A brand… brand…
Brand-new life!
“Woohoo!”
Two hours later, standing inside a single room at the inn, He Ye let out an excited cheer, hunching over to pump his fist like a spectator celebrating his favorite football team scoring a goal in his past life!
Mist was handled, Mark was handled, and nearly every tie linking him to CORE was severed. All that remained was embracing his wonderful new life!
Though completely cutting ties would require time to bury the traces of his past, at this moment, he felt truly untethered and weightless!
He had not expected it to be so easy…
No, this was bitter toil finally yielding sweet fruit!
He Ye felt better than he ever had before. He washed up in the inn’s bathroom, changed into clean clothes, and looked at his reflection in the mirror, wishing he could give himself a hug.
“Leon, goodbye.”
He tapped the surface of the glass, speaking in the tone of a seasoned mentor:
“Spies, CORE, those people and those missions—they’re all saying goodbye along with you!”
“Starting now, I am He Ye.”
“I’m going to find a good job, like teaching at an orphanage, and then marry a youthful, pretty girl to watch the sunset on our honeymoon. Someone like Aisha from the bakery… Tsk, tsk, tsk. You lucky bastard, you’re going to drown in an ocean of happiness!”
The more he spoke, the more fired up he became. In the end, He Ye resolved to head straight for the bakery. He had dressed himself up handsomely; as an intelligence spy, his looks had always been outstanding.
Even though it hardly suited the profession, frankly, he never liked the job anyway. If possible, he preferred being a Mr. Nice Guy who upheld the peace and helped others.
Perhaps he should never have accepted that invitation six years ago to transfer into that espionage squad mid-career.
Regardless, he was finally out of that pitfall!
Before that new life could truly begin, he still needed to secure a job and a place to live… He did not plan on moving too far; at least until he got engaged to Aisha from the bakery, he had to stay in Glailey City.
Living near Narcissus Street would be ideal. As luck would have it, the local orphanage was hiring a General Education Teacher, a role He Ye was more than qualified for.
With those thoughts in mind, He Ye stepped out of the inn.
“Safe travels, sir. May you have a wonderful day,” the maid wiping the glass at the front desk bowed.
“You as well, fair maiden.” He Ye tipped his hat.
Never in his life had he experienced a day so overwhelmingly bright and hopeful.
So full of hope, so full of sunshine.
Even when passing the Big Bird Carousel Bar, his former favorite haunt, a look of pure disdain surfaced on his face.
From this night onward, he would absolutely, under no circumstances, sink into depravity again! That damned bar drained his wallet and ruined his health. To hell with it!
“Ptooey!”
Now, he was He Ye, ready to embrace a radiant future!
Drunken stupors were out of the question!
Ding-ling.
Twenty minutes later.
Lane 10, Narcissus Street.
He Ye halted his leisurely pace and adjusted his brim like an English gentleman. He looked up at the sign reading Aisha’s Sweet Bakery. People bustled all around it, a bakery that appeared no different from any other shop.
The sun shone brightly, the breeze mild.
In He Ye’s eyes, this place was as sacred as a church.
He Ye did not covet the Mona Lisa, because the Mona Lisa belonging to him had already crossed his path on a morning two years ago.
It was winter, yet a remarkably bright morning.
He Ye had pushed open the bakery door to buy breakfast, his face gaunt and sallow. He had just escaped a dragnet by the National Security Bureau’s remnants, and he needed to frantically secure antiseptic supplies for Mist, leaving him thoroughly exhausted in body and mind.
His frayed nerves made it impossible to even count his currency properly. When purchasing three slices of cheese-stuffed toast at the counter, he came up five kronen short.
Yet what awaited him was not an aggressive interrogation, but gentle kindness.
“You’re short five kronen.”
“Ah… uh, apologies. Let me check…”
“Oh, never mind, no need! I just remembered today happens to be Narcissus Street’s promotional day. You didn’t underpay at all.”
Her gentle smile resembled a sunflower, her apron radiating a sweet, creamy aroma.
Unshaven and haggard, He Ye understood instantly that she was offering him a graceful way out after seeing him fumble through his pockets without producing a steel coin.
She probably took me for some down-on-his-luck drunk.
That day had not been any celebratory festival on Narcissus Street, yet He Ye remembered that heart-stirring morning ever since.
Afterward, He Ye visited the bakery from time to time, mostly chatting about the weather. Whether it was love at first sight or affection grown over time was hard to say, but he truly fancied Aisha of the bakery.
Snapping back to the present.
Ding-ling…
The bakery’s silver bell chimed crisply. Stepping inside as a patron, He Ye lifted his head, taking in the quiet shop. The scent of cream and honey felt warmly familiar.
Yet, at some point, an unfamiliar male clerk had appeared.
He was dark-skinned, burly, and sported a bright smile above a black buzzcut.
“Welcome, sir.”
He Ye offered a simple nod without paying him further attention, intent on finding his Mona Lisa.
Walking deeper into the store, he pretended to browse the bread racks, using the gaps between shelves to gaze at the stacked blonde figure standing behind the counter.
He Ye felt like the pathetic kid from his middle school days nursing a secret crush on the class monitor.
Woohoo! Yes! Didn’t come in vain!
Controlling his facial expression, having rehearsed his pickup lines countless times in his head, He Ye picked up two expensive hot dog buns and approached the checkout counter.
“Hello, lovely Miss Aisha,” He Ye smiled.
“So glad to see you today as well, Mr. Leon,” Aisha replied warmly, placing the two hot dog buns into a paper bag while casually chatting about the weather and recent events.
This was the fruit of He Ye’s hard work over the past two months. Through daily purchases, he had elevated their relationship to that of familiar acquaintances, well aware that asking someone out was not a bugle charge, but a formal letter of notice.
“Come to think of it, there’s something I forgot to tell you, Mr. Leon. You’ve always looked out for my business so much that I feel quite undeserving,” Aisha said hesitantly in a lowered voice.
“What is it?” He Ye asked curiously.
“Because I’m getting married next month, the bakery will be closed for a week. So I was wondering if I should bake some extra bread ahead of time to gift to you, Mr. Leon, seeing as you love our pastries so much.”
Aisha spoke apologetically, her face full of regret.
Yet to He Ye, it struck like a bolt from the blue!
“What?! Getting… married?” He Ye’s eyes widened as his words stumbled over themselves.
“Yes,” Miss Aisha nodded.
“Who’s getting married? Your brother? Your sister?…” He Ye gestured awkwardly, unable to believe his ears.
“No, me! I recently met someone truly special. He treats me wonderfully, so I decided to marry him.” Miss Aisha beamed with happiness, resting her cheek in her hand with a shy blush.
No, anything but this! And don’t give me that shy look, dammit!
He Ye nearly collapsed right beside the counter, grabbing the ledge to steady himself. He did everything in his power to keep his expression from crumbling.
“Th-that truly is… surprising news… By the way, would you mind telling me who you’re marrying?”
“Right over there, him…” Miss Aisha blushed even deeper.
Following her gaze, He Ye saw the burly male clerk standing nearby, scratching his head with an honest, goofy grin.
He Ye lost it completely. His soul shrieked what the fuck?! A guy like that deserves my Mona Lisa? Holy crap, God, are You kidding me?!
Yet despite the storm raging inside him, the words reached his lips only as a grimace that looked worse than crying:
“Then you two… really are a great match…”
“Thank you for the compliment! You’ll find the right person one day too, Mr. Leon.”
He Ye choked back a dying breath, clutching his chest. “…Thank you.”
A moment later, the silver bell chimed again, marking the retreat of a silhouette that looked like a stray dog.
Despondent, He Ye clutched the two hot dog buns that now buried his bright hopes, walking away as though he would never return. In reality, he still had to come back.
Because in his hand rested a wedding invitation.
