「Still nothing?」 Mieko crossed her arms and leaned her head on the sliding door. The night had finally arrived - Kazuma’s welcome home reception, haphazardly thrown together over the past weeks with a slew of hurried invitations sent and seasonal delicacies quickly ordered and prepared.
「You’re an eye-witness, Micchan, they’re a mess.」 Kazuma slouched next to the young heiress on the wooden balcony, a hand picking at his trousers while the other held his pocket watch.
Twenty minutes to spare.
He would give anything to spend the evening out here, with Mieko and the koi fish scurrying beneath them, the only living creatures present tonight who wouldn’t think of judging his character or using him for malicious personal gain.
「They’re our mess now.」 Mieko chimed in, fussing with her hair and jewelry in the pond reflection.
「Hah,」 Startled koi escaped towards the other end of the pond as Kazuma let out a booming laugh. 「Our mess? You spend your days treating the home like an amusement park, gossiping with Yuko and Lucy without a care in the world. You really are a star conversationalist, taken after me of course.」
「Well I try to be sociable, at least! You’re always just dragging Lucy out here and there for this job and that, I barely see her and it’s no wonder she’s fed up with you! Might I remind you, she was teaching me English before you stole her away.」
Mieko eyed Kazuma for any sort of reaction. Dealing with Alfred was one thing, but Lucy was in a league of her own when it came to making Kazuma crack from frustration behind closed doors.
「A woman needs stability, and you’re not giving her that with these odd jobs.」
「Stability? That girl is anything but stable, much less any job she tries.」 Kazuma’s free hand found itself tangled in his hair before fluttering down to his side. 「She should be grateful, but she still fails to see what I’m giving her. I could mold her if she would let me! I do wish I could focus more on Miss Hasegawa, but she’s in a tough spot.」
Unaware of Mieko rolling her eyes at his pitiful complaining, Kazuma tapped his fingers on the wooden floor.
Miss Hasegawa.
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During his second visit to the Hampton household, Yuko was kind enough to explain to Kazuma over tea her precarious situation regarding Osaka and the local upper class. She told him that she was the daughter of a science professor at an undisclosed university and had her fair share of attendance to social functions in the region. That was until she was sent to Chicago for a stay with extended family.
While Kazuma nor Mieko ever had the pleasure of meeting Yuko at an event in the past, it was settled that it was in the Hampton’s best interests for Yuko to refrain from “public” work, lest her carefully hidden, “unsavory” private life be breached and leaked to the snobbish masses.
「This is nearly impossible.」 Letting out a sigh, his fingers traced the cool metal of his watch.
「There’s always that idea we talked about last week…」 Mieko placed a finger under her chin as she puffed out her cheeks, grinning and eager for Kazuma’s answer.
「That, Micchan, is an absolute last resort.」 Kazuma genuinely pondered if Mieko sometimes found joy in making him squirm. She always had a talent for writing off her comments as jokes, but sometimes Kazuma had to wonder. 「One day with Alfred and I worry Hiro will have to be institutionalized.」
「Oh, that Hiro could use someone like Al!」 Mieko huffed while playing with her pearl necklace. 「Everytime I see him, I wonder where the pole attached to his back is hiding! He’s so uptight about everything, I’d pay to see Al move a row on his abacus.」
With that comment, both friends were a laughing mess under the garden’s moonlight, a momentary respite from the stresses of work until--
「Ah, welcome, you’re early! Please, come in.」
The pair let out a groan as boisterous conversation seeped through the walls. Kazuma reluctantly rose from the floor, tossing his watch in one of his coat pockets.
How many times they would be inundated with “Are you busy recently?” or “What a lovely house” and countless other bouts of drivel over the course of one night, neither of them could nor wanted to know.
「How long do you think this will last?」 Mieko questioned, taking hold of Kazuma’s hand and brushing off her skirt as she stood.
Before Kazuma could reply, both froze as the adjacent door to the garden slid open, revealing Mister Takahara steaming under a guise of civility.
「We have guests.」 He hissed. 「A very important one for you, Kazuma, and I won’t have her waiting for a moment longer.」
Mieko’s heart sank as bile threatened to travel up her throat. 「No-」
「Who?」 Completely oblivious as to exactly who his boss was referring to, Kazuma’s confusion grew once Mieko’s grip on his arm tightened.
「Iwagami Sanae.」
Kazuma’s blood ran cold.
Shit.
Sanae?
That was a name he had so desperately hoped would remain a distant, lost memory.