It was a drizzling Saturday afternoon, and Aria had managed to gather 50,000 MD with the generous contributions of her friends, colleagues, and manager. This sum brought her immense relief, as it secured her college seat. Additionally, she was eagerly anticipating her long-awaited date with an individual she had met on a chatting app. Their real name and face remained a mystery, adding to her excitement for this first encounter. The only concern on her mind was ensuring she had enough funds for the date without relying on borrowed money from her friends.
The gentle rain had begun outside, setting a soothing ambiance. Aria and Cherry were bustling in the kitchen, preparing an order for a couple. The man who had placed the order had a special plan to propose to his girlfriend, entrusting a ring to the manager for placement in the girlfriend's boba tea. However, Aria and Cherry held differing opinions.
"I'm telling you, putting the ring in boba doesn't seem like a good idea," Aria expressed as she expertly crafted a burger.
"Girl, we should do what the customer has asked. Believe me, it's the worst idea to not do what they request," Cherry insisted, defending the unusual order.
The murmur of their debate had reached the manager's ears, prompting him to enter the kitchen. After listening to both arguments, he rendered the final verdict. "Do exactly what the customer has asked," the manager instructed.
With that, the debate between Aria and Cherry ended. In the next few minutes, the order was prepared—a set of chicken burgers, 2 trays of French fries, 1 soda, and 1 boba tea.
Aria and Cherry went to the counter with the order. Cherry pressed the bell and shouted, "Order number 33."
In a moment, a slightly plump man approached the counter. As he picked up his order, he inquired in a soft voice, "Have you put the ring in the boba tea as I asked?"
"Yes, sir," Cherry replied, her face beaming with a big smile, while Aria looked on disapprovingly from behind.
The man took the order and returned to his table, a broad smile on his face. He served a burger, a tray of fries, and the boba tea to his girlfriend before taking his seat across from her.
His girlfriend gazed at him with furrowed brows, puzzled by his unusual behavior, but she shrugged it off once he settled into his seat. Meanwhile, Aria, Cherry, and the other staff observed the unfolding scene from the counter.
A few moments after savoring a few bites of the burger and fries, the woman drew the cup of boba tea nearer and took a careful sip through the straw. Observing this, Cherry remarked, "Didn't I tell you? It's always best to follow the customer's request. She's using a straw, no risk of choking," standing alongside Aria.
As soon as she said that, the woman withdrew the straw from the boba tea cup and removed its lid, opting to drink directly from the cup. This unexpected act left every staff member at the counter frozen, their eyes widening. The man shared the same astonishment as the staff. Yet, unlike the others, Aria remained composed at the counter.
Soon, a moment of fear gripped everyone as the woman coughed faintly, indicating something was caught in her throat. It appeared she was choking. In a reflex, her boyfriend started to rise from his seat, and the staff prepared to leave the counter. However, the woman managed to calm herself, placing the tea cup back on the table. She resumed eating her fries, feeling something unusual in the tray as she took a few more. Pulling at it, she discovered the very ring the man had asked the manager to place in the boba tea.
Overwhelmed with joy, the woman's eyes glistened with tears as her boyfriend composed himself and looked at her. "Will you marry me?" he asked.
The woman rose from her seat, mirroring the man's excitement. They embraced each other, and the woman, her voice choked with emotion, responded, "Yes... Yes."
The entire restaurant erupted in applause, and the man acknowledged the staff members with a salute while still hugging his girlfriend.
Later, the man made his way to the counter, expressing his gratitude. "Thanks for not putting the ring in the tea. You saved me from a disaster."
"It was her idea to put it in the fries," Cherry chimed in, offering a smile as she looked at Aria in praise.
The man shifted his gaze to Aria and thanked her. He then took out some money from his wallet, placing it on the counter as a token of his appreciation.
"Thank you, Sir," echoed all the staff members present, smiling warmly.
Once the man departed, Cherry suggested, "I think Aria should keep this tip. After all, it was her who saved us from a disaster."
"Agreed," said Sasha.
"Agreed," said Harry.
"I can't take all of this," Aria hesitated, glancing at the tip.
"Harry and I didn't do anything on this order, so I don't think we have a claim over this to begin with," clarified Sasha.
"And I want you to take all the tip," Cherry insisted. "Consider this a token of gratitude for saving me from a potential bad day."
Relenting, Aria sighed. "Fine," she said, placing the tip in her pants pocket after counting it.
"How much was it?" asked Cherry.
"3,000," replied Aria.
Hearing that, Harry exclaimed, "That's probably the highest tip anyone has given here."
"And she deserves it," added Sasha.
Meanwhile, Cherry chimed in. "By the way, did you know she was going to drink directly from the cup?"
"Yes," replied Aria. "After all, they are one of our most frequent customers."
The entire staff was taken aback, not because they were frequent customers—they already knew that—but because Aria knew their eating habits.
Time passed, and the number of customers drastically decreased due to the heavy rain outside. The staff of Happy Burgers relaxed and chatted in the kitchen. Suddenly, they heard the bell on the main door, signaling a new arrival.
They all gathered at the counter to see who had ventured into the restaurant amidst the heavy rain.
It was a group of foreigners—three men in their late twenties. They shed their drenched raincoats, revealing tank tops, shorts, and shoes. Carrying a large trekking bag on their backs, they placed their luggage on a table and one of them approached the counter to place an order.
Swiftly, Sasha took over the counter, and the others returned to the kitchen. Harry grumbled, "Damn these guys for ruining a work-free day."
As the man reached the counter, he perused the menu while Sasha stood ready to take his order.