Burning with the Breeze

4: One Crazy Night

Chapter 4
[ One Crazy Night ]

Aurora

It's almost 6:00 PM. The classes ended earlier at 5:00. I spent my free time here in our newly opened cafe, the Daybreak Cafe, near the entrance to Manhattan where students usually pass by before going to their houses inside the village. Our cafe is situated beside our convenience store which mom named "Sunrise Mart."

I stayed here to help my mother with deliveries nearby since we still have not employed a delivery guy. We're just really starting.

Daybreak Cafe is rustic-themed with a touch of modern design. The walls are painted white while the accessories and decorations are mostly made of wood. We also opted to put green plants around the floor and wall. There is a large circular window in front of our cafe near the entrance where you can have a clear view of the cafe's interior when you're outside. There are cotton mats and soft seat cushions scattered on the floor for those who want to hang out with their friends.

I roamed my eyes around the cafe. There are a lot of students here. Some are studying, some are chit-chatting, and some are with their girlfriends and boyfriends.

What an eyesore.

"Roe," I saw my mother approaching me, "we have a customer asking for a delivery. She's at The Crusade right now. Do you know where it is?"

Feeling excited for my first delivery today, I immediately looked for The Crusade in Google Maps.

The Crusade is actually just a few kilometers away outside the village. It's an inland resort according to my searches which was built just two years ago.

"Is it really okay with you to do deliveries with your bike? We can cancel this for the meantime if not," Mom worriedly said.

I smiled at my mother. "I miss being around here, Mom. I'm actually excited to roam around the neighborhood again!"

"Alright, alright. Make sure to wear your helmet and take care, okay?"

My mother prepared the latte and cheesecake to be delivered while I set up my bike. After a while, she gave me the goods and I started to cycle my way to The Crusade.

It was quite challenging to find the right directions since there were changes of routes that happened before and all I had to do was speak to people not familiar to me to ask for directions.

Thankfully, I can see a big wooden gate surrounded by concrete walls with graffiti art. I looked upward to see the signage of the gate. There, I read it loudly.

"The Crusade."

I carefully removed my helmet and glanced around. It felt like a different world.

After a while, I spotted a familiar figure emerging from the gate. She was striking in a sparkling bodycon gold dress, topped with a short furry coat, and wearing black stilettos. Her short ivy hair was styled in gentle curls.

She stepped into the shadow of the gate and lit a cigarette. As she exhaled a puff of smoke, her gaze shifted, and she noticed me standing nearby.

The girl grinned like a villain. "Hey, Roe! You're here!" she called out.

"Nancy..." I spoke.

Nancy's eyes widened in excitement. "Wow! I can't believe you're invited too!" she exclaimed, quickly extinguishing her cigarette and tossing it somewhere.

I forced a smile, trying to hide my discomfort. "Actually, I'm just here to deliver this order from our cafe."

Nancy gasped and covered her mouth in surprise. "Oh! This is actually my order." She gently took the package from my hands and inspected it before looking back at me with wide eyes. "I didn't know you were working at Daybreak!"