The Sun peeked through the windows framing a muted world beyond, reflecting the soft glow within the dimly lit booth where two figures sat, their faces cast in contemplative shadows. Just as a heavy silence settled between them, the rhythmic creak of floorboards announced an approaching presence. A server, a phantom-like silhouette against the warm interior lights, drifted towards their table, a subtle inquiry etched on their face, ready to break the spell of their quiet communion.
The server approached their table, Ryan's gaze drifted past the woman's shoulder, his eyes scanning the café. That's when he saw a familiar face, he move a little bit to the side to get a good view of who it really was that he saw while seemingly attending to customers with practiced ease. But as their eyes caught a sight of Jeffrey, Ryan reacted with a sudden, almost imperceptible jolt. His server's demeanor shifted, his smile faltering for a fleeting instant before he swiftly backed away, disappearing behind the corner of the counter.
Ryan's instincts kicked in, his mind racing with possibilities. Had the he already been recognized by Jeffrey? The way he'd hastily retreated left the customers he was attending to confused , a burly man who noticed Ryan's reaction walked up to the customers to ease them then also walked up to Ryan, his gaze followed the Ryan's trajectory, where his eyes were lingering on and then stopped at the spot where the attending server had just left to take the orders from another table. The café's warm atmosphere seemed to cool, the air gradually thickening with tension.
The server approaching their table cleared her throat, breaking the spell. "Can I get you two anything else?" she asked, her voice a gentle intrusion on their private world.
Jefferey then half heartedly began to converse with the woman he was in same table with while his eyes scanned the servers around as it was the only option left on his agenda after he and his men routine visits.
Within the hushed embrace of the slow beat playing within the shadowed booth, Ryan was told by the burly man to go walking in the kitchen having fully knowledge of his situation. His gazes dawned towards Jeffery, the muted drama was about to unfold beyond the warm lights. The world outside, a tapestry of blurred vehicles and stoic palm silhouettes, offers a counterpoint to the intimate quietude within, where the gleam of a solitary glass catches the ambient light. It's a tableau of contemplation, where the urban pulse outside is observed from a tranquil, almost cinematic remove.
The server soon returned to Jeffery's table with a plate containing the ordered dishes along with a bottle of drink.
" Hey, you don't seem too interested coming here with me,do you?" The lady opposite Jeffery suddenly asked. Since earlier after the server left, his eyes had darted around the room even though he was giving her response while they discussed, she could tell that he didn't seem to invested in the evening they were spending together.
" Haha, it's nothing. I'm just admiring the design of this place...it's quite unexpected as it is usually a design seen in big cities" he responding trying to reassure her but that didn't work as she just chuckled and then left tell him to give her a call when he's ready to have a proper date with her.
The moment she left, the burly man walked over with a stern face, "don't want to be rude, but what have your eyes been dancing around?" He asked and when Jeffery tried to answer with an excuse, he was cut off his words by the burly man " you're making my staffs nervous man, so you can either just order and enjoy the meal or leave if you're feeling uncomfortable".
Jeffery sat perplexed by the whole thing but he couldn't do anything and judging from the way the man spoke to him, he guessed that was the owner of the restaurant he's in.
He ate the served dish and slowly exited still maintaining his probing eyes which moved along with each air he breath in. Just as he stepped out, a silhouette who happens to be one of Scott's boys pinged his phone to send update on Jeffery's moves.
Meanwhile inside the restaurant, the burly man walked to the kitchen and said, " don't always seem too obvious it's too embarrassing".
" Thank you sir, truly I'm grateful sir Benefactor" Ryan responded with a deep bow. The burly man was referred to as Sir Benefactor by everyone in the restaurant as he was someone who took in homeless teenagers and young adults then properly train them into capable servers. What was more about him was the fact that even the townhead also respects him not minding his cold demeanor.
The refered "Benefactor" walked into his office opposite the kitchen after he was sure that everyone was in the right state of mind to continue their respective roles. When the door was opened, two grils could be seen sitting on a large sofa playing with a big tabs. He sigh and closed the door behind him.
Also on the other end where Claire and Rein resided which was a salon, one of the soldiers walked in briskly
The afternoon sun slanted through the wide glass windows of Crispy, the newly remodeled salon that had quickly become the talk of the town. Ivory drapes swayed gently with the breeze that slipped through the slightly ajar door, and the smell of eucalyptus oil, fresh hair products, and faint vanilla diffusers hung in the air like a whispered luxury.
The interior gleamed with soft peach walls and rose-gold trimmings, ornate mirrors framed in art deco motifs catching the light and throwing it in diamond-like flickers across the room. Marble countertops shimmered under the glow of recessed lighting, and the low hum of hairdryers blended with the subtle jazz melodies trickling from overhead speakers. The clinking of tools, the occasional laughter, and polite chatter created a rhythm of controlled elegance.
A bell above the entrance gave a soft *ting*.
The door opened, and in walked a man whose presence immediately shifted the room's balance not by force, but by contrast. His military bearing was difficult to ignore, even dressed in civilian clothes. His shoulders were squared beneath a dark linen round neck shirt, and his boots carried the faint dust of the road. Broad-shouldered, clean-lined, his face was largely obscured by a full beard—a thick, coarse curtain of chestnut and gray. His hair was neatly cropped at the sides but tousled atop, hinting at weeks of fieldwork.
He took a slow, measured look around the salon. The clients, mostly women, turned subtly to glance at him. Some eyes lingered longer than they meant to. It wasn't just his appearance; it was the air of him. A man out of place, or perhaps, a man on a mission but quite different from the ones who had been littering the street the past few days or maybe it could just be an act.
At the back of the room, Claire, who was now a little tall about 5'6 tall, almond eyes with a curly deep brown hair and poised in her cream salon coat, exchanged a brief glance with Rein, who was adjusting a steamer over a customer's head. Claire tilted her head toward the stranger and gave Rein a knowing smile. "Yours," she mouthed silently, her amusement barely concealed.