Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
As soon as I reach Northern Oraku, the streets begin to light up a little. It's still dim, but every few blocks or so, you get the occasional neon light and a clearer view of the sky.
There was an old Virastani belief about moon phases. The waxing crescent moon supposedly represents your hopes and wishes. As the sun starts moving closer to the new moon, the moon starts to become illuminated again. The crescent appears as less than a half, and then waxes and grows into a bigger moon. Just as the crescent gradually grows brighter with each passing night, so too does your wish.
I look at the moon and wish to see Hyun again to apologize in person. Then I take my wish back, realizing it was impossible, and instead, wish for his safety.
May the moon watch over you.
I stare at the moon for a few more seconds, before returning my attention to the road. Out here, in this quiet stretch, only one billboard still works. Usually, it's all flashy holograms advertising stuff. Tonight, it's Wanzu.
Wanzu is a popular alcoholic beverage in Teppen made from fermented rice and other grains. It's also my favorite alcoholic beverage, not because it's fancy but because it's cheap and does the job. Sometimes people like to get creative with their mixes, making the Wanzu taste like high end stuff. Not me though, I prefer to drink them straight out of the bottle.
Three bottles of Wanzu and I'm out like a light. Perfect for those nights when sleep just won't come.
As I get closer to the billboard, I glance up and see this hologram model promoting some grape-flavored Wanzu. She's stunning, almost too perfect. Her eyes are this violet color, and her nose looks perfectly sculpted. In a world where beauty is an oversaturated market, she stands out as something special.
I'm kind of mesmerized.
Yep, the Wanzu girl. Another reason why I drink Wanzu is so I could stare at her face on the bottle. Sometimes I wonder if she's AI generated cause she looked too good to be true.
At least, I hope she is. It would definitely make the nights I spent venting to her through the Wanzu bottle, a little less weird .
I turn towards the opposite side of the billboard. Across the street is Destination One: Oraku Noodle House. It's the only shop that's open in the entire area, right next to a flickering lamp post.
Right now, a warm seat and some noodles sound heavenly. I have a few Qin left before my next gig, and if I get lucky I'd have enough for a month.
A sudden gust of wind shoots through the empty streets like a band of motorcycles, nearly startling me. I take it as a cue to seek refuge. Adjusting my respirator, I shuffle across the road.
The interior of the noodle shop is nothing spectacular. The walls are a garish boring white with a shade of murk. Ripped posters are plastered everywhere, some of them even advertising TF teams. The tables are made of cheap plastic, while the chairs form a motley crew of colors and styles—a cream monobloc, a rusty stool, a green cofta. One chair even sports an office chair base with a tennis ball for a missing wheel.
