|
►
|
No.
11490
Jin was striding purposefully down the lane of Fountain Street with a set jaw and tight fists.
This by itself was cause for concern in onlookers. The entire neighborhood knew her to be the most pleasant sort of girl, always smiling, consistently helpful. Jin was pined for by every young man who’d returned home from the war wounded and penniless to find that she’d greet them with donated rice, blankets and clothing. She wasn’t dating any of them, but since she would be seventeen and marriageable soon there must have been suitors, and all the clever oldsters nodded to each other as if they were watching the middle act of some well-known parlor opera. Only a thoughtless boy could get a thoughtful girl in such a huff, they knew.
Her plan had been to break into the tea room, but it was open unusually early. It made sense; there were so many people around, enjoying and buying, that the traditional home ‘breakfast tea’ must be served here too, as in the grandest tea parlors of the inner ring. Whole families were seated at the sidewalk tables, smiling and enjoying the intimate morning treat.
Couples, too.
Oh, she was going to give him a piece of her mind.
It took no time after pushing the double doors open to find “Lee.” He was briskly attending to all the patrons’ needs, never looking at anyone’s face, only at what they had and what they needed so he could act accordingly. His hands were holding a much finer tea tray than the last time she’d seen him here, and if she had been paying attention she would have noticed that the whole establishment was improved. But Jin had homed in, steadfastly setting herself against distraction the moment she’d heard of his return.
Pacing right into his path, the tall boy almost went right around her on his way to the next table, leaving his eyes on the floor and where he should be going. It wasn’t until she pointed a finger at his face, just under his nose, that he blinked at her. His scarred eye failed to widen in surprise like his normal one did.
“You!” she said loudly. There were no doubt people were turning to look; that was good, she wanted them to know what she was doing, and what he had done. “I came here to tell you that I… I…”
The tea shop employee flinched. His lips thinned like he was ready for a tongue-lashing that he knew he deserved, but he wasn’t breaking away from her gaze. Jin was reminded of the quiet dignity she had previously admired in him, thought about what he must have gone through, and then felt her lower lip quiver. She’d come up with clever, incisive, correct things to use against him, but now they all seemed petty. Who was Jin to scold someone like him? Despite still being upset, she was now disappointed with herself, too, and felt her eyes growing wet. She pushed her fists together and spoke in more of a mumble than the yell she had been going for. “… really liked you, and you left without saying anything, and that wasn’t nice so, I’m mad. And you should apologize. So there.”
After a pause in which she noticed that he looked suitably ashamed of himself, “Li” talked back. “I’m sorry, some things came up, and we only just now got the chance to reopen the shop. I’ve been away in the country, so-”
“Oh, save it!” Jin cried, wringing her hands at his stupidity. “Everyone knows you’re really the Fire Lord!”
|