they split the bill at Avalon's request and headed to her next planned destination.

Klaus had no idea where they were headed as he held his skateboard and followed Avalon's lead. They chatted briefly, and soon enough, they arrived at their destination. Klaus looked up and saw a bowling alley.

"I know it's not the most exciting spot for a date, but it might be fun. Who knows?" Avalon said.

"Date?" Klaus asked.

"I said casual outing. Weird, you must've heard wrong," Avalon replied cheekily before heading inside.

Klaus had never bowled before and wasn’t planning to start now, but Avalon insisted. After a bit of pouting from Avalon, he finally gave in. Although Klaus eventually got the hang of it, he was no match for Avalon.

Watching Avalon bowl multiple strikes was impressive to Klaus. She seemed like she could compete in professional leagues and win.

"Where did you learn to bowl like that?" Klaus asked Avalon after their first set.

"Oh, it's from my dad," Avalon replied with a smile. "He's been a huge bowling fanatic for a long time, so he started teaching me when I was little."

"You loved bowling when you were little?" Klaus inquired.

Avalon's expression softened as she paused before responding. "Not really. I don't know if I mentioned this, but I'm an only child."

This revelation surprised Klaus. "My dad always wanted a son, but he got me instead. So he had only me to compensate for doing father-son activities, and it took him a while to let that mentality go," Avalon explained.

Klaus felt a pang of sympathy for Avalon. He could see that talking about her father was difficult for her, and it made him feel even worse. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said gently.

"Nah, I'm kidding," Avalon suddenly responded, her expression shifting to a playful smile. "I mean, the story is true, but I'm actually the one who always begged him to play more than not."

"Seriously?" Klaus said as Avalon laughed and grinned at him.

"I mean, I didn't lie," Avalon said. "Also, it's not ideal to trauma dump on the first date."

"First date?" Klaus asked again.

"I said on the first casual outing. You really need to get your ears checked," Avalon replied with a mischievous smile.

Though she was teasing, Klaus didn't mind at all. In fact, it made him feel better every time he saw Avalon smile at him that way. They continued bowling for a while longer before deciding to call it a day. They hadn't been keeping track of the scores, but Avalon couldn't resist joking about how she had beaten Klaus.

Checking her watch, Avalon noticed it was nearly 11:00 pm. She was about to say goodnight when Klaus surprised her with a question. "Is there anywhere else you want to go?"

This shocked Avalon, as it meant Klaus was actually enjoying himself and didn't want the night to end yet. Smiling, she answered, "I still have one more place we could visit."

They left the bowling alley, and Avalon ordered a taxi to take them to their next destination. After a short drive, they arrived at an aquarium. Avalon darted into the building, explaining that it usually closed very late, so they still had some time to explore.

Though Klaus wasn't particularly interested in aquatic life, he decided to humor Avalon. They entered the building, and the left-hand wall was entirely glass, showcasing a multitude of fish and other sea creatures of various sizes.

Avalon began to excitedly explain what she knew about the different creatures, surprising Klaus. He hadn't expected her to be so fascinated by marine life, and her enthusiasm made him more interested than he usually would be. As they wandered through the exhibits, Klaus asked questions, and Avalon eagerly answered, sharing her knowledge and passion with him.

"Why do you know so much about sea life?" Klaus eventually asked Avalon, curiosity evident in his voice.

"Well, I plan to be a marine biologist one day," Avalon responded with a smile. "So, I occasionally study it before I head to college."

That made sense to Klaus, so he decided not to ask any more questions. They continued observing the sea creatures and chatting, enjoying each other's company. Eventually, it was time for the aquarium to close. Klaus checked his phone and was surprised to see that it was already midnight. He hadn't expected to be out this long.

As they walked out of the building, Avalon mentioned that her house was just a few blocks away and that she could walk home. She waved Klaus goodbye, but to her surprise, he insisted on walking her back.

They walked for a while, talking about various things and getting to know each other better. Finally, they arrived at Avalon's home. They stood at the front door, still talking, until Avalon decided to wrap it up.

"I had a really fun time," Avalon said to Klaus.

"So did I. The date went really well," Klaus replied, smiling at Avalon for the first time.

Avalon's face turned red instantly. Klaus appeared almost twice as handsome with a smile on his face, and her heart started racing as she realized he had just called it a date. Suddenly, she had an idea that she decided to share.

"Uhh, Klaus. How about we... uhh... How about we do this every Saturday? I mean, I don't have anything going for a while, and if you're not busy, that is."

Klaus knew he had to depart for Higher World soon, and he would be too occupied with training to commit to such a regular outing. But for some reason, his response had nothing to do with his thoughts.

"Sure, why not."

Avalon beamed with happiness, thanking him and giving him a hug. She then proceeded to the front door, opened it, and waved Klaus goodbye.

After Avalon went inside, Klaus stood there for a moment, wondering why he had accepted her request. It wasn’t just because of his commitments to Higher World; he felt it might be unnecessary stress for him. But despite this, he didn't regret accepting it. He felt a strange sense of contentment, and he decided to let it go as he walked up to his house from Avalon's home in less than a second.

Klaus entered quietly, noting that his mother seemed to be asleep, so he decided not to disturb her. He initially planned to take a shower, but after heading to drop his clothes in the laundry, he was surprised to find little to no sweat on his body. Despite running all that distance, he felt less tired than usual.

Lying on his bed, Klaus thought for a while before deciding he would take breaks on Saturdays to keep his promise to Avalon. It wasn't that he cared that much; he just wasn't someone who would say one thing and do another, or at least that's what he told himself.

The next day, Klaus woke up a bit later than usual. His mother had already cooked breakfast and was taking a break, watching television.

"Morning, Klaus," Natalie said.

"Morning," Klaus responded as he headed to the dining table to eat.

After breakfast, Klaus explained to his mother that he had decided to go to Higher World to train. Natalie wasn't too bothered; she had expected it. She expressed how much she cherished that he had put his duties on hold to assist her for the week he was home.

After a heartfelt moment and a few hugs from Natalie, Klaus departed for Higher World. He arrived at the usual spot for his transportation, waiting for the pedestrians to leave the area. Placing his hand on the poster for a few seconds, Klaus' body slowly began to dematerialize, eventually vanishing from the location.