Chapter Text
“Dimitri! Hurry up! You’ll be late for school!”
A groan resounded from underneath the bed’s covers, and a rustling as some blankets were moved off with a tired arm. A blond head popped out first, followed by an upper body leaning against the headrest. The figure, still drowsy as he can be, wiped his eyes. Was he that late for something he has sworn not to be late for?
Maybe a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt—-
“Dimitri! Come on!”
“Alright, alright! Sheesh, El, you’re going to burst my ears...” Dimitri groaned again, fully stretching his arms and sitting himself up on his sky blue bed. His legs scooted on one side of his cot and his feet laid down on the floor, ready to stand and start the day.
By the door, a girl, brunette with thin purple ribbons decorated on her hair, and already dressed was tapping her foot, impatient.
“You know, it’s a miracle you still managed to pass high school with that kind of sleep schedule you have.” Edelgard deadpanned.
Dimitri stuck his tongue out jest, preparing his clothes for the day. “Only because I have you for an alarm clock, El.”
Edelgard rolled her eyes. “Oh shut up, Dima.”
“El! Dima! Father’s ready; he’s waiting for you both in the car!”
A voice calling both of their names resounded from below, making Edelgard turn her head to the source. “We’re coming, mom!”
She turned to her brother once more. “Mom and Dad are waiting, so don’t make them prolong it!”
“Alright, alright...” Dimitri promptly went into the shower in the bathroom, one of the many steps he took to start his day.
—————-
Dimitri, now fully dressed and freshened up, rode the car with his sister, father and mother, looking on at the scenery that he always looked at every morning.
Since his youth, Dimitri has always lived in the bustling and busy streets of Metro Manila. When his father had accepted a job to work in the British Embassy, he naturally brought along Dimitri, his then-new wife Anselma and her daughter, Edelgard with him. They have since settled in McKinley Hill, where they have lived a comfortable life, Dimitri and Edelgard getting formal education since they happened to be in one of the most prestigious places in the entire metro.
At first, Dimitri didn’t really get the whole customs and general shtick of the locals who lived in Metro Manila, but overtime, he had mostly gotten used to them. Even so, he still couldn’t shake off the fact that there were some local folk who couldn’t help but stare at his general...foreignness, with his fair skin, blue eyes and blonde hair that wasn’t common in the country. Edelgard also got some stares from others, though it wasn’t as glaring as Dimitri’s case.
Now that he had finished high school, he and Edelgard were ready to take on the next chapter of their lives: college. Specifically, in a private university located just in the district of Sampaloc, in the City of Manila. Far Eastern University, his father said, one of the leading schools for accountancy and business. Even if it was nice for them to get to enter one of the universities in the country, Dimitri couldn’t help but wonder why it had to be a fair distance away from their home in Taguig.
“Dad, I don’t regret picking this university and all, but...” Dimitri began, still gazing out from the car window. “...I didn’t know it would be this far.”
His father chuckled from the driver’s seat. “Oh, don’t worry about it, son. Besides, it’s around 30 minutes to get there at most.”
“Well, it is 30 minutes at most...without traffic.” Edelgard pointed out. Her hand extended to gesture at the long line of cars and other assorted vehicles at her side. “Look at this! It’s such a pain to wait for them to move.”
Of course. The traffic. It was something that they had to get used to overtime. The whole thing was an inconvenience, yes, but with not much they can do about it, the only option was to wait it out while they were on the road.
“Cheer up, El! At least we get to speak about how excited we are that you and Dima are reaching a new part of your lives!” Their mother cheered. “Lambert! Let’s tell them some stories to keep them entertained, yes?”
Dimitri yawned just as she mentioned those words, waving apologetically. “You go do that, mother...I’m getting tired and looking at the same cars won’t help.”
His eyes drooped down, and with some words from Edelgard that he couldn’t hear from his tiredness, Dimitri fell asleep.
———————
“...Dimitri...”
The teen groaned. Who was calling him now when sleep was a nice place to stay in? He snugged closer to the window, his hair getting tousled from his head rubbing against it.
The voice from earlier sighed, and next thing he knew, he got an earful. “We’re here! Fix yourself now!”
He jumped from his seat, rubbing at his eyes. “Wh-What...” His eyes cleared up a bit to see Edelgard, his father and his mother looking at him silly.
“O-Oh right. Sorry.”
His fingers moved to fix the fringes of his blonde hair, arranging them in that particular style he always preferred. Afterwards, he got his belongings, and with a kiss goodbye from both his parents, Dimitri was ready to set foot in this new university waiting for him. He had his feet stand before the gates, Edelgard following close by to accompany him.
The sapphire of his eyes looked at the building next to the gate. Despite the heat and sometimes smoky air that passed by from vehicles, there was the yellow glow of the main administration building, with faint traces of green.
Edelgard popped up next to him, a plucky smile present on her lips. “Are you ready for this, Dimitri?”
Dimitri took a deep breath. This was really happening; he never would’ve thought that he would be taking his higher education in somewhere different and new, let alone in a foreign country. However, a new chapter always brought new opportunities, and maybe he could really get to familiarize himself with horizons he never thought he could cross.
He turned to Edelgard, a wistful smile forming.
“Never have I been so ready for this. Let’s go.”