Ship In A Bottle (A Monkie Kid Reader Insert)

Chapter 17: Figs On The Side

What felt like hours were only a good thirty minutes of battling, as the russet-haired teen watched the sun still rising from the east. Shops were starting to open for the day, rolling up metal doors while cleaning for customers.

It didn't take a toddler to see why. More and more people were waking up, and earlier than usual as well. A group of young adults, possibly old enough to be in college, chanted cheers for their team, while children laughed, playing with the bubble machines some of the stores were installing.

This must be a huge event, with more people here than usual. Many wore t-shirts or even face paint of the racer they were rooting for, despite the actual event not happening until hours later.

The young man failed to understand why, but that was to be expected along with other instances of culture shock.

A week prior, restaurants and cafes added race-themed goods in their menu. The ones that sat beside the roads planned to be part of the raceway specifically prepared for outside seats, all so that the customers could watch the race in person.

The billboards themselves shone advertisements for such race-themed products, along with the race itself. Showcasing each racer, along with recordings of them competing in the past.

A map of China flashed into the a billboard screen, before showcasing each racer and the province they represent. To no one's surprise, it was Ao Mei who represented the special administrative region that is Megapolis.

The young man's attention quickly went from that, to a news truck where the reporter and camera crew were getting ready. Not the first truck he's passed by.

He listened as the reporter announces the earlier happenings involving the three titular heroes, before moving on to the topic of the race.

He planned to be there to watch it with his host family. But with the race scheduled for noon, he had time to spare.

The farther he walked, the less people he passed by. Walking to the direction of the glittering waters, he finally arrived at the edge of the city. Boats rose, fell, and rocked on the water and line up at the docks, while sea breeze blew through the teen's curly hair, causing a soft harmony of wind chimes to sing in the background.

Small businesses lined at the other side of the road, cleared of any vehicles except for the occasional cyclist. Everything was just as relaxed as he remembered, compared to the inner parts of the city.

Minus that one time a speedboat crashed through a sewer gate, but it at least made for an interesting photo. Not counting the earlier events, it was the closest shot he's ever gotten of the city's heroes, including the Monkie Kid himself.

That was...until today.

Stopping in front of a certain bubble tea shop, he took his phone out. The picture matched, he was in the right place. Chemistea, the place was called. It had only a few reviews, but they were all quite positive. It seemed to be a new teahouse as well, so that was quite expected.

Cold air greeted him as he stepped inside, a bell ringing above him the moment he swung the door open.

Immediately, he was greeted by the scent of sweet syrups and colorful desserts. The interior itself matched their products' color palette, with soft pastels tempting him to look at the desserts displayed on the counter.

He reminded himself to jot down the design choices in case of needing inspiration in the future, before focusing on why he was here in the first place.

Speaking the interior, the shop itself was a spacious crib-style cafe, housing honeycomb-shaped cribs for friends to sit down and talk. Perfect for after school activities, he thought. It reminded him of a cafe he and his friends frequented back home.