Chapter Text
Thud thud thud
Zhu Yuan’s boots bore down on the street, each stomp creating a small puff of dust as she hurries on. The dust once or twice eliciting a soft cough from her throat or perhaps it’s simply her lungs saying ‘no more’. She forgot when exactly she began running, all she knows that she had to run.
Haah… Haah…
Her ragged breathing and blatant disregard of proper running techniques give enough evidence to her sense of urgency. Her calves feel like someone lit them on fire; her lungs can’t agree with the cold night air. Yet none of it matters to her, as long as she gets where she needs to be. Just around the corner now, just a little bit more, and she will know if she is the circus’s fool of the night.
Yet on the other side of the coin, the night lies perfectly still.
The front lamp of Random Play flickers occasionally, itself feeling drowsy. Flickering in unison to the eyelids of the store’s sole awake inhabitant. Wise truly wishes he could go to bed already but he already made a promise to wait for Zhu Yuan come hell or high water, and he will be there to greet her; as a customer and a friend, of course.
Tick Tick Tick
Aimlessly walking from shelf to shelf while running his fingers on it, Wise scrutinizes every imperfection. Lifting his hands and staring at their dust covered fingers he shakes his head and wipes it off. That place was spotless, yet it’s dusty again; at least that’s what he tells himself, perhaps in a fit of desperation to justify cleaning it again for the umpteenth time.
The clock’s hands move slowly to the beat of the ticking. Its noise accompanying the bored Silver-haired man as he attempts to kill his boredom and drowsiness clinging on to him by cleaning the top of the video tape shelves, again. Memory serves this is either his third or fourth time cleaning the same place, but the number doesn’t matter to him, it’s not like he’s counting or even trying to.
Quietly, he knows it’s likely that Zhu Yuan may choose to simply go home and return the tapes tomorrow; after all, it is the simplest solution and therefore the most likely. His heart longs the warmth of his bed and the restfulness his darkened bedroom offers him as his eyes occasionally wander to the light switch; all it takes for him to earn the comforts he desires is to just give the switch a flick. Yet his heart always tugs him away and turn itself into the Gordian knot whenever he does so; it’s not unlikely that his heart would even start a revolution if his hand were so much as touch said switch.
Rubbing the back of his head, he feels exhausted in a way that makes him doubt he’ll be awake even in the very next minute. Ruffling his hair into a fine mess lost its charm after the third time doing it tonight.
‘Might need something here…’ A late dose of caffeine will surely be a boon to him or maybe throw some instant ramen to the mix and he’ll have a party for one, a sad party maybe, but a party nonetheless; sure sure, there’s a chance he is gambling with his ability to sleep tonight by doing it, but since he already gambled on Zhu Yuan actually arriving? Oh well, in for a penny, down for a pound.
Placing a ‘On Break’ sign on the counter, he abandons his post to a place rarely seen by outsiders underneath the shop/house’s stair. The cramped little kitchen beneath the staircase, small but functional nonetheless.
From the kitchen counter he pulls out a kettle, fills it with water and settles it atop the stove before giving the stove a life with a turn of a knob and a harsh click a la Victor Frankenstein, although with no proclamations of ‘It’s alive!’ this time as he still retains his unblemished record psychiatric wellbeing, not sure for how much longer if this keeps up however.
‘Yeah, that should do it.’ Wise stares upon the kettle for a beat of his heart before turning his attention elsewhere.
The soft hum of the stove is interspersed with Wise’s feet tapping in rhythm of his current favorite song. His is currently face deep inside the kitchen cabinet, hoping to find a cup of instant ramen and maybe some coffee. Although he is successful in finding the two-minute cookery delight, his caffeine ration is nowhere to be found; someone must have forgotten to purchase it, and it wasn’t him. This is not a fortuitous sign for his attempt of staying awake.
‘Sigh… Okay… What else do we have?’ Switching his attention to the fridge, his hand reaches for whatever happens to be in his sight; in this case a full carton of juice. ‘This one is pretty heavy, maybe it’s still full?’ Lifting the carton to his face so he can read the label.
‘Tomato juice? Didn’t know we have this one around.’ Not his poison of preference, but strangely he couldn’t bring himself to set it back in the fridge. Maybe his body is telling him that he needs more vitamins or maybe something else.
With the noodle in his right hand and the carton of juice on his left, he returns to his post.
As the noodle cools down, his eyes drift to the front door. Is there really anything still up and about at this hour? His hand wraps around the noodle’s cup, the heat burns his palm slightly but it does keep his eyes open, an unfair in lieu of coffee that he unfortunately must choose. He winces slightly and lets the cup go, but came back for round two and beyond when the thought of sleeping returns.
‘I’ll just close up at 23.30, It’ll be fine… right?’ Pretty sure he said that he’d close at 23.00 about thirty minutes ago, but who knows?
Hopefully his patience is not for naught.
23.07
Zhu Yuan’s legs feel alight, entirely her fault as she has been forcing it to run full speed without even a courtesy of warming it up. She quietly feels grateful that they didn’t choose to cramp up even in the cold of the night. Her body heat’s clashing with night air, causing her sweat to turn frigid and her body to slightly shudders. Seems like stubbornness makes a good exercise motivation or perhaps desperation does.
‘Almost there! Just ahead, just a bit more!’ Zhu Yuan’s self-motivation may not be enough to make someone reach the moon, but for her? She takes whatever she can get.
She should really stop thinking about how her legs are feeling or how far is left. Yes, she should try to think about something else, something fun perhaps, something… Anything to just let her body run on auto mode and just get this done. Just think, think! Damnit!
Case files? No! Bad! Uh… Paperwork? Somehow even worse! Shift schedules? What even is that?! CIST works office hour and not a minute more, maybe in an emergency but not now! Uh… Uh… Dinner? Yeah, that should work; wait, she hadn’t had one! Now not only her legs burn, must it really be augmented with a growling stomach? Yeah, nice work, truly masterclass. Uh… How about that one-time Wise let slip that tomato juice is just watery pizza sauce?
‘Dummy… Tomato juice is more than that…’ A tug at her lips arches them upwards, but why would someone’s random blurting be the one in mind. Must be the exhaustion. At least it works, her mind feeling refreshed.
“Focus… Just a little bit more.” The thought may be a byproduct of her exhaustion, yet ironically it grants her strength to just go a little bit further and then a little bit more.
Thud thud thud
Usually if a police officer runs in the middle of a night is because it’s chasing a fugitive or in one particular officer’s case is running away from the dark. Tonight’s fugitive? Wise, owner of Random Play, lives on Sixth Street, board-certified cinephile; sure, she may not have to draw her weapon or vault a wall and the like, but this one offers a different kind of challenge.
‘I hope no one sees me like this.’ Her quiet prayer is not exactly unfounded; a police officer in full-uniform complete with armor sprinting down the street? That’s enough to make anyone anxious and perhaps a little bit fearful; worse, she’s technically off-duty which makes this particular officer guilty to a charge of misuse of uniform, and of poor life choices. But… One tiny infarction is fine right? Not that she’s doing anything heinous, thus she marches on.
23.35
Her hope shot up higher than ever before when she sees the familiar sign of Box Galaxy. At long last, through dust choked roads and winter Esque air, she’s finally at Sixth Street.
Slowly, the air shifts; it feels strangely pleasant now, it feels… warmer? Maybe it’s her sweat, or something; but one certainty is that the night is far more merciful right now. Funny, of all the times the night could have given her mercy, it’s when she’s finally where she needs to be.
“How weird.” Her run slows into a steady jog as she chuckles at the absurdity of it all. Maybe it’s the exhaustion or her brain finally shutting off; but it feels as if this very street welcomes her. For now though, her destination is just up ahead.
The sight of the street is discouraging, to say the least. Box Galaxy? Closed, Coff Café? No longer brewing, 141? Lights out, General Chop? Stoves off; and at least two of those places are run by robots.
‘Oh… Please don’t…’ A knot forms in her heart at the sight, threatening to take her breath further away than it already is. But at the end of the day, the thing that matters is whether or not Random Play is still open; All it takes to make or break her tonight is just one light as she gets closer one step at a time. ‘He promised to wait for me… Didn’t he?’
Her legs feels both heavy and featherlike, perhaps it’s a mix of fear of being disappointed and the yearning for a closure; One way or another, for better or worse, she will have her closure for the night.
Her heart thumping audibly, she is one step away before Random Play will enter her vision.
‘Here goes…’ Her hands clutch to her uniform tightly.
*Thud…*
She averts her eyes, still fearing the truth may not be the way she wishes it to be. Although her head quickly snaps back, because if it’s going to hurt then might as well feel it now.
…
‘What the… How? Wha- HOW?!’ She rubs her eyes, once but nothing changes, once more yet all is still the same. You cannot change truths, after all. Truths oftentimes are bitter; this one however is pure sugar.
She knows what she is seeing is nothing divine, yet to her? It’s as beautiful as the angelic ray from movies she rented before. Her lips slowly parts, letting her mouth agape. Who knows a store sign flickering in the night would be enough to burn her eyes? But if an overwhelmed eyes is a price to pay for such beautiful display, then good things sunglasses are cheap.
‘…’ A faint smile, a calm heart, purest form of smile. She’s where she needs to be. Her heart still races, yet not out of fear anymore. A soft exhale escapes through her mouth, joining the wandering air of the night while her shoulders lost their stiffness. She still can’t help but watch.
‘You fool… Hehe, just why would you?’ Her lips stifle a beaming smile.
There it stands, in defiance to the drowsy state of the street is one building refusing to call it a night just yet. To such a resilience, how could Zhu Yuan show anything less than as spirited?
‘Ah, right. Move it, idiot; he can still close in the next few seconds. I have to hurry!’ Shaking her mind out the warm fog it brings itself in. With one last explosive burst, she kicks her legs back to high gear for a final sprint to the door.
‘If he closes now, I will kick his door open and not pay for repair.’ Her hand outstretched to grab the door handle and her body swings towards the door; not exactly NEPS sanctioned techniques, but it’ll work for a hurried entry. Wait- what’s that behind the door-
Shortly before, on the other side of the door…
‘Fifty-seven, fifty-eight and…’ At least I have some entertainment, didn’t expect it to be this…
‘Fifty-nin-‘
A drop of condensation ran down the tall glass of tomato juice, carving a path through the other drops and messing up his count. Perhaps the solitude already got to Wise.
‘I hate you.’ A scornful glare befalls the disruptor drop.
Sigh…
First, he counted the steam drops of the instant ramen, now the drops of condensation of the juice, what’s next? How much dust are inside the store and then in Sixth Street? His noodles is still on fire, and he won’t finish his juice unless he’s done eating. What else is there for him to do? He cleaned the store at least four times, fix the catalogue twice and even re-check their monthly balance sheet.
Maybe he could- Wait, no! He needs something to bring him back to focus, something drastic. Raising his right hand with an open palm, this is his last bastion of wakefulness; slap himself back to wakefulness.
SLAP!
‘Good thing comes to those who wait!’
SLAP!
‘Patience is a virtue!’
SLAP!!!
That particular one is extra hard.
‘Ow… Okay, I’m up, I’m up… That hurts....’ His cheeks burn and sting, they’re surely red with a hand mark on them; but it did its job, he feels awake now and perhaps it’ll be enough until the noodles ready.
Boredom sharpened his ears quite a lot, they may even rival some thirens and he just felt them twitch. Like rangefinder he saw on naval movies, his head turns left to right in search of the source.
‘Nothing?’ Weird, the noise is similar to thudding but it stopped… Rats? But the place is squeaky clean…
‘Outside, maybe?’ Standing up he feels a dull ache on his legs; too much sitting isn’t doing them any favor. Oh well, he just has to grit his teeth and take it like a champ.
Approaching the door, his eyes pierce through the glass window. Scanning the area beyond, there is nothing out of the ordina-
‘Huh?’ Just out there, in front of Howl’s- no, wait that’s right next to General Chop’s! Is that something? Someone?
‘Aha… Well, well maybe it’s a cutout, yeah, must be a cutout-‘ A pathetic attempt to calm his racing heart but hopefully it’ll work. Hopefully.
Thud
‘Oh, it moved.’
…
‘Wait! It moved!’
His breath quickens, his hands pale and eyes wide open.
Even worse still, he can feel the figure staring in his direction, did it see him?
Oh no, oh no! It’s now running towards here! It’s coming for him!
‘NONONONONONONONONO!’ He has to close the door, NOW! Unfortunately, his trembling hands make poor work on it, going as far as yanking it the wrong way. Now he understands why horror movies characters make poor decisions. The apparition is now just behind the door and fully intends to enter, or so he thinks.
‘Goodbye, Belle, Eous, Twentie, 18, 6… I love you guys…’ He closes his eyes, knowing he might never open them again. Once more he yanks the door handle, correctly this time.
Bad timing, unfortunately.
BAM!
The door crashes inwards, hitting both his forehead and nose in one fell swoop. Something else also seems to enter, or rather crashes inside, stumbling its way in as well ramming his body like a dump truck.
WHUMP!
“GAHK!”
His back hits the floor and he can feel the air squeezed out of his lungs. His eyes shut in terror.
It’s over now, the ghost have made it in but Wise surely didn’t expect a ghost to feel so… soft, warm and a little heavy; in essence, a very huggable ghost. Frankly, the weight on his stomach feels pleasant, somehow; he doesn’t mind if it’s the last thing he felt before he passes.
Tick Tick Tick
A quiet moment…
‘I’m not dead… Right?’
Slowly, he lets his eyes open again; instead of a spectral maw, his eyes see a clad in blue uniform with a lock of hair dangling like a curtain.
“Ow… Huh? Zhu Yuan?” It’s definitely not a ghost, I mean, ghosts aren’t warm… right?
Refocusing his eyes on the sight ahead of him, he can see strands of hair blocking his view of the assailant, but not many people in New Eridu have black hair with red streaks; much less wearing a PubSec uniform.
“Nggh…” A grunt is all he got back from her. Oh no, is she hurt?
“Zhu Yuan! Hey! Are you okay? Are you hurt somewhere?” He tries to rise up to help her, but not an easy thing to do with someone on his stomach.
“Yeah, I’m fine…” As she began assessing her situation, the elephant in the room is clearly apparent to her. No field handbook can prepare her for accidentally sitting on someone’s stomach “Huh? Wise! I’m sorry! Are you okay? I’m sorry! I- I-!” Her hands fly to cover her face, although they done no favor to hide her embarrassment as evidenced by her red ears that might as well spout steam.
“A bit hard to- breathe…” wheeze “Move a little- please?” His final reserve of air ran out, slightly suffocating him.
“OH! RIGHT!” The weight is now removed from his stomach as Zhu Yuan jumps up before dusting the dust off her uniform. “I’m sorry! I thought you were about to close and I- and I-! What have I done! I hurt you! I hurt an innocent! I should go to ja-” Her eyes are averted and downcast, contrasting her sputtering mouth.
“Hey, hey. No problem, it’s okay, really.” Wise taps her shoes, hopefully it’ll be enough to comfort her for now. Once Wise had enough of being her welcoming mat for the night, he stands up in front of Zhu Yuan and rubs his stomach. “Seriously.” Waving his hand off, he let out a soft laugh, “I’ve been through worse.”
“But what if you get this delayed-onset injury thing?! You may still be in danger!”
“Well, I’m fine and certainly not dying right now.” Wise waves his hands the way 18 usually does. “See? Healthy as a baby.”
“Promise me you’re fine.”
“I promise. I’ll tell you if I feel anything amiss, okay?”
“Double promise?”
“I can write the document in triplicates if you want.” That line was delivered with a smirk he didn’t bother hiding.
“Okay, I get it, thank you.” Her shoulders drop down, letting a soft ‘phew’ out her lips.
Zhu Yuan straightens her back, composing herself back to the ideal PubSec officer regardless of her still steaming ears.
Standing opposite one another, Zhu Yuan still bears red cheeks whilst Wise ran out of topic just a minute ago or rather the impact scrubbed clean any topics for discussion.
‘Well… This is awkward…’ He needs to find a topic, a distraction, anything!
Ask and you shall receive, Wise; your stomach will come to the rescue! The universe is a cruel mistress, after all.
Grrrgle-
‘…’ Both of them froze, even more so than a minute ago.
Zhu Yuan’s eyes dart around avoiding an eye contact before it fell upon the store’s counter where a cup noodle sits steaming and a tall glass of tomato juice sweats condensed air.
“Am I interrupting something? Manager?”
“Oh, it was nothing, don’t worry about it.” Wise casually brushing it off, even though his uneaten meal still has something to say. Zhu Yuan’s gaze remains fixated upon the said imitation of supper. Quietly she hopes this sort of fare is an exception to Wise rather than the norm, because frankly, for a supper it’s… pathetic, and that’s saying it kindly.
“Eyeing my food now? You’re bold today, Zhu Yuan.”
“What? No! I wouldn’t-“ Her voice pitches higher at the end accompanied by her rosy cheeks.
“Are you sure? You walked here, didn’t you? At least let me help you regain some of your stamina before you collapse.”
“I’m sorry, but I really don’t want to impose on you.” Her shoulders stiffened
“And you’re not imposing,” Wise quickly retorts “I’m the one offering, or rather, imposing.”
“I-“ Her mouth opens and closes, crafting a remark before erasing it and rewriting it again.
True, she is a little hungry after all the running and stuff; but which would be ruder? Her pushing his hospitality further or refusing it? The safer bet is to refuse, or she thinks so at least.
Her hesitance is not lost on Wise, but he knows her well; She is such person who deny herself what she wants and punishing herself for wanting it. She is turning flagellant even before committing an offense. A little gentle prodding might be what she needs, to show her that it’s okay to want and her want doesn’t inconvenience him or anyone.
“Please? It’s a bit much for me, especially at this hour.” He locks his eyes to hers, as if urging her to accept already. His tone is soft, the way he intended it to be and he is grateful for it.
Grrrgle-
Both of them freezes again, it was Wise’s stomach, now it’s hers. If her cheeks were rosy, now they’re tomatoes. She’s out of excuses now, and Wise quietly glad of it; how could he not? Zhu Yuan basically handed him the winning ticket.
“If it’s not a bother-“
“As you wish.” Wise cuts with a smile even Lycaon would approve.
She hasn’t even finished her sentence and he already bolted back to the kitchen before reappearing with a small bowl and another glass with him. His nimble hands gently set them upon the counter with a soft clink and a practiced ease.
“Have a seat.” Wise pats an empty chair for her to sit on which she quietly obliges.
Digging into the noodle with a spoon, Wise splits the noodle between the cup and the bowl and Zhu Yuan could swear he puts more in the bowl than he left in the cup. Splitting the juice is with an equal pinch of solemn care.
Sliding the bowl to her, Zhu Yuan’s lips part to ask for the cup instead but those green eyes of his quietly nudge the answer he wants to get.
As such she kept her peace, not wanting to be a poor guest. Just what did she do to deserve this treatment? She barged into his store, crashed to him, almost crushed his torso and made him stay up until the owls are calling it quits yet here she is, a welcomed guest; a certain someone Wise wants to attend to.
With both of them seated, Wise gestures to her to enjoy her share of food.
“Careful though, it might still be hot.” His voice silky soft as he slides her a spoon.
She feels it, just a little. Something, somewhere within her is stirring.
The atmosphere is quiet, it’s rude to talk whilst eating after all. But to Zhu Yuan, it feels very warm- contrasting the cold air where she came from. Eating like this, in this arrangement feels cozier than a warm blanket at the end of an exhausting day. She feels touchable now; or rather, she has someone willing to reach out for her as a person.
This brand of silence can be addicting. The sort of silence where words aren’t expected to be exchanged because you simply understand the other, where thoughts are mingled into one.
Her eyes rise to take a look at Wise who is still digging into his share of the food; he felt her gaze and he gazes back with a smile in turn. The arch on his lips is faint and soft, as sincerity bleeds out of it with not an ounce of restraint.
It’s absurd, noodles and tomato juice shouldn’t be enough to make anyone’s heart rattle, but tonight they do and they’re good at it. But one of them is far better at keeping his composure, keeping his heart close yet not closed.
Her hands wrap around the bowl, savoring the warmth as the broth release whatever heat it has left. This warmth reminds her of the countless dinners she has had with her parents, someone who accepts her wholeheartedly. Her parents accept her as their daughter, yet still her mind wanders. If her parents sees her as their beloved daughter during their dinners.
Her eyes peek up at her eating buddy.
What does Wise see when he looks at her?
An officer?
A friend?
Or… Who?
‘Deep breaths… Don’t get too carried away.’ Counting to three before each breaths does her some wonder.
On the other side of the mirror, another heart too has something to tell. If eyes are the window to the soul, then his soul is staring at her judging, not her - but himself.
Wise’s eyes switch back and forth between his cup and Zhu Yuan, before settling at his cup with a hint of dejection.
His fork twirls around whatever noodle he has left. For once he feels small, insignificant in the face of someone he now faces. How could he not? She has many accolades to her name; people praise her achievements, but what of him? All he could note of himself is his association to someone all of New Eridu would love to lynch. An ant could only look up in the face of a titan; a hunchback can only wish to gaze upon the moon.
This is as close as he can get to her, and he knows it.
His hand reaches for his shirt, tugging it at a spot just above his heart. A dull ache on his chest, one he knows too well; something better left smothered in layers of smile, the only way he knows how - although his gazing upon the cup gives enough hints of insincerity.
Neither dare break the now established silence, for it spoke enough for both of them. Above the surface, peace; beneath it, turbulence.
The bowls and glasses slowly get emptied and put back to the kitchen of which they came.
An unspoken agreement, not to spill forth what they just felt; written not in ink, but the fickly air. Now the silence falls thick, too dense to dispel yet too light to fuss.
‘I should do something, anything.’ Zhu Yuan, seeing Wise hanging his head low, intends to cuts through this suffocating quiet. To beat silence, the silence must be silenced.
Zhu Yuan let out a cough that’s a tad too loud while maintaining a one-sided eye contact; startling both herself and freeing Wise out of his self-induced trance. Her mind falls upon the very reason why she’s here tonight, unattended and unremembered until now; her final option to find a topic.
“Right, manager. I think I should return this to you.” Her tone wavering and adorned with a stiff smile.
Zhu Yuan fishes out two rectangular items from her uniform, the cases glint under the store’s light before she hands them back to the rightful owner.
He lets out a soft laugh, a hint of warmth returning to him. “The proof of your dedication, I take it?” His right eyebrow rises in a gentle tease, yet in his eyes a gratitude can be sensed.
“I made a promise, manager. I won’t be the one to break them.” Her smile loosens at the sight, just a little, enough to let the moment breathe once more.
His hand stretches out to take the tapes off her hands and for one brief moment, their fingers brush with each other and linger for a heartbeat longer than they should be.
“Thanks, Zhu Yuan.” He spoke softly with a gentle smile she saw when she first entered. “Really.” Her heart beats softly to hear that from him.
…
Relief settles between both of them, for the silence that follows is far more merciful than the last; no, its just as comforting as the first time she stepped inside the store tonight.
No words. Just motions.
While the moment is fleeting, but all things must come to an end; and tonight, it has overstayed it’s time on the stage.
Fixing her uniform, she stands up from the chair with Wise’s eyes following her movement.
‘She’s… leaving?” The thought urges him to stands up.
“Going back so soon?” The voice is calm and light; the hope of her saying ‘no’ isn’t.
Smoothing out her uniform, she forces out an answer
“It’s late.” She follows it through with a smile, “A good night’s sleep is important,” Of course, she’d like to enjoy the moment a bit more – but taking more of his time isn’t good manner as a guest.
Nodding to her answer is all he can do, even though he doesn’t like what he just heard.
“Yeah, of course it is.” As he shadows her steps to the door.
Their steps are too slow for someone who wants to leave and for someone agreeing that someone should leave.
The moment collapse without its structure.
He reaches for the door, letting the air rushes into the store. Clad in jacket, he can still feel the frigid air hitting him.
She steps on beside him. For a heartbeat, they stand there, an encore of a moment went by just seconds ago — close enough to whisper, close enough to say too much. Zhu Yuan inhales like she’s about to try. Wise looks up like he might let her.
But they both stop.
Beyond the door is the cold night air where she came from and where she shall return.
One step beyond the door, and the cold hits her harder than she remembered.
“Goodnight… Wise.” Her farewell is interrupted with a suppressed shudder.
“Have a good night, Zhu Yuan.” Once again, his smile returns with sincerity and warmth. “I- Please come again, soon.” His warmth is infectious, and perhaps it will keep her from feeling the cold until she returns home.
“I will, Wise. Good night.” He sees her walking away from the store.
Her figure becoming smaller and smaller before the buildings around finally hide her presence but not before turning back to give him a one final wave.
Wise lifts his hand to return the wave sincerely before her presence is swallowed by the night.
His smile gave her the warmth to last the night, and her wave shall be the one to give him the same courtesy.
Zhu Yuan is gone from the store – but not from him.