The rain had finally stopped. Morning sunlight streamed into the bedroom. Luna stretched lazily and got up to brush her teeth in the bathroom.
For some reason, I felt a strange sense of unease.
I should have been in an absolutely great mood today.
Luna patted her face in the mirror and smiled.
In her district, there was a peculiar little shop. It sold some rare books and CDs stacked up on the second floor—but it didn't actually sell them for money, nor did it sell drinks. Rumor had it that it was a "time shop." You could write a letter to your future self, or to someone in the future, letting time witness your sincerity.
The shop had a slightly awkward young male clerk—tall, pale-skinned, always helping the neighbors whenever he had the chance.
"Sylin, my drain is clogged again. Could you take another look for me?" an elderly lady with silver hair asked him, leaning on her cane.
"Sure, I'll go in a bit," he replied with a smile.
All morning, he busied himself with such tasks, getting himself completely filthy, until the drain was finally cleared.
"Sylin, the cat food just arrived. Could you help me carry it upstairs? Thanks so much!" the pregnant neighbor next door asked, smiling shyly.
"No problem."
The yellow bags left marks on him, but he didn't mind. He carried seven or eight bags upstairs, sweating all over.
He didn't fight back when bullied by street thugs.
He could never quite learn the martial arts techniques I tried to teach him.
Yet, in the most dangerous moments, he gave people a strangely reliable feeling—standing in front of you stubbornly, even when his head was bleeding.
That clumsy, earnest look… somehow, it felt a little heroic.
On the TV, morning news played. Last night, an explosion had occurred at the House of Qin Consortium headquarters, injuring multiple people. Police suspected a gang-related assassination attempt on the chairman. After attending a press conference, the chairman, Weekend, addressed the cameras, pledging full cooperation with the police to uncover the mastermind and ensure the criminals would not escape justice.
"Looks like we're going to be busy again today."
Luna put on her uniform neatly, the hat pressing down her short hair.
Today was the hundredth day. That slightly awkward young man… he should be giving her a little surprise today.
I decided I should be a bit gentler with him from now on, otherwise it always felt like I was bullying him.
The phone rang. The captain's voice was slightly urgent:
"Luna, there's another incident at the House of Qin Consortium headquarters. We're responding—get back to the team immediately."
"Ten minutes!"
Luna grabbed her gear and dashed out the door.
That bouquet hanging on the doorknob—no, it was a red rose stained with blood.
A little regret lingered—she never got to see it.
[O V E R]