In the vast canteen, the silver metal tables and chairs were fixed to the ground and neatly arranged on the floor, the clean white walls around them were covered with pictures of ducklings, apples, and pears.
The students sat on the chairs in twos and threes, eating the food on the trays, while others were lining up at the canteen window to bring out their trays.
Garen and Raffaele sat opposite each other on the right end of a long table, the two of them eating the sandwiches on their respective trays, occasionally dipping them into the cheese sauce between them, drinking some of the tomato and potato beef stew.
There was a low buzzing around the canteen, the sound of many people talking reflecting around the empty canteen, mixed with echoes. It felt as though he could hear what they were saying, but after listening closely, all he could hear was a blur.
Garen raised his head and looked at Raffaele sitting opposite him.