The next morning, Cul was at the balcony of her house, drinking coffee. She was sitting just beside the door with the blade on her side, watching the sunrise and looking at the garbage from Haku's apartment being collected.

'Hmm.. That's strange. I never thought Haku would change in just a snap,' she thought to herself, making a quick sip of her coffee. "A month ago she was drowning on problems, now she suddenly got interested in rebuilding her life.'

She looked at the truck and waved at the collectors. The truck left as Cul was looking at the magnificent sunrise in front of her house.

'Maybe she's just like the Earth, the sun sets and night crawls in it for a while but after all of the coldness and darkness, the sun chases down the dark; rising again in it's plains to bring hope and light back again.'

From her vantage, she saw Haku wearing some sort of a uniform: a cap, a collared shirt and skirt- all with blue and white stripes -and white boots, walking out of her unit at the second floor.

Haku gone down the old painted metal steps and making her way down with a noticeable change at her demeanor from last week. On every sound of her boot heel striking the cold steps was equaled by each second she was silent. The way she was looking at the concrete open space of the apartment units suggests that Haku was thinking of a thought  Cul can't even read.

Haku walked down close at the gutter, beside the asphalt road. She put her sight at the right like she was looking for something. After a satisfied moment of observing, she walked down the darkened path, going somewhere and holding the strap of the carrot bag with a fine grip.

Cul smiled. "Would you look at that lady... Haku is going somewhere early in the morning with a silly carrot bag."

Seven minutes after Haku had left the premises, her cup was already emptied, Cul saw her mobile phone rang from its place, resting at the small wooden table along with the potted Malaysian mum. She picked it up and looked who was calling over the phone.

"Get over here Crimson, I have an assignment for you.." the person on the other line said.

"Understood. On my way." she gravely said, looking far at the road's horizon, standing from her seat.

Upon receiving the call, she grabs her sword and her thick long coat that was clung loosely at the chair's back rest. She wore it with ease while walking out of the balcony and riding on her red and chrome streaked big bike.

Before she left, she puts on her sword belt running from her left shoulder down to her right side just below the elbow.

On the road, she was heading the same way Haku had gone so she thought she can catch up and maybe could talk a little bit on some things that was happening around.

Along the way, she saw Haku walking at the left side of the road, near the mountain embankment. She revved up the bike, then made a sudden slide stop in front of Haku. As the smoke clears, she looked at Haku and smiled.

"Need a ride, buddy?"

"Sure." she replied, smiling.

"Hop in!"

Haku gone close and rode at the back of the bike, being her legs spread out; a feet on each side, left and right.

Driving down early and given that the place was located at the mountainside, the light cool mist enshrouding the road near the seashore dampened the skin of the two, causing a chilly nostalgic atmosphere on the outskirts of Vocesai.

Along the way, Haku asked, "Where are you going Cul? And why drive too fast? Is it an emergency?"

She revs up the bike more. "Sanguine Dragon Bar. I need to talk to someone about upgrading my apartments."

After her response, Cul asked, "Where the heck will 'ya go? And why bring that silly carrot bag? Is it really needed there, this freaking early in the mornin'?"

"I'm working now." she replied after casting a smile on her face, feeling the mixed warmth and chill of the outskirt's morning had to offer to her.

Cul laughed. "HA! Workin' now! Whoa! That was a surprise."she said, then continued in serious tone. "Where in Vocesai, Hakii?"

"In the Supershack Store." she yelled. "And don't call me Hakii!"

Cul said, "Oh, good for 'ya then."

Soon the shop was visible from the distance. "I see it ... Hold on tight Haku..."

Eighty meters away, she made a sudden sharp stop, long streaks of burned rubber was etched at the road. Even if the asphalt was dark, the black curves that was drawn by Cul's wheel was still visibly recognizable.

Haku carefully gone down the bike and said, "Thanks Cul."

She smiled. "No problemo! I have things to take care off. I'll leave you there for a while."

"Safe travels, buddy."

Haku waived her hand as Cul was zooming off the road.

Before she could step any further, she builds up some confidence and made some short breaths to remove certain nervousness she feels, and when she was ready to return, Haku walks into the store.

Stepping back at the establishment as an employee and a new face of the store, she was welcomed by Gumi immediately.

"Welcome back!" she said, meeting her along the way, looking at her at any possible angle she could get. "Haku-San! You look great in our uniform!"

"Indeed Gumi!" Akiko said, looking at her from the counter.

"Thank you Gumi and Akiko!"

Kaito heard the two talking to Haku and decided to also welcome her at the store. "I'm thankful that you accepted our offer to work here."

Haku smiled. "I have no reason to refuse your kindness to me, so I have decided to accept it."

"So are you ready for your first day at work?"

Haku nodded and her first day at work began.

Kaito taught her the basics: how to operate the register, cleaning the aisles and assisting the customers.

Haku and the three worked hard and as the closing hours approaching, they made a last general cleaning before calling it a day.

All of them were at the front space of the shop, the blue roll-up panels were covering half of the opened glass door of the shop.

"So how was the first day?" Kaito asked.

"It's difficult, but I've managed to keep up." she said, a smile of accomplishment was seen at her face. "It was an amazing day."

"So Haku-San, I'm glad that you worked with us!" Gumi lively said.

"I'm grateful for having me here to work with you." Haku replied, looking back at Gumi.

Haku roamed her sight out the shop and noticed the poster in the glass panels. "You guys are hosting an event?"

"Yeah, we do event hosting. This year, the event is at Vocesai School. We're gonna serve great dishes, entertainment and activities for all the students and orphans  the school supports," Akiko explained.

"The event will start in four days so tomorrow we are closed and instead, buy materials in the district for the standees, tents and the stage." Kaito added.

"That would be a load of fun to go to the district!" Gumi beamed, making random dance around others.

"So Haku, if you could make here tomorrow afternoon, come here and we'll get the materials in the hardware first." Kaito said.

She shrugged. "Okay."

"Miss Haku, are you gonna go somewhere after this?" Akiko asked while looking at Haku that was looking far at the road's horizon.

"Yeah, at the Sanguine Dragon Bar" she replied, looking at the lighted lamp posts scattered at the side road.

"Whoa!" Kaito exclaimed, waving his hands in disagreement. "Wait, are you gonna drink again?"

"Nah. I'm just gonna check the landlady in my apartment there." Haku explained. "Don't worry Sir Kaito, I won't."

"Okay then." Kaito said.

"So what we can say then to you is goodnight and be careful on the road." Akiko said.

"Yeah, likely like that," Haku said. "But thanks for that. I appreciated it."

The three remained standing out in the store as Haku was walking away.

***

After several minutes, she arrived at the bar and went straight to the bar station. She sat down on a high stool at the left side, near the station's entry and scanned the entire place. She tried, yet she can't find Cul, not even her shadow can be seen in the population of the bar that night.

While Haku was looking far at the stage, the bar owner came out from the side door of the bar holding a long brown bottle. "Looking for someone? Cul perhaps?"

"Yeah." she replied, facing the attractive bar owner. "She said she went here to meet someone about her business."

She puts down the bottle on the rack and tossed some ice at the glass she picked below the table.

"But, from sun up until now, I haven't seen her here." she replied, Haku turned herself to see the performer at the stage.

"Where the heck did Cul go?" the puzzled Haku mumbled.

***

Meanwhile inside an office somewhere in Vocesai City, Cul approached the desk where a person was sitting, hidden in the shadows. The silhouette of it was there, the person sitting, poorly visible because of the dimmed lights of the large room.

Cul takes a few steps and halted few feet next to the desk. "Master, it is done."

"Great then. Well done." said the female voice. The female that was hidden in the shadows swayed her chair back and forth before grabbing a piece of turquoise envelope on her desk drawer. After it was pulled, her boss slides it across the desk towards Cul. "That is your next assignment. I want it done fast and smooth."

Cul gets the envelope and said:

"Yes, Master. I will."