Neo pov

After finishing our task we had nothing more to do in the city . So together with Kurumi , who wanted to keep her word about taking a break , we walked back to our clock store . However , instead of going to the back of the store to use the roof entrance , we go at the front . After the renovation we did , there is no longer a need to climb on the roof every time we want to go out . While the renovation we managed to put a normal door and windows on the ground floor , making it possible to enter the building from street level .

In fact, it was the first thing we did after buying this building . To accomplish this , we first had to destroy the bricks in the bricked up windows and doors , which we did with the help of Ash and Cooper . When the guys finished , they left behind a lot of holes , into which we only needed to put new windows and doors , for which unfortunately we had to call in specialists . Luckily Lotus knew some homeless people who used to do this job , so for a few Lien and a warm meal they helped us out .

Surprisingly, the same guys also knew how to work on facades . So while dealing with the windows and doors , they help us took care of the new plaster and window sills for our building . In addition to the renovation of the building itself , the alleys around us gained a mesh fence , and this is due to the fact that five meters from each of the outer walls is still counted as the property of our building . Of course it should not matter but it is Vale , if we had the opportunity it was better to build an additional fence . 

Even Big papa agreed with this idea , saying that some people may have ideas to "trade " behind our building which could bring us problems if someone catches them . After all we are the owners . Besides, Kurumi and I intend to open a business here in the future , and knowing Vale , the purchase of security systems was in our plans , so an additional fence did not seem like a bad idea . 

But when it came to arranging permission to put up a fence it turned out to be terrible idea . Because not only do we need the consent of the city for this, it also turned out that despite these five meters as our property, the alleys themselves belong to all the buildings that share it . So the owner of each building around our alley has the same rights to it as we do.

Luckily the owners of the buildings around us are an elderly couple . After meeting with us and Big papa without any problem they agreed to fence off our building . The city, despite the slowness of its actions, also agreed, as long as the parameters of fire safety are maintained. In this way the alleys on both sides of the building as well as the alley at the back are fenced off with a fence . And despite the fact that someone determined will jump over it anyway, it still gives a strange sense of security and isolation .

'But even with these changes we still have a lot of work left to do , to make our plans work. Although we have to be over fifteen anyway to run any business on our own . Until then it is Big papa who has to handle all the formal stuff for us .'

Sighing at the thought of the money and time we will still have to sacrifice to create our paradise , I continue to walk beside Kurumi until we reach front door where we stopped our walk . Taking out the keys I open both the top and bottom lock to unlock the door , after opening which I let Kurumi enter first. Then I follow right behind her .

The appearance of the entire ground floor has changed a lot . Thanks to the windows it is much brighter and more pleasant. Most of the clocks have disappeared, some have been sold for extra money , which was not a small amount , and others have been hidden in one of the empty rooms upstairs , including the largest clock which has always stood in the middle of this room.

The clocks that remain here , are a couple of wall clocks , which matched best with the ruby-red wallpaper , which we had to lay anew due to the poor condition of the old one , and the ones suspended from the ceiling , on which further are the lights , that I hung there in the past. Of course now they are much better and more firmly attached . But they are still there, surprisingly it does not look strange, rather it gives a slightly different atmosphere to this elegant room.

Of course, in addition to my lights we also repaired the main lighting in the room. After repairing the room's electrics, two wooden chandeliers were hung here, one near the main door, the other just above the shop counter , which after the renovation turned into a bar counter . As in the rest of the building the wooden floors have ebony color , which goes well with the ruby-red color of the wallpaper . Well perhaps it suits me better because they are the colors of Kurumi.

Similarly to the floor , the finishes such as the window framing , curtain rods over the windows are also made of ebony colored wood . Of course we plan it to be a bar so we already have a few tables , which are placed against the walls . The middle of the room is empty which leaves an ideal glimpse on the counter , behind which will be a bar with alcohol . And behind the wall will be the kitchen for private use as well as for the bar .

In the corner of the room , next to the front door we have built a rise or stage , on which we will put the piano and other instruments in the future . And this is despite the fact that we have little space, but according to Kurumi what we have should accommodate up to twenty people. And just like with outside of this building , inside we still have a lot of work left too . We also have to buy a lot of things. 

In short we have a lot of work and things to buy . Fortunately we have a supplier of cheap stuff , and that is the owner of the warehouse . While he can not give us directly the things that he stores , he still can arrange for us to get single items from large shipments , get discounts from people who want to sell things tax - free or give us opportunity to buy items before they hit the stores , that way we can buy them without the markup charged by the store . 

Just like that , adding the discount for bulk purchase , we bought tables for half price . Of course, we could steal the things we need , but Kurumi has a strange reluctance about that . According to her we should try to have as many receipts and clean items in our building , just in case in the future . And as I thought about it I agree with her , besides that theft would be unnecessarily tiresome . Why get tired when we can buy stuff for half price . Zero running and planning , in our already filled with this life .

' Although the renovation , condition reviews by officials and planning in such a small space was stressful , in the end it was worth it . The results of our hard work , in my opinion looks good . Even more so when I can imagine a future in this place . '

I think , meanwhile looking around the room with satisfaction . However, it is then , when I notice an unusual scene inside . On a lone bar stool in front of a bar counter sat Big papa. Leaning his arms on the counter he was browsing something on his scroll . However, just as we noticed him , he noticed us . Noticing our arrival , he put down his scroll on the wooden countertop of the bar and then he turned to look at us .

" Back already ? I heard from Emerald that you both have a lot to do today ."

Asks a surprised Big papa while looking at his wristwatch .

" Air conditioning ? "

Instead of answering his question , a confused Kurumi asks her own guestion . Looking at what she is looking at , I notice that in the room , in two places just below the ceiling are mounted two rectangular boxes . I can see from the ladder and tools standing in the corner , where one of the box are mounted , that they are were installed recently . 

" Someone wanted to sell it at a pawn shop . Normally I wouldn't buy this kind of thing because there is no way I would sell it but I remembered that you wanted to buy a new one , but this one is practically new . So all I had to do was connect it to the existing air conditioning in the bunker and done ."

Says big papa as if connecting the air conditioner was not at all exhausting. However, his words filled with sincerity have no meaning as his sweat-drenched, wrinkled forehead and dirty work clothes suggest that he has had quite a good battle .

" Am I to believe that the air conditioner , which we looked at together in the store , but for which I had no money , suddenly in a strange and inexplicable way found itself in the hands of a person wanting to sell a practically new air conditioner in a pawn store ? "

Asks Kurumi saying the words that I wanted to say myself but ..... Well I can not . However, the gruff and sarcastic tone of her statement may have seemed unkind , which both I and Big papa noticed . However, just as he noticed her tone , he also noticed Kurumi's state of being , which along with her inept pretence that she was okay , eased the situation .

" Can't you play the ignorant and nice girl with me for once ? "

Asks seriously big papa when after a tired sigh a smile returns to his face .

" I sorry ...... Thank you , but you know that I do not like to be indebted . Besides , we were supposed to get a mirror for the bar first ......"

Kurumi replies awkwardly . By her expression I knew she feel terrible about what she said.

" Don't worry , I already know you . So I know you often don't express what you really feel . As for this ventilation it was supposed to be a gift , unfortunately I could not find an occasion to give it to you . " 

Big papa responds , while standing up with a visible effort . 

' Age has already caught up with him , all who know him know this . Although the time of our first meeting , when he still had the strength of a young man in him may have seemed so recent , it has been several years since then . ' 

' Big papa and Big mama are getting old , of course they are not very old yet but certainly direct action like hitting someone in the face with a gun butt goes out of the game . Even if we know he doesn't like it , it's no longer time for him . '

" As for Emerald . Where is she? "

Asks Kurumi changing the subject . At this time Big papa began to gather his tools from the ground . Looking at this I moved to help him .

" She went with Cooper to pawn shop."

Said big papa with a palpable irritation in his voice .

" Did something happen ? "

Asks Kurumi when apparently , like me , she sensed the tension in his voice .

" When Cooper and I were already in the middle of work , she remembered that she had not packed lunch for you  . So she forced Cooper to come back for it together with Emerald . Thus leaving me alone with unfinished work . Luckily I finished it quickly and cleaned up the mess created after drilling . "

While Big papa talk to Kurumi , he with my help has already moved most of the tools under the door , leaving only the ladder , which is ours . It was also at this moment that the main door unexpectedly opened.