Chapter 33 - To Protect Your Smile

A sea of clouds float slowly across the sky above New Hope City. Late night patrons hasten their steps upon hearing the crackling rumble grow more and more frequent. Shopkeepers rush to move their clothing displays off the streets before the impending rain. A trio makes their way out of an alleyway deep inside the garment district. They walk against the hustle before stopping in front of a small garment shop.

"Aunty Hong!" Yuyu jumps out of Sun's arm before running to hug the shopkeeper.

"Oh Heavens! Yuyu!" Aunty Hong sets a stack of clothes down before hugging Yuyu back.

"Hi beautiful aunty Hong." Sun greets her with a slight bow and a smile. "This is Lia, the person we talked about."

"Lia greets aunty Hong!" Lia also bows her head towards the shopkeeper. "Thank you for having me!"

"Oh my…. Sun!" Aunty Hong exclaims as she lightly slaps Sun's shoulder. "You didn't tell me she was such a beauty! Quick, quick! Please come in. Let me finish closing up the store and I'll brew up some tea for everyone."

"Thank you, aunty Hong." Lia bows once again before entering the store.

With aunty Hong's permission, Yuyu gives Lia a tour of the shop, stopping occasionally to try on pretty dresses. Sun heads upstairs to set Lia's belongings down before returning to help aunty Hong move the garment displays indoors. With the shop properly closed for the night, the four make their way upstairs to enjoy a cup of tea.

"So, Lia, this handsome young man here tells me that…" Aunty Hong pauses for a moment to think about the best way to phrase her question. "Sun tells me that you two live together?"

The question catches Lia in the middle of a sip, causing her to choke on the tea. Before she could answer, Yuyu chimes in.

"Yes! Aunty Lia lives with Yuyu and Mister." The little girl comments enthusiastically, eager to tell aunty Hong all about how wonderful Lia is. "Aunty Lia makes the best food ever! She als-"

"I'm in a separate house on the same property." Lia cuts the little girl off as she rushes to try and clear up the confusion. "I've only just moved in. It's really not like that."

"Not like what?" Yuyu asks with a raised brow, tilting her head around to look at Lia.

Aunty Hong, seeing the fluster on Lia's face, smiles and nods at Lia. She decides not to push the matter any further. The reason aunty Hong asked was not to try and pry into personal matters. She asked simply because when she asked Sun about it, his answer only made everything more confusing. Even now, aunty Hong notes how Sun continues to sips his tea, completely unphased by the question.

"In any case, I'm glad you're here. It's been a while since you last visited with Yuyu." Aunty Hong decides to shift the subject. "How is school, little princess?"

"School's amazing! Yuyu made a new friend the other day. Hehe. Oh! And tomorrow Yuyu is going on a school trip with Mister and Dan. Yuyu can finally see all the herbs Yuyu learned about in class! Oh! Aunty Hong hasn't met Dan. Dan is…"

The three adults listen as Yuyu talks about all her experiences at the Academy. Their laughter fills the room into the night, washing out the sound of raindrops as they crash against the roof tiles. By the time the teapot was empty, Yuyu had fallen asleep in Lia's lap.

"I should get going." Sun sets his teacup onto the table before bowing towards aunty Hong. "We have to be up early tomorrow. Thank you again, beautiful aunty Hong."

Aunty Hong smiles as she leans in to hug Sun farewell.

"Have a wonderful trip." Aunty Hong speaks softly as she turns to look at Yuyu. "Take care of the little princess. Make sure she's dressed properly. The nights are quite chilly these days."

Sun nods in response before making his way towards Lia. He gently cradles Yuyu into his arms, resting the little girl's head over his shoulder. Lia pushes herself to her feet, following Sun downstairs. Upon reaching the ground floor, she pauses and watches as Sun makes his way through the hall. Her brows scrunch at the sight of his figure fading into the dark shop.

"Hey, dummy…" She calls out to him as he opens the door.

Her soft voice reaches out to him like an invisible hand, stopping him from walking out. He turns around.

"When you get back…" She says with a forced smile on her face. "Let's go see the stars."

Sun, seeing the distress in her eyes and hearing the slight trembling in her voice, realizes that Lia is aware. Her concerned expression tells him that she knows something is amiss. He wishes that he could tell her everything. But he can't.

"Great men shoulder the weight of responsibilities so that our loved ones don't have to…"

Lia gazes at him, waiting for a response. Although it had only been a few seconds since the words left her mouth, to Lia, it felt like hours. She worries that the deafening silence, amidst the sound of raindrops crashing onto the street, is confirmation that her gut is right. Something is amiss. She curls her finger, digging her nails into the meat of her palms, as she waits for him to ease her concerns.

Sun's figure blurs as it fades into the darkness, sending a stream of air towards Lia. As the stream of air pushes her hair behind her, Sun's figure reappears. He smiles before wrapping his arm around her, gently pulling her towards him. Lia bites her lower lip as she pushes her forehead against his chest.

"You're overthinking it. Aunty Hong mentioned that she needed a helping hand to change inventory for the changing season. The bun shop will be closed until grandpa Liu returns, so I recommended you. That's all. As soon as Yuyu and I return, we'll go see the stars."

Lia fingers loosen as she listens to Sun's calming voice. She wraps her arms around him and the little girl before lifting her face. Her eyes squint into a crescent as she smiles.

"Okay dummy, I believe you. When you two return, we'll go see the stars."

Her arms tightens around the two for a short moment before letting go. She brushes Yuyu's hair aside before planting a soft kiss on the little girl's forehead.

"Did you hear that Yuyu?" Lia whispers. "Maybe you'll get to see another shooting star."

Sun turns around and makes his way towards the door. His steps feel heavier and heavier as they carry him further and further away from her. As he steps into the rain, he turns around to wave goodbye. He takes one last look at her beautiful crescent eyes and soft smile before turning towards the sky.

"We stand tall to protect their smiles…"

Lia watches his back as he steps into the street. She watches as the raindrops bounce off the invisible barrier around him. She chooses to not wave goodbye when he turns around to wave at her. She just smiles back. And as he disappears into the night, she watches the raindrops crash through the empty space where he stood.

You're a terrible liar.