A shaky hand clenched atop the breast pocket of Kazuma’s jacket, the firm surface of the tobacco box beneath the sleek fabric never failing to provide familiar momentary comfort. He cursed to himself as his heart calmed, the time between beats growing longer the closer his steps brought him to the entrance of his old home.

All these years, and he still fails to toss out one measly word of praise.

The humid evening air splashed onto his sweating face as Kazuma trudged to his usual refuge between the alleyway and gate.

Swiping one stick from the box, lighting it up and settling it between his lips, he allowed his smile to drop for the first time of the evening.

“How does Micchan do it? Poor girl.”

“You’re damn right ‘poor girl!’” Kazuma flinched as a pair of fists punched against his upper arm, nearly sending his cigarette flying into a bush of tulips.

Mieko had sneaked away from her room in the hopes of catching Kazuma. “What were you thinking, leaving me all alone here with-” Mieko groaned as her eyes rolled into the back of her head. “Mister Fosters.”

She stood with Mame licking at her ankles while her wrists were quickly captured in Kazuma’s hands.

“Yes, yes, yes I heard all about your plight without Eliza, Micchan, but hey-” Kazuma stooped to meet Mame’s cheery black and white face, their foreheads bopping together as he rubbed underneath her chin. “Look at who I did leave you with! A minute with my sweet, adorable, beautiful Mame surely makes up for any amount of time spent with mean old Fosters, yes it does.”

“Easy for you to say, Mister Globe Trotter.” Mieko glared, fighting with herself on whether her feelings of anger were justified or if she should be holding onto Kazuma for dear life and never letting go. “How long can you stay out here? I wanna hear about your time away too, it’s not fair!”

“You read my letters, he didn’t.” Kazuma huffed and flipped a finger towards the tea room window before rising from the ground. “I’m hoping for a few more minutes before he comes yelling. So, when did it happen?”

“When did what happen?” Mieko murmured between fighting off Mame at her heels and waving away the tobacco smoke flowing from her friend. “I just snuck down here when I heard the door slam.” She giggled. “Way to be subtle.”

“No, silly.” Kazuma bopped her shoulder as he snubbed the cigarette between his fingers, puffing the last bit of smoke from his nose. “When did Eliza have to leave?”

“Oh.” Mieko’s voice wavered as a hand reached to tangle in her hair “Well, you know Mrs. O’Halloran was never Father’s favorite. It was only a matter of time. About six months ago he had had enough.”

“Idiot.” Kazuma grumbled through clenched teeth. “And I’m certain Fosters was chomping at the bit for that pretty salary.”

“Oh, most definitely of course he was! He’s getting even more than she was, that greedy ass.” Mieko exclaimed with her arms in the air. “I’ll bet you he was behind the whole thing, I’m certain of it! He was always threatened by her and her husband, so this was the perfect time to strike her down!”

Kazuma couldn’t help but laugh as Mieko jumped and frantically stabbed a finger into his chest, her nose scrunched and eyes growing wider and wilder with every accusation.

“I believe you, General Micchan.” Kazuma winked down at her with a fist to his chest.

“It was horrible, it still is horrible.” Her mouth morphed into a comical frown, eyes teary as she balled her hands to her chest. “If only I had a teacher who didn’t make me want to jump in the koi pond, or escape for the mountains, what a wonderful world that would be.”

“Oh-ho, no.” Kazuma jutted a hand in front of Mieko’s crocodile tear-stained face. “Sorry Micchan, but you and I both know your dad is going to be running me ragged from morning till midnight. As much as Fosters is a pain in the behind, I’m afraid you’ll have to bear his company with a smile for a while longer.”

“A while longer!? Don’t comfort me with false hope!” Mieko whined as she stooped down to hug Mame. “Well fine, if you’re so busy I’ll just forget about asking you for any more help.”

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She continued to mumble to the black and white fluffball beside her. “Can you believe your dad, Mame? Didn’t even give me a chance to talk about the Hamptons, now how can I help her?”

“Hm?” Kazuma’s slumped shoulders raised to attention. “Who are the Hamptons?”

Mieko grinned behind her hand as the wheels began to turn in her head.

Got him.

“Well, if you insist, I met this American girl near Tennoji, and I’ll spare you the details but she dirtied my kimono.”

“Mhm.” Kazuma’s eyes glazed over in suspicion at Mieko’s chipper tone, waiting for the inevitable catch.

“And then, she was nice enough to invite me and Takako over to clean it without Father knowing! She truly was an angel.” Mieko sighed as her arms wrapped around Mame’s torso. “And she looked like one too.” Her eyes traveled up to meet Kazuma’s face, still unmoving and feigning boredom.

Damn it, come on!

“It’s such a shame.” She carried on. “Such a nice young girl like that having no one to rely on, no one to take care of her.”

“What of her husband?” Kazuma finally chimed in as Mieko’s hopes soared.

“She’s single! She has nobody!” She nearly stepped on Mame’s tail while she jumped up and flung her arms at Kazuma’s chest.

Isn’t that great!? Mieko wanted to blurt out in support of her plan, but Kazuma’s suspicions seemed to still be brewing beneath his slowly peaking interest.

“Uh- I mean, she moved here with her uncle and his Japanese fiance, but they have nothing, no jobs.” She crossed her arms as she pondered what to say next.

That was all there was to it, really.

Her brows furrowed as she pumped more ideas through her head. Surely he hadn’t changed that much during their time apart?

“It was so sad Kazuma, I can only imagine the worries going through her mind, being in a foreign land with no money, no husband and not to mention all of the-”

She paused as Mame whined, hands shooting up to cover her face. “-unsavory scoundrels she could wind up entangled with, and no man to protect her-”

A smirk creeped up Mieko’s cheeks when a nostalgic sound boomed from the ground below - the tapping of Kazuma’s shoe was all she needed to hear to know she had won him over.

“What, so her uncle has no means to provide for his family?” He scoffed, kicking a rock into the nearby pond.

“It would seem so.” Mieko sighed, hands now folded in front of her chest. “Just an idea but maybe…maybe you could help? Invest or advise or something?”

“Ah.” Kazuma chuckled as he shook his head, “I knew this was some part of one of your schemes. I’m proud of you for your prowess, I’ll give you that!”

“Oh, come on Kazuma, please?” Mieko tugged at his sleeve, bottom lip quivering in feigned disappointment. “I know you’re busy, but I really liked her and her family and I think you would too!”

“Well I really like having workweeks that are 50 hours or less!” Kazuma tried to reason with her, knowing that ultimately after a few more pouts and whines he would eventually give in.

“Yeah, and then what? All those other hours you’re just going to be with her anyway.” Mieko scrunched her nose in disgust as she rolled her eyes. “Anyone is better than Lady Sanae.”

“What?” Kazuma’s eyes blew wide. “I have no plans of the sort, Mieko.”

“Great, then surely your schedule can accommodate me and my new friends.” Mieko stabbed a finger towards her chest before resting her hands on her hips. “Or are you so much without a conscience that the thought of a sweet girl withering away in poverty fails to move you at all?”

“You refuse to give me any leeway, don’t you?”

“Seeing them once is the least you can do for me after you left me with-” Mieko shot her arms and hands up towards the tearoom window. “Him. For three years.”

“Mieko-” Kazuma sighed in defeat, a hand trailing its way from his nose to his temple.

“Threeeee years!”

“Yes, yes I am now fully aware of your despair.” Kazuma refused to look down at those watery brown eyes and rosy cheeks, for fear that another glance would be an invitation to string him along in even more of her flighty schemes. “Alright Micchan, I guess I have no choice but to swoop in and pick up the pieces of this little charity project, in secret from your dad, of course.” He huffed once more as he ruffled the top of her head. With a quick check of his watch and a ‘tsk,’ Kazuma led the two of them with Mame at their heels back into the house. “Hopefully I can pick up your little friend in the process.” He nudged Mieko’s shoulder, his booming laughter drowning out the chides and scolds of the ambitious young heiress beside him.

Staring back into the dim foyer, the grip on his watch tightened as he felt her eyes on him, brimming with expectation and hope.

Hope that he prayed wouldn’t fall to disappointment.