"Mr. Itou if you don't calm your emotions now…everyone within the building will quit from fear." Juno sighed while looking up at Tobias Itou's dark and brooding expression.
The man at the desk was dreary, dark circles beneath his bloodshot eyes. Hunched over in his chair, Tobias propped his chin with his fist, the other hand tapping restlessly on the table.
"Was it not your job to ensure no one suspicious could enter the building?" He growled in a low voice.
The eyebrows on Juno's face arched. Pushing his glasses to the bridge of his nose, he remained calm despite the accusing glare he was receiving from his boss.
"I did my best sir. But you must know that woman is rather quick when it comes to her schemes."
Unable to deny his words, a frown bore on Tobias's face. Grumbling, he ran a hand through his already tousled black hair.
"Is this about Ms. Mimi?" Juno asked.
"Who else?" Tobias scowled.
"Did she not forgive you, sir?"
"She did but…" Tobias's eyes never wavered from the photograph on his desk. "I can't help but feel her trust in me is too high. I hurt her, but she forgave me, even though I can't bring myself to tell her yet."
"I see." Juno just stared at him in deep thought. "But I feel as if I should warn you, not as your secretary but your friend…there is a limit to how kind and merciful a woman can be."
"I'm aware of how frightening women can be." Tobias stood up from his desk and stared out the window. "But Mimi…she's not that type of woman."
…
In Blush Boutique.
"Excuse me?" Mimi turned to the sales clerk and held up two tops. "By any chance, could you tell me which one makes my boobs look bigger?"
"Ah…" Immediately, a bright blush formed on the sales clerk's face.
"Mimi!"
Turning back to the pretty woman, who was approaching her with a glare, Mimi chuckled.
"What? I was just testing your staffs selling abilities. You know they need to know how to sell to your clothing."
Emilia Yimo snorted as if she said something outrageous, then waved her hand to dismiss the sales clerk. When she turned back to Mimi, she flicked her forehead.
"Ouch!" Mimi made a face and rubbed the center of her forehead.
"Don't think because we're friends you get special treatment at my shop." Emilia scowled.
Looking up with a faint smile, Mimi giggled. After annulling her internship at her company, Emilia Yimo took on the business world herself. She first began establishing her very own fashion company. When she came to Mimi with this new idea, she didn't hesitate to help the girl out. Already she established two boutiques across the city, all of which were relatively popular among young women.
Every so often, Mimi would visit the shops to purchase clothing for herself.
"But your clothes are so nice! You should have seen the faces of everyone when Tobias and I attended that event!" Mimi recalled the champagne dress she wore to meet Tobias's parents. It truly was beautiful.
The corners of Emilia's lips twitched to refrain the smile on her face. She huffed and began folding the clothes Mimi took.
"How did the meeting with his parents go anyway?" Emilia remembered Mimi telling her the truth of the event. To be honest, she was a little upset when she heard Tobias didn't tell her until the last minute.
"Oh, his parents hated me," Mimi stated with a bright smile.
Shocked, Emilia couldn't help but look at the girl with concern.
"Are you all right with that?"
With her hands behind her back, Mimi scanned around the shop, her eyes landing on some necklaces.
"I don't care whether they hate me or not. But…if they try to ruin our relationship, then I'll have no choice but to step in." The necklace in Mimi's hand sparkled within her cold, violet eyes.
While the young woman's smile remained soft, her tone sent a chill down Emilia's spine. It was strangely thin.
"Well…I hope things go well for you two."
"Hehe, they will soon." Mimi laughed softly and continued to admire the jewelry without elaborating on her words.
Emilia sighed while gathering the remaining clothes on the shelf.
After leaving the boutique, Mimi checked the time on her phone and smiled. Humming a soft tune, she walked to the corner when she suddenly stopped.
"My, my, my, to stalk a young maiden all day long…you must be lonely." Slowly, Mimi turned her attention to the man behind her.
When she turned around, a pair of dark eyes were already focused on her. Brown eyes filled with such familiarity, she couldn't help but feel numb. From the moment she left her home, Mimi guessed someone was following her. However, she had only sensed his presence when she arrived at Emilia's boutique.
Standing across from her on the street was none other than her older half-brother, Kenji Hirogori.
"If there's something you'd like to say, please tell me rather than stalking me. It's quite troublesome." Mimi gave her usual nonchalant smiles, but her eyes were distant.
With no one in the area, nobody could see the fiery sparks flying between the two. Kenji Hirogori stared at her with such cold eyes that he might've frozen her to death.
"Follow me." He ordered coolly.
"Hmm?" Mimi's brows raised with interest. "Why should I follow a strange man like you? Who knows if you'll do something bad to me?"
Kenji looked at her bitterly, which only made Mimi giggle.
"Very well then. But make it quick, I have somewhere to go after this. I'd rather not be late."
Without so much as a change in his expression, Kenji motioned her toward the car. Mimi walked toward the door and gave her half-brother a soft smile. It had taken him a moment before Kenji realized she was waiting for him to open the door. His expression darkened even further, but he yielded and did as she wanted.
"Such a gentleman. No wonder the ladies faun over you." Mimi sat in the back seat and looked at him with a bright, teasing grin.
She saw his face twitch before he shut the door to walk on the other side of the car. Sitting comfortable in her seat, Mimi gazed out the window as if nothing was out of the sorts. Just another day with her half-brother, who she had not seen in years.
…
"Here's your milk tea, miss." The waiter set the steaming cup in front of the beautiful, violet-eyed girl.
"Thank you," Mimi offered a polite smile, which made the waiter blush. Giggling, she reached for a sugar packet and ripped it open before pouring it into her tea.
Unexpectedly, Kenji brought her to a popular cafe within the city. The aesthetic was soft and clean with gentle jazz music playing in the background.
"Don't you think that's too much sugar?" A man's deep, gloomy voice said from across.
Without moving her gaze from her cup, Mimi smiled softly to herself and stirred her milk tea. After her third packet was she satisfied, and brought the beverage up to her pink lips.
"I'd like to have something sweet to distract me from this bitter moment." Mimi laughed softly.
Kenji's expression twitched slightly, but he regained his composure.
"I noticed at the event a few days ago you left early. I take it the Itou family didn't take a liking to you."
Setting her cup down with a sharp tap, Mimi's brows raised in amusement.
"Hmm? Are we here to talk about my relationship, because I wouldn't mind discussing some steamy details with you. Not that it would matter to you. Ah, but you are the expert when it comes to a parent's disapproval toward a partner."
"What does that mean?" Kenji's eyes narrowed.
Mimi didn't say a word. Instead, she gave an unreadable smile and slowly sipped her tea. Kenji stared at her silently, his eyes growing colder by the second. He shifted a little in his seat before clasping his hands and leaning forward.
"The reason I called you here is that there's something I want to discuss with you. I think it'll be of interest to you."
Mimi continued sipping her tea and waited for him to speak. By now, she could already guess what he wanted to discuss with her.
"Come back to the Hirogori family."