The cab rattled through Feng Mo's streets, Lila bouncing in her seat like a hyperactive sparrow.
Vice slumped beside her, nursing a coffee and the lingering exhaustion of his Trauma Centre grind.
His first official leave, it had barely been a few days into his employment at Bao Hospital, yet it had come fast, earned through blood, sweat, and the system's traits that kept him steady when the world spun out.
Now here he was, dragged into Lila's orbit before the sun even peeked over the skyline, his lone pair of sneakers, scuffed and peeling, kicking at the cab floor.
"So," Lila said, jabbing her phone at him, its cracked screen flickering like a dying firefly, "you trended for, like, twelve hours and then, poof! Gone."
"No follow-up video, on accident." She winked, her leg jittering a frantic tap-tap-tap against the sticky vinyl. "No thirst traps, nothing. Do you have any idea how many followers I could've milked from you?"
Vice sipped his coffee, the bitter warmth cutting through the morning chill.
"I was busy. Saving lives. Remember?" He exhaled, fogging the window. "Besides, social media's not my thing."
"Ugh, boring." Lila flicked his ear, her hands trembling as she clutched her phone tighter.
"Next time you pull some hero stunt, I'm posting the clip. My caption? 'My cousin, the hot doctor, is also single, ladies!' Hashtag viral, baby." Her grin was wild, but her knee kept bouncing, nails digging into her skirt.
Vice eyed her twitchy fingers. "You're nervous."
"What? Me? No. Pfft." She flipped her hair, then immediately fumbled her phone, catching it mid-drop.
"Okay, maybe a little. This audition could land me in the Hansang Ballet Orchestra. The orchestra, Vice. Paris tours, fancy gowns, the works!" Her voice hit a squeaky peak, and the cab swerved as the driver shot her a look.
It hit a pothole next, jolting them both.
Lila yelped, her phone flying again. It landed with a crack, screen splintering worsening.
She groaned, snatching it up. "Perfect. Now I'm auditioning with a zombie phone."
Vice scooped it from her lap, smirking. "Thought you were saving for that new iPhone? Weren't you advertising for some overseas company again?"
"I was," she grumbled, "until Kai's 'emergency food fund' ate my promo cash. College boys and their ramen obsessions. They eat it up like beasts." She sighed, then perked up, leg still tapping.
"But after today? Brand deals, baby! I'm getting that phone with the camera that makes me look like a K-drama queen."
Vice smiled faintly. 'If she makes it,' he thought, the unspoken weight hanging between them like a ghost.
***
Feng Mo Arts Hall loomed at 7:03 a.m., its marble steps gleaming under the gray dawn.
Lila bolted out, nearly tripping over her own feet, and waved over her shoulder. "Save seats for Mom, Dad, and Kai! And clap loud!"
Vice nodded, watching her vanish inside to prep – six hours early, because of course she was.
He fumbled his wallet, peeling out a crumpled Hansang dollar for the driver, the leather creaking as he slid out.
'Six hours to kill,' he thought, glancing at his near-empty wallet. 'Can't wait for that to change.'
His eyes drifted to a shiny pickup parked nearby, its chrome glinting like a promise.
'Dad'd love that for the workshop,' he mused, then shook it off, planting himself on a bench to wait.
His family's beat-up SUV coughed its way up at 11:45 a.m., smoke puffing from the tailpipe like an old man's wheeze.
The door creaked open, and Mei Xong launched herself at him, her tennis whistle jangling. "Goodness gracious!" She pinched his cheeks hard enough to leave marks. "You've gotten thinner! Are they starving you at that hospital?"
"Mom, I'm fine—" Vice squirmed, but she was relentless.
"Fine? You look like a noodle left out too long!" She whirled to Han, who was climbing out, wiping his glasses on his flannel. "Han, look at your son! Did you teach him nothing about keeping meat on his bones?"
Han grunted, adjusting his pencil behind his ear. "Boy's got a doctor's spine now. That's worth more than bulk." He squinted at Vice's sneakers, the soles practically waving goodbye. "Though a second pair wouldn't kill ya."
Kai slunk out next, hoodie sagging, smirking like he'd just won a bet. "Nice kicks, Dr. Trendy. You look like you've been wrestling death and losing."
'Maybe I should have accepted more money from mom and dad to see what you'd have looked like.' Vice thought not regretting his choice to handle most of his financial Needs with his previous per time job pays.
"Thanks for the love," Vice shot back, rolling his eyes. Before Kai could jab again, a throat cleared, and a girl: Yuna, stepped out from the SUV's back.
All polite smiles and athletic poise. Her ponytail bounced as she clutched a ticket stub, offering a shy wave.
"Hi. Your mom invited me. I've, uh, heard a lot about you."
Vice blinked, caught off guard. "...Hi?"
He suddenly remembered his mom solitary text on the family group chat. 'Oh no.' he thought in dismay.
Mei beamed, clapping her hands. "Yuna's a dental student! And she loves ballet! When you said you'd be here, Vice, I admit I found it hard to believe. Thank God I told Yuna to come with us!"
Kai mouthed "Run" behind her, and Vice shot him a glare.
'What sin have I committed.'he thought at the heavens for this situation.
The next few hours were a whirlwind of family chaos. They tracked Lila down backstage, her hands still shaky as she paced, muttering about pirouettes.
"You're all here!" she squealed, tackling Vice in a hug that nearly spilled his coffee.
Vice distinctively remembered both of them heading out earlier that morning, he shook his head at her nervous behaviour.
She then roped in Han, Mei, and Kai. "I was freaking out, but you guys… you're my squad!" Her eyes lingered on Vice, gratitude shining through her nerves. "Especially you."
Vice smiled lightly, happy he could be here with her, it made him feel more happy and thankful to the system. Would he have more days like these, spent with his family and saving people, with advancing skills? He suddenly felt hopeful of the future.
Mei and Yuna peeled off after that, chattering about the hall's chandeliers like they were plotting a heist, while Han, Vice, and Kai stuck together, Han grumbling about the "uppity crowd" in their suits.
Vice caught Lila's eye as she darted off to warm up, her smile wide but her hands still twitching. 'She's got this,' he thought, a quiet pride settling in.