|Sanguine Dragon Bar, Vocesai City|

The bar owner was busy serving customers as the night rolls. Haku couldn't wait Cul so she decided to go home instead. An hour passed after Haku's departure, a motorbike was heard by the owner, it stopped in front of the establishment and she was waiting for her arrival.

"So how's the night?" Cul asked while approaching the bar owner.

"Still young and alive, as always." she said, then slides down the beer to Cul while looking at the stage. "Haku was here a while ago. She said that you went here to do business with someone."

Cul drank half glass then puts her right hand inside her coat's pocket.

"Yeah. I do have business to do here Meiko."

"So, it's not for the person that Haku had told me then..." the bar owner said in a descending voice.

"Yeah, exactly." she replied while lifting the turquoise envelope from her pocket, placing it flat to the long wooden bar tabletop. "It is for us, Miss Vermilion."

Meiko grinned. "At last, Master had given me another assignment. I wonder whose life would be pawned by me?"

Before she continued the conversation, Meiko faced the patrons with enthusiasm.

"Let's give this evening a wonderful time! Let's fire it up fellas!" she shouted.

After addressing herself at her patrons, she flicked a seal brown colored switch at the side of her bar station. When the new upbeat music had started to blast the entire pub through the linear black speakers that were attached at several areas of the establishment, the cheering and spirits of the drunk population had spread out quickly like a wildfires on a deserted landscape.

When the music had been taken care of, she draws her attention again at Cul. She placed her index finger slowly at the edge of the sealed envelope.

"Can I ask you a favor 'bout this one?" Cul gravely said, looking Meiko eye to eye, still her finger pressed down on the envelope.

"Sure, Crimson." Meiko said, Cul draws her glance at her glass. "If that's the key to keep you out of this. I won't mind."

"I need to fix things up at my apartments." she said, looking at the tilted empty glass, spinning it to and fro under his finger like it was dancing with the beat.

Meiko smiled. "Okay then." She then she tried to swipe the envelope away under Cul's finger. "Give me the envelope..."

Cul let go of the letter after several times of resisting. "Don't be mad at me Vermilion, I'm just playing with you."

"Oh, the night is still young but you're like drunk too early!" Meiko joked to her while she's hiding the envelope under the table.

The night went on at the bar filled with restless patrons having their great time. They were flipping tables, skirmishes amongst them and some weird dance offs. All of the chaos and fight that was happening the entire happy hour didn't bother Meiko herself.

Instead of her getting mad at them, having fight and fun was the rule of the pub, she even encourages some patrons to engage into one. Fights were allowed, but not destroying any of her properties inside or out. And if such incidents happened, Meiko mostly accepts compensation, sometimes their lives.

After several hours and bottles, Cul left the bar and drove back to her house with ease.

***

The next morning at the apartments, Haku was taking her breakfast. She was at the kitchen, sitting along near the square table with a cup of coffee while looking at the view outside the hexagonal glass window.

The silent morning was broken when she heard footsteps from the doorstep, she noticed someone went through the front door, walking towards her direction.

She ignored it and continued her meal. She was about to stand then turn when a familiar voice was heard.

"Good day, Haku!" the voice lively said.

Haku smiled and attempted to face the person but she was halted by her, holding her shoulders from behind.

"What kind of liquor you had last night that make you come here at this little ugly place of mine?"

"I came here to fix your little ugly unit." she replied, walking in front of Haku holding the katana at her right hand.

Haku sensed some suspicion on the titanium sword and by the manner Cul was holding her weapon, she felt like she knew what was gonna happen next.

"Cul, I am thinking of the same thing. I need to replace all the rotten parts of the unit and remove the smell of liquor lingering here..."

"That's great then. At least you really knew my language even I am silent." Cul said, smiling.

"Really! B--"

"Now we'll start in removing outdated furniture!" she furiously said, slashing the worn wooden table in half then catching the coffee cup, half-filled, at the end of her sword.

Haku smiled and lifted the cup, looking at Cul. "We'll start then, my landlady."

Haku went to her room and picked up a three feet composite gray mallet. The large hammer had simple geometric designs and the head of it looks solidly tough as a chunk of steel.

Returning at the kitchen with the mallet at hand, Haku smiled. "So my landlady, shall we start?"

Piece by piece, the cabinets, table and chair were all going out of the unit including some of the things left untouched nor repaired for a long time such as the bed and the closet. They gutted out the walls and removed the liquor-smelling plain green wallpaper, torn the green carpet stained with all sorts of junk and spilled saké. Last on their hit list was to remove the wood divisions of the unit.

The dense dust was visibly floating across the emptied wall cavities and the entire room itself, being flown out of the window. Haku and Cul were standing next to each other, taking a short rest after all of the rampage they had done.

Cul made a smile and looked at Haku. "Can you remember when was the last time we did this? That time where we are together freely as buddies, as friends."

Haku rested the mallet on her left shoulder.

"Yeah, I still remember. Those were the best days of our lives. Those times that we are having fun together not just inside the drinking premises but also in making... and destroying things with you." Haku said, she then closed her eyes and slowly took a breath. "Anyway Cul, why did you decided to renovate my unit? I know, you can't return your investment on my unit because you are not charging me for anything like rent, water and electricity."

"I know it at the first place," she confessed while walking towards the front wall of the unit. "But what is the value of money if it can't make you laugh; can't make you accompanied at good and bad times; can't talk 'bout problems and experiences, and the most important of all: it can't drink with 'ya. So screw the cost of renovations if I am making the renovation for my buddy, my drinking buddy- my dearest childhood friend."

"Thank you very much Cul." Haku just said in gladness, Cul just smiled back at her.

With her weapon, she made a hexagonal cut in the wall by a series of powerful slashes and afterwards, she returned her katana at its holster. "Now the gutting of your unit is done. We can call for the supplies then."

Cul gets her phone and dialled the hardware store, then tossing the phone gently to Haku.

Haku talked to the person on the other line to deliver the construction supplies needed. She moved at the kitchen, facing the window, and away from Cul.

While she was busy talking, Cul pushed the hexagon cutout she made for the window. She pushed it outwards and before it was removed completely, a faded photo glides down from the cavity of the wall cutout, landing softly in front of Cul's feet.

When she saw the image, she was surprised. She picked it up and when she glanced at it, she recalled something.

'I think I've seen this photo somewhere....' she thought.

She may show the photo to Haku, but at that particular time of her doubt and curiosity, keeping the photo away from her knowledge was the best option so Cul hid the photo in her coat's pocket before Haku could saw her.

"Hey Cul, it's done. The delivery will come in the afternoon." she said as she turned to face Cul when in that point was still standing in front of the newly holed wall.

Cul didn't respond for several seconds.

"Oh, right... Great then. Throw back the phone to me, Haku." she replied, responding like she was out of herself.

"Are you okay Cul?"

"Of course I am! Throw the phone."

Haku tossed the phone back and Cul catches it even if she was not looking. Without any further word, she walked out the door, Haku followed her.

"We'll have a break for now while we wait for the materials to come. If you're gonna go somewhere else today, go now. I can handle this one up." Cul guaranteed to her.

"Okay, If that is what you want, then I will."

Haku returned to her room to remove the smaller debris. She dragged the planks outside the window and when she was finished, she cleaned herself up. Afterwards, she walked outside her unit holding the mallet while looking at the road.