◥◣Cul's Apartment◥◣

Day two of the construction on her apartments went fine for Cul as the weather that rules Vocesai was clear, and the bright unobstructed light was flowing down all over the outskirts. Also, the progress of the event for Vocesai School is going smooth.

Inside Cul's old house, Haku didn't wear the store's uniform, as advised by Kaito, wearing her casual gray top and bell bottomed dark pants instead. Looking outside at the workers, she fixed her hair to a high ponytail. Since the clip of her ribbon was destroyed, she picked the fabric and straightened it up, to make it a long strip of alternating black and purple lines and ribbon-tied it at her hair. She left the two hair clips at the locker together with the uniform she wore yesterday, knowing that she can't own things that wasn't hers.

"Well Cul was really all over the place in remodelling the units. I wonder where she gets the cash in those upgrades." Haku thought to herself, walking towards the door of the house.

Pulling in the knob, she was greeted by the weak dry air that was prevailing that day. The striking light of the sun was making a warm touch at her skin as she was walking out in the open.

Walking at the cobbled path, she saw Cul at the balcony of her current home parallel to the old house of hers. She was standing at the rightmost corner of the shaded front house holding a goad - somewhat a piece of small wood for crown molding ceilings - pointed on some of the workers at the site, directing them to do some specific task.

Haku decided to talk to Cul first before going to the store. Approaching the landlady, Cul looked at her before Haku could land her white shoes at the wooden flooring.

She lowered the stick, her left hand was at her white shorts. "What was at your mind today to come here?" followed by a smile.

"Cul, I was wondering, how do you balance your multiple works in a day. It seems to me that you are somewhat never ran out of energy."

"You see Haku, in this fast paced business here at Vocesai, being slow was a thing of the past. If you don't act quickly and according to your environment, you will be left out at the open like a sitting duck. Being a busy lad like me, owning apartments and doing jobs at the main city every single day after several years of coping up, this kind of schedule that I was in was now only a child's play to me."

"Uh.. Okay.."

Cul made a suspicious look at her, tapping the stick against the wooden terrace railing, humming. "You want to ask something else, don't you Haku?"

She nodded. "I want to know how do you get that huge cash to fund the apartments you have. Its a little bit unrealistic if you only get the funds alone at them, especially when we all know that I am free of charge at the unit you gave me."

She smiled and made two small steps forward, still looking at her. "Like I said earlier, I am doing jobs at the city - that's where the cash really coming from. That's it. And hardwork, not to mention."

"Okay."

"Just tell me what do you want to ask... Okay? I won't bite Haku." Cul insisted to her.

After a moment, she speaks. "Do you know how to cook?"

"Of course Haku! I do cook. It may sound strange but I do Haku. I knew that you are stalling at me when you asked those questions." then she rested the stick at the railings and sat down at the chair, Haku followed. "Why would you ask? Is there anything I could help you?"

"Yeah... About an event.."

"On what?"

"A school event. At Vocesai School."

"When?"

"Tomorrow at ten."

"Ah.. I see, I see. Well, that is a tight one. So, what do you need from me in terms of cooking?"

"Could you help us there to prepare some dishes for the children there? I--"

Cul made a confused look at her. "Wa-wait, you are employed at the Supershack right?"

Haku nodded. "Yeah."

"When did school events came at the picture if you are working at the Supershack?"

"My boss Kaito said to me days ago that they were hosting events yearly and this year they want to do it at the school."

Cul made a satisfied look. "Ah... That makes sense indeed."

"And for the event, we have decided to cook some dishes for the school children and for the kids at the orphanage."

"Well, I could use this as a lead..." Cul thought to herself. "Uhm... Let me see Haku if I can cancel some of my schedules for today and if I made it, I will tell you."

"Will you go at the Supershack later?"

Cul shrugged. "Maybe... Just maybe."

Haku stands up. "At least the cooking problem was taken care off. I need to go now. Thanks Cul in advance for the help."

"It's fine. At least I can help you out on those." she also stands up and walked near the steps. "Wait, are you only gonna walk in this freaking hot weather?"

"Yeah." said she, walking towards Cul. "Can I borrow your umbrella there?"

She waived her hand in refusal. "You don't need umbrella Haku, I have a much better idea."

◥◣Kaito's Supershack◥◣

Upstairs, Kaito and Tei were at the kitchen sitting next to each other, Kaito was already done in grooming himself; wearing a collared cerulean shirt, steel-blue pants and his beloved scarf. She was serving Kaito some tofu curry at his plate with a smile.

"Tei, next time do not do that again! I can groom myself and joking about locking us in the bathroom gives me the creeps."

She looked at Kaito. "I'm sorry Kaito-kun! I promise I won't do that again. I just want to take care of you, thats why."

Kaito sighed, Tei serving him some rice at his plate. "Okay. Okay. Accepted." then taking a slice of tofu.

"Did you like the food?"

"Yeah. I'm surprised that you can cook this kind of dishes all by yourself."

She smiled. "I spent three months to learn cooking. And I knew that I will learn faster in cooking some tofu dishes so that's what I've practised. I said to myself, if I want to be a good wife to my Kaito-kun, I need to learn how to cook."

He made a short laugh. "You're joking right?"

"No."

"Oh.. You really determined to learn just for me.."

"Of course dear! Just. For. You!" then she picks up a glass and placed it at beside Kaito's plate. "Have you tried the chocolate mousse.. Here! It's tastes good with the tofu!"

"Thanks Tei."

Tei stands up, went at his right, placing her left hand at Kaito's right shoulder. "Just enjoy your meal there my Kaito-kun! I'll fix your room for the meantime okay!"

Kaito nodded to her while chewing the food at his mouth. After that, Tei left Kaito at the kitchen and went to his room.

❇ ❇ ❇

After several minutes, Cul and Haku arrived at the Supershack using Cul's bike. Going down at the back, Haku waived her hand at Gumi and Ritsu wherein that instance was near the backdoor together with the truck.

"Thanks Cul."

"No problemo, Haku! I'll drop by here later as soon as I fix my schedule for today and tomorrow."

Haku nodded.

"Okay then, I need to go back and have a safe day Haku!"

"You too Cul." she replied then walks towards Ritsu and Gumi.

Before leaving, Cul made a last look at Haku. At some point, her eyes caught Ritsu who was staring at her curiously like the entire time since she and Haku arrived. She made a lasting smile to Ritsu until she had turned her bike at the other side of the road and gone.

The image of Cul smiling left Ritsu staring still at the spot from where she left, somewhat remembering a person similar to her. He became silent as he was thinking and after a brief moment, he turned his attention at Haku.

"Hey! Haku!" said Ritsu.

She looked at him. "What?"

"Who the heck was that?"

"She is my landlady from where I'm currently staying."

"Ah." then he entered the driver's seat of his truck. "I thought...."

"I thought... what Ritsu?"

He hissed. "Uh..Nothing. Never mind." then he places his hands above the steering wheel, looking at a blank wall.

"Do we have all the things we needed?" Haku asked, looking at Gumi.

"Yup. All that's in the truck."

"Is Kaito will come with us at the school?"

"Yeah. You three will go there." said Gumi.

"You will stay here?"

"Exactly."

"Uh.. Okay. Is Kaito going down soon?" said Haku while going in the truck at the passenger seat.

"Yes, yes. Wait I'm gonna call him up. Maybe he's finished at taking breakfast---"

Haku made a confused look. "Breakfast? At ten in the morning?"

"I guess we all have different standards in taking our first meal and it happened that 'your' boss likes to take breakfast two hours before lunch." Ritsu said.

Gumi made a small smile. "Eh.. He's just too tired last night that's why he gone late again.."

"Just call him up there. We can't waste any more time in talking." He said.

"Okay." said Gumi, then she went in to the store's backdoor.

While waiting at Kaito, Haku asked, "Why Kaito?"

"Because I don't want Tei to go with us. She was mad at me and I believe that we won't finish any job today if Tei was like that the entire day. Being with your boss at the school was more safer than with Tei."

◥◣Cul's Apartment◥◣

The chromed bike of Cul was shining bright under the sun while it was parked in front of her house; the tank of it covered with her coat.

After helping Haku to go at the Supershack, she resumed in keeping an eye at her workers. Still holding a stick, she was pinpointing the things that must be done.

After two hours, she called the foreman.

While Cul was fixing her garter top, the foreman approached and bowed down.

"What's the progress of the construction today Dell?" she asked, looking at him.

"The flooring was already done and the adjustments are near completion. In the afternoon, we will push to finish the welding of metal beams and roof braces so we can place the roof."

"Good. The progress was impressive." she said while walking towards the front door of her house, then holds the knob.

"Thank you Miss Cul." Dell said.

She opened the door. "Have your lunch for a while and your workers there. And please bring me a carpet and place it here at my doorstep, understand?"

"Understood."

"Great. And one more thing.." then she pulls a piece of paper at her short's pocket and giving it at Dell. "Please do that. I want that to be done before sundown."

"As you wish." Dell said, Cul came in and completely closing the door, leaving the foreman at the balcony.