As Jazel was on her way home after searching for the address given to her by Vallante, she noticed a coffee shop and decided to stop by to pass the time.
Jazel sat quietly at a corner table inside a quaint coffee shop, sipping from a warm cup of latte as her eyes wandered aimlessly out the window. She was deep in thought, lost in a stream of memories and musings. Despite her quiet presence, she was impossible not to notice—elegant, poised, and strikingly beautiful. Murmurs filled the shop, and curious glances were thrown her way. Some whispered about her beauty. Others simply stared in admiration.
Suddenly, a young man began walking toward her. He looked hesitant, each step unsure, his eyes barely able to meet hers. Jazel subtly glanced toward a table at the back of the café—where the man had come from. Three other young men were seated there, laughing among themselves. A bet? she thought sharply, eyes narrowing toward the group.
"Excuse me, miss…" the guy finally said, his voice trembling. "Can I… can I have your number?"
She stared at him with quiet authority, reading his awkwardness, his fear. He couldn't even meet her gaze. Probably just playing a prank, she thought. "Give me your phone," she said plainly.
"H-Huh? Okay…" The guy handed it over as if in a trance, his face blank, like he couldn't believe what was happening. Jazel took the phone, quickly typed something in, and handed it back without a word. Her eyes never left his. She was breathtaking.
The man looked down, confused—and stunned. Her number was already saved.
He turned like a statue on a swivel and gave a thumbs up to his friends across the café.
"Wait, miss—why'd you give me your number?" he asked, stuttering. He still couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye.
"Do I need a reason?" she replied coldly. "I don't even use that number anymore."
The boy froze, humiliated. As he turned to return to his friends, his expression had shifted entirely. The excitement was gone, replaced by utter embarrassment. He walked back stiffly, lifeless, and sat down without saying a word.
"Well, John? Did she give you her number?" asked Renz eagerly.
"Isn't it obvious from my face?" John snapped, nearly in tears.
The three burst into laughter.
"This is your fault!" John exclaimed, glaring at them. "You told me I had a chance!"
"You won't know unless you try, right?" said Gerald gently, trying to comfort him. "It's okay if it didn't go as planned."
"Yeah," added Kent. "No need to be so down. It's not like—"
"She did give me her number, though," John interrupted, showing them the screen.
"WHAT?!" the three shouted in unison, shocked.
"Then why are you so sad?" Renz asked, puzzled.
"Yeah, you should be happy!" Kent and Gerald chimed in.
"Because…" John hesitated.
"Because what?" they asked in unison, now fully invested.
"If I tell you, promise you won't laugh."
"We promise," said Renz, bouncing with excitement.
John turned toward Gerald. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Gerald asked, suspicious.
"Never mind. I won't say it."
"C'mon! Pinky promise!" Gerald insisted.
"Ew, gross. What are you, five?" John grimaced.
Gerald's face scrunched in offense. "Say that again?"
Kent quickly intervened. "Whoa, chill! Let's not turn this into a fight."
Renz helped restrain Gerald, who was now steaming with annoyance.
"Fine," John said finally. "I'll tell you."
The group fell silent.
After John finished recounting everything that happened, the three burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"That's why you're sad?" Renz managed between laughs. "She gave you the number because she doesn't use it anymore?"
"That's tragic," Kent wheezed.
"Even I'd cry if that happened to me," Gerald added, now laughing too.
"You guys are the worst!" John yelled, red-faced from embarrassment. His voice echoed across the café.
Jazel, still seated at her corner, sighed. Those boys had been loud for far too long. So much for peace and quiet, she thought and stood up, about to walk over to scold them.
But before she could, a large, intimidating man approached the boys' table.
Meanwhile, a waitress hurried to Jazel. "Please stay seated, ma'am. Enjoy your coffee. Our manager will handle them."
"Oh. Alright," Jazel replied, surprised by the woman's tone and glanced again at the towering man. So he's the manager? He looks terrifying…
Back at the table, the manager glared at the four boys. His deep voice rumbled.
"You're being too loud. You're disturbing other customers."
"S-Sorry, sir. We'll leave now," Gerald said respectfully. The others bowed their heads in shame and followed.
As they began walking out, the manager called after them. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked, holding a coffee tray with four drinks.
"But… we only ordered two," Kent said, confused.
"The other two are on me. Consider it your punishment," the manager said bluntly.
They all bowed. "Thank you, sir."
"Don't forget to come back—if you ever want a peaceful atmosphere," the manager added with a smirk.
"We'll definitely come back," Gerald said with a polite smile.
Outside the café, night had fallen.
"Wait—how is it nighttime already?" John asked, looking up. "It was just 2:40 pm when we came here?"
"Maybe time flies when you're being dramatic," Renz teased.
"Maybe because you took an hour just to tell us she gave you a number she doesn't even use," Kent added.
"You're all pushing it now," John grumbled.
As they walked, their conversation shifted.
"That manager was surprisingly kind," Kent said.
"Yeah, considering how we disturbed the peace, he even gave us coffee," Gerald added.
"Well, if it wasn't for a certain someone, we wouldn't have been kicked out," Renz teased.
"You wanna go right now?" John challenged.
"I don't fight with people who have no brain," Renz said smugly.
And just like that, the two were bickering again.
Back inside the coffee shop, the manager stared out the window, a strange smile on his face. "They'll make a fine addition to my collection, right, dear?"
From the shadows, his wife emerged. Each of her steps creaked like wood. Her body was stiff—puppet-like, held together by strings.
"Y-yes… they will…" she muttered in a slow, chilling tone.
Back at Jazel's table, the manager returned with an offering of bread.
"Would you like some bread, ma'am?" he asked politely.
"No, thank you. I was just about to leave," she replied curtly.
As Jazel stepped out of the shop, she froze.
The dragon fly tattoo radiance is extremely bright. When she step outside
The sun was still out.
Earlier, inside the shop, it had already been sunset. But now… it was as bright as mid-afternoon.
She glanced at her phone.
Before entering, it had read 5:23 PM.
Now?
3:01 PM.
And she remembered—she had entered the café at exactly 3:00 PM.
Jazel stared at her screen in disbelief.
The coffee shop…
It hadn't just stolen her peace.
It had stolen time.