They were greeted with silence.

‘Unexpected’ was perhaps the first word that popped into all three women’s minds as the two men slinked out from the study in a silent fog.

As Alfred nudged the door closed with his heel, Kazuma could be heard making his rounds to the sofa, eventually resting his palm on Mieko’s shoulder.

She turned her head, owlish eyes glowing with intrigue and expectation.

「How was-?」

Kazuma couldn’t help but break from his poker face as her smaller hand reached to meet his fingers.

「I should say it was quite the success.」

Mieko was alight with joy, tossing her head this way and that between Kazuma and the two women sitting on the sofa. She knew that face–it was the face he always made when something went his way. Of course, there were times when that face would be unwelcome as she cursed his never-ending record of besting her in many of the childish games he entertained her with years ago, but in times like this, when he was in his element as a man of business, she could never be prouder.

Alfred stepped to the front of the sofa, arms outstretched and a wide smile on his reddened face. He felt joy flooding his body in waves as he met eyes with Yuko.

"He nearly gave me a heart attack, but we got a deal!" Alfred laughed while bringing a finger up to point at Kazuma. With that comment, both men felt compelled to gage Lucy for some sort of witty crack.

She was silent.

"Well." Kazuma gave Mieko's shoulder a quick squeeze before exchanging glances between Alfred and Yuko. "Alfred, I'm of the mindset that it would be best for you to update your family privately. I'll break the news to Mieko."

"Let's go into the kitchen." As Alfred motioned for Yuko and Lucy to follow, Kazuma was quick to catch Lucy stealing a glance at Mieko, before eventually locking eyes with him.

He was surprised to be met with a look of pleading rather than one of anger.

Now, why was she making that face? If he hadn't known better, he would have almost expected her to be on her knees begging for something, for what he hadn't the slightest clue.

Why Mieko willingly chose to befriend such a volatile young lady was beyond him.

"Fine." Lucy’s voice resembled that of a spluttering radio as she lurched to her feet. She avoided sharing any eye contact or words with her uncle, making it near impossible for any celebratory spirit to filter through the room.

At that moment Kazuma was quite thankful for his well-trained nerves. The last thing he wanted was for anyone, be it Lucy, Alfred, or Yuko, to take note of the light tremble twitching through his hand all because of some girl constantly throwing him through loop after unanticipated loop.

As Alfred led the two women back into the hallway, Kazuma was again met with Mieko's burning brown eyes. Only this time they were aglow with mischief instead of sheer anticipation.

「Kazu.」 She puffed her cheeks as she sang his name. 「Why is your hand still shaking?」

「It's not shaking.」 His voice came out as a mumble, a stark contrast from his usual groomed speech. Mieko giggled as he hastily tore his hand away from her light grip, and she allowed herself a few seconds to savor the rare flush that had wiggled up his cheeks before pressing him further.

「Well in any case, tell me about what went on in there, what happened? What did Al say? What did you say? Did you-」

Before any more offhand questions could spill from her mouth, the hand that was previously shaking was now resting in front of Mieko's beaming face. Kazuma then settled another hand on the top of her head.

「Allow me a moment to breathe, Micchan, please.」 His fatigue was apparent as his footsteps grew heavier, leading him to plop down beside Mieko on the sofa. She couldn't help but roll her eyes as he threw his head back with a hand running through his hair. The stubborn darkness under his eyes was more pronounced than it had been that morning.

She expected him to drop the “Mister Charisma” act as soon as they had a moment alone, but did one conversation with Al really do that much of a number on him?

「Forgive me if I'm wrong.」 It was his turn to roll his eyes at that mockingly sweet tone, one that Mieko only used when she decided to torture him with some ludicrous accusation. 「But something tells me your tired eyes and dragging feet aren't just because of Alfred.」

「Of course not, you're giving him too much credit.」 His chest fluttered up and down as he blew an unruly hair from his face. 「They also have a hell of a lot to do with your little friend and her mood swings.」

Mieko had absolutely no choice but to raise a brow at that comment.

Mood swings?

「It's called being human, Kazuma.」 She sighed, making a show of plucking a cigarette he had pulled from his pocket right out from under his nose.

「And anyway, perhaps showing more than just one face to the world is a healthy way to cope with stress. Better than these death sticks, you know.」 Twirling the captured cigarette between two nimble fingers, she gently began to press into its center until a slight bend jutted its way through the wrapper.

「Maybe take a page or two from her book.」

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Mieko grinned as Kazuma guffawed at her advice. He held out his hand expecting the safe return of his now-damaged cigarette.

「I'll do no such thing, and you'll return that to me immediately.」

He was compelled to curse under his breath as Mieko started inching away from him, the "death stick" now above her head and out of his reach.

「Go on and tell me what happened, then maybe I'll ponder allowing you to slowly kill yourself.」

「There's no proof those can kill you.」

「You need proof that smoke in your lungs can kill you? To think I had a crush on you as a kid! How embarrassing. Wait a minute-」 The muscles in her already-frozen body clenched painfully, her raised arm slowly plummeting back to meet the sofa cushion beside her and Kazuma. 「Before anything else, you're going to tell me, exactly what were you thinking? Treating Lu-chan like that, calling out to her on the street! How would you feel if some strange man did that to me, huh!? You...you moron!」

Kazuma's eyes flinched closed as he felt Mieko's free hand beat down onto the sofa cushion before giving his shoulder a shove, one that far-exceeded her perceived strength. He decided to use her misguided rage as an opportunity to snatch his (hopefully) salvageable cigarette from her weakened grip.

「After seeing this place, now I'm certain I was doing her a favor, Micchan, I'm surprised you don't agree!」 Now waving his hands in the air around them, he carried on in a hushed tone.

「This.」 Mieko followed suit, sprawling her thin arms above her head. 「Is exactly why I asked for your help! And I wanted you to help in a proper way, not through some questionable scheme you concocted on the spot at a bar with your friends!」

「That’s what I’m doing now is it not? And if you'd just sit and listen instead of dwelling on the past and stealing from me, perhaps your sour mood would turn for the better.」

「Fine, before I slap you again.」 Pawing at the sides of her kimono, Mieko’s riled up nerves settled back into her skin.

Truly, she loved Kazuma to no end, but there were times when he tested her patience until her brain threatened to snap into a million pieces.

「First off, I think you should know.」 The sides of his mouth quirked up into a smile like that of a cat who had just discovered a mouse. 「Mister Hampton and Miss Yuko are engaged as you said, not yet married.」

His smile grew wider as Mieko's face lit up yet again, an adorable childlike glint shimmering across her eyes.

「Oh wait, really!? So that means-!」

「It means a lot of things, actually.」 Kazuma decided it best to cut her off right there, lest she go on some girlish tangent about "forbidden love" or "premarital cohabitation."

He leaned back into the sofa once again, his left knee lightly bobbing his foot up and down on the floor below.

「For one thing, it means that Mister Hampton and Miss Lucy are more than likely here as travelers. Obviously, someone here on 'vacation' can't open a business.」

He rolled his head over to meet Mieko's quizzical gaze, the slight glimmer in her eyes now dim and muddled.

「Which.」 Mieko's eyes followed Kazuma's index finger as it flew above his head, pointing up towards the ceiling. 「Leads into my next point. Mister Hampton and Miss Yuko need to get married, as soon as possible no less, for Mister Hampton's life here to even have a sliver of a chance at success.」

Mieko bounced her eyes back towards Kazuma's face, which for some reason unbeknownst to her was exceedingly calm. She blinked twice while swerving her head to the side, shoulders hunched and hands grabbing at her knees.

「Okay, so-?」

「So, they need to tie that knot sooner rather than later, simple as that.」 Kazuma finished off with a snap of his fingers. He rolled his ankle mindlessly through the air as Mieko drank in the wave of new information suddenly at her fingertips.

「But wait.」 Kazuma felt the sofa become lighter as Mieko sprung from her seat, a tiny hand cradling her chin as she stared back down at him. 「Couldn't you just put their business under your name? Are there rules about that? And where does this leave Lucy?」

「Oh-ho, Mieko.」 The firm hand that originally had been entangled in Kazuma's dark hair shot back up to massage the inner corners of his eyes. 「Rule or no rule, I know I promised you the world when you were a child, but that world I spoke of was never meant to include me deliberately putting me in the line of financial fire.」

Now he couldn't help but roll his eyes at Mieko's ridiculous suggestion.

Him? Signing his name to this wobbly experiment?

「And regarding your friend, she is in a tight spot, no doubt about it.」 He brought a thumb to his chin as Mieko bit the inside of her cheek, a coping habit often employed whenever she was faced with an unsettling situation.

「Don't worry, my dear, we'll surely figure something out for her!」 It was his turn to take a stand now, ruffling Mieko's black hair as he strode over to the window in front of the sofa.

「The poor girl.」 He tisked, one hand finding his way to settle in his pant pocket while the other tugged at his tie.

He swiveled on his heel back towards Mieko, his relaxed grin playing into a coy smirk as he raised a brow at her. 「Perhaps I should set aside my personal views on the matter and lend her a hand? One of the marriage variety?」

His smirk grew as Mieko darted towards him, a fist making contact with his lower stomach.

「Strictly political, of course!」 He couldn't stop the light chuckles escaping him as Mieko tried to inflict some kind of damage to him, her feather light punches resembling more of a tickle than any kind of pain.

「You had better watch yourself, I haven't even heard the end result and I'm already at my wits end with you!」

Hands now resting on Mieko's shoulders in an attempt to somewhat ease her little fit of fury, he released one last chuckle before finally revealing what had come from him and Mister Hampton's meeting.

「Well, what we agreed upon was...not particularly what I had expected when coming here.」 His eyes darted towards the sunny neighborhood scenery on the opposite side of the window. 「He asked me if I wanted to use his situation as an experiment.」

「An experiment?」 Mieko shook her head, eyes closed as she wracked her mind for some sort of explanation Kazuma could possibly throw her way. 「What kind of experiment?」