Snippets of Another Life 🔹 One-shots & Drabbles

A Dial to Remember 🎶 ORIA

"Look out!" Yelled a woman's voice--interrupting his inner monologue--as she pushed through some people. Her warning to the man did nothing to her dismay, however, as he only managed to look up at her before she tripped, bumped and fell onto the man in question. Paperworks flew everywhere around them as dizziness attacked the poor man's head. His vision blurred, trying to register what happened.

The lady in red quickly got up, and gasped as she realized that she had practically knocked down such a poor man. "O-Oh my goodness, I'm truly sorry!" She apologetically said. "Oh, here, let me help you up."

She helped the man get up from his position while the man tried to recover from the impact. "Ow, shit." He hissed in pain, with his brain still adjusting to his position whilst identifying the face of the woman. "Thanks lady, but I think I'll be fine."

"You don't seem fine at all," she commented back. "Your body is detoriating, sir. I'll take you out to some food to help you survive a few more days."

Wow, such generosity, the man thought to himself, partially in sarcasm. "You sure you wanna treat me to dinner, sweet cheeks? Because everyone else rejected me as if I'm a waste of time and money. I don't blame them though, heh."

"I have some money to spare," replied the lady in red as she picked up her papers and placed them all in her file case. "Now, come on. I know a good place. Let me help you."

• • •

The next thing he knew, he was standing in front of a Chinese fast food chain. The large, glass windows displayed the inside of the restaurant, which was filled with people sitting on certain booths and chairs with corresponding tables. Above the entry door was a luminous sign that read, "Royal Cuisine."

"Wow, sounds kinda fancy." He commented with a chuckle. "Then again, I haven't eaten in months, much less gone to a restaurant."

The lady in red smiled to him as she opened the door. "Well, today's your lucky day, sir."

The poor man beside her widened his eyes in disbelief. "You're serious about what you said?" He asked, stupefied. "I really thought you were just joking."

She only chuckled as she ushered him inside while opening the doors. "I wasn't joking, good sir," she replied with a geniune smile. "Now, come in. Let's eat!"

• • •

The lady in red, who had revealed her name to be "Miss Autumn," had chosen a table for two somewhere that isn't too far from the exit. The table wasn't located around a crowd, though, so it was still quite accessible. She had ordered herself a bowl of wanton mami to the passing waiter, and for the ever-famished man, a big bowl of chao fan.

The poor man shook his head for the enth time in disbelief. "I still can't believe that you're actually giving me food," he said with a sad smile. "Not unless if you're looking for something in return, of course. That, I can understand, but sadly I have nothing to give you."

"I'm not doing this to have anything in return," Autumn replied. "In fact, I might actually consider taking you home with me."

He snorted at the statement. "I wouldn't do that with a poor man I just met, sweet cheeks. It's probably more... 'socially acceptable' if you leave me after all this."

"...I suppose I'll contemplate on that."

The waiter had finally arrived with their ordered food (well, Autumn chose for the man). Autumn's bowl was filled with steaming hot soup, added with delightful noodles, some cabbage, and two pieces of dimsum known as "siomai." The man's bowl, however, was filled with lots of fried rice, with bits of meat here and there, along with some spices and vegetables. The man almost wanted to deny the delicious food given to him, but his stomach grumbled in response to the desire to eat. The lady in red merely chuckled at this as she said to him, "You really should eat."