"Uh, seriously? The lights went out again! What the faack!"
A man groaned and tilted his head to one side before sighing. A few people stared at him for a moment, then sank back into the background.
Complaints rose from the crowd, their voices clashing as frustration and disappointment played across their faces.
For little Jie, it meant nothing.
She kept nibbling on her sweet round bread—soft and warm, topped with a layer of sugar.
Each bite broke it apart a little more, sugar crumbs sticking to her face. She swallowed, then tore off a piece of the soft bread and held it out to the woman with a small smile.
"Thank you."
The woman replied, tossing the piece into her mouth and chewing slowly. For a moment, the faint hum of boiling water became the only sound.
Headlights from the cars outside brought them a little comfort, illuminating the café in moving stripes of light.
clnng—clnng—clnng!
Heads turned toward the sound, catching sight of a flashlight hanging from a minimalist chandelier. One of the baristas grabbed the ladder, folded it, then quickly lifted it and hauled it out of sight.
A young man stepped forward, clearing his throat into his fist. A few people quieted down when he opened his mouth.
"Ahm—"
The lights turned back on, followed by the sound of the brewers powering up. Clicks repeated in the background. Someone cursed from the back, then something crashed behind the wall of brewers, the noise filling their ears.
"Never mind?"
"Yayy...we're open again."
The new barista stepped behind the register and asked the next person in line for his order, a sheepish smile plastered across her face.
Another worker appeared from somewhere, unfolded the ladder, then climbed onto the steps again to unbind the flashlight.
The woman's bracelet let out a soft ding, some semblance of connection returning when the screen finally loaded. They waited several more minutes before her name was called.
"Two for Valentina!"
Here's a cleaner version:
A Coelhinho barista called out to her, his floppy ears pinned flat against his head, making him look rather childish.
Valentina stood and walked to the counter. She spun the two warm cups, picked them up after reading her name on both and carried them back to the table.
She took a sip from one while sliding out her chair with one foot, sitting down with a soft thud.
Her face scrunched at the bitter taste. She handed the cup to the man and took a sip from the other drink instead. He accepted it and drank, his expression barely changing—if at all.
Ding~
Quickly taking a sip, flicking her wrist like she was about to throw a thumbs up.
The caller ID glitched about right when a distorted voice came through—"H-Hello?...lo..."—the questioning tone repeating a few more times before the call abruptly cut off.
"Ahh! Again...whyyy..."
Valentina whined, placing her cheek on a propped-up hand and letting out a sigh, complaining for the umpteenth time.
"Its been this way the whole month...Tch...I don't even have their address."
She took another sip of her coffee, lifting the led up before blowing on the hot coffee.
Valentina watched the screen when a message popped up. She read it while little Jie finished off her sweet bread and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
She flicked a finger, drawing the message to the center as the image of an older couple appeared above the caller ID.
「Sorry! I've been trying to answer but it would never works...」
She continued reading, watching three dots bounce up and down before another message appeared.
「I sent an address—it's the library that was renovated a few months ago. Sorry again!」
She hummed quietly, the man gulping down his coffee.
"Where we going?"
"A library."
Her calm voice passed through his ears—standing up after taking a few more sips.
"Alrighty then...up we go little Yan."
He stood up, catching the little girl's attention who jumped to the floor—her shoes hitting with a soft tap.
"Did they send an address or anything?" He asked.
Valentina dragged one finger up, the screen mimicking the motion but, their was no luck.
"No..."
Her tone disheartened, she glanced back up and saw the man fixing the little Yan's dress.
"Wow...so we're just walking now then?"
He threw her a questioning look as they headed for the exit, brows furrowed. She tossed her empty cup into the trash and pulled the handle. The chilly air lingered against her skin a moment too long.
"Maybe don't hog the doorway?"
"Hah?"
She turned around and met his eyes—staring intently with a mildly offended look, running her gaze up and down him before placing one hand on her hip and leaning forward slightly.
"I'm not fat!"
Her voice pitched higher when he pushed her out of the doorframe. A few people around them looked over but they ignored the stares.
"I didn't say you were fat—you did."
Valentina clicked her tongue, dragging her gaze down before pulling up her bracelet again.
"So...lead the way."
The man's hand rested on little Yan's head, holding her in place.
She scrolled around until she found the search engine, her fingers tapping lightly in the air, her eyes settling on something promising.
"I think its this one? Look."
He leaned over her shoulder, taking in the bits of information he could make out. A map spread across the screen while she traced several routes with her finger before finally settling on the shortest one.
"Lets get going then."
She took a few steps forward.
The man followed, guiding the little girl and gently steering her head away from anyone who got too close.
They walked in silence for who knew how long, their steps reverberating softly while little Jie hummed away, her plushie clenched tightly in one arm.
Every now and then, a cruiser passed with its lights flickering. Jie would lift her head to look, only for the man to gently turn her away for being nosy, though it did little to stop her from trying. She huffed each time she failed.
"Should we really be walking that far? A cab would be better."
His suggestion hung in the air, met only by silence. They stopped at an intersection and he pressed the pedestrian button, waiting for the light to change.
The little girl peeked around, barely moving her head, trying to free herself from his watchful hand.
Her eyes darted in every direction.
Just outside her line of sight, a crowd had gathered—several cruisers parked nearby with their lights flashing. Some people whistled while others stood quietly, their faces unreadable from that distance.
Then, she spotted a man standing on something, shouting away. She could barely understand him, yet the people beneath him listened intently.
Her eyes turned questioning the moment her head was guided away and they crossed the street—only for a raindrop to land on her feathers. She blinked and instinctively looked both ways at the sensation.
A shiver ran through the her soft plumage and slid down her spine, making her shake her little head to chase it off.
Lifting one hand over her head and grabbing a tuft, little Jie began tugging at it again and again, like that might've wipe away the wetness and grime. After a few stubborn pulls, she flattened both tufts in triumph, satisfied with her work—
Only for it all to be ruined when a few more drops landed on them.
Valentina looked on in amusement, then felt a vibration on her wrist.
She lifted her hand, an address flashing across the screen the moment the display came to life.
"I just got the address."
The man looked mildly surprised, glancing at her over his shoulder. The coffee in his hand long gone.
"Just now?"
He blinked when a drop struck his brow, lifting his gaze toward the sky.
"We should get a cab."
Another drop hitting his head the moment he lowered his gaze.
"Give me a minuteee..."
Their steps made soft crunching sounds over the dirty ground, each one bouncing around inside little Jie's ears.
The smell of the city rolled in waves—wet concrete, oil, metallic and the faint sweetness swam from somewhere she could not see. Rain crashed against signs, glass and the passing vehicles, the whole street filling with sounds beyond.
By the time they reached the shelter, droplets were clinging to Jie's tufts once again.
"Ten minutes."
Valentina said while holding raising her wrist, the screen showing him the route. On it, the cab crawled forward second by second.
The quiet minutes ticked down until a flash of red and blue washed over them. The siren blared—loud and obnoxious in the dark, shaking the thin walls of the shelter.
Vehicles shifted aside as best they could, tires hissing through the wet street while the ambulance forced its way past.
Its lights still flashing wildly against the rain.
Little Jie squinted, following it with glassy eyes for every colors streaked across her reflection in the glass. She leaned a little closer to Valentina, resting against the woman.
The ambulance did not get far before it slowed up ahead, its lights still fighting through the rain.
And everything around it seemed to speed up at once.
Cars crawled past in blurred lines, yet figures moved around the ambulance in hurried bursts.
Then, not long after, a car rolled up in front of the shelter—red across the top, white along the bottom. Impossible to miss once its hazards began to flicker.
A notification flashed above her bracelet in white. Valentina stood and walked toward the cab to make sure it was theirs, the passenger side window rolled down to reveal a face leaned toward them.
"Mis. Valentina?"
The driver asked, uncertain.
Her face brightened and she nodded. The doors unlocked with a soft click, the driver giving a small nod in return.
"Alrightt...come on in. Library correct?"
The cab doors slammed shut behind them, the rain now pouring much harder. All three exhaled at once when the warm air inside washed over them. Little Jie sat between them while they fastened their seatbelts.
"Yes please."
Valentina responded with a faint smile, leaning over Jie to pull her seatbelt snug.
The man reached toward the dash and shut off the hazards, then merged into the sea of cars. Soft music slipped from the speakers, filling the background along with the steady tap of rain against the glass while traffic crawled forward.
Little Jie's gaze slipped past the seats and onto the street ahead, every light and shape reflecting across the glass. Her irises shimmered with curiosity.
One turn became two, then three—street after street, intersection after intersection—until the cab finally slowed. The driver signaled, turned right, and eased into a narrow parking space along the curb.
Turning the hazards back on, the driver looked over his shoulder.