The morning sunlight was already piercing through the window curtains just as Raphael slowly peeled his eyelids open.
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.
His head was still glued to the pillow when reality violently slapped him awake. Raphael's eyes bulged in absolute horror.
"Damn it! Crap, I'm late!"
Thud!
He scrambled off the bed in a blind panic, nearly eating the carpet as his calves tangled in the edges of his blanket. With the frantic energy of a student who had severely overslept, he haphazardly tore open his pajama buttons, snatched a towel from the rack, and threw himself into the bathroom.
Splash! The roar of the shower instantly broke the morning silence in his room.
It took him only a few minutes to stand tall in front of his wardrobe mirror, clad in an impeccably neat school uniform—definitely not the crumpled, sweat-smelling uniform from his long walk with Elodie yesterday.
