You step out of the warmth of the cozy tea shop and step into the cool and refreshing evening. The sun is just barely visible, and will soon set completely, leaving the city cloaked in darkness. This is when the businesses light lanterns and candles, bathing the outside streets in a warm orange glow.
You wander down the road, as you don't plan to head home just yet. Your 'research' books are waiting for you, but you're not mentally prepared to take in any more knowledge on Fire Nation plays. Instead, the mysterious mood of the night draws you in, and you find yourself embarking on a scenic stroll around the neighborhood.
The mild pain in your right foot shoots through your leg with every step, but over time it has become more bearable. You almost forget the pain entirely as you take in the beauty of the dimly lit streets.
A quiet bustle is heard from each restaurant you pass by. You pass a ramen restaurant, then a Taiyaki stand, and you pause to watch a Jianbing vendor fold a giant crepe. Each food stall looks more appetizing than the last, causing your mouth to salivate at the thought of eating such a delicious meal.
Your growling stomach convinces you to stop and get something to eat, so you step into a noodle shop. A quick pat on your pocket reassures you that you have enough coins for a simple meal.
A server greets you with a warm smile and shows you to your seat. You sit by yourself; something you've gotten used to. Your seat is right near the kitchen; from here, you can see the steam rising from behind the counter. The cooks are hard at work, boiling noodles and assembling bowls, for their many customers on this busy night.
A waiter is already approaching your table. You quickly sit up, anticipating the interaction.
"Hello, Miss, waiting for someone?" He questions, gesturing to the empty chair across from you.
"No, sir, it's just me tonight." You reply.
The man shifts awkwardly, recognizing his incorrect assumption, "Oh, so sorry to assume. How may I help you?"
"One order of the beef udon, please. Oh, and a cup of jasmine tea as well."
With that said, the waiter bows and marches into the kitchen. You place your elbow on the tabletop, propping up your head with your hand. As you study the room, you suddenly realize why the server had asked if you were alone. The majority of the restaurant's tables are filled with couples tonight. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves as they chat away with their partner, laughing at jokes every now and then and constantly smiling.
You force yourself to smile, wanting to feel included. Whatever. Instead, you try and force yourself to think about your delicious meal that will be coming shortly. A savory bowl of thick noodles, warm broth, and sweet beef. A server carrying a platter of beverages drops by, handing you a steaming cup of tea. You hug it between your palms for a minute, before taking the first sip.
Your eyebrows furrow as the tea hits your tongue, confused by the flavor. This...this is not good?
You now understand the situation. You're so used to Mushi's tea that you had forgotten what normal tea tastes like. No wonder the tea shop had become so popular since the old man started working there. The liquid in your cup tasted so bland, practically flavourless compared to the usual at Pao's. To be frank, you were utterly disappointed. This was nothing more than hot leaf water, as opposed to well-crafted tea brewed by Uncle Mushi.
"SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!"
An out of place, angry yell travels throughout the restaurant, which has now gone silent. You instinctively turn toward the source of the shout and pinpoint which table the sound came from. A waiter at that table seems to shuffle away hesitantly, and the soft chatter of the restaurant slowly returns.
Just as that waiter steps out of your line of sight with the table in question, you almost spit your tea.
Sitting across the restaurant is a red-faced Lee, with his date. What was her name again? Jen? Jin? Whatever. He's made it clear to the whole restaurant (and surrounding area) that he and Jan are not a thing.
You carefully take another peep in their direction, and sure enough, his iconic scar is visible even at this distance; a smear of deep red across the profile of his face. That's Lee alright.
Tea Shop stalker girl, whatever her name is, doesn't seem phased by this sudden, angry Lee tendencies (such as yelling in public). She just sits there smiling away, slurping at her noodle bowl.
Your server suddenly returns with your food, surprising you as he blocks your view of Lee's table.
"Your beef udon, Miss." He announces as he places the hot bowl of noodles in front of you.
Acting fast, you question him before he can run away, "Excuse me, sir, but is it possible for me to switch tables? It's rather stuffy over here, and I would really appreciate a table closer to… uh- the fresh air."
You spot an empty table close, but not too close to your pal Lee, then you turn to the server and flash him your certified genuinely-nice-person smile. The server hums to himself as he surveys the restaurant aswell, "Of course, A table near the front has opened up. Please follow me."
After transferring your soup bowl, and trying to look as inconspicuous as possible, you find yourself seated two tables behind Lee and Jin. In a perfect position to eavesdrop, you find yourself extremely curious as to how his date is going.
You slurp up your noodles as you listen to the couple in question. You are faced away from their table, to avoid being seen. You're back is turned to them, and Lee's back is turned to you. Jin, however... let's hope she can't recognize the back your head.
"The waiter was only asking if we wanted dessert!" Jin says with a giggle.
You can almost sense an unamused expression coming from Lee. Without missing a beat, she continues. "So, how do you like the city so far?"
Lee's reply is short and monotone. "It's okay."
"What do you like to do for fun?" Her reply bounces back immediately after his response.
"Nothing." he says very quickly. To this, she doesn't respond immediately. After a painfully awkward moment, Lee speaks up, to your surprise.
"You have… quite an appetite for a girl."
"Um… Thanks?" She seems slightly off-put by his remark but continues anyway.
"So. Lee." She starts. "Where were you and your Uncle living before you came here?
She's straight to the point, isn't she? You're dying to know the answer as well, every ounce of your concentration is blocking out the sounds of the restaurant and focused on listening in.
"Umm… Well, we've been traveling around for… a long time…" Lee doesn't seem too keen on giving an easy answer. Once again, you know he is hiding something.
"Oh! Why were you traveling so much?" Retorts Jin instantly.
Now this you've got to hear. Lee starts hesitantly, "We were… uh… part of this traveling circus."
What.
"Really?! What did you do? Wait, lemme guess." She pauses. "You juggled."
Silence.
"Yes. I juggled." Comes the voice of someone who doesn't sound like they can juggle.
"I've always wanted to learn how to juggle, can you show me something?" Jin request in a sickly sweet tone.
You hear a clutter of some small objects, and you can only assume Jin has just handed Lee some items to juggle. It takes every ounce of willpower to stop you from turning fulling around to get a good look; you do NOT want to blow your cover. Can tea boy actually juggle?
Temptation gets the best of you, and you turn your head ever so slightly to watch with your peripheral. You see a blur of motion, which is short-lived, ending after a series of crashing and clanging sounds. Lee messed up his act, dropping everything in the process.
Smiling, you take a sip of tea to suppress your giggles. There's just no recovering from something like that.
"I haven't practiced for a while." He tells her. Smooth.
"It's alright," Jin says, snickering profusely. Her tone suddenly becomes more serious with her next words. "Hey... I wanna show you one of my favorite places in the city."
The couple pays for their meal and heads for the exit. What's next for this disaster date? You leave some coins on your table and start to tail them.