The next morning. Hurriedly, Vivian dressed herself in front of the mirror while continuing to look at herself. Once everything was ready, she immediately got up and left her house. In the morning, the city was already crowded with people going to work. The crowds on the streets made it difficult for her to move. Someone tried to board the bus with her. Finally, Vivian was sitting on the bus and was about to head to that place. People seemed busy with their own lives. And now she was surprised when there was a phone call. Quickly, Vivian immediately answered the call.
“Halo?”
“Excuse me, is this you, Miss Vivian?”
"Yes, this is true with me."
"Actually I want to apologize to you."
"Of?"
As soon as she realized what the person who had contacted her had said, she suddenly felt weak. The enthusiasm that had been etched within her vanished in an instant. Not long after, she got off the bus and sat around the bus stop, catching her breath. Several people were seen watching her, confused by what had happened to Vivian as they walked past. She, who already seemed very disappointed, now just sat there, pensive and staring at the phone in her hand. The crowd was getting louder. However, all of that meant nothing to her. The hope that had previously been etched, now only felt disappointed and wanted to leave this world.
“Gosh, this is driving me crazy,” Vivian muttered as she held her beautiful hair.
A few minutes earlier, a man had contacted her and told her they were canceling her employment contract. Vivian had signed the contract and had also conducted an online interview that evening. However, they had told her to start work today. She was excited and couldn't wait to resume work, which she hadn't done in almost a month. She was simply helping her family manage a shop, which wasn't her specialty. The joy that had come to her instantly vanished, leaving only pain. With nothing to do, Vivian, still sitting there, tried to find inner peace. Slowly, she got up from that spot and walked around the city. She arrived at a beautiful place. The view of the lake from the pedestrian's direction immediately relieved the stress that had now gripped her. Several people were also there, looking at the same view. Their faces looked so happy, unlike hers. The wind blew, giving her an extraordinary cool feeling. As she was walking slowly, she suddenly met a small child who looked sad.
“Excuse me, little lady,” Vivian said to the little girl. The girl turned to her with a gloomy face.
“Where are your friends? You're all alone.”
“I don't have any friends.”
"What?"
“I don't think anyone wants to be friends with me.”
“Don’t say that, maybe they’re just not that close yet.”
"That's right. They think I'm weird. Don't you see it too?" the boy said, then said something to her.
“Ah, isn't this a doll?”
“Wrong. This is a statue that looks like a doll.”
“I see. Quite interesting.”
“It's not just interesting, it's great.”
The child showed her a doll that was indeed quite strange. The doll turned out to be a shiny and quite unique statue. After a few minutes of talking with the child, Vivian immediately left and was now inside a cafe. The calm atmosphere smelled of coffee made her even more deeply saddened. When her order arrived, she politely thanked the waiter. The distinctive aroma of coffee made her feel at peace. A slice of cake provided the perfect combination to enjoy. Once again, Vivian checked her phone and found it only contained an unimportant message from an online shopping service.
'How is this?' thought Vivian
Her feelings still lingered, and she now looked exhausted. As she sat at a table near the window, a man from the ordering area watched her closely. Until finally, her order was ready. The man had only ordered a cold Americano. Seeing Vivian's incredibly beautiful face made him unable to look away. Vivian, realizing this, immediately glanced at him and stared at his face. Nervously, she immediately left the place. Now, Vivian was enjoying her alone time, eating chocolate cake.
“Wow, that's amazing.”
"It's so beautiful."
“How can you have such a perfect face?”
“I feel jealous.”
“Like a celebrity. No, I mean more than a celebrity.”
The whispers of people were clearly audible. Vivian, accustomed to it, remained silent, ignoring them. After growing bored, she left the place. The weather was beautiful. Now she was walking around the pedestrian street, browsing the windows of several fashion stores along the street. Several women were also seen looking at the clothes in the windows, seemingly captivated. She had been walking around this area for over two hours, and it seemed she still hadn't forgotten her previous disappointment.
“I guess I have to look for another job,” he muttered.
Vivian walked down a narrow alley and found a prominent place with a banner. Curious, she entered. A room led downstairs, and upon further exploration, it turned out to be a 24-hour bar. Upon entering, a bartender greeted her warmly while preparing a drink. Two customers were also seen chatting over drinks.
“Welcome, miss.”
"Ah, yes."
Vivian sat down in the chair directly in front of the bartender and watched him mix drinks. Without hesitation, she ordered a moderately strong drink. The atmosphere was quite relaxed compared to a typical bar. In fact, it felt more like a casual place.
"There's something I want to ask," Vivian said to the bartender in front of her.
“Yes, I will answer. Just say it.”
“It seems like this place is very popular among introverts.”
“That's true. But non-introverts often come here too.”
"Is it true?"
"Yes, of course."
“Hey, David, it’s time for me to work! Hey, hello,” said a woman who suddenly came in and scolded the bartender.
“Hello,” said Vivian.
"Wow, it turns out we have an extraordinary guest."
“You'd better lower your voice, Maria.”
"Ah, then I apologize. Before I do, let me introduce myself, I'm Maria, the bartender too," she said, shaking Vivian's hand.
“Vivian.”
"Pleased to meet you."
The two people standing before her were David and Maria, both bartenders. Their friendly smiles and pleasant conversational manner made them easy to befriend. That was what Vivian had in mind.