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ToOH: Thanks! Hopefully it wouldn't come to be that way; I'm trying my best not to! ^^

The wagon still smelled of freshly cut wood and turpentine and there was already a horse attached to it. "Courtesy of Dunhill," she told her. "I'll add a stable and garage behind your place later."

"I'll—"

"Don't worry about the payment," Rio interjected her, knowing full well what's on the pinkette's mind. "This is just the way we run the town. When I got here three years ago, Dunhill gave me half the field worth of seeds and farming tools, and Neil gave me a cow."

"Neil?" Reine blinked in surprise. Such a gesture could be expected of Dunhill, but Neil?

Rio grinned. "Yes, Neil. Your neighbor."

"The nest hair…" Reine muttered under her breath, still finding it hard to believe that he could be generous.

Rio caught her voice and burst into a fitful laughter. "His hair is really something, right?" she said. "Allen's been trying to trim it or whatever. For some reasons those two guys are on each other's throat."

"And yet they're neighbors?"

Rio shrugged. "Good thing I put some space between their houses. And now there's your cottage as well."

Reine remembered her first encounter with this Neil. "That's unlikely."

Rio saw the look on Reine's face and smiled. "Look, Reine, I know that Neil can be quite… challenging. But, he's one of the kindest people I've ever known as well," she couldn't help but to chuckle when she saw Reine's dumbfounded look. "You know Pride and Prejudice, right?"

"Of course," she nodded. "One of my favorites."

"Then, you should've known better!" Rio chortled.

"Oh, no way," Reine grumbled, but not knowing what to say next.

Gwen's head perked up when someone knocked on the door. It couldn't have been Reine, but who would visit their house?

Gwen rose from her chair and headed towards the door. When she opened it, she found the redheaded stylist standing on the other side. His lips tugged up on one side forming a crooked smile, with his canine teeth peeked out very slightly. Somehow, it was so hard to tear away her eyes from his features.

"I'm touched that you found me still so attractive despite having been staring at me for quite a while, but it's understandable," he said with a teasing tone before handing her a paper bag decorated with a blue ribbon. "Consider this my welcoming gift for you and your sister."

Gwen snapped back and took the package from him. "What is this?"

"Shampoo that I made myself using materials from the forest," Allen replied with a hint of pride in his voice. "Trust me, your chemical-ridden hair with regain its former glory with this."

Gwen's heart clenched when she heard it and subconsciously she reached for her hair. The rigorous chemo had not just thinned her hair; it destroyed those who managed to cling on their roots. She had forgotten how her hair had been before the chemo—all she knew now was that her hair was brittle when touched and their ends split quite badly. Time to time, people had told her to just shave the rest of her hair, but she didn't want to—couldn't—think of how bizarre she would look then.

"It will take time, but don't doubt my concoction," Allen assured her, as if he had been reading her mind. "How do you think Dunhill managed his hair, anyway?"

An image of Dunhill balding at the crown of his head—hence, the hat—made her at the danger of bursting into laughter. Gwen immediately covered her mouth in a slight embarrassment when she realized that Allen was still there, but it seemed that he had seen her.

"I-I'm sorry," she stammered. "Would you like to come in for some drink? We don't have much, but I'm sure there's some tea somewhere…"

"No, it's fine, I have to get going soon," Allen replied. "Unsurprisingly, you are ten times better earlier, you know, when you're about to laugh."

He grinned, revealing two rows of white porcelain teeth. The only flaw in his otherwise perfectly lined rows of teeth would be his upper canine teeth—both were sticking out of the line. However, somehow that perceived flaw looked just fine with him—beautiful, even, although she knew she didn't need to tell him that with his already well-established ego.

"What's your middle name?"

"Huh? Mine?" Gwen blinked. "It's Elizabeth. Guinevere Elizabeth."

For a moment, Allen's eyes widened in surprise. It alarmed Gwen, of course, when she noticed that. But, Elizabeth is quite a common name.

Before she had the chance to ask him, Allen had recomposed himself. "Very well, see you around, I guess… Guinevere Elizabeth."

"You are to remain on Earth, your remaining powers taken until further notice to be issued."

He knew very well that that "further notice" wouldn't come soon. Decades, if he was lucky. He watched his reflection on the mirror; he hadn't aged at all ever since then. However, he noticed that his body had become more muscular compared to when he had just come into the town, courtesy of his current occupation.

He thought this town was the perfect place to wait for what could possibly be eternity. Back then, there were only a few people: Dunhill, Kosaburo and Hana, and then Emma and her daughter Yuri. Yuri, the only person that appeared to be around his own age was not someone who was interested to find out about others' history and too shy to socialize. It was perfect.

Dunhill and Hana had helped him to start his business back then, which was why he couldn't voice out his objection when Dunhill proposed to turn the settlement into a slightly bigger town for people like them. Besides, Dunhill and Hana had correctly pointed out that lowering their barrier would also mean more business for the town—and for him, too.

Neil took off to his barn, which he named Animal Sanctuary and retrieved his wagon. When he reached the town square, much to his surprise, the pinkette was already there with her counter ready on its spot. When he realized that she had left him with the more grassy side of the town square, the right side, he led himself to believe that it was due to Dunhill telling her instead of any kind of initiative of her own.

Their eyes met when she looked up. She didn't say anything—not even a greeting—as she turned around to arrange her goods. He silently dragged himself to his spot and set up his own stall.

From all the people this place could attract… why must it be her?

Both Allen and Neil seem to have something for, or against, the sisters...

Stay tuned to find out what happens next!

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