I Don't Own Avatar or Miraculous.
Chapter Twenty. The Bakery.
So Adrien was taught how to count money again. Thankfully, Seng, Jeng's mom, didn't think it was odd that Adrien didn't know how to count the foreign currency. Talo, Jeng's father and the baker, helpfully got him a stool and placed him behind the Bakery's counter, where he was incharge of collecting the customer's money and handing them the breads and desserts they had ordered. He didn't have to move or get up. He simply had to watch the counter and make sure the customers got what they'd wanted. He propped his crutches against the counter and gladly took the job.
Plagg told Adrien it had been a few weeks, and Cat Noir was now safe to use for searching for Ladybug. Still, he had to remain off of his injured foot for another two to three weeks. That was beyond frustrating. Adrien hated feeling helpless. Being stuck at a counter, unable to really go anywhere didn't exactly help matters.
That particular day, Adrien was watching the counter in a bored manner when a man named Pao came in asking for Adrien to get him the baker. Annoyed with the idea of having to get up and get Talo, Adrien simply yelled back for him. Talo came out from the bakery and greeted Pao like he was an old friend.
"Pao! It's been a long time! How it the family tea shop?"
"Business has been slow. I've not been able to keep enough customers. Honestly, I'm getting pretty concerned."
"I know what you mean. Lately, with all the refugees, you'd think that we would have more customers. Hey, Pao, have you met my employee Adin?"
"He greeted me when I came in. Adin, I am Pao, owner of the Pao Family Tea House." Pao introduced.
"Adin." Adrien said with a nod.
"Normally, it's polite to address an elder by standing and addressing them formally." Adrien sighed, motioning towards his crutches.
"I'm injured." He said simply, "Getting up is too much work right now. I wouldn't want to be an inconvenience." Pao noted the crutches.
"I apologise. I didn't realize."
"It's fine."
"Look, Talo. You and I are both struggling with our businesses. I came over here, hoping to make a proposal that could possibly help both of our businesses from sinking under." Talo crossed his arms in interest.
"Go on…"
"Well, two men from outside of Ba Sing Se, refugees I believe, named Lee and Mushi have requested to come into town and work for me. I expect, that with the extra help, I might be able to have free time to work on drumming up more business. Then it occured to me. What is better than a hot drink or a loaf of bread?" Pao asked.
"Uh… both?" Adrien said in uncertainty.
"Exactly!" Pao said excitedly.
"What are you proposing exactly?" Talo asked.
"We combine our efforts. Our shops are in two separate places in the neighborhood. What if, instead of attempting to switch locations to drum up business for yourself, you sell me half of what you make one day and I sell that at my tea shop, serving it with my tea. If people hear that we are selling both tea and pastries in the same area, we could get more customers and maybe sell more. You'd sell your baked goods, and people will buy my tea." Pao explained, "I can also have one of the men I am hiring run in between our two shops, delivering bread and tea to each one. Does anyone here know anything about brewing tea?" Adrien timibly raised his hand.
"My old friend, Master Fu, taught me how to brew." Adrien said simply.
"So I could send half of my tea over here, and you can sell it here. I can sell some of your pastries at my shop, and people from one side of the neighborhood can choose to come here or the people from the other side could choose to go to my shop. That way, we are casting a wider net, allowing us to get more customers without actually wasting too much money." Pao said proudly.
"So a partnership?" Talo asked.
"Exactly!" Pao said excitedly, "Just think of the business we could drum up by each selling both!" Adrien got what Pao was saying. If they both sold tea and pastries in separate parts of the town and split the profit, they could possibly attract more customers and make it more convenient for people who lived on the opposite side of the neighborhood of one of the two shops. Talo thought about it for a second.
"You could be onto something, but I don't what to rush into a partnership right away. I'll have to discuss it with my wife first." Talo admitted.
"Take your time, I'm in no rush." Pao advised. Talo nodded.
"Thank you, Pao." Pao grinned before looking over at Adrien.
"According to the letter Mushi sent me requesting to have a job at my shop, his nephew Lee is actually around this boy's age. He is sixteen. How old are you young man?"
"Turned seventeen not too long ago."
"Fantastic! Then I will make Lee my delivery boy if you chose to partner with me. You seem like you can't get out much due to your injury. I believe a boy your age could make excellent company if you ever need it."
"Yeah, I guess that would be nice…" Adrien agreed. Pao smiled.
"Well, tell me what you think tomorrow, Talo! Adin! See you both later." Pao said excitedly before leaving. Talo sighed, sitting down next to Adrien.
"What do you think? Is it a good idea?"
"I mean… it could work. It might help bring up business too… but you'll have to be careful about the terms of your partnership if you decide to accept. Talo nodded.
"Yeah, my thoughts exactly. I think we should close up shop today early tonight, okay kid? You should get some rest while I talk to my wife about the matter." Adrien nodded, getting up to close the doors to the bakery.
"Do you need any help in cleaning up the back?"
"I've got it, you go head and head back to the apartment. Tell Seng and Jeng I will be there later." Adrien nodded before leaving the bakery. Over the past few days, Adrien had come to wonder if the life he found himself living was anything like Marinette Dupain-Cheng's life. Living with a family of bakers. Even young Jeng could make food better than Adrien. Back in Paris, Marinette would sometimes invite him over for video games. It was literally one of the only times he seemed able to hang out with her without her freaking out. She then offered to make him some of her macaroons and he volunteered to help. True to his nature of destroying everything he touched, the Dupain-Cheng bakery was a mess afterwards. He knew it was no different in this world. So, him manning the counter was probably a better job for him anyways.
How was Marinette anyways? In fact, how was the rest of Paris faring without him, either as Cat Noir or Adrien. Nathalie and her father had probably figured out who he was by now and made some extravagant cover for his disappearance. Nino was probably worried sick. Alya and Mari with him. Chloe was probably struggling without him.
He sighed. He'd been so focused on this new world that he hadn't really thought about Paris. After all, Paris had a lot of long, lonely memories he wished he'd never experienced. Still, he did have some good ones. The movies and video games with Mari. Ayla rambling on about her latest story. Nino talking about his new music or simply hanging out with him. Chloe throwing that party for the school where he'd danced with Marinette and becoming Queen Bee. Fencing with Kagami. Playing his piano with Luka, Rose, Ivan, and Juleka. But those moments were barely a blimp in the years he spent alone. He had truly tried to make as many good memories as he could, because each day was another day closer to when his father would suddenly decide school was too dangerous and pull him out permanently.
He wished his stupid ankle would heal faster. If it did, he would be able to do something interesting with his time in this world too. After all, he knew when he got back, he probably wouldn't be allowed at school anymore or allowed to be Cat Noir. Then he'd be alone again. Adrien hated being alone.
He was nearly to the apartment when a man bumped roughly into him, knocking him over into the alley.
"Gah! Hey! Be careful!" Adrien yelled, reaching for his crutches. The man grunted, ignoring him. People could be so rude. He started to get back up before noticing a flyer on the alley wall. A flyer with a picture of him without his hat. His blonde hair was hanging messly over his green eyes. He quickly got up and stanched the flyer off the wall, reading it in concern.
"Wanted. Chaton the Cat Noir. Wanted for crimes against the Earth King. If spotted, report to the Dai Li immediately. Reward: 10,000 golden pieces." Adrien read. Suddenly Adrien was glad he convinced the baker's to let him keep his hat on at all times, even while working and hanging out inside the apartment. He was certain that Long Feng man was responsible for this. That man certainly didn't know when to quit. He crumbled up the flyer and shoved it into his satchel. Adrien made a mental note to take down all of the flyers of him he could track down in the city during his sweep of the city as Cat Noir that night. He'd been strategically searching the city for any signs of Ladybug ever since Plagg cleared him for using the Miraculous again. So far, he'd had no luck. He couldn't wait to see Ladybug again.
Adrien arrived at the apartment and told Jeng and Seng that Talo was coming home soon, before ducking into the tiny room they'd given him and locking the door. He transformed, put away his crutches, and escaped out the window. He planned on pulling a long shift that night. Between pulling down any flyers he found of him and looking in the next neighborhood for his Lady, he had a lot of work to do. Not to mention he didn't have the luxury of running from rooftop to rooftop in plain view of everyone anymore. In Paris, everyone knew who he was and got excited when they saw him patrolling. Here, he had to be stealthy, or those crazy, earth maunplating, Dai Li agents would be on his tail. He'd already had several close calls. He almost wished he had a better way of hiding his blonde hair in his Cat Noir form. The magical smoke screen could only do so much for his secret identity if he was literally the only blonde in that world. He supposed it didn't matter, considering Long Feng already seemed to figure out that he was the mysterious Cat Noir who'd been roaming the streets of Ba Sing Se at night. The flyer declaring him 'Chaton the Cat Noir' further proved that theory.
He climbed up onto another rooftop, peering out on the busy city of Ba Sing Se. He spotted Talo, making his way through the market and coming home from shutting up the bakery. Adrien smiled. He liked the bakers. They were a kind family to let him stay with them and work for them despite being a stranger and injured. Adrien wasn't sure why, but he felt like this world was full of unhappy people who'd lost hope or the means to care about others. People wore false smiles everywhere. The air of the lower ring was one of desperate people who were uncertain and wary of everything. People often complained about the millions of refugees coming in and overcrowding the lower ring. Adrien hadn't the faintest clue what tragic thing had happened to displace so many people, but it made the whole city feel sad and broken despite its claim to be unbreakable.
Adrien's enhanced hearing picked up a shout in the distance. He knew instantly someone was in danger. Forgetting his need to remain secret, he darted across the rooftops toward the cry. He found a young woman, around fourteen years old running cornered by a knife wielding man who wanted the money in her bag. He immediately tackled the man and knocked him out, startling the girl. She stared at him with wide green eyes.
"Who are you?" She said softly.
"Cat Noir. I'd appreciate if you kept the details of who helped you secret. I've got places to be. There should be someone willing to help with this man down the road. Bye." He winked at her before leaping back on the roof and continuing on his quest for his Lady.