Magic of Arteria Volume 1. Eden Arc

Chapter Fourteen

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After the short talk, we continued eating soundlessly, other than Hikari, there was not one of us who made a noise. The meals tasted bland, it might have been my taste buds, but it tasted nothing as I had expected; the other two weren’t complaining though, rather they liked it more.

 

As I was chewing my crisp taco, Alina without any notice asked a question while chewing on a chicken dipped with gravy, “Do you have a shop in mind to buy Hikari’s uniforms?”

 

I was surprised by the sudden question and on impulse, choked on the taco; my throat was blocked, it felt hard to breathe. I looked around the table for some drinks, before grabbing Alina’s cup of chocolate milk and chugging empty.

 

The chocolate milk tasted too sweet for my tastes, I felt like puking it all out; it was cold, that was a plus… but the sweetness was outrageous, it tasted like two large cups of sugar dipped straight into the cup! Horrendous!

 

“How are you fine with drinking such a sweet drink?!” I complained while placing the cup onto the table as I sighed in exhaustion, my stomach was having a bad day. “It’s not that sweet, rather you have been drinking too much coffee these days…”

 

“I admit I drank too much coffee, but… whatever! Anyways, I do have one shop in mind for her uniforms; remember that shop beside Almon’s Coffee, the one that produces a lot of quality clothes?” I said while sipping on some cold water from a tumbler on my bag.

 

Slicing a piece of her chicken, and stabbing the sliced piece with her fork, she looked and me while taking a bite of the stabbed piece, nodding as she replied, “Ywu mewn tha-t wan thwt mewd owrs?”

 

“Uhh… yes, the one that made our uniforms… also, please do not talk while chewing on something, that is bad manners… you know?” I said while frowning my eyebrows as she shook her head, “Sorry! Anyway, that would seem like the best option… though, how many do you think we should have made for her?”

 

Placing the tumbler back into my bag, I took a bite out of my taco once more while looking at Hikari, who was playing on Alina’s phone with no respect whatsoever, no ethics and no manners, considering it is Hikari, she should be able to dirty her uniforms within an hour… I mean the ketchup from her meals is already on her dress.

 

“I’d say about ten to fourteen uniforms would be enough, she is, after all, careless and who knows how many times she would dirty her uniform. Though, having Leah with her would reassure me a little bit, but still for emergency purposes… I think it would be best to go with ten to fourteen,” I replied as Alina nodded.

 

“I haven’t met this Leah girl yet, but from the times Hikari talked about her, and from that time you told me about her… I think she could restrain Hikari at least a little bit, though Hikari, herself is a smart girl… I say nine would be enough?” she said while brushing away the ketchup from Hikari’s mouth and dress using her own beloved handkerchief.

 

“I don’t know her a lot as well, we only met once after all, but Hikari should know her the most, after all, the two of them are like two peas in a pod in regards to games, and since her mother, as well, is very nice… I can see her being one as well,” I responded.

 

“There are cases where the mother is good, while the daughter isn’t… though, Hikari in this case, is similar to you back in America, despite being prodigious, likes to spend more time on games.” Alina looked at me with a creepy gaze as I shivered.

 

“That was in the past, you know! Besides, I did my work quota every day, heading to school and earning perfect grades, reporting to the headquarters, and managing the teams…” I refuted before she shook her head. “There is no denying, you were dedicated to everything you do…”

 

“But… can you, at the very least, stop Hikari from being addicted to games like you were?” she pleaded while looking at Hikari, who was surprised at our discussion, hugging Alina’s phone as she backed off the wall, glaring at us.

 

“Well… she did agree to give us a good grade once she starts school, that should be fine… right?” I said while looking at Alina with my left eye and winking at Hikari with my right. “Sigh… whatever, the two of you do what you want, but in the case, she fails to give us the minimum grade we set for her, then don’t expect mercy from me.”

 

“That is to be expected, right… Hikari?” I said while looking at Hikari, who was hugging Alina’s phone tightly while nodding, “Anyway, how about the three of us continue eating our meals? I don’t want to be off-schedule again.”

“Mhm, let’s continue eating, then,” Alina replied before the three of us continued eating, this time, the food tasted a lot better; it no longer tasted bland, but sweeter than before.

 

After another ten minutes of eating in silence; the three of us went back to our car, buckling our seatbelts as I looked at the two of them and asked, “Are there any other places the two of you want to go? We can stop by if you two want.”

 

“I feel sleepy, I think it’s better if we head back home, for now, after all, we still have to finish up matters about Hikari, and other stuff to have her ready to go to school,” Alina responded while combing Hikari’s hair with a pink comb.

 

Letting out a large yawn, I blinked my eyes several times before nodding at her words, inserting the car key into the dashboard as a ringing sound came from my phone, I turned my attention to my phone, hiding on the cup holder, grabbing it as I answered the call, “Hello… who is this?”

 

“Angelica… it’s Leanna, we have arrived at your place…” Leanna’s voice came out from the phone as I looked at Hikari, who was energized like a battery, replying: “Is that so, then feel free to cook up some dishes for the two of you using the ingredients on the fridge. We’ll reach there in ten to twenty minutes or so.”

 

“Is that alright for us to do…?” she asked.

 

“Don’t worry, treat it as your own place; also, please send Hikari’s regards towards Leah.” I said before ending the call as I looked at Hikari, who was excited to see her online best friend, smiling as I said, “We’ll reach there soon, be patient… okay?”

 

***

 

After driving for about twenty minutes, the three of us soon reached our home, sweet beloved home; the house looked as normal, the garden still looked fresh. The house, especially, looked untouched, still sparkling, and the trees were beautiful as always, nothing looked out of place.

 

Sitting on the bench, out in the bright heat of the sun were Leah and Leanna who had their bags and other equipment out in the open; it seems like the two of them didn’t head inside as I told them, how troublesome.

 

“Be sure to behave, okay Hikari? Mind your manners when meeting them,” I said as Hikari nodded, after receiving her confirmation, I unlocked both doors and pressed on a button on the dashboard as the two doors opened by themselves.

 

“Have you two been waiting long? The two of you could have waited inside the house, if you wanted,” I said while exiting the car, closing the door before walking towards them as Leanna shook her head, “It would be rude if we entered without asking.”

 

“I did say treat it as your house since the two of you will be living with us to save time; I can’t believe the two of you managed to wait out in the heat for twenty minutes, are you not afraid of Leah collapsing from the heat?” I frowned my eyes as she shook her head, “My little Leah is stronger than you think.”

 

As she said that, all of a sudden, a big fluff ball came jumping towards Leah, who was sitting in silence on the bench, the fluff ball was, Hikari who was looking at Leah with a bright smile, “Leaaaaah! Let’s play, we must grind! Ten-star equipment!”

 

Walking beside me, Alina looked at Hikari and sighed, “Sorry for Hikari’s manners, are you perhaps, Leanna? I heard about you; it seems like my expectations were met; you are as beautiful as they say.”

 

“No, it’s fine! A pleasure to meet you, as well… I am the Leanna as you mentioned, and this is my daughter, Leah; are you perhaps my lady’s sister?” Leanna asked while standing up, bowing down in elegance as Alina showed a domineering look on her.

 

Hugging my arm tight, Alina looked at Leanna and smiled, “You aren’t wrong, I am Alina; her fiancée, and wife,” before winking at me as I sighed, it was her way of preventing the people I hire from looking down on us.

 

“There, there, Alina… you don’t have to place pressure on them,” I looked at Alina and patted her head as she snuggled on my arm, turning my attention back to them, I suggested: “How about we head inside for now, and have a quick coffee break while we discuss some stuff?”

 

“If it doesn’t trouble my lady that much, then it would be my pleasure,” Leanna said before, I shook my head while complaining, “I would prefer if you call me Angelica, and stop using formal tone… it sounds weird!”

 

“Is that so, then Angelica it is,” Leanna said as the four of us entered inside the house, upon entering, we were greeted by a super cold breeze that came from the air-conditioning of the house, turning the lights on, I looked at Alina and asked, “Did you forget to turn off the air-conditioning before you left?”

 

“I think I forgot… I don’t remember such details though,” she replied before taking some comfortable slippers out of a cabinet and handing them to us as we took off our shoes and wore those instead.

 

“Next time, don’t forget to turn off the air conditioning, it’s super cold here!” I complained while walking inside, turning on every single light around the house before walking to the kitchen, “I’ll go prepare some coffee for the three of us, does Leah have any preference for shakes?”

 

“Leah likes mango!” Hikari responded from the living room as I nodded, “How about you, Hikari… what shake would you like?”

 

“Strawberry shake! I want the sweetest one!” she replied once more as I nodded once again, before looking at the two who were in the kitchen as well, “How about you two, do you want sweetened coffee or normal?”

 

“I would like the sweet coffee, please,” Alina replied as I nodded for the third time, looking at Leanna as she replied, “A little bit more bitter coffee if it doesn’t trouble you too much…”

 

“Okay then, can the two of you wait in the dining room instead while I prepare the snacks and drinks?” I asked before the two nodded, walking out of the kitchen as I took out some biscuits from the cabinet; they were chocolate, and milk biscuits.

 

I could bake some cookies, but that would take more time; I guess, I’ll have to go with what I have…