The Omnistore System

"Why do you only have female staff?" Lora asked as they were heading home after helping Kevin at the store.

Kevin still needed to meet Dina, but since it was getting late, he decided to drop his sister and cousin home first. "Honestly, I haven't thought about it," Kevin replied. "It's not like I'm deliberately hiring women. If a guy had asked for a job, I would have hired him too."

Lora gave him a skeptical look, while Riya, sitting next to him, smirked and said, "Oh, come on, Lora. You know Kevin's probably just a typical guy. He's probably thinking he's building his own personal harem or something."

Kevin rolled his eyes at Riya's comment. "Come on, Riya. It's not like that," he said, trying to keep his tone light but feeling a bit defensive. "I hire people based on their skills and availability, not their gender."

Lora raised an eyebrow. "Really? So if a guy walked in tomorrow looking for a job, you'd hire him?"

"Absolutely," Kevin affirmed. "If he had the right skills and attitude, I'd hire him in a heartbeat."

Riya crossed her arms, still looking unconvinced. "We'll see."

Kevin sighed, focusing on the road ahead. "You two have such little faith in me." and staying silent for minute, he continued. "And I don't have time for that kind of fantasy."

Riya rolled her eyes playfully. "Sure, keep telling yourself that."

As they pulled up to their house, Kevin said, "Alright, you two. Get out and behave yourselves. I've got to run."

"Don't stay out late; you make Mom worry," Riya said as she got out of the car. "And if you drink, don't drink too much, okay?" She looked genuinely concerned. Kevin hadn't come home drunk since he started cultivating, but Riya still worried he might pick up his old habits again.

Kevin gave her a reassuring smile and said, "I won't. Now get inside; it's getting colder."

The weather had been getting chillier, dropping at least two to three degrees each day, and it was already close to freezing--a perfect setup for snowfall. With that in mind, he headed to the address Dina had given him earlier. As he drove, he thought about what Lora and Riya had said, wondering if he really was being a bit of a stereotype. Maybe he should hire a guy next time, just to balance things out.

But deep down, Kevin knew he wouldn't hire a guy if he could avoid it. They were kind of right; maybe he was building a bit of a harem. He wasn't sure, but he definitely liked being surrounded by beautiful women.

Thinking of beautiful women, Kevin finally reached the address given to him by one such beauty. It was on the quieter side of the bustling city, an area with lots of trees and some crops. Fog rolled in from the fields, filling the dimly lit streets and giving the place an eerie feel.

It made sense why Elder Dina asked to meet here. Being an elder, she likely had enemies and a reputation around the city, so this secluded spot offered privacy away from prying eyes. With that in mind, he pulled up in front of a small hotel. It wasn't very tall, but it looked luxurious inside.

"You came?" Dina was waiting for him at the entrance, smoking a cigarette and looking a bit mysterious in the fog, wrapped in warm clothes.

"Why wouldn't I?" Kevin asked, surprised that Dina seemed surprised to see him.

"Nothing..." she said, tossing the cigarette butt away. "Let's go, and show me how good you are at it..."

"Oh, why the hurry? Let's get to know each other a bit before diving into it," Kevin said, pulling out his own cigarette and lighting it.

Dina watched him as he lit his cigarette, chuckling softly. She leaned closer to Kevin, holding out her own cigarette to be lit, and asked, "What do you want to talk about?"

Kevin lit her cigarette, the lighter casting a glow on her milky white skin. "Nothing much, just a bit about business," he replied casually.

"Ah, what kind of business are we talking about? If it's about your store, sorry, I can't lend a hand. You know the Benvar family runs its own cultivation shops," Dina said, taking a drag from her cigarette.

Kevin's disappointment showed, and Dina chuckled softly. "I guessed right, huh?" she teased.

"Yeah," Kevin sighed, puffing out smoke. "I was hoping you could help me get some new materials, but no worries if you can't." He flicked his half-smoked cigarette away and turned to her, casually placing a hand on her waist. "By the way, do you know which muscle is the strongest in the human body?"

"Where did that come from?" Dina chuckled in surprise as she felt Kevin's body press against hers.

"Just answer me," Kevin murmured, leaning closer to her face. Dina looked at him with amused, violet crystal-like eyes, gently caressing his cheek with the hand holding the cigarette. "I don't know, you tell me."

"Well, it's the tongue," Kevin replied with a smirk. "So, wanna fight with it?"

Dina laughed softly. "So you just wanted to throw a cheesy pickup line," she teased, her eyes bright with amusement. Continuing to stroke his face affectionately, she added, "How cute," before leaning in to kiss him.

Their kiss deepened as Kevin wrapped his arms around Dina, pulling her closer. The cool evening air mixed with the faint scent of Dina's perfume and the lingering smoke from their cigarettes.

It was fortunate that there weren't many people on the streets or coming out of the hotel, because Kevin and Dina stood at the entrance, their lips locked in a deep kiss. It was their first kiss together, and despite Dina's openness about wanting to have sex with him, Kevin didn't approach the kiss with the hunger he had shown with Maria. Instead, it was a slow and smooth kiss, which felt right for a first time together.