Chapter 13: The General Store!

After leaving the inn, Pete and Claire made their way to the supermarket. It was north of the inn's location. They had to follow the path and turn left.

"This must be the place," Pete said, standing in front of the entrance. The building had a simple brown exterior design with blue roofs. A black sign with drawings of a shopping bag and plants was planted on the roof. Its green door stood out.

"The General Store…" Claire read the sign in front of it. It listed the store's opening hours. "Is this the supermarket you were referring to?"

"I guess it had its name changed or something." Pete briefly raised his shoulders. He slowly pushed through the entrance with her.

"Welcome!" A polite voice greeted them. "We've got some new–… oh?"

Pete and Claire stared at the girl who greeted them. Long blonde hair waved over her head. Two long bangs of a lighter shade traveled down her face. She wore a cozy beige sweater with a purple tank top underneath. Short blue jeans and casual brown boots fitted her legs. The girl approached them to get a better look at their appearances. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"… Hello there!" The girl's posture relaxed as she studied Pete. "A friend was just telling me how somebody moved into that old farmhouse. So that's you, huh?" Her eyes drifted to the girl beside Pete. Who is… that girl? Was there another new resident?

"Oh, that's us." He waved a palm. "I'm Pete."

"And I'm Claire!" She greeted the girl back.

There are two new farmers…? The girl was surprised to find not one, but two people moved into the farm. Are they a couple…?

"You're Pete and Claire?" The woman approached them and drew her hand on her chest. "Got it. I'm Karen. The pleasure's all mine."

"Nice to meet you, Karen." Pete offered a warm smile. Compared to Ran, her energy seems more reserved.

"Have you two come to do a little shopping?" Karen asked to which Pete nodded. Claire simply followed him as he hasn't told her why yet.

"All right, then." Karen stepped to the side. "Please take your time."

"Will do." Pete tugged Claire's sleeve and they walked to the front. Claire scanned the store's interior. Wooden tiles lined the floor. The walls had a green-and-white striped pattern. Tables with various items were placed on the right and left sides of the room. The left side had cooking and food ingredients. The right side only had a basket. In the center was a much bigger table with many packets.

Pete stood in front of this table. His eyes looked over the packets. Packets were sorted by their color. Each color corresponded to an image of a vegetable. Huh, interesting…

Oh, what's this…? Claire grabbed a random packet and bounced it on her hand, rustling its contents. What's inside?

"Finding what you need?" Karen stood beside Pete. "If you're having trouble, just let me know."

"E-Er, I appreciate it." Pete returned an awkward smile. I almost didn't see her pop up.

"You two just started your farm, right?" Karen asked, shifting her weight to a leg. "It's a headache trying to figure out where even to begin, I'm sure."

"That's right." Pete folded his arms. "It's… a bit daunting."

"You'll need seeds for your crops and seeds for fodder to feed your animals." Karen put a finger on her chin. "Not to mention the tools to sow them…"

"That is… a lot," Claire commented. Huh, are these seed packets?

"The list of things to buy and to do goes on and on." Karen sighed. "You following so far?"

Pete and Claire exchanged a long glance before looking at Karen. She might not be doing this intentionally, but they were starting to feel the heavy weight of their farming life.

"We, uh… could use some help." Pete scratched his cheek, a light blush glowing on it.

"Of course, I don't blame you." Karen shook her head. She turned to the counter. "Here, hang on just a second."

Karen walked to the counter where two people were standing: a man and a woman.

"Dad, have you heard about the people who moved to the farm?" Karen asked the man, her father. "They're here and I would like to give them some seeds. Do you mind?"

"What, really?" Her father's eyes widened in shock. "You want to give away our merchandise, just like that?"

"Well, yes!" Karen crossed her arms, displeased. "Friends help friends! They just moved here, you know. It's only right that we help as we can!"

Pete and Claire watched the pleasant conversation from afar. They turned to each other.

"Karen already considers us her friends, apparently…" Pete whispered. Even though we just met.

"She seems… outgoing," Claire added.

"Karen has a point, dear." The woman, presumably the mother, spoke up. She turned to her husband. "How about you step up and show how generous you can be for once, hmm?"

"W-Well, ah… when you put it that way," he rubbed the back of his head, "I guess I could hand out a free sample or two."

"Thanks, dad!" Karen cheered.

"Now there's that darling husband of mine." Her mother giggled sweetly. "I knew I married you for good reason."

"O-Oh, quit it, both of you." His expression grew flustered. "You're making me blush."

"They've got him wrapped around their fingers…" Claire whispered.

"I kinda feel bad." Pete chuckled silently.

"Speaking of helping a fellow friend, we should introduce ourselves to them!" The woman exclaimed and grabbed her husband's hand. "Come on, dear!"

"Okay, okay, don't drag me…" the man walked around the counter with his wife and daughter to meet the newcomers.

"Pete, Claire!" Karen called them. "I'd like you to meet my parents!"

"Hello!" Pete and Claire waved at them.

"You must be the two newcomers who moved into that farm." The man bowed himself at the waist. He wore a purple sweater over a plain white shirt. Bright yellow pants covered his legs. "I'm Jeff."

"Hello there!" The woman grinned. She wore a long dress; the top was beige, the skirt purple with a magenta apron. Her blonde hair was styled into a braid with a purple ribbon. "Yes, yes! Mayor Thomas told us you would be coming! I'm Sasha, and we run the General Store. I do hope you'll drop by every once in a while."

Pete and Claire found the contrast between the husband and wife rather amusing. They look like a lovely family. It was clear Karen's appearance took after her mother Sasha. Even the patterns on their clothes were the same.

"Here you go." Karen walked to Pete and gave him several seed packets. "They're on the house, so don't worry about the tab."

"Thank you so much." Pete humbly accepted the seed packets. "We'll put this to good use."

Karen returned a bright smile, drawing a hand to her hip. "Good luck with your farm! We'll be rooting for you."

And just like that, Pete and Claire have met three more colorful residents of Mineral Town. Soon, they'll learn that the General Store would be one of the most crucial places they'll visit often.

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Afterward, Pete and Claire left the General Store and made their way back to the farm.

"First, free food… now this?" Claire stared at the seed packet in her hand. "It's only our first day and I feel welcomed in the town."

"They're kind residents, that's for sure." Pete put the seed packets back into his bag.

"Maybe we'll get free animals next time!" Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

Pete nudged her. "Don't push your luck."

"So, we went to the General Store to buy seeds?" Claire asked, curious.

He nodded. "That's right. I have a feeling we'll come here often."

"I see!" She drew her chin up, putting a finger on it. She saw food ingredients being sold, too; once they get a kitchen, they could stock up on them and cook their own food. I'll have to keep that in mind! "Then, how do you use these packets? I'm guessing… we put them in the soil?"

"Have you ever planted seeds?"

"… No."

"I see." He smiled, expecting that answer. "Then this will be our first learning experience."

"Oh, I assumed you already knew how…?"

"Maybe I do." He increased his pace and jogged away. "Come on!"

"Hey!" She ran to keep up with him. "Wait for me!"

Pete and Claire would soon engage in the first farming activity out of many.

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And Karen's first event is underway! She certainly had a makeover in the remake.

To address a review by RoBlueKiran321, I did feel that segment a was a bit short, too. I'll revise that in the near future. Thanks for the feedback!