On his way to finding a suitable apartnt for himself, Buji could only walk with purpose.
He had alreadyooked up rental agencies before leaving the clinic. It wasn't hard to find them—there were plenty of places renting rooms or apartnts for citizens.
On his part, he only needed a place that will offer him privacy. A place where all his activities won't be monitored. Sowhere not far though, but sowhere not open.
After walking for about an hour on the road in a seemingly lonely street, he finally found himself standing in front of large building with a poster that carried a bold lettering on them.
"HOMIE REALTY—House of Agents."
The words, carved into a plaque that was fastened on the wall, were painted in deep blue, standing out against the concrete structure.
"This was it," he muttered, and after mustering enough courage, pushed the wooden door open.
Stepping inside, the office felt like a relic untouched by ti yet pulsing with an eerie vitality. It appeared to be so old, native and also, kind of otherworldly.
The scent of rusty parchnt, burning camphor, and sothing faintly tallic lingers in the air. The floor is made of uneven wooden planks, darkened probably because of its old existence, creaking under each step.
At the center of the room, an old wooden desk, gnarled and polished by countless hands, stands. Upon it, there was an ancient abacus sitting beside a rusted brass bell which seed to ring without touch whenever a new custor arrives.
On the right way a collection of tattered chairs, with no two alike, encircling a low wooden table carved with symbols. Strange symbols according to Buji. In the middle of the encirclent, was a bigger chair. And on the bigger chair was a lady with a lean structure, glancing nacingly at the book on the desk, scribbling things as well.
"Yes, you can co over here," the lady spoke out to Buji. "How can we help you?"
Her words entered through Buji's left ear and went out through his right ear. He just couldn't stop imagining what kind of place is this he has co, and what kind of apartnt he was going to get.
The office felt to be rooted in reality, quite right, but sothing about is suggests otherwise. For Buji, ti seed to flow strangely, and sotis, just sotis, the office feels like it's watching you back.
"Are you here for sightseeing?" The lady asked with a tinge of disbelief in her voice. "That's not allowed here, you can make use of the door."
'Yeah, that's right,' Buji thought and wanted to leave. He simply felt uneasy staying in the room, let alone banking business with them.
But...
He pulled out his phone, and saw from his researches that the group should be trusted, and that they owned different estates which houses personalities. He decided to give them a try then.
"Good afternoon," Buji turned and greeted the lady who still scribbled sothing on paper with a warm smile.
"I thought you were about to leave just now," the lady said in a slight harsh tone. "Why are you here?"
'Must she be arrogant?' Buji kept thinking, the lady treated him unlikely.
"I'm looking for an apartnt to rent," Buji answered. "Heard about you through my researches from social dia."
"That's good," the lady's facial countenance changes for good. She closed the book that was in her front and pulled beside her, another book that seed to be filled with listings. She adjusted her classes, strolling her eyes as she flipped the page. "We have several options here, are you looking for sothing...close by?"
"I think, no," Buji shook his head. "If I can get sowhere that could offer more privacy."
"...And sowhere affordable, at least."
The lady nodded, flipping through the pages and stopped, with her fingers pointing to one page. "We have a few options here that might suit your request."
"That's better," Buji stated.
"Unfortunately, they have been rented out," the lady added, flipping through once again.
The lady, however, stopped again, tapping a page. "Here are other options that perfectly suits your request."
"But..." Buji anticipated her to have sothing to say.
"They might not be affordable. They're expensive," the lady said softly.
"Can I see the list?" Buji demanded, as he pulled the book to his own side.
His eyes dropped onto the option with a description that seed to satisfy his taste. It had almost the sa description with others, except this one clearly said "two bedrooms flat".
"Can I see this one?" Buji requested.
"Of course," the lady collected the book from him. She wanted to ask if Buji saw the prices attached to each building, but she withdrew. 'Of course he has eyes.'
She stood up, strengthening her skirt, allowing Buji to see the real height that was behind that small wooden table. She was not too short, but she was not tall either.
"I will take you there," the lady said, leading the way to the door. She pulled the door, leaving it to open with a creaking sound, and stepped aside for Buji to exit, before she followed. "It's at a far distance, fortunately, I am mobile."
"Mobile?"
The lady looked at Buji with a surprises look. "I've got a car that's what I ant."
Buji followed the lady until they got to a garage with fleet of cars, parked in a neatly order. He looked around him to be sure of where he was. Everyone seed lonely, but, there are cars parked her.
He beca even more surprised when he saw the car the lady was about to claim as her own. 'Then why is she working in an office like that?'
"Get in," the lady said, opening the front door for Buji to enter. She drifted the car swiftly, avoiding hit with other cars, and in monts, they were already on the road.
The silence between Buji and the lady as they drove in the car got him bored. Probably, he wasn't the type to easily start up a discussion or, keep on with a discussion. He only stared outside from the car, observing as their car moved relative to buildings.
The buildings were a contrast combination of both old and new. The new buildings seed to be differentiated by the full dominance of technology combined with the modern infrastructures that made up the buildings. While the old ones, Buji's gaze wandered, took in so vibrant graffiti which were on the walls plus the vegetation that seed to reclaim part of so buildings.
'Leave grow on buildings? Or is this so kind of decoration.'
He got distracted by the sudden halt of the car at a road, wedged between two tall buildings.
"We will walk by foot from here," she said, straightening her eyes to the narrow road in between the two tall buildings.
"It is already late in the evening," the lady said, attracting Buji's rapt attention.
Buji on his part didn't want to think of it. His mind simply went negative as he tried to think about what the lady had said, but she cleared the thoughts as if knowing what Buji's mind housed at the mont.
"We need to hurry," she said. "Anyway, I will be going ho after showing you the apartnt. Only hope all my efforts this evening won't be a waste."
Buji understood what she ant by all her efforts being a waste. Maybe, she was talking about Buji declining or not being satisfied with what he was going to see. Or was she thinking I won't be able to make the paynt.
'I'd prefer to get an apartnt here anyway, it seem to define the kind of environnt I wish for.'
The lady led him up a narrow road, as they continued walking before arriving in front of a big gate. She pressed on the bell socket by the side of the walls, and monts later, the gate slip open revealing a uniford man. The building's gateman.
Buji, along with the woman went inside, and after a few minutes of walking down to where the buildings were, found themselves strolling up a delicately built staircase, with intricately designed rails.
Their steps echoes off the walls as they climbed the stairs, before finally reaching the third-floor landing. In front of a golden-painted iron door, the lady pulled out three bunch of keys, and searched for the possible one that belonged to the building before finally choosing the key for the door.
Just like he had expected, he was going to rent this apartnt. The sitting room was welcoming with the chandeliers that dangled up on the ceiling, the wide plasma television that hung on the wall with the vase of flowers placed on the center table.
Buji followed the lady to view the rooms—two bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom and toilet. And he was satisfied.
The apartnt was furnished already to a great taste. That must be the reason for its expense.
"It must be quite expensive," Buji said knowingly, and in a tone that sent signals of disapproval to the woman.
The lady turned imdiately, focusing her gaze on Buji. She must be thinking, 'Make sure you don't decline this apartnt. Don't waste my efforts this evening.'
"It's one of the affordable so far since it only has two bedrooms, unlike other apartnts which had more," the lady explained, trying to keep her tone not to discourage Buji.
"Hmm... it's late already," Buji said. "And I'm not mobile."
He paused, walking out from the kitchen with the lady behind him. "It's satisfactory, I guess. So, how will I be making the paynts."
'You guess?!' If only the lady was tall enough, she wished to give Buji a knock. However, she brought out a slip from her handbag and handed it over to Buji.
"Here," she said, handing out the slip. "It contains the price to be paid and the account it should be paid into."
"Alright."
"I'll be heading ho now," she stated. "I will co back tomorrow so we can handle the paperworks." She said and left.
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