Half-Burnt Fireworks

Chapter.3

It all happened quite naturally. As the saying goes, "If you can, you can, and if you can't, you can't." Some things that seem challenging turn out to be much less so when you do them. Learning to drive and getting a driver's license, just like Liz learning to make pastries. After that, Nick didn't instruct her or tell her that once the car was fixed, she should go out and sell it. Perhaps he wanted to give her more time, or maybe he intended to show her another job before she made her choice. In Nick's view, it was always impolite to interfere in others' choices, and doing so could lead to unnecessary trouble. To make things easier and prevent Liz from blaming him, he used phrases like "if you wish" and "that's not a bad idea," which appeared to be full of approval but were essentially ambiguous. He quietly waited for the young girl who had fallen on hard times but was still trying to make it to make her decision.

Liz's response was straightforward, and she was the one who approached Nick to ask about the matter after their break. She had nothing—no money, no house, no car, a classic case of "the three no’s." As compensation, she had an abundance of energy and physical strength that left people amazed. So, working two jobs was not a problem, and even eight part-time jobs weren't out of the question if time allowed. After hearing her request, Nick couldn't help but sigh internally, "Youth is truly a wonderful thing." Then, he took her to find the manager during the least busy hours.

The manager seemed strangely excited when she saw Liz. If it weren't for the fact that her daughter had already started middle school, Nick might have thought she was a lesbian. Upon closer inspection, it didn't seem like a problem. Perhaps young, naive girls like Liz were particularly good at eliciting her maternal instincts, which might lead to feelings of protectiveness and affection. Nick wasn't a woman, so he couldn't quite grasp this sentiment. He just gave the woman a few sharp glances that led to her protesting indignantly. She said, "You're just a child yourself, without love or marriage. How could you understand the cuteness of a child?"

Nick recalled his time at the company, where there were also younger staff members. However, many of them were the mischievous and playful type, always causing him headaches. Even though he could guess afterward that these actions were driven by the idea of young people seeking attention, he still found himself constantly dealing with their messes all year round. He was grateful and relieved when they left. He realized that most young people were bound to be disliked.

Even if he himself fell into that category.

The manager dragged Nick to the side, indicating that it was interview time, and others would have to wait until later. Nick simply shrugged, grabbed a fashion magazine, and sat about six meters away, engrossed in flipping through it, occasionally checking his watch and glancing at luxury suits in the pages.

The interview was different from the traditional self-introduction and skills demonstration. This was, of course, due to Nick's prior communication with the manager. So, it mainly consisted of basic training, such as how to greet customers, how to handle payments, when to restock and place orders, and how to use various appliances in the store. The manager repeated these instructions patiently to Liz several times. Nick felt that her patience was not because of her personality but because she was afraid of losing an employee who had finally decided to join them. Finding a replacement would be troublesome, so she was very friendly to ensure that Liz felt appreciated and would stay.

After about fifteen minutes, it seemed like the discussion between the two women had concluded. Nick couldn't hear their conversation anymore and turned to look at the manager but didn't see Liz. The manager rushed over and took a seat in the chair next to him, eagerly discussing how talented Liz was and how well-mannered and good-looking she was. She chattered on, her voice rising and falling like the cicadas and flies in midsummer, or a group of ducks flapping their rough wings together. Nick rubbed his ears and asked her if she wanted some. She complained that he never listened to people and then smiled and said, "Of course you should take her. How could you not? It would be a waste not to."

The manager noticed that Nick's shoulders had slumped slightly, and she saw him turn his head and take a deep breath. She considered making fun of him but thought it would be too dull to reveal his embarrassment directly. Instead, she asked, "Don't you want to know where that girl went?"

Nick pondered for a moment. "She probably went to the restroom. She was nervous before leaving, and she drank quite a bit of water and soda."

The manager leaned in close, her face adopting an affectionate, flirtatious expression that Nick found annoying and uncomfortable. Nick had seen such expressions before on four other people: Henry, Kalen, Carolina, and Charles when he was so furious that he laughed. Judging by this, those memories from the past were not worth remembering and certainly did not bring happiness.

She considered mocking him, but she ultimately decided that revealing his embarrassment directly would be too boring. So, she asked, "You said there's no woman, didn't you? So, what is this?"

The manager was clearly being playful, and Nick was aware of that. But it would be impolite to respond harshly in her establishment, so Nick pretended not to understand and replied, "When did I say that?"

The manager, feigning surprise, said, "You don't want to know where that girl came from? Haven't you even asked her parents? You know, underage relationships can lead to prison."

Nick glared at her and told her that Liz was already nineteen years old and of legal age. He emphasized that their relationship was nothing more than a debtor and a creditor or an employee and a boss, at most just ordinary friends, albeit acquired by accident. Why bother with these baseless fantasies?

The manager at this point covered her mouth and pretended to be utterly shocked. She said, "I didn't know anything about this. Why do you know so much? Have you used illegal means to steal her personal information?"

Nick picked up a bottle of cold-brewed tea from a shelf, opened it, took a sip, and remained composed. "She told me herself. It came up incidentally while I was asking about other things."

The manager couldn't help but start laughing again.

"You see, if you don't trust people, they won't tell you anything, right?" She teased.

"You're being too frivolous," he retorted. "She shared her personal information with me, and I'm helping her survive in this godforsaken place. It's just a simple exchange of interests."

"Why do you always make kindness sound so strange?" The manager sighed. "No one would come and ask me for help unless they really needed it." She continued, "Some people talk big but don't take action."

"Oh, I told you the same thing a year ago," his fingertips lightly tapped the smooth plastic bottle. "Didn't you notice?"

"Notice what?" She looked up at the ceiling.

"Forget it," he said. "Let's not discuss it."

"Fair enough," she smiled. " She's definitely not in the restroom; she's still in the interview."

Nick raised an eyebrow and put his tea aside. "Didn't you say she passed? Why are you suddenly having second thoughts?"

"We should make it more official, don't you think? Just like how trees can't grow strong without enduring storms. The same goes for that girl," the manager turned his face to the left. "Before that, we need some real-world experience."

Then, they heard the soft sounds of soft-soled shoes walking over white tiles.

The sound was quiet, only limited to a small area. If you weren't paying close attention, you might easily overlook it. However, the owner of this sound was much more noticeable than the sound itself. She wore a black bowtie, a milky-white collar, and a navy-blue uniform. The combination created a sense of harmony and balance, highlighting the perfectly proportioned figure. The fair skin and a blush of red, perhaps due to shyness, made the person in front of them not only beautiful but also incredibly cute in appearance. Nick's eyes went from her hands, tangled together within her long white sleeves due to her nervousness, to her slender, long legs encased in black stockings. Then, the manager began to lecture her, criticizing the girl's choice of clothing, saying it was oversized and unattractive. She wondered aloud who had given her that outfit, and Nick thought, "I'm not saying."

He cleared his throat and thought it best not to say anything. He shifted his gaze to Liz and, without hesitation, said, "She looks good."

Liz blinked her eyes, her expression a mix of embarrassment and shyness, and she seemed like she was about to say something. However, the manager jumped in before her and asked, "How good-looking?"

This was a rather tricky question, and it seemed rather presumptuous for the manager to ask. But Liz, at this moment, was probably immersed in some form of delight that she couldn't fully comprehend herself. The manager thought that if Liz were to ask such a question, it would probably come off as sly or tricky. So, she decided to handle it, and after all, she was the one who enjoyed playful and fun things, especially those related to youth.

Nick pinched his chin and ignored the manager's teasing. After a moment of contemplation and Liz's slightly anxious silence, he wore an unusual hint of a smile.

— "It makes me want to sit here and wait for her to finish work."

The manager laughed again.

"Stop laughing," Nick scolded her. "You've been laughing since earlier. You haven't stopped. Do you have some sort of illness?"

"No, no, it's clearly a congratulations on success," the manager replied, trying to stifle her laughter. "Don't be angry, don't be angry." She covered her mouth, and her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Now that she can naturally showcase herself in front of customers, it's as if she's already halfway through the real test. Isn't that a reason to celebrate?"

She clapped her hands, first for Liz, then for the slightly disgruntled Nick. "The rest, we can practice on the way back home—customer service. Let's work together on it, okay?"

“...”

Liz didn't use the walk home as an opportunity to practice with Nick.

She walked behind Nick with her head down, seemingly feeling ashamed and frustrated for him seeing her in her unattractive work attire. Although the manager had claimed that this was the best-looking uniform in stock, Liz was taken aback by Nick's unexpected response. However, since his unusual reply, Liz found herself wrapped up in an inexplicable and indescribable emotion. It was a bit itchy and slightly bitter, but upon closer examination, there might even be a hint of sweetness. If her memory from before and now had not been mistaken, this was an entirely new and incredible feeling for her. She didn't resist it but, on the contrary, found herself unexpectedly fond of it, somewhat immersed in it, and a little enchanted.

To be honest, the manager hadn't told her much about the job itself. She seemed more interested in herself or, to put it differently, in the relationship between herself and Nick. However, it wasn't fair since she only had the right to answer questions in front of the manager, while the manager, regardless of how she inquired, never gave a direct answer about who Nick was. It was as if she herself didn't know the answer, and the only way to find out was through Liz's efforts.

Yes, Liz was curious about Nick, who had rescued her in her time of need and created a space for her to stay. She wanted to understand, to touch, and to find the answers to certain questions. But aside from that, there was a slight fondness that Liz hadn't quite admitted to herself. It wasn't much, and it might not be reduced, but it would probably grow over time. Was it because she saw a glimmer of hope that life could get better? Or did she anticipate that she might gradually become someone different, known only to him?

She hadn't yet come to a clear answer.

However, if the only thing left for her was to answer whether she'd be content continuing this way, whether she'd experience things she'd never had before, things she'd never known—then she'd probably say yes, trusting her intuition, which was tinged with an inexplicable feeling of longing.

An inexplicable encounter, an inexplicable life, an ever-changing, elusive ideal, a strange man, and herself, which had already become an unexplained part of it all. This kind of daily life seemed to continue extending into the future.

The two pairs of feet suddenly became fragile, and their shadows elongated, like an elastic band that wouldn't snap. Nick was in front, and Liz was behind. Liz had become the anchor, slowing down and almost vanishing into the light of the setting sun.

Nick, sensing something, turned around with a puzzled expression and softly called her.

— "Aren't you going back yet?"

Liz shook herself out of her wandering thoughts, and quickly replied, "Yes, I was just about to head back."

The elongated shadows of the two figures merged into one, and they seemed to have no interest in making that difficult and unfruitful distinction.

"When we get back, could you practice with me?" Liz slightly turned her face, allowing the red light and her blush to mingle. "The manager told me to ask you."

"Sure," he replied after a moment of contemplation. "If you're doing the dishwashing tonight..."

She finally saw a hint of leniency in his otherwise inscrutable eyes, something unobvious and deeply concealed. So, she finally let out a sigh of relief and quietly, as if she were about to speak all the words she had wanted to say to him since that day.

"Thank you."

Nick absentmindedly ruffled her hair, as if responding before speaking.

"No problem."