While Mrs. Bartolome and Cynthia were with Alicia and Millien, I was with Mr. Bartolome to tackle with the store he was offering last time.
We took the chance to do it before dinner since we had time, and he wanted to get to it sooner than later.
Inside his study, he offered me a seat and handed over documents for the store's blueprint, the leasing, and other necessities needed for it to possibly open.
And we had that talk.
Like, I was just nodding and asking it to be simplified.
We dealt with the crucial things first and my conditions when it opens.
Surprisingly, Mr. Bartolome agreed to everything.
The store would be physically open on by Saturdays.
We won't accept walk ins. And everyone should go through the website we made first. To set an appointment and give a summary to whatever the client needed to be investigated.
And it took hours.
Hours
Literally.
"Now that everything's settled, by next Saturday would be your first visit to the location. Cynthia will take you and your team there, while I'll handle the permits and other paperwork." Mr. Bartolome said, grinning.
"Thanks a lot. I didn't know it was this stressful opening a store. And it won't be an ordinary one since we will deal with paranormal investigations." I said stretching out an arm.
"I will let my tech team handle the website. There's a lot needed to be adjusted and added base on your needs." He added while closing his folder.
"Yeah. I'll tell everyone about it by Monday at school when I see them. Gino would be the one reacting badly against this, but he'll understand." I stood up and walked to the door.
"Let's go down to the dining room now. Dinner must be ready. Bet you're hungry from all those talk." Mr. Bartolome chuckled as he followed me on my way out of his study.
We headed towards the dining room where Millien was already seated at his own spot Mrs. Bartolome gave him. Cynthia was next to Alicia, while Mrs. Bartolome was on her usual spot.
Cynthia was already pouting, asking her mother to give back the eyeglasses, since she was wearing it all afternoon already.
"Mommy...my turn now. I want to see Millien and Alicia too." She grumbled.
"Hush baby, you always wear this at school, let me use them, just this time till our guests leaves." Mrs. Bartolome said, giving Millien a slice of apple in his plate.
And Millien?
He's loving the attention. He wasn't complaining at all on how full his plate was with different dishes.
On the other hand, Alicia was staring at the food but shook her head when Mrs. Bartolome was about to serve her some.
"I can't eat that. Can I have some cookies instead please?" She said softly.
Then we she saw me coming over, she jumped down from her chair and ran to me.
"Want some cookie for dinner Alicia?" I said already pulling out some from my pocket.
Just pretending I took it from there, but it was from the system.
Alicia took it happily abd munched on it
"Honey, you finally done with your talk with Anthony?" Mrs. Bartolome asked with a smile.
"Yes darling, it's already settled. Cynthia will be guiding their team next Saturday at the location." Mr. Bartolome said, as he sat down at the head of the table.
"Yes Mrs. Bartolome, the store will be done accordingly to what was discussed. It won't disrupt Cynthia's studies. I made sure of it. The team will just have to go to the store during Saturdays." I explained as Cynthia served me some *humba* on my plate.
I smiled at her and thanked her for tending to me. And I saw how Mr. and Mrs. Bartolome were looking at each other with that kind of expression, like they approve mine and Cynthia's closeness.
Once dinner was done, it wasn't long till we left the Bartolome's home with their driver taking us back, together with Alicia's toys an the back of the pickup.
When we reached home, our parents were in disbelief seeing the playhouse. Mother wasn't able to help herself and searched the exact playhouse online for the cost.
"Anthony, you sure they gave it to Alicia? Oh my god, it cost 23k." Mother gasped still trying to process it.
Even I was now dumbfounded. I know it would be expensive but not that kind of expensive.
And it was ridiculously big for our a-okay kind of house. Our living room wasn't that spacious to accommodate it, but father got better idead.
"We will put it inside Alicia's old room. We will remove the bed, take out the cabinets, and take them to the storage room, and the playhouse will be put inside." He explained, already imagining how he will work on it tomorrow.
That night, I shared to them how happy Alicia was, being able to explore the outside world again.
And how Millien kept eating the served food to the point if clearing everything that was served to them.
Millien even wasn't denying it and proudly said, it was rude to decline what was offered.
"Not that I'm having a bias here. Your mother still cooks the best." Millien said, quite defensively when my mother looked at him.
Alicia was laughing and imitating Millien's expression.
Till we all went to our room, and called it a day.
Or so I thought.
[MONTHLY COMBAT CHECKING WILL START.]
[HOST, PREPARE FOR TELEPORTATION....IN 3...2...1]
"Yawaaaa! What? I totally forgot about this. Right. It's already end of July. I should make a not in my-"
I wasn't able to finish my sentence when I got teleported into a forest.
Dark....very dark and creepy forest.
"What is it this time?" I asked already taking out my dagger.
[ELIMINATE 100 TIKBALANG IN 5 HOURS]
"Timed....what the hell? It's timed?!" I exclaimed with quite the shock.
[HOST, YOUR SYSTEM LEVEL IS 3 WHICH MEANS ALL COMBAT CHECKING WILL MATCH THE SYSTEM LEVEL. THE DIFFICULTY WILL RISE AS YOUR SYSTEM LEVEL DOES TOO.]
Crap!
And then...I could twigs snapping, footsteps....no....hops. was it?
I don't know. And I don't want to know who were making the noises.
But I have to, like always.
I turned around and that when I saw them...horse head, and human like body.
And these fellas, were already marked red.
"I'm so going to get kicked out of here. Literally."