It's the second day of the new school year, which is of cause not as confusing and busy as the first day, but it's somehow the first real day of the school year, the day when the student finally realize that summer break is in fact already over and try to accept that they've got to go to school again and real lessons will start soon.
When his lunch break starts, Durbe's late and he has to stand in the line really long and when he finally gets his food, it's already cold, but he still smiles as he pays for it, because it's his second day and he can't really afford to let them think he might be unfriendly or arrogant or whatever, so he tries his best to seem friendly and happy. Reputation is important for teachers, especially the new ones, and so he has to afford himself these little gestures. The dude behind the counter returns the fake smile, gives him his change and Durbe takes it, says his thanks and turns around, searching for a place.
Which is difficult for new teachers, too, because as a student, you can either sit with your friends or your friend's friends or their friends or maybe even someone you've been in the same class with two years ago and while you have never really talked to them again, they'll let you sit with them for the short break, but as a teacher it's difficult.
Durbe couldn't make out any other teacher in the cafeteria, since they'll probably eat later or something, and every table seems to be occupied by a smaller or not-so-small group of student. While it's not even really okay for a normal teacher to just go and sit at the same table as his students, it's unacceptable for a new teacher, at least as long as you don't want some rumours about your eating behaviour or whatever to spread among the students, that would naturally soon reach the other teachers until about the whole school knows that you pull out onions of your food or drink you coffee without milk but three spoons sugar, and yeah.
So again, reputation is really important.
He just stands there for some time, looking for an empty table, still holding his already cold food, hoping to find a place to sit. While he can't really spot any place for him to sit, he does see the kids looking at him and talking to their friends and a part of him wants to walk over to them and tell them that if they want to make fun of a grown man who's standing in a cafeteria full of teenagers, they should at least do it when said man isn't standing five meters next to them and that they should stop pointing at him, like do they honestly expect that a person who's like ten years than them and already went to uni and finished the whole school and college thing won't realize that they're talking about him.
Though they probably wouldn't get this, even if he told them, but it's kind of a thing he already accepted as a teacher, a thing that doesn't even matter to him any more and hey, most of the lessons he had today were really nice and the people at this school seem to be rather nice, so it's okay.
Even when he still needs to find a place to sit and it's starting to annoy him, until someone puts their hand on his shoulders and he turns around and looks directly into the eyes of a blond-haired man.
"Over there, there's an empty table. Come on and hurry."
There indeed is an empty table, but it's totally hidden behind a rather big plant. Durbe's not sure if it's a real plant or just some art project. He noticed a pretty vast amount of various art project everywhere and the school seems to care about their art students, which are known for their creativity and so on. They even decorated something at the city hall and got some kind of certificate from the mayor for that, which is still hanging in the main hallway.
"So, you're that new history teacher." The other says, as he puts his own tablet on the table and sits down.
Durbe nods, as he does the same. "Yeah, history, geography and maths. And you're..."
"Just call me Mizael. I'm doing maths and physics."
Durbe nods again as Mizael grabs his spoon to eat his soup. Durbe takes a sip of his coffee, wondering where the other got that soup from. But then, Durbe's new here and probably generally needs to get to know more about how stuff works here.
They don't really talk after that; Mizael just keeps eating his soup and Durbe tries to enjoy his cold food, but basically ends up swallowing it along with his coffee. When he's finished, he's not really sure what to do in the remaining time until the break ends and just keeps sitting there with Mizael without even trying to start conversation. Mizael doesn't even look at him or something, so Durbe almost feels like he's ignoring him on purpose and maybe he should prepare something for his next lesson, but somehow also doesn't feel like doing that at all and just keeps sitting there.
When Mizael finished his soup, he (finally!) looks at Durbe again and smiles.
"Don't tell me you're nervous."
–wait, what?
Mizael's smile that's actually a smirk widens and he gives Durbe that certain kind of look.
"You just ate the trash food they're selling here without a single sign of complaint, so you're either thinking too much about something or you're just an uneducated newbie who can't taste the difference between food and something that's probably dragon shit."
Durbe should probably get offended or angry or something like that, but instead he just starts laughing, because it is kind of cute how easily that Mizael figures him out already, when he likes to pretend that his thoughts aren't that easy to guess for any strangers.
Mizael only rolls his eyes.
"I'm not sure if you've realized if yet, but us teachers actually don't ever eat the food here. There's that small canteen right next to the school building."
"Then why are you here?" Durbe asks, still smiling, because really, what is Mizael even doing here if he doesn't ever eat here.
"Someone has to tell the newbies how things work here. You guys are always way too occupied about ridiculous things and keep forgetting such basic things."
But Durbe just bursts out into laughter again and he feels the tension leaving his shoulders and his body starting to relax.
"Says the one who voluntarily spends his own break with these ridiculous newbies."