Vlad and I walk towards the crowd, pushing our way through until we spot a small child with a Doraemon cap, crying.
"Why is he crying..?" I ask, turning to the woman standing nearby.
"He can't find his parents.." the woman explained with a sigh. "We've asked him if he knew their phone numbers, then he just cried louder.."
I looked up at Vlad, concern evident in my voice, "Can we help him..?"
Vlad paused, thinking for a while, "I'm not sure...how do we reach his parents if he can't even tell their phone number..?"
"You're right.. maybe-" Before I could finish, the child's wails grew louder, drawing more attention from the crowd.
I sighed, glancing at Vlad, hoping for an idea.
Vlad slowly took a step forward, crouching down to meet the child's level, "Come with me, I'll help you find your parents." He said with a reassuring smile as he crouched down in front of the child to meet his height.
The child's sobs slowly grew quieter, he looked up at Vlad with teary eyes. "But..mummy said not to talk to strangers…" The boy muttered, sniffling.
Vlad chuckled at the kid's words, "Well, you've already talked to me, haven't you? Don't worry, I won't kidnap you. Not in front of all these people at least."
He gave the kid a wink, extending his hand toward the child with a playful grin.
The child hesitated for a moment, before slowly taking his hand. Vlad gently lifted him, allowing the boy to rest his head against his chest. The child wrapped his small arms around Vlad's neck, still sniffling, but beginning to slowly calm down.
Vlad reached for my hand, and we walked over to the fellow men that made the announcement earlier.
"This child is lost, could you make a small announcement please?" Vlad explained to the guys.
They nodded and turned their microphone on again.
"Important Announcement. If anyone has lost their child, please come over and retrieve your child."
Suddenly, a woman shouted at the stage, tears swelling up in her eyes, "Sam!"
The moment the woman's voice broke through the crowd, the little boy lifted his head. "Mummy!" he cried out, squirming in Vlad's arms.
Vlad gently placed the child down, and the boy rushed towards his mother, who knelt down with open arms, her face filled with relief and tears. They embraced tightly, the whole scene brought a warmth to my heart.
"What did I tell you about running off on your own! I…I almost thought I'd lost you…" The woman scolded Sam, holding back her tears.
She turned towards Vlad and bowed, "Thank you so much, I thought he had been kidnapped or..worse..!" She spoke with gratitude towards us.
"Meh, it's nothing, you know I'm just like that." Vlad responded, I could sense the boost of ego and pride in his voice.
I scoffed at his words, getting closer and whispering in his ear, "You're acting like you saved the whole world."
He chuckled at my words, whispering back, "Well, to them, I might as well have." Vlad replied, giving me a smirk.
The woman gently nudged her child, urging him to show appreciation. "C'mon, say thank you Mister."
The young child blushed, feeling a bit anxious. He slowly spoke up, looking up at Vlad with his innocent cute eyes.
"T-thank you..M-Mister.."
Vlad's eyes softened at the child's cuteness, a warm smile spreading across his face as he crouched down to the boy's level. "You're welcome. And remember, listen to your mummy from now on."
The woman thanked us again, the little boy shyly waved at us before leaving with his mother.
Vlad dramatically put a hand on his chest, letting out a soft gasp, "Woah, I think I just got baby fever."
I rolled my eyes, not even bothering to turn around, "You can keep that to yourself." I muttered, before walking off in front of him.
Vlad followed after me, chuckling at my reaction. "We could adopt a cute puppy at least! How about that?"
I raised an eyebrow at the idea, smirking. "That doesn't sound too bad."
Vlad crossed his arms with pride, his proud grin never leaving his face, "I'm full of great ideas, you see."
I let out a genuine laugh. From afar, he looked pretty scary, like he could kill you. But as I got to know him more, I realized he's a little puppy himself.
Vlad glanced at his watch, gazing at me with a soft expression. "It's pretty late..we should head home." Vlad suggested, his gaze still lingering on me.
"I agree, it's getting pretty boring-" Before I could finish, a loud bang from above made me jump.
"W-what was that!" I exclaimed, looking at Vlad to check his reaction, but when I turned to him, I noticed he was already staring up at the sky with a smile.
I followed him and looked up as well. The dark sky was suddenly illuminated with bursts of vibrant colors as fireworks exploded in dazzling patterns! Sparks of red, gold, and blue danced across the night, lighting up the world below.
My eyes widened at the breathtaking sight above, a smile effortlessly formed on my lips as I admired the fireworks lighting up the sky, "It's so pretty!" I giggled like a little girl in excitement.
Turning to look at Vlad, I found him already gazing at me with amusement, a soft smile on his lips. "It is indeed." he replied, his voice gentle, before looking back up at the sky, lost in the beauty of the moment.
I nodded, my excitement growing as the sky continued to light up and explode with colorful bursts.
People gathered around us, their eyes fixed on the sky in awe. Many of them pulled their phones out, capturing the moment.
(In the background)
Manager of the venue: "So some guy paid you a few bucks for launching that many fireworks in the sky?! You know those are for special concerts!"
Worker: "It wasn't just a few bucks! He paid me around…uh…it's in that bag.."
The manager scolds while opening the bag.
Manager of the venue: "I swear to god, John, you're getting this cut off of your paycheck-! Woah..what in the world..I-is this real?" The manager asked in shock as he picked up a bundle of cash.
Worker: "I-i told you! You better not deduct my pay!"
Manager of the venue: "Why didn't you tell me sooner, huh, John? C'mon, I was only teasing you..! By the way, we're sharing half right?"
The fireworks continued for a bit longer, each burst was followed by a loud crackling sound. The sky shimmered with cascading lights, before they slowly faded away into the darkness.
"That was so cool! I wish it would've lasted longer…" I say as the fireworks slowly fade away.
"Precious moments like these don't last for long. They go away pretty quickly." Vlad responded, wrapping an arm around me.
I leaned into his embrace, savoring the warmth of his presence as the fireworks continued to light up the sky. "Yeah, but I guess we should make the most of it while it lasts." I muttered quietly.
Vlad's arm tightened around me, pulling me in closer. "You're right," he murmured, his voice soft but sincere. "Let's make this moment last as long as we can."
Tonight felt quite different. I wished moments like these lasted longer, but I knew Vlad was right. Good things don't last forever.
Once the fireworks died down, I felt a strange sensation wash over me. Something was off...I felt like I was here before, but I shrugged it off, it's probably just deja Vu, right?