|Cul's Apartments|

Based on the colour of the sky, Cul knew it's almost six in the evening, she had an appointment to do at their master's building, several hours after she had received a text message. She was looking at the bats flying back and forth, ventured out from their darkened lairs, grouping themselves in a cannular manner while mixing in with the soft palettes of the zenith.

Hours gone past from her in giving instructions and keeping an eye in the renovations at her units, particularly at Haku's room.

Since the adjacent rooms next to her buddy's unit were also included in remodeling, the five tenants and all of their belongings were moved out and transferred on the second building of units just beside her home. Haku, on the other hand, was using her 'old' house she made to vacate years ago the moment her current house was completed.

The middle aged foreman approached the landlady, holding his hardhat and a rolled blueprint. "Miss Cul, what do you want us to do about the rooms?"

"I want you to make the area of the rooms larger than before. Raise the flooring of the first floor by one feet. Then, adjust the space of the floor to the ceiling by six— that should work out fine —and extend the space inside by thirty percent than the previous one— on all units. Including in your hit list is to recalibrate the roof of the second floor, it needs to be done right, I want you guys to put the header at the center so that it can withstand the weight of the roof. And for the paint job..."

"Yes, Miss Cul?" the foreman interrupts, the landlady was looking at the units.

"Use three shades of red as vivid as my eyes you could compare for the exterior walls. And for the interior, set a neutral color to it."

The foreman bowed down. "Yes Miss Cul. We will make those possible as fast as we could."

She walked down to the ground from her terrace and stopped just behind the foreman. "You need to make your work right. I don't want to see my apartment units look like strawberry cakes on a roof, okay? I am paying you and your workers the right amount so do your work as excellent as you can go, understand?"

With his raspy voice, the foreman answered. "Indeed, Miss Cul. We can't complain on your generosity to us. I promise to build your units in resemblance to your keen preferences and style."

Cul smiled and walked further towards her motorcycle. "Good. You're in charge in looking after them for the meantime, I'll be going somewhere. If I see something strange when I get back, expect your paychecks going down the drain. Now, get back to work and make me awe."

"Y-yes Miss. As you wish." he replied timidly, making a short bent of the body, watching the landlady storms off onto the road.

|Kaito's Supershack|

After the sun had descended and hid itself into the bottom of the vast Vocesai Sea, the evening at the Supershack became lively, not just because they're helping each other to make the customers inside the shop worry-free in selection, but also it was filled with strangeness.

"Well, that was... odd." Haku said, looking at Tei over the counter, arranging the aisle of condiments from where she was.

"We get used to it at her like that, perhaps a second ago." Gumi said with a slight exaggeration, helping her out by putting new ones from the box.

"How do I look Akiko?" Tei said cheerfully while getting the items from the customer, putting it in the counter.

Akiko computed the items. "You are similar to Kaito, I think?" She then clicks some buttons and accepted the payment of the customer.

"I know right?" she beamed, putting the items at the grocery bag.

Akiko gave the receipt and the change to the customer. Tei gave the grocery bag.

"Thank you very much in shopping here!" Akiko and Tei said lively, making a short bow at the same time. "Have a great evening sir."

The customer replied with a smile on his face while getting his purchases. By the time moment the customer had left, Akiko faced Tei.

"I think that's not bad for a beginner. You are good at this—"

Tei cut her off in a tone of grateful disbelief. "You think so!"

"Yes." she said, smiling.

While Tei was fired up on joy on Akiko's compliment, Gumi and Haku were done on the condiments area and now heading to the next aisle, the bread section, checking them for any damages or mold accumulation.

"I never seen Kaito around here since I came back a while ago." Haku said inspecting the French breads, Gumi following behind carrying the empty box. "Do you know why, Gumi?"

"A-bout... that...uhm..." she trailed uneasily with a silly smile. "You should see for yourself later, upstairs..."

Haku felt strange on Gumi's answer. "Uh... Okay." then removed a 'Cube-inspired' chocolate bread off the rack and dropped it at the box. "After this maybe, I should see him up there."

Gumi saw a customer across the aisle who needs assistance so she left Haku at the bread section with the box for a while, to deal with the breads that needed to be replaced.

|?????|

Upon reaching her destination, she stopped her bike at a certain building. The grand Teal Towers that bursts out its brilliance across the Central Vocesai area and nearly outshines the neighboring black monolithic infrastructures. Looking at the right wing of the twin towers, she looked at the top of it with sharp curiosity. She then parked her bike in front of the establishment and after she got off and made a taunting look at the entrance, she walked in straightaway, not letting a single more second to be drawn to waste.

Walking inside the tower, the place seems similarly like a regular contents of a building:  classy crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, elegant flooring with carpet of an intricately modern design and an inviting atmosphere which surely  draw attention on those persons who would come in the building.

Reaching the front of a metal door, she walked in an elevator and silently ascends up alone.

Inside, she was making herself presentable, looking for any dirt at her long dark coat and fixing some parts of her hair, concealing the sickness she had earlier that day. She looked up, watching the red numbers flashing bright on the dark screen that change overtime.

Seventy-six, seventy-nine, and the numbers were still rising up until it reached its capacity, ninety-ninth floor. On the sound of the elevator cueing its passengers, it was opened strangely smooth. Cul walked out and heads to the only room which was present at that floor, walking down along a red carpet on a long corridor of the said level.

She remained silent and maintained her strong demeanor on her way to her master's office.

Opening the door, she found her master standing with her hands at her back, overlooking the magnificent night sky of the city.

Moving forward, she stopped as her master heard the eleventh sound of Cul's heel striking the floor and calling her by her alias.

Her master turned slowly to see her, wearing a questionable smile. "Good to have you here, Miss Crimson. I thought you are unable to go here."

She rested her left hand on her sword handle. "I can't miss any appointment I have. I am Crimson. I do all my schedules done and in order, so if you called me, expect to see me here no matter what."

Her master opened her desk drawer and pulled out a black card. "Well then Crimson. If that's the case, let's proceed to the real thing here." her master said, hurling the card directly at Cul's face.

She caught the card using only her two fingers, merely an inch before it hits her forehead. She made a strong look at it and put the card at her coat's right pocket.

Her master continued to speak. "That's your next target, Crimson. I want you to finish it as soon as possible. I will have a busy week ahead and I don't want it to be ruined more by that problem."

"Understood." she said, bowing down, then turning her sight to the door.

Before she exits the dim-lighted room, her master said some 'friendly' words to her.

"Goodbye Crimson and stay safe.." her master said, manifesting a wicked smile as Cul was walking out, then shutting the door.

|Kaito's Supershack|

Upstairs, Haku was in great surprise when she had found Kaito.

"Sir— Kaito?" Haku said, looking at him with a flinching brow. "Why are you wearing those? I thought Tei was wearing your.... spare clothes."

"Uh..." he uneasily said, pulling down his skirt slightly. "I was dared .... How can I refuse to her."

"Oh." she just said, awkwardly  looking at him, starting to think things about Kaito. "So, that means she dared you to switch clothes?"

"Yes." Kaito nodded in embarrassment. "I have to do it."

"I guess when you're really into her, you will do anything, won't you?"

Then Tei gone up, still wearing Kaito's clothes, dashed blissfully towards Kaito. "My Tei, my lovely Tei!" she said to him, embracing him tight. "You really are beautiful in my eyes!"

"Eh?" Haku mumbled, completely surprised on what they were doing. She cleared her throat and 'interrupted' the two. "Would you mind?"

Kaito held down Tei's hands and both of them sat down the couch, Haku followed. Even if the embarrassment was all over Kaito's face seeing him by his three employees dressed in Tei's clothes, he kept calm and talked normally.

"We will have a talk about the upcoming event at Vocesai School after the store closes so you have to stay here a little late."

Tei smiled while her head was leaned on Kaito's shoulder. Haku agreed on staying late at the store.

"Fine, its okay for me to stay a little late. I have nothing to do when I got home anyway."

"Good." Kaito said.