Chapter Text
Wang Yao
A Chinese man with wisdom beyond his years, Wang Yao takes life as it comes. A wonderful chef and master martial artist, he is fit and much older than he looks. He has a love of cute things and a cheerful attitude that helps him weather whatever life brings and will always be there for you like a big brother.
I couldn’t help but giggle as I read the letter. He sounded like a fun guy, even if he was just a little charm. I noticed more text at the bottom of the card. It looked handwritten in beautiful cursive. ‘Even in the darkest of times, always remember: You will endure.’
I pondered that part for a moment before Nicole brought me out of my stupor, wanting to see what I was reading. I handed it to her and she read over as we walked out to my car. She handed it back to me with a sigh. “This guy sounds like a total tool.”
“What do you mean? He sounds fun!” I raised a brow I started the car and pulled into the line of traffic leaving the convention.
“Please, a grown man that coos over cute things? If you ask me, it sounds like he would be super annoying if he were real.”
“Nicole, you’re 19 and still have Twilight posters. You have no room to talk.” I pulled into her driveway to drop her off as she gave a gasp of horror.
“How dare you?! Ms. I still sleep with a giant teddy.” She stuck her tongue out at me as she opened the door and got out of my cramped car. “Anyway, I’ll see you next week.”
I nodded and waved goodbye to her before pulling back onto the road and headed home. I could already feel the lead weight of exhaustion on my shoulders as I pulled into the driveway of my apartment complex. I parked and grabbed my bag of stuff before heading inside, closing and locking the door behind me. I threw my bag onto the worn couch and looked at the time. Lucky me, it was dinner time. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much in my pantry to cook. I sighed and checked the balance on my card before calling and putting in an order for pizza.
I sat down on the couch, deciding to look through everything I had gotten from the Con while I waited for my pizza. I pulled out pens, lanyards, a few posters and plushies, pins, and finally the small silk box. I looked it over before opening it and pulling out the little figurine. It was a man, but looked very feminine with his long, chocolate brown hair. He was rather short and when I looked a bit closer I saw he was carrying a panda. I smiled and chuckled, setting him down on my coffee table just as the doorbell rang.
I raised a brow and looked at the time. It had only been 10 minutes since I put the order in, so I doubted it was the pizza. I stood and walked to the door, looking through the peephole. On the other side was a man in a suit holding a clipboard. Seeing as it didn’t seem to be a murderer, I unlocked the door and opened it. The man smiled as he caught sight of me.
“Hello! I’m Joe Burns and I’m with the city council. I'm going door to door with the community to ask people if what their positions are on the recent string of thefts are and if they have any ideas on how we can make the city safer. Are you Ms. (Name) (Lastname)?” He smiled when I nodded and continued. “Wonderful! Now, if you are willing to do this interview, it will take about 20 minutes. May I come in?”
Eh, what's the harm? I nodded and stepped aside, letting the man in and leading him to the couch. He sat down and started with the legal disclaimer, stating how this information would not be released without consent, how consenting results would stay anonymous, I didn’t have to answer questions I was uncomfortable with, blah blah blah. Honestly I stopped listening halfway through. Once the survey began, I noticed that the questions weren’t what expected. I was expecting standard questions like ‘How are you fairing?’ or ‘How often do you leave the house unlocked?’. What I got was a lot of questions about what type of security the complex used, was it patrolled, how often I was home, how much did I think I owned, and such. While nothing got super personal, the questions made me a bit unsettled.
Once it was over, I walked the man back to the door and bid him goodbye. A few moments later, my pizza showed up. I couldn't shake the unsettled feeling in my gut as I ate my dinner and jumped in the shower. Even as I laid in bed, I played the interview over in my head. Again, I didn’t think any of the questions were too personal, but It still left me with a weight in my stomach. I sighed and switched off my light, settling into an uneasy sleep.
I woke at 8am with a yawn, turning off my alarm and stretching. I stood and walked into the kitchen, pouring myself a bowl of cereal. Eating my breakfast, I checked my phone. No calls…..no messages....no emails….looks like I didn’t have any plans for the day. Letting out a sigh I went over my options. I needed to go shopping, but that would have to wait until I got my paycheck on Monday. I could go to the park, but...I didn’t really feel like talking with people after last night.
“Welp, looks like I’m going to the library.” I finished my breakfast and brushed my hair before getting dressed. I grabbed a few books I had due and my laptop so I could get some paperwork done. I was a part-time secretary, which meant homework. It also meant I could work from home while sick, so that was a plus. I bagged up my stuff and headed for me car. I paused when I reached the front door, feeling like I had forgotten something. I looked around, trying to think of what is was. My eyes fell on the little figurine sitting on the coffee table.
I walked over and picked him...I mean, it up. Turning it over in my hand, I debated bringing it with me. The lady said it was a charm, so I guess there was no harm in it. I slipped it into my bag before heading to the car. Five minutes later, I was sitting at my favorite table in the corner of the library, typing away at my laptop and rocking out to my favorite bands. Hours went by before I was ready to print the papers and get everything stapled, but I would take care of that at home. I stretched, feeling my back pop in a few places.
I closed the laptop and put it back in my bag before searching the shelves. I smiled as I got to my favorite genre and searched for a bit, picking three and heading into the counter. I checked in my old book and checked out the new ones before heading out to my car, stomach growling. I knew I had some pizza left over from last night, but I still entertained the thought of getting some Wendy’s. I decided I would go that route, heading through the drive thru and getting a Spicy Chicken Sandwich.
I ate my fries as I drove home, not wanting them to get cold and gross. I felt a bit of unease as I pulled into my parking spot, but I didn’t know why. It was clear as I got out of my car, though. I froze and felt a lead weight drop in my stomach when I saw my door broken and hanging open.