The next day, as the early sun began to rise from the west, its gentle rays began to hit everything that it touches. Its light has made it pass through every holes of the abandoned and non-abandoned buildings, distances between the leaves of trees and has reflected through the glass windows.
Umi let out a groan as she opened her eyes, her vision is still blurry that she has to blink a few more times to clarify it. She then closed her one eye and raised a hand to above her face to protect it from the bright rays of the sun. She then sat up on her bed and then stretched her arms and torso to relax her strain muscles.
It is still early in the morning, but despite that, Umi went off from the bed, looked at her wall clock that reads 6:00 and wore a robe before heading out of her room. She went downstairs then headed straight to the back garden. But as she got there, her eyes widen in surprise when she saw Eli putting fertilizers on the plants and her eyes immediately softened up before opening her mouth to speak.
"Good morning, Eli. You woke up early." Umi greeted with a smile and the blonde stood up erectly before looking at the blue-haired, she then returned the smile and replied:
"I couldn't sleep and forcing myself to sleep again will just make me feel irritable you know. Since I couldn't do much during this early time, I thought that maybe I should put some fertilizers in these plants. Some gardeners taught me yesterday."
"I am very glad that you are already feeling at home here while starting to work hard but you know that your main job is to be my assistant to arrange weddings." Umi joked and Eli chuckled.
"Yeah, I know that."
"What time did you wake up anyway? It's still 6 am you know."
"Around 4."
"4?" Umi furrowed her eyebrows, this is one of the rarest times where she gets to meet early birds like the blonde. People often wake up by 7. And here, she thought that she was the only person around this mansion who wakes up early.
"Do you perhaps want tea or coffee?" Umi asked.
"I'll go with tea."
Umi nodded, "Alright then, wait here." She then went back inside to make tea.
Their smallest interactions turned into friendly ones. Eli began to feel more comfortable around the mansion while helping Umi out in arranging weddings and its designs. Everything was pretty much calmer until Umi made an announcement in the television a day later after recruiting Eli.
"Umi Sonoda! So you finally found an assistant wedding arrangement manager?" Mr. Willows asked Umi who just chuckled and nodded as she faces the camera, "Yes, I did."
"So, who is this new assistant of yours? Is she reliable? Having the same hands as yours?" Ms. Hyport asked and Umi answered.
"Well, I haven't seen her design weddings but she has told me that she had designed buildings. I thought that her skills back when she was an architect would be very helpful in improvising my current style of wedding arranging. On top of that, her name is Eli Ayase."
"Eli Ayase? You mean the rancher?" Mr. Willows asked in surprise.
"Yes, I know that you are all wondering why she applied as my assistant despite her high status in life. I was also surprised but sooner accepted her not because of her status but because of her sincerity in her works and her love for the landscapes."
"Is she available to interview right now? We would like to meet her!" Ms. Hyport requested and Umi turned her head to look over her shoulder, "Eli!"
Then Eli walked into the camera's view and Mr. Willows and Ms. Hyport flinched back.
"O-Oh wow, you're tall! What is your height?" Mr. Willows asked as he looked up.
"Flat 6." Eli answered with a smile as she faced the camera.
"Will we be able to see how you design soon?" Ms. Hyport asked.
"Yes, of course. As soon as Ms. Umi here started her new project, I will do my best in assisting her in creating wonderful designs."
"What a reliable helper, you have here, Ms. Umi!" Mr. Willows complimented and Umi chuckled.
"She'd better be."
"And we are looking forward for your future projects together! Can you tell us about your duo name?"
Umi and Eli exchanged glances to each other and both of them revealed smiles to each other before they faced the camera, "ElUm!" They both said at the same time.
"ElUm? That's a good and simple duo name!" Mr. Willows complimented.
"Well, we don't want any too extreme nicknames when people call us. That will really sound uncomforting. And ElUm is just about right." Umi explained.
"Reasonable! Well then! That's it for today's report here in the Mirage Fields! Back to the studio!" Mr. Willows announced.
After the interview, few days later, Umi finally told Eli their next project. A beach wedding with Hawaiian touches. Both of them started discussing and generating ideas to how the wedding should look like. Both of them were in complete sync like they know what is going on in each other's minds. The house cleaners, gardeners and even Honoka would happily watch them as they discuss it in the living room. They could feel like the two of them have their own world. A world where nobody can disturb, a world that only the two of them can explore and love, a world that only the two of them know.
"Is the position okay?" Eli asked Umi. The blonde was standing on top of the two-sided, metal ladder and is holding up a white cloth whose other end was tied around a wedding arch where the couple will stand for the pictorial.
"Just a little more down, Eli!" Umi instructed and Eli did so.
"Alright! Perfect!" Umi said and then the blonde tied the cloth before she went down the ladder and moved towards the blue-haired. They then stood side by side inside the arch. Eli looked at her left side to see if the designs are okay while Umi looked at her right. They looked like they were the ones getting married, minus the wedding attires.
"I am pretty much glad that you applied. The designs are getting cleaner and more beautiful." Umi complimented Eli who then giggled.
"I applied some of my knowledge from when I was an architect. These kinds of things are easy for me now. And with your guide, I finally learned how to do things around this kind of job, too."
"Well, we will soon be more mesmerized of the designs by the time the couple get married." Umi stated.
"I agree to that."
"Do you perhaps want to drink juice for a while? We had been working for everything all day anyway." Umi said as she looked at the blonde who then looked back at her.
"Sure thing."
After designing and preparing everything, they went back home and waited for the day of the wedding to go back again. By the time, that the wedding finally commenced and done, they just watched them as the people took pictorials and the couple took pictures in the arch.
After that, Umi had been receiving more projects, thanks to Eli's help. With their popularity rising to the point that they had been included in magazines, the two could not help but feel the excitement to unleash their imaginations further for the people. They were not bothered by the amount of projects that they have, their ideas are not being tied by boundaries. Most of all, they enjoyed every single bit of designing.
They did not even notice that a month has passed already...
Eli walked inside the mansion on a Sunday afternoon; she is wearing her usual smile while carrying groceries. The maids and the gardeners all greeted her and the blonde greeted back. She then went to the kitchen to place the groceries, finding Honoka and Umi sitting on the chairs across each other, they were having their own lunches.
"Good afternoon, Honoka and Umi!" Eli said as she placed the grocery bags on the kitchen countertop and faced them.
"Good afternoon, Eli!~" Honoka greeted back with a grin.
"Good afternoon, Eli. Are you hungry? Want me to scoop up food for you?" Umi asked.
"Ahh, I already ate." Eli said before getting a bottled water from the fridge, "And besides, I have work to do in the front garden."
"Alright then but don't work yourself too hard." Umi said with worry.
"I won't!" Eli then walked out of the kitchen.
Umi just smiled as she watches Eli leave, which Honoka noticed it, making her slap her hand against Umi's.
Umi yelped and shot a glare at the ginger-haired, "What was that for?!"
Honoka smirked, "Hohoho, you are taking a liking on Eli the different way?"
"Wha-!? Th-That's—"
"Aw come on, you know you like her that way." Honoka teased.
"S-Shut up! It's not like that!"
"Suuure." Honoka rolled her eyes playfully, she knows that Umi is denying about it.
"Le-Let's just continue eating!" Umi then started to eat her lunch again and Honoka laughed.
"Jeez! Defensive!" Honoka ate hers.
"Am not!"
"You are!"
They then continued to argue as they ate.
A few weeks later...
"Here's your package!" A tall female with long black hair tied into a high ponytail with metallic-like, pointy ribbons at her 6'3" with a muscular built and is wearing her businessman suit stood by the front door of the mansion while carrying a medium-sized box.
"Thank you!" Eli then took it and Umi was signing a paper on a clipboard then gives it to the female who then took it. Honoka then walked out of the kitchen to go towards them.
The black-haired then saw her and grinned at her, "Hi, Hoka!"
"Hi! And I told you not to call me that, Brenda!" Honoka pouted at her.
"Haha! It just sounded so cute that I couldn't help it!" Brenda replied.
"So how is Brenda doing in your ranch, Honoka? Is she doing good?" Umi then asked sarcastically.
"She is doing great!" Honoka answered.
Brenda pouted as she looked at Umi, "Jeez! I may not look like it but I am reliable you know!"
Eli rolled her eyes, "Well, get used to it, Brenda."
"You are just saying that because you are already used to it!" Brenda looked at Eli.
"Well, I agree." The blonde chuckled.
"Ah! By the way, can you buy something for me at the convenience store on your way home?" Honoka then grinned at Brenda, "You already know what I want you to buy."
Brenda saluted, "I am on it, ma'am." She winked before she turned her heels and left.
"See you!" Eli said.
"Yeah! See you!" Brenda replied.
Eli then also turned her heels to go to the back garden while carrying the package and Honoka just watches her walk out; her eyes were softening as they revealed those sparkles of admiration. She did not even notice that she was staring already.
Umi then noticed the stare and stood beside the ginger-haired, nudging her side with her elbow. It made Honoka flinch and yelp before looking at Umi, "A-Ahh, Umi? What is it?"
"You are staring too much." Umi raised an eyebrow and Honoka blushed furiously.
"N-No! I wasn't!"
"Yes you do! It was too obvious!"
Honoka then just giggled, "Aw fine, you win. Well, I just couldn't help it! I mean, I just liked how she looks so strong."
Umi then let out a sigh, "Well, I have to agree with you. Eli can get most of the attention because of her physique. Not only that, she also has the face."
"Couldn't agree more." Honoka smiled, "You even gained a crush on her."
"W-What? I didn't!"
"Yes you did." Honoka rolled her eyes before she went to go back to the kitchen.
"I didn't!" Umi then followed her.
"Suuuure!"
And in the back garden, Eli placed the package near the shed and Umi's maid, the one who toured Eli during her first day, walked towards her while carrying a Siberian husky puppy.
"Good afternoon, Eli!" The maid greeted with a cheerful smile.
"Good afternoon to you too, Seth." Eli smiled back.
"You got a good puppy there. A Siberian husky." Eli stated as she focused her eyes on the puppy who was looking up at her with its mouth opened and its tongue out. Its ears are erected and its tail is wagging happily.
Seth giggled, "A friend gave her to me. She is so energetic and I love how she brings energy to other workers, too."
"Hooh, so it is a she?" Eli widened her smile, "What's her name?"
"Her name's Risa."
"Risa. What a unique name for a puppy."
"Well, she is our little helper."
Eli then went to pat and rub the puppy's head and the puppy rose its head up to lick the blonde's hand.
The blonde giggles, "Jeez."
"Though she is energetic, she tends to run around so I had to hold her like this." Seth sighed.
"That must be hard work." Eli replied.
Risa then started to squirm from Seth's hold.
"H-Hey! Risa!" Seth panicked as she tries to tighten her hold a little more but it was too late, Risa already freed herself and ran straight to the small forest just in between Eli and Seth. The two then looked at the small forest.
"Risa! Come back here!" Seth shouted.
"I-I'll get her back!" Eli said before she chased the puppy into the forest.
It took Eli a moment later to find Risa since the pathway is a mess and the view is slightly covered with tall grasses and tree branches. Eli then finally reached the end of the pathway and found Risa, sitting on the ground just outside of the pathway. It was looking at something.
The blonde blinked and then went towards the puppy, "Jeez, don't run off like that." She said and the puppy looked up at her. Eli then carried Risa up and the both of them looked into each other's eyes.
"You are making your owner worry about you. The next time, don't do that. You can run around but don't you ever get yourself lost like this. Alright?"
Risa then barked as a reply as its way of saying "Okay." It then turned its head to look back at something it was looking before.
This made Eli blink in curiosity before she also looked at what the dog was looking at, seeing a spacious but abandoned ranch. Eli's eyes widened and could tell that the ranch has been abandoned for years, judging from the old wood fences which was being crawled by the vines and the tall grasses that has not been trimmed up. And the large barns and stables were also being crawled up by the vines, the buildings looked old and is on the verge of breaking down. There's also a sign that the buildings were included in a large fire, judging from its burnt walls.
Eli then repositioned Risa and turned its body around so then the puppy will not strain its neck by just staring at the ranch. She then walked towards it and looked around; the trees surrounded the place, allowing the sun's light embrace the whole ranch.
"This ranch is so wide... I guess the people around here were active back then." She muttered under her breath as she continued to roam around the ranch, her eyes were mesmerized because of the space. She then stumbled upon the horse stables and entered inside. Looking around, she noticed that the interiors were all burnt and broken and that there is no sign of materials in it except broken glasses and burnt horse stalls.
"I wonder what happened here..." Eli then told Risa who was also looking around with curiosity.
A/N: Heey guys! Here is the third chapter! Hope you guys enjoyed it! Comments and votes are very much appreciated!