Chapter 8

The next morning, Popuri heads back to Jill’s farm for another day of work. She sighs stressfully as she tries her best not to think about how hard the job is going to be. She already spent so much time trying to figure out how to get some new comfortable clothes, her only option is to take a day off and go shopping. She knows that taking off so soon after starting the new job is a bad look, so she tries to think of other options. The other young women around Mineral Town don’t have any clothes that fit her. She remembers how hard her mother worked to get a dress that fits her curves for the Goddess Festival. Even though she didn’t come up with a plan, she still continues to walk to Jill’s farm so she can do her best until winter.

She arrives at the farm bright and early, eager to get started with her job. But even though she got there on time, she finds that all of the work for the day has already been completed. All the crop seeds has been watered, the weeds have been pulled up, and Jill is finishing up the fertilizing. Popuri sighs sadly, wondering if maybe Jill did all the work by herself to show that Popuri is no longer needed there.

As Jill sprinkles fertilizer on the last crop, she notices Popuri standing at the gate of the farm. She puts the leftover fertilizer in her rucksack, then heads over to Popuri to greet her. “Hey Poppy! That’s my nickname I made up for you by the way, I hope you don’t mind. All the work for today is already taken care of, so we’re going to have a day off! Uncle Taka is going to look after the animals for me today!”

“I see,” said Popuri in a disappointed tone. “I guess I’ll just go back home.”

As Popuri is turning to leave the farm, Jill quickly takes her hand and says, “you can’t go home just yet! We’re about to go hang out today!”

“Really? Where are we going?” asked Popuri in a confused tone.

Jill places her hands on her hips confidently as she declares, “we’re going to the city of Atland! I’m taking you to the mall and buying you some new clothes!”

Popuri gasps in shock, “wait, you don’t need to do that! I can buy my own clothes.”

Jill then crosses her arms and smirks, “Poppy! As your new boss, I order you to come with me to the mall and go shopping with me!”

Popuri stares at Jill in confusion for a moment, then giggles as soon as she realizes that she was only kidding. Jill laughs cheerfully as well, they are already having a good time as friends. After they finish laughing, Jill takes Popuri’s arm and leads her to the dock where they can take a boat to the city. “Come on! The boat to Atland is leaving soon,” cried Jill.

Popuri doesn’t know how to feel. She is being taken away to the city by her new friend Jill. Normally she would need to ask her mother before leaving to someplace so far away. But Jill is so lively and free that she couldn’t help but to admire and follow her. She feels that she wants to be just like her; independent, free, confident, and cheerful. She can only hope that working with Jill over the fall can teach her these qualities as well.

The boat ride to Atland takes longer than Popuri expected, but she enjoys the ride across the ocean. The sun is out without a cloud in the sky, the ocean is blue and clean, and the weather is perfect for the journey to the city of Atland. Popuri hangs out at the side of the boat marveling at the beautiful sights. The winds are cool and refreshing, the ocean is shimmering with light from the sun, and dolphins are skimming and hopping up out of the water. Soon enough, Popuri spots the city of Atland popping up from the horizon. She gasps cheerfully as her eyes sparkle with joy. As the city gets closer, she begins to wonder if maybe this is the reason why Kai loves to travel so much.

Soon enough, the boat docks at the harbor of Atland. Popuri is a bit timid being in a place so alien to her, so she lets Jill take the lead. At the street nearby, Jill raises her hand to call for a taxi to pull up. Once a cab pulls up, the girls climb in and asks to be taken to the mall. The cab pulls off, and heads to the heart of the city where Popuri pastes her face against the window to look around.

As the taxi cab drives through the city, Popuri gasps again and again in wonder as she passes through so many sights she’d only seen on the television. She finds building that reach up so high, she wonders if they can reach the clouds. She sees movie theaters, stores of all kinds, landmarks, more people walking around than she can even imagine, and so much more. She even passes by a university campus and wonders if Elli and Doctor Trent might have attended it at some point.

Soon enough, the taxi cab drops off the girls at the mall. Popuri’s eyes glisten excitedly as she sees the massive building with the sign that reads “The Great Mall of Atland”. She has heard of malls from the many stories Kai shared with her of his travels, but seeing one in person is a whole new feeling she has never felt before. The number of people coming in and out seems endless. There are many restaurants and diners serving all types of cuisine from around the world. The automatic rotating door at the entrance is intimidating, but it still draws her in. Inside the mall has all sorts of modern day conveniences that the people of Mineral Town can only dream about. Jill just watches Popuri zip around the mall looking at everything and anything, she can’t help but laugh. She is glad that Popuri can see new things outside of the small towns and villages she grew up in.

As they walk through the mall, Popuri gasps in amazement each time she finds a new store. Popuri finds many rows of stores that sells fashion from across the globe, electronics, candy, toys, and exotic trinkets. There is also escalators that go up or down to more floors with other interesting shops. She can’t stop pointing at new things, the selection feels endless for Popuri.

The girls visits many stores selling clothes throughout the mall. They both spend hours trying out all sorts of dresses, jeans, shirts, shoes, hand bags, accessories, and jewelry. They pick out some clothes that Popuri can use to comfortably work in the farm back at home. They then go to a salon where they can get their hair done. Jill’s hair has grown a bit since her last visit, so she asks the stylist to trim her ponytail a little. Popuri wants to keep her pink hair long, so she asks the beautician to braid it for work. She is the taken to a wash stand to have her hair shampooed and conditioned before they comb and braid it. She almost looks like a different person once they are done.

After they leave the salon, the girls decide to take a break and have a snack. They go to the food court and find a crepe stand with some delicious looking sweets. They sit at a table with their crepes, and Popuri quickly takes a bite. She can only squeal with delight as the creamy filling and strawberries tickle her taste buds. Never in her wildest dreams could she imagine having so much fun.

“So Poppy, how do you like the city of Atland?” asked Jill. “I really miss my old city, but this place really takes me back to my hometown. I try to come here once a year.”

Popuri nods cheerfully, “I love it! Things are just so different here than back at home. No wonder so many people dream of living here.” She then takes another bite of her crepe.

Jill smiles, then takes a bite of her peach crepe. As she watches Popuri eat her sweet snack, she can’t help but to feel comfortable around her sweet innocence. She can only imagine what kind of girl she will become once she sees more of the world. She sighs as she hopes that she will only be a sweeter person as she continues to experience this new life. Back when she first met Popuri, she felt so much shyness and a hit of sadness coming from her. But spending so much time with Jill and Takakura changed her for the better. Popuri is now more cheerful and confident.

“Say, mind if I ask you a question?” asked Jill unexpectedly.

Popuri swallows, then answers, “sure, go ahead!”

Jill rests her head on her hands in a dreamy state as she asks, “do you have a boyfriend?”

The question catches Popuri off guard. Ever since Kai broke up with her, she hasn’t even considered dating. She’s also been studying under Takakura to be a chicken rancher for so long, that she’s completely forgotten about a love life. But she’s too embarrassed to admit that. She can only scratch the back of her head sheepishly as she says, “no, not really. I mean, I do get a lot of attention from the boys back in Mineral Town. Jack the farmer even has a big crush on me for some time. He’s cute, but not really my type. Why do you ask?”

“Well you see. . . I’m in love,” answered Jill blushing.

“Really? With who? I bet it’s with Rock, he’s pretty cute!”

Jill shakes her head no and answers, “his name is Skye, the phantom thief.”

“The phantom what?”

Jill blushes a bit more as she thinks about the man in her heart. She takes a deep loving sigh as she recalls the moments she shared with the phantom thief. She begins to fidget with her crepe as she begins to explain, “late at night, a mysterious man with silver hair and a fashionable suit comes out to show off his thief skills. He will leave a message to a villager one night, then comes back to steal something the next evening, then returns it later the next day. No one ever sees him do it, so everyone calls him the phantom thief. Nobody knows where he lives, but they know he exists like a phantom in the night.”

“That sounds pretty scary,” exclaims Popuri.

“I know. I thought of him that way too at first. But one night after visiting my friend Lumina, I found him standing on a branch in a tree. Our eyes locked on to each other, and I was paralyzed! He is just so beautiful, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. His smile just melts my heart each time I see him. He just stood there watching me quietly, but I could feel our souls just melting into each other that very moment. When the winds blew, he just vanished without a trace.”

“Wow, that sounds like love at first sight! How romantic,” gasped Popuri.

Jill nods then continues, “one night, I found a warning letter in my mailbox. It was from Skye, he said that he will come to steal my heart the night after. The next evening, he appeared inside my house like magic. He swept me off my feet and carried me away in his arms like a princess in a fairy tale. He jumped up into the trees and carried me into the forest hopping from one branch to another like the wind. His eyes and hair looked so noble, like a prince from a far away kingdom. I felt like we were flying through the night in Forget-Me-Not Valley.

“He took me to a pond deep into the woods. He held my hands and told me how beautiful I am. He said that he has been watching me work around the valley for some time, and that he’s been admiring everything I do. He is such a smooth talker, I could have just melted into putty in his hands and I wouldn’t even care. It felt like the perfect date under the moonlight. He then brought me back home safely. He then whispered in my ear, ‘if you ever want to see me again, you must make the finest curry just for me’. He then ran out of the house and vanished back into the darkness where he came from.

“I asked Ruby to teach me how to make curry of all kinds. It took me some time to cook the best curry I can make, but it paid off in the end. One night after making the ultimate curry, he stole it without me even noticing he was in my house. He then brought the plate back to me the next evening and whispered, ‘I may return your dishes, but your heart is mine to keep”. He then kissed me, and spent the night.

“When I woke up naked in my bed the following morning, he was already gone. All I found is a note that saying that he wants more curry to steal. Each time I made his favorite curry, he would steal it and spend the night. He would win me over with his smooth words each and every time.” She ends the story with a long sigh with thoughts of the man she loves, the phantom thief Skye.

Once she finishes her story, Jill notices Popuri looking a bit sad. She holds her hand, then asks, “Poppy, what’s wrong?”

Popuri remains silent for a moment before answering, “I was in love once too. His name is Kai, he was my first love. He is a traveler who loves to cook, he used to come to Mineral Town every summer. We dated for a while, but my brother didn’t approve. He was very popular with the other girls, but he only loved me. My brother fought hard to keep us apart. In the end, he broke up with me and left me behind. He never came back since then.”

Seeing Popuri look so sad makes Jill feel bad. If she had known about Kai, she would have never shared her story about Skye. She had no idea that Popuri struggles so much with her family. Jill has always been free to do as she pleases. Living with such a restricted family was something Jill thought died out ages ago. All Jill can do to make Popuri feel better is to smile for her and say, “it’s going to be okay, I promise. Please know that I am on your side. If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m your friend. Okay?”

Popuri looks up at Jill’s comforting smile, then nods happily. Jill then picks up the bags and says, “come on, it’s still early. I want us to shop till we drop. That will make you feel better, I promise!”

And so the girls once again continue to window shop around the mall. Store after store, they run around like children trying everything they can get their hands on. As they continue their trip through the mall, Popuri finds a boutique with the most beautiful dress she has ever seen on display. A light red dress with an apron sewn around the waist, and a white frilly decoration around the neck. The dress has blue accents in the apron and neck lace with a small blue bow near the neck. The mannequin also is wearing a blue hairband with a matching bow to the left side, black stockings, and brown leather boots. The dress looks so much more modern than her blouse and red skirt.

Jill convinces Popuri to try the dress on. When she comes out of the dressing room, Jill cheers and compliments how cute she looks. Popuri does love the dress very much, but she knows she can’t afford it. After changing back to her traditional outfit, Popuri needed to take a bathroom break. Jill takes this chance to hand over her credit card to the cashier to buy it before Popuri comes back. She then hides the dress, hairband, boots, and stockings with the other items they bought for work.

The sun begins to set a few hours later. They had a ton of fun, but now they must begin the trip back home. As the boat leaves the harbor of Atland, Popuri waves goodbye vowing to visit another day. Now she will need to go back to Mineral Town and resume her normal life.

Back at the chicken ranch, Popuri shows off the bags of stuff she bought from her trip. She was scolded for leaving to the city of Atland without telling her brother and mother, but Lillia is glad that she didn’t go alone. After dinner, Popuri retreats to her room where she can take a look at the clothes Jill bought for her.

Popuri pulls out the plaid red and white button-up shirt and jeans out of the bags. She changes into them, then stares at the mirror for a while. She is amazed at how different she looks with the outfit and braided hair. She definitely looks more like a hard working farmer girl than a simple country girl. The outfit is very comfortable and will allow her to work with Jill with no issues. She then reaches into her bags to get her work sneakers, but finds the dress she fell in love with at the mall. She curiously pulls the dress covered in plastic with the blue hairband nestled inside. She also finds the brown boots and stockings in the bottom of the bag. There is also a note that says, “consider this a gift from me as a friend. I had a great time at the mall, lets do it again sometime. Please don’t be late tomorrow, I look forward to working with you.”

She giggles, then takes another look at the dress. She begins to wonder if maybe Kai will ever see her wearing it. For now, she decides that she wants to wear it to the trip to Sunny Island. She can’t wait to go there and see her chickens again.