A/N:

I'm sorry guys about the inconsistent updates recently. I had something on, so, I could not keep up with the schedule. Still, I should be able to return to the original schedule starting tomorrow.

Sorry once again, and hopefully, you enjoy the chapter.

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"We would like to purchase a few pairs of clothes." Michael responded to the saleslady.

"Please, come in." The lady said as she gestured for them to enter into the store.

Even though she tried to hide it, Michael could see that she did not believe what he had just said.

But, was there even a need for him to try and explain anything? Just spend money, and whoever had doubts would have their doubts cleared.

Michael led the group into the store, and the kids looked around in amazement.

The clothing store was bright and neatly arranged, with wide glass windows displaying mannequins dressed in the latest styles.

Inside, soft music played above rows of well-lit racks filled with shirts, dresses, and jackets sorted by color and size.

A few mirrors stood near the fitting rooms, and the faint scent of new fabric lingered in the air.

At the back was a counter with a smiling attendant, who had neatly folded bags beside her, ready to help customers or wrap up their purchases.

In comparison to Crown Hotel, the quality of the store was obviously lower. But for this entire group, who had ever visited such a high end clothing store?

Even back in Drenn city, the store that Michael had visited was of a lower grade as compared to this one.

While it might be true that the store itself was at a lower grade as compared to Crown Hotel in terms of luxury, it was not something that Michael and the others had visited.

They, who were used to shopping from street stalls, were instantly amazed by the appearance of the store, and the clothes on display.

If not for the children being restricted, they would have already rushed to touch the clothes around.

Michael looked at John and said, "What about this? Let's buy three pairs of clothes for each person first. After that, we can head to the agency to get the keys to the apartments."

Even though John was reluctant, he thought, it made sense. After all, going to the agency with the attire that they were currently in, they would inevitably attract too much attention.

"Okay." John nodded. But in his mind, he thought, they would purchase the cheapest clothes available in the store.

They could not allow Michael to continue spending a lot of money on them.

Considering the large number of people that Michael had come in with, they required several salespersons to attend to them.

But, since that they were not the only customers available in the store at the moment, not everyone could receive an attendant. And there were not that many attendants in the store to begin with.

But even then, the group of 23 was divided into five groups. Each group was served by one salesperson.

"Whatever they want, just wrap it up for them. I will pay." Michael said to the sales persons.

Even though the sales persons had their own doubts, looking at Michael, he definitely looked more presentable as compared to the others in the group.

They thought, maybe this guy had gone to look for some homeless people, and brought them here to buy them clothes.

While it might be true that their store did not have those brand clothes, but even then, the clothes inside were quite expensive.

Despite the many doubts that they had, they decided to act according to how they were supposed to.

So, Michael and the others moved around the store, with them going in and out of the changing room.

As they changed out of their old, worn out clothes, they all seemed to be transforming.

Even if someone's appearance was subpar, as long as they were draped in nice clothes, they would have a charm of their own.

Of course, Michael's group had attracted the attention of several people within the store.

Those people, as expected, they began commenting, while others threw indirect insults at them.

Michael and the others simply ignored them, and focused on getting the clothes.

If it had been before the incident at the hotel, the group might really not have thought of Michael being able to afford the clothes here.

But from the way that Michael was spending, they believed him.

But of course, they all tried to select outfits that were cheaper but presentable. They were simply trying to save Michael money.

For the crowd that was initially doubting that the group could afford the clothes, when it was time for Michael to pay the bill, they all looked over curiously.

"What's the total?" Michael asked, after everything had already been put inside the shopping bags.

Currently, the group had already changed into one pair of outfits, with the old clothes already discarded.

Michael had decided to purchase three pairs of outfits, implying that from top to bottom, inside-out, it was considered as a single pair.

Initially, the group was reluctant. But when Michael insisted, they all selected the clothes that they liked, but were cheap.

"Sir, the total is $7,890." The lady responded.

Michael did some quick calculations, realizing that the average cost for each person was about $340.

For the group behind Michael, when they heard the price, they were once again shocked.

Just three pairs of outfits, and it was this expensive? But, when they thought about it, it actually made sense.

After all, it was not just a single piece of cloth a person, but instead, a full outfit.

Additionally, all 23 of them, obviously including Michael, had purchased 3 pairs of outfits.

Michael did not say anything, and quickly completed the payment. After that, he led the group, carrying the shopping bags, and left the store.

Behind them, the group that was initially doubting or looking forward to a good show was left murmuring to each other.

As soon as they got out of the store, Michael looked at John and said, "What about this, the two of us should go to the agency, while the rest of them go back to the hotel?

We can quickly go there, get the keys, then look at the houses. Additionally, maybe we can make a few purchases along the way, so that we can move in the tomorrow."

John thought about it, realizing that it actually made sense.

First of all, the group itself was big. With a total of 23 people moving around, it would inevitably attract a lot of attention towards them.

While from the looks of it, the people around them wanted to look around, this was definitely not the time for that.

They could move around later on, after they had settled.

"Okay then." John responded.

After that, the entire group went back to the hotel, including Michael. Michael had to go as well, considering that the rooms for the under 18 kids have been registered under his ID.

After making sure that everyone had gotten the passkey cards to their rooms, Michael and John both left, flagged down a taxi, before they headed towards the agency.

The agency itself was also located within the school district, a 10-minute drive to get there.

As soon as they arrived, they entered the building in which the agency was located.

With new outfits, they really did not have to care that much about attracting attention towards them.

Despite the attire that they were wearing being slightly cheap, it was quite presentable.

At the front desk of the agency, Michael stated the reason of his visit.

After receiving his ID card, the lady behind the desk typed a few times on the keyboard, before she finally confirmed that Michael had paid the rent for five apartments.

She was quite shocked, to see that such a young person had the capability of paying such a huge amount. She concluded in her mind, he definitely came from a well-off family.

If it had just been for a month or two, it would not have been quite shocking. But, Michael actually paid the rent for the five apartments for a full year!

After everything was confirmed, there was a contract that needed to be signed. Michael quickly signed it, before one of the agents came over, intending to take them to the apartments.

This time, Michael did not decline, and the three of them left in a car that was assigned by the agency, to take them to their destination.

The apartment building stood along Kala street, a clean, tree-lined street a few blocks from the main school complex. Rising twelve floors high, it had cream-colored walls, wide balconies, and tall glass windows that reflected the sunlight.

Across the street, a small café and a stationery shop occupied the ground floor of another block, while a supermarket and a bus stop stood nearby. The sidewalks were neat, lined with benches and trimmed plants.

Behind the building, a narrow service road led to a small park where children often played after school, and nearby stood several mid-rise buildings with offices, tutoring centers, and family restaurants.

As he looked around, Michael was amazed by the location of the apartment building. This location was quite good, especially considering that they had children.

With that, the group entered into the apartment building, before they headed straight to the 4th floor.

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