My Hacking System

Breakfast with Kaitlyn

The cafeteria was already crowded when Adrian and Kaitlyn walked inside, with students filling most of the tables and the entire room buzzing with conversations, laughter, and the occasional loud clatter of trays against the counters.

Adrian glanced around the room and immediately noticed that finding an empty table wasn't going to be easy, especially since most of the better spots had already been claimed by groups of students who were either eating breakfast or pretending to study while spending most of their time talking.

“Looks like half the university had the same idea we did.” Kaitlyn looked around the crowded cafeteria with a small sigh, clearly disappointed that they might have to squeeze themselves into one of the remaining tables surrounded by noisy groups.

“Don't worry. I'll find us a good spot.” Adrian looked around again, refusing to accept that he had come all this way only to end up sitting beside a group of freshmen screaming across the table at each other.

They joined the serving line, and while they slowly moved forward, Adrian glanced up at the menu displayed above the counter. There were several options that looked considerably more appealing to Adrian now that he had started thinking about food.

When they finally reached the counter, Adrian ordered a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich with a side of fries, while Kaitlyn ordered a breakfast wrap and a coffee.

Adrian was already reaching for his wallet when Kaitlyn quickly pulled out her card and paid for both meals before he could do anything.

“Hey, I was going to pay for that. I invited you here.” Adrian immediately frowned.

“That doesn't mean you have to. Besides, you already spent enough money on me last night.” Kaitlyn picked up the receipt and slipped it into her pocket before stepping away from the counter.

Adrian shook his head and sighed.

A few minutes later, their food was ready, and Adrian collected both trays from the counter before turning around to search for an empty table.

Most of the cafeteria was still packed, and every time he spotted an empty chair, someone else seemed to claim it before he could get there. Then Adrian noticed something.

“There.” He pointed toward the far corner of the cafeteria, where a small table was tucked against the wall and partially hidden behind a large pillar.

Kaitlyn followed his gaze and immediately smiled when she noticed the empty table.

They made their way through the crowded cafeteria, carefully weaving between students carrying trays and backpacks until they finally reached the table.

Adrian placed the trays down, then pulled one of the chairs out for Kaitlyn without even thinking about it.

“Thank you.”

Kaitlyn paused for a brief moment as her eyes moved from the chair to Adrian. Then she smiled as she sat down.

“You're welcome.” Adrian pushed the chair slightly closer to the table before walking around and taking the seat across from her.

“You know, you're strangely polite sometimes.” Kaitlyn looked down at her food before glancing back at him.

“Sometimes?”

“Yeah. Sometimes you're polite, sometimes you're annoying, and sometimes you're both at the same time.”

“I consider that one of my greatest talents.” Adrian nodded thoughtfully.

Kaitlyn laughed softly and finally began eating.

For the next few minutes, they simply enjoyed their food without talking much. Adrian hadn't realized just how hungry he actually was until he took his first bite, and the moment the food hit his stomach, his entire attention became focused on eating.

He devoured half his sandwich before finally slowing down.

A few minutes later, after Adrian had finally finished most of his food, Kaitlyn rested her elbow on the table and leaned slightly closer.

“Okay, now that you're not starving anymore, I want to talk to you about something.”

“About what?” Adrian immediately put down his fork as his expression became slightly more cautious.

“Are you sure about the money? Because if you're not, you can have it back.” She asked, lowering her voice.

“Of course I want it back.” Adrian stared at her for a moment before he smiled.

“Really?” Kaitlyn's expression immediately brightened with relief.

“Yeah. Just not as cash, but as your precious time.” Adrian leaned slightly closer.

Kaitlyn stared at him. For a moment, she looked completely speechless. Then she slowly shook her head. “You're unbelievable.”

“You've said that already.” Adrian grinned.

“Because it's true.” Kaitlyn leaned back and folded her arms, pretending to be annoyed even though the corner of her mouth was twitching. “And I'm still not convinced you're completely sane.”

“Maybe you've never met the right people.” Adrian smirked.

"I definitely haven't met anyone like you."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Adrian raised an eyebrow.

"I'm still deciding." Kaitlyn pretended to think about it while taking another bite of her breakfast wrap.

Adrian chuckled.

“Now tell me what happened yesterday with your job.” Kaitlyn swallowed her food and looked at him again.

For a moment, he didn't answer. His eyes dropped toward the food in front of him, and he slowly picked up a fry between his fingers. He wasn't particularly interested in talking about it.

Not because he was ashamed of what happened, but because he hated remembering how powerless he felt when the manager had told him that his hard work didn't matter because Gunther happened to be related to the owner.

Still, Kaitlyn was looking at him. She wasn't asking because she wanted gossip. She genuinely wanted to know.

So Adrian finally sighed and began explaining everything.

He told her about Gunther coming into the restaurant, the insults, the hundred-dollar bill, and the way Gunther had tried to humiliate him in front of the two girls sitting with him

He explained how he remained professional until Gunther started shouting and how the manager had later called him into the office to tell him that the owner had decided to fire him because Gunther was his nephew.

Adrian didn't exaggerate anything. He simply told her what happened.

“He what? He actually did that to you?”

Kaitlyn's expression immediately changed as anger flashed across her face. Her voice became louder than she intended, causing several students at a nearby table to glance in their direction.

“Keep it down.” Adrian immediately raised one hand.

“Sorry.” Kaitlyn looked around and quickly lowered her voice, but the furious expression on her face remained.

“I needed the job but still got fired.” Adrian looked down at his food again.

The simple admission made Kaitlyn's anger immediately soften. She studied his face for several seconds, and then, without saying anything, she reached across the table and gently placed her hand over his.

Adrian stopped moving. Her fingers rested lightly against the back of his hand. Adrian wasn't used to people touching him like that. His eyes slowly moved from her hand to her face.

“You shouldn't have had to deal with that.” Kaitlyn's voice became quieter as she looked at him, still clearly upset that someone had treated him so unfairly.

“I'm okay.” Adrian slowly turned his hand beneath hers until their palms touched.

“You don't look okay.” Kaitlyn looked down at their hands for a moment before meeting his eyes again.

“I'm sitting in a cafeteria, eating breakfast with a pretty girl. I think I'm doing pretty fucking well.” Adrian stared at her for a second. Then a familiar smile slowly appeared on his face.

“Seriously? Someone can be having a serious conversation with you, and somehow you always find a way to turn it into flirting.” Kaitlyn's lips immediately curved into an amused smile.

“But you like it.” Adrian shrugged as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Kaitlyn opened her mouth, but no words immediately came out.

“See?” Adrian raised an eyebrow.

“N—no, it's annoying.”

Kaitlyn quickly pulled her hand away and looked down at her food, her face becoming noticeably red. But instead of returning to her side of the table, she picked up a fry from her tray.

Adrian didn’t say anything but smiled at her.

“Why are you smiling?” Kaitlyn took a bite of the fry.

“I'm not.”

“You are.”

“I'm smiling because you're stealing my food.”

“No, you're smiling because you like me.”

Adrian froze, and so did Kaitlyn. For a moment, neither of them said anything.

“And if I do?”

He hadn't expected her to say that. But now that she did say it, Adrian couldn't exactly pretend he hadn't heard her. Slowly, Adrian leaned closer across the table and said in a low voice.

Kaitlyn's playful expression disappeared as her eyes met his. Neither of them moved. The distance between them suddenly felt much smaller than it had a few seconds ago.

“Adrian.”

A voice suddenly came from beside their table. Made both Adrian and Kaitlyn immediately jerk backward.