Saturday Morning,


    I woke up early today, too early, in fact. Because when I checked the clock, it was still 4 in the morning.


    But I couldn''t sleep anymore. I got nervous, afraid that I might miss the date with Mason.


    I didn''t know how I could be this nervous, especially knowing that Mason and I had nothing happening between us. This was just a date because he felt gratitude towards me.


    I got up and checked the clothes I wanted to wear for the date today. Since I didn''t want to overdress, and I also didn''t have many clothes, to begin with, I just wore simple jeans and a long-sleeved ck shirt.


    I knew it wasn''t that beautiful or charming for a first date, but fuck that, I didn''t have any intention to impress Mason in the first ce.


    I sat on my bed, checking my text with Mason. He hadn''t texted me after thest text two days ago, but he said he would share the location once he got there earlier.


    "Hah… he must''ve been sleeping like a dead log right now. Unlike me, who act like a stupid kid nervous for the first day at school," Iined to myself.


    I waited for the whole morning ying mobile games until it was seven in the morning. Now, all I needed to do was just preparing myself before going.


    Right at 8 in the morning, I got a text from Mason, and it was a pinpoint. He had shared his location, a Cake shop downtown.


    —


    Mason: That''s the address.


    Mason: Uh… take your time, Em. I''ll be waiting.


    Emmy: I''ll go there as soon as possible.


    —


    So I left my room and picked my shoes immediately.


    "Grandma, I''m going now. I have to go somewhere," I said to Grandma, who was sitting leisurely on her rocking chair, basking in the morning sun.


    **


    It took me a while until I reached the nearest bus station and took a thirty-minute trip Downtown.


    Then, I turned man GPS to follow the direction. It took me another twenty minutes until I found the Cake shop to have our first date.


    I looked up to check the sign, "Louvre. Yeah, that''s it."


    Then when I looked down to the ss door, I already saw a man covered with a white hoodie and face mask that covered half of his face.


    But from his eyes, I could easily tell that he was Mason. That dreamy eyes were difficult to hide.


    I saw that Mason had been spacing out this whole time. He had his hands inside his hoodie pocket, so I guessed that he had been standing here for a while.


    "Mason, sorry to make you wait," I said right in front of Mason.


    Mason was startled, but when he saw me, I could sense that relief in his eyes, "It''s nothing, Em. I haven''t wait long, just about fifteen minutes ago."


    "Fifteen minutes?"


    "Y—Yeah," Mason turned away immediately. "Let''s just go inside, okay?"


    I followed Mason to enter the Cake Shop and saw various cakes in many colours I had never know existed.


    I was awed by the colourful decorations inside the Cake shop, themps and the sweet-slightly mellow scent.


    Honestly, this was the first time I came to a Cake Shop. Because I was so broke in the previous life, I had no money or time to go here in this new life.


    I often watched cake rted stuff on Youtube to pass my time back in middle school. It was one of my gateways from the harsh life I experienced with my abusive father.


    He never allowed me to leave the house after I finished school, and stuff like cake… it was Mom who made it on a special asion like Birthday. We would celebrate it as two, watching some movies while waiting for Dad to return home like a prisoner.


    Yeah, it wasn''t a happy life.


    My eyes looked around bewilderedly, and I didn''t even try to hide it. I was too excited to see all these decorations. I felt like a kid again, a kid on her first time visiting a Cake shop.


    Mason gently held my hand and asked, "Do you like the ce?"


    I nodded happily, "It''s great! What an amazing ce!"


    Mason smiled at me. His eye exuded deep warmth, "d you like it."


    Mason led me to the counter and checked on the disys full of colourful cakes with names I heard for the first time in my life.


    I was embarrassed that I knew nothing about this, but Mason helped me by talking to the olddy standing behind the disy.


    "Excuse me, may we get something special? This is our first visit here, and we want to celebrate it," Mason said.


    The olddy giggled when they saw us, "It''s rare to see young couples looking so romantic these days. Are you two dating?"


    "We are not—" I was about to exin, but the olddy interrupted and started rambling.


    "Ah, what a pair of perfect young couple! You boy looks very handsome, and you girl looks pretty! You two must''ve been popr in your school, right?"


    Well, that was true for Mason, not for me, though. Bet she''d be surprised if I told her the truth since she seemed to be making her own assumption.


    Mason and I looked in the opposite direction, trying to avoid each others'' gaze while the olddy kept open rambling. I was embarrassed shy, I knew it sounded disgusting, but I actually got shy right now.


    "It''s so cute. You two are holding hands! Young folks these days don''t want to hold hands because they said it''s embarrassing!" The olddy chattered.


    I had just noticed that Mason was holding my hand the whole time. I yanked my hand quickly to separate myself from him. My cheeks reddened, thinking that Mason and I were enjoying our time, holding hands like a real couple!


    "Oh my my! Don''t be shy. Look at your boyfriend, he is so shy, yet he still wants to hold your hand!"