Chapter 28

The next day

The next day dawned, and as the sun peeked over the horizon, Edward stirred from his slumber, ready to start his usual morning routine.

Around 8 AM, he donned his school uniform and set off for the university, and along the way, he took the opportunity to purchase some lunch in order to not hurdle in the crowded school cafeteria later on.

Upon arriving at the classroom, just like the day before, he found himself to be the first to arrive, and as usual, he took out his phone to browse Facebook.

Class officially began at nine o'clock in the morning and concluded at two o'clock in the afternoon. Nothing much happened in between; professors mainly discussed the fundamental aspects of the subjects.

The classmates remained as noisy as usual, and Edward didn't exert too much effort to befriend them.

Apart from James, the talkative guy, and Patricia, the nerdy girl, he didn't engage in conversations with anyone else.

Upon returning to his apartment, he promptly changed out of his uniform into more comfortable attire.

He then took a moment to ensure he appeared presentable, double-checking his attire and hair before heading out.

Approximately thirty minutes later, he found himself back at the familiar shooting location, ready to resume recording his latest song.

It was almost completed last week, so all he had to do was retake some shots, go through rounds of trial and error, and then the rest would be pieced together through meticulous editing.

Around six in the afternoon, the sky began to transition into twilight, casting a warm orange glow over the grassland nearby.

The landscape became a serene sea of golden green, with the grass swaying gently in the breeze. It was a beautiful, tranquil moment.

At that very moment, the final shots seamlessly fell into place, marking the completion of the last piece of the project.

Edward played the clip for a while, his eyes steadfastly fixed on the screen, meticulously reviewing his work.

Upon confirming that nothing was amiss, he efficiently began the process of packing up his equipment with a smile on his face.

Afterward, instead of heading directly back to his apartment near the university, Edward chose to make a spontaneous visit to his parents' apartment, eager to reconnect with them.

When he arrived, he found that his parents were still not there and the door was locked, so he took a seat on a nearby bench to catch his breath while waiting for them to arrive.

Not long after, his mom finally arrived, and upon seeing him, she was surprised and a bit teary-eyed.

Seeing her like this, Edward couldn't help but hug her with one of his arms, as even he felt a little emotional.

"I'm back, Mom," Edward said, his voice filled with warmth.

"Yeah," she replied, her eyes still glistening with emotion.

A while later, his dad also came, and he too was pleasantly surprised. However, instead of hugging or doing anything dramatic, the two simply exchanged smiles, a silent understanding passing between them.

Like father, like son.

Edward didn't want to make a fuss with his dad, and his dad felt the same way. 

Don't ask why; that's just how they were, whether in the present or in any previous time and space.

At seven in the evening, the sky had already darkened, casting a tranquil evening atmosphere.

As they enjoyed their dinner, they engaged in lighthearted conversations about random topics. 

During their chat, Edward also mentioned his plans to open a convenience store.

However, he expressed his concern about not being able to manage it due to his studies.

When he mentions it, he repeatedly says how he wanted to spend ₱200,000, but he didn't know how because he was afraid of being cheated by others.

When his parents heard this, they looked at each other hesitantly. They weren't naive and understood that Edward was building a convenience store for them.

"No, Eddie, you can't spend your money on something just because you want to help us," his mother earnestly replied. "Instead, you might as well save it to buy a house later. That way, you won't have to worry about renting an apartment like us."

"But-"

"No, 'but'!" His mother's tone was firm. "Do you know how much land is worth now? It's valued at 3,500 per square meter! If you calculate the cost of labor, materials, and everything else, building a house is worth millions."

"But, the house doesn't have to be built; there are countless houses that were sold by real estate companies and there are many cheap ones."

"..."

"Also, Mom," Edward explained earnestly, "I'm doing this as an investment. Believe me, in a few years, our area will become much more populated. If we secure some spaces in the marketplaces, not only will we recover the initial investment, but we can even earn hundreds of thousands annually."

"How do you know?" At this time, his usually quiet father asked, as if he had noticed something unusual.

"..." Edward was dumbfounded, and for a moment he didn't know how to say it.

He couldn't reveal that he was a time traveler and knew about the future.

As what he was sharing with them was indeed knowledge from the future.

As far as he remembered, due to various demolitions in different regions of Bulacan, many people chose to relocate to their area. 

During that time, schools, hospitals, and various small businesses had sprung up like mushrooms, and those who got in early ate everything, while those who joined later only managed to grab the leftovers.

"Well, I've heard from a classmate of mine that there have been a lot of demolitions happening in other regions lately. And rumor has it that the state government will offer preferential treatments to those who relocate to our area," Edward explained, creating an explanation from scratch that is not entirely true but not entirely a lie either. 

Anyway, his dad seemed to buy into it.

"I see. If what you said is indeed true, then such an investment is indeed worth trying." Sure enough, unlike his mother his father had better vision.

"But..." His mom looked at her husband with reluctance.

"My love, listen to me," his father responded. "If what Edward says is real, it means that it's indeed possible to earn a lot. This is for Edward, and if we really succeed, then we don't have to worry about his future anymore."

"At that time, let alone a house or even cars, he could have it."

After dinner, his dad pulled him into the living room, and the two began discussing plans for half an hour.

Afterwards, Edward said his goodbyes to his parents before heading back to his apartment. 

He had classes the next day and didn't want to miss them.