Champagne_heart 's commission (characters and thumbnail) has been completed by me to finish this story.

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Sparkling Cookie runs a small shop called "Sparkling Juice Bar" on a quiet street in the heart of the Cookie Republic. The place is famous for its delicious non-alcoholic drinks and Sparkling's signature bright smile. Every evening, when other shops start to close, Sparkling's juice bar comes alive—customers stop by after work to sit, chat, and relax.

Sparkling loves his job. He enjoys listening to his customers' stories, offering kind words when they need advice, and practicing that perfect smile in front of the mirror every morning. But sometimes, after the crowd leaves, he wonders what it would be like to have someone who truly understands him stay behind, just to talk.

Herb is gentle and polite, but he's also a little shy and not very good at talking to people. Compared to noisy crowds, he prefers the company of his silent plants—at least they never make him nervous.

But one evening, things changed.

That day was unusually hot. The sun hung like a giant fireball, making the whole city wilt. Herb moved all his plants indoors early, but one of his favorite young sprouts still got scorched. Its leaves drooped sadly, and no amount of watering seemed to help.

Herb was frantic. He carried the little pot around the house, searching for a cooler spot. Then he remembered that quiet street and the juice bar that always glowed with warm light.

"They have air conditioning," Herb whispered to himself. "Maybe... maybe I could try."

He hesitated for a long time. The sun set. One by one, the shops on the street closed their doors. Finally, he gathered his courage, hugged the wilting little sprout, and headed toward Sparkling Juice Bar.

He didn't know if Sparkling would already be closed. He didn't know if he would be bothering him. But he knew—for this little plant—he had to try.