Okura had been quite helpful in helping the younger girl find a suitable job opening. She was very much excited about it, being dropped off via limo by the ginger-haired man. Escorting her inside casually, he took a look around the small cafe. Pleased by the comforting and non-threatening aura it had, he gave a kind smile to (Y/n). He must have been proud of himself for finding such a gem in the relatively dangerous city. She smiled back at the thought of his enthusiasm.

"Hi, welcome to Honey Inn," a young lady grinned, holding a menu to her chest as she greeted the patrons, "Can I help you get some seats today? Or are you here for a pickup?"

"I'm actually here to apply for a job?"

The younger girl spoke with uncertainty about her situation. From what the man beside her told her, he had contacted the owner and requested an interview for that date. Nonetheless, she hadn't actually been involved in anything besides requesting it of him. As such, she wasn't sure what she should do to progress further. Awkwardly, she stood, twiddling with her thumbs, unconfident about speaking with the unfamiliar individual.

"For (Y/n)?"

"That's the one," Okura chuckled, giving a proud grin at the sound of the younger girl receiving a job.

The woman nodded her head and showed the (h/c) haired girl to the back where an office was. It was small but well-organized, a slightly older woman sitting there with a contemplative look on her face. She then looked up and gave a smile, repositioning herself in her chair and grabbing a clipboard. Silently, she passed it to the girl before handing her a pencil and pressing her finger to the boxes on the sheet.

"If you will, could you go ahead and fill this out for me? After, we'll do your oral interview, and if all goes well, you'll be hired."

With an excited buzzing building up within her chest, (Y/n) eagerly wrote down her information on the sheet. There were a few things she couldn't answer, including her family, but as it was for emergency purposes, she simply put Shota's information there. He was acting as her legal guardian, after all, no matter how strange it was. And when she finished, she presented the clipboard to the woman, giving a beam.

"Perfect," she nodded, looking over everything briefly before placing it down on the metal desk, "So how did you find out about this job?"

"Actually, a friend helped me find it."

"Okay, what makes you a perfect fit for this position here as a waitress and miscellaneous staff member? Have you had any experience in similar jobs?"

"No, this will be my first, I believe."

"And I see here you go to Drisless National Institution of Education. What is your major?"

"Major? Actually, I guess I would be undecided."

The woman gave a confused glance and scribbled something down before continuing with the interview. She asked a number of questions the (h/c) haired girl couldn't answer. Whether it was due to her past life - of which she had no memory of - or her current life where she had a complete dependency on Shota. Even when she did have impressive education and a bright future regardless, she could tell the woman was not quite impressed with her. The education she possessed meant nothing in that blue-collar job. What they really wanted was experience; something she didn't have - or, at least, didn't remember.

"Thank you for your time, Ms. Yasojiro. I'll contact you when we've made our decision."

"Yes, thank you very much."

(Y/n) gave a sigh when she exited the room, looking up to see Okura with an impassioned grin. He seemed eager to hear all of the details about the interview as well as to hear the good news. Yet it somewhat hurt her to see him so happy. She wasn't sure where she stood or if she would be considered at all. So the only thing she could do was give a fake smile, hoping not to crush him after all the hard work he did for her.

"How was it, young miss?"

"It...was fun. I think I'll really like working here."

"I'm glad to hear that."

It seemed those words or perhaps the very thought of her being an independently functioning young lady made him proud. He glowed the entire way to the car and even offered to take her out for a treat. That being said, she declined politely. It wasn't as if she expected to get the job, after all, so there was no need to celebrate. The thought lingered in her mouth, but strangely enough, she could never get rid of it. Rather, it continued to stick around, painting a somewhat sour expression on her face.

Returning to the estate did little to ease her state of mind. Even as she found Nami waiting there for her and giving her a joyful hug, she could only manage a pity smile for her sake. She had thought it would be enough, but the red-haired girl saw through it immediately. Despite the fact Okura was completely fooled, she frowned and looked down at the ground, clinging to the older girl's leg and hugging her tightly.

"It's okay," she hummed, closing her eyes and resting her head on the other girl, "Sometimes you need something bad to happen for something good to happen."

The small girl hugging her made (Y/n) smile gently. She hadn't expected to be cheered up, especially not Nami - who liked to hide away most of the time. Still, she possessed a level of understanding or empathy that gave her great charm. The older girl smiled and hugged Nami as if showing her gratitude towards her words. She was a lot like her brother, wise beyond her years, and she couldn't help but be proud as if she was her own child.

The red-haired girl seemed calm at the embrace and gave a loving smile, leaning into her with adoration. She then suggested the two of them have a small tea party. The venue was serene, the garden sparkling with happy and healthy plants of all kinds, including the willow tree the two sat under. Nami, despite being a child, was very much a young lady. Her manners were impeccable right down to the tip of a finger or the bat of an eye.

Truth be told, the (h/c) haired girl was somewhat insecure about what she had learned thus far. Certainly, she tried her best in every new thing she was taught, but despite that, it appeared too difficult for her to master. She had already lived almost two decades without the need for it, and when suddenly given such things to learn, it felt odd. However, perhaps that was because she had only started recently, and was discouraged because she wasn't seeing results as fast as she wanted.

"Would you like a cookie, sis?"

(Y/n) couldn't help but smile at the optimistic way the young girl looked at her. She seemed delighted to be able to have an older sister figure in her life. It did come to light that the girl did have a number of older acquaintances in nobles close to the Yasojiro family, but when thinking about it, they must have been formal. When sitting down and eating a small snack with her, the little redhead felt at peace as if she'd finally found a mother figure she'd of which been searching for quite some time.

"I would love one."

Nami watched determinedly as the older girl munched on the biscuit, holding her breath eagerly to see if she enjoyed it. That childish need to impress was very much apparent in the family's blood, Shota having such a trait as well, but (Y/n) seemed to think it suited her far more than it did her brother. He wasn't nearly as cute when he watched her eat. Thinking of it, she couldn't help but chuckle.

"Have you decided what you're gonna get Sho?!" the red-haired girl finally squeaked, unable to take it any longer, sending the older girl to choke on the cookie she was given.

"Why are we talking about your brother, of all people?!"

"Weren't you thinking of him?!"

The (h/c) haired girl gave a curious expression, tilting a teacup to her lips while attempting to remember what she'd learned in her etiquette classes. She watched the clearly interested facial features of the smaller girl, even noting the excited way she trembled and held onto the small pink bunny plushie she had just recently carted around. It was endearing to think that she cared for her elder brother so much, but, truthfully, sometimes, it felt a bit much. It seemed he was the only thing that Nami ever wanted to talk to her about. A shame, too.

"Why would you think that?"

"Your eyes were sparkling," the small girl muttered softly, a small seed of doubt planted in her heart that the young lady before her wasn't as interested in her brother as she thought.

Regressing, she held onto her bunny a bit tighter, her eyes darting to the picnic blanket with uncertainty. Occasionally, she would dart her eyes up to look at (Y/n), almost akin to the way a puppy looks when its owner scolds it. Why she had thought she was in the wrong was beyond the older girl. It may have been because she was so confused that she ended up hugging the smaller being, resting her head on hers. At this, Nami tensed a bit, but it was not long before she gladly snuggled in her "older sister's" embrace.

"I have thought about it," (Y/n) hummed, tucking a stray strand of hair behind the girl's ear, "but if I told you, wouldn't you just go run off and tell Shota about it?"

"I...wouldn't do that," she replied, her tone nervous as though she was giving it her all to deny the accusation, "If I ruined Sho's surprise, he'd be very sad. He's been looking forward to it for a while now. That would...be mean."

"That's alright. I know you wouldn't do that, so cheer up. Say, this is the first time I've seen that bunny. What's his name?"

Nami looked down at the pink rabbit, giving a flushed reaction. She hugged it tightly as if it were her own flesh and blood, smiling coyly. One would have thought it was a gift from a boy that was courting her. That was certainly what the (h/c) haired girl thought for a moment, but the more she looked, it became more obvious that it was far from the truth. Rather, with that look on her face, anyone in the estate could have known it was from Shota. After all, he was her favorite person in the entire world.

"This is Nana," she giggled, holding up the rabbit for the older girl to see, "I found him while I was looking around the attic. I wanted to find some old pictures of our family, but I ended up finding Nana. He was very dirty, you know. Very dirty. When I found him, he was almost black!"

"Wow! Was he really?"

"Yeah, he looked like he was almost burned, but with Narcissa's help, we cleaned and patched him up. Now he's almost as good as new!"

"Very impressive, Nami. You're very talented, aren't you? I'm sure Shota loved that you helped clean his stuffed animal up."

The red-haired girl gave a disheartened look, burrowing her face into the bunny. She didn't answer the question, just attempted to put off answering it, hoping that they could move on to other topics of conversation. Perhaps the bunny wasn't given to her by her older brother, after all. Rather, it seemed much more like she had taken it without his permission. The male likely had no idea that she had discovered a relic from his childhood, and due to her expression, it must not have been a happy one.

"Miss, Miss! Miss Nami!" a servant called, hurrying out to the picnic blanket the two were seated at, "Miss Nami, come quick! Your parents have come and the young master is livid! You must follow me to a safe location, my lady!"

The red-haired girl shivered as she clung to the rabbit, tears pricking at her eyes. And despite that, she didn't move, debating between rushing to her brother's aide or fleeing from her parents. The look in her eyes made it very clear to the (h/c) haired girl, and with great love for the young girl, she hugged her tightly to calm her. If she was so terrified of seeing her parents, there was no need for her to go. It would have been better if she was in a place where she felt safe and comforted.

"Go with the maid, Nami, and have something nice and warm to drink. I'll come get you when it's over, okay?"

With an appreciative sob, the girl clung to her and rubbed her head against her before standing up with wobbling legs. The maid was helpful in keeping her standing upright, for, without her, the girl would have been unable to move forward, let alone stand on her own two feet. Every now and then, she would throw back a glance of worry to the (h/c) haired girl, but she faded away as she rushed her way to the main estate.

Servants looked on with worry, most hiding behind the corners of hallways or on the top of the staircase crouched down. From their gaze alone, the atmosphere became tense, most of them encouraging the younger girl not to go further. However, she heard shouting, most of it coming from the red-haired male's end. It was unusual to experience his anger, but for some reason, she couldn't stop shaking herself, much like Nami in her struggle to even take one step forward.

"I'm telling you that I have no intention of feeding your greed!" Shota howled, his voice reaching the younger girl even despite the distance between them.

As she stepped into the main foyer, she saw two parties. On one side was the red-haired male who was balling his fists in rage and irritation. On the other, there were two decently dressed individuals - a man and a woman - who gave their identity away as the male's parents. If not for the genetics - their similar eyes and hair - there was that gaze they had that reminded her of their son. The cold glaze that washed over their verdant and teal eyes echoed a distant persona, troubling her greatly.

In the midst of the argument, the red-haired male's eyes crossed the floor, his sight set on the (h/c) haired girl. At once, his eyes softened and he opened his arms, beckoning her to him. It was almost like a plea for help - to help him escape from the threats that had arrived. They sought to destroy his peace and prosperity, and as she walked over to him, she figured she was included in that kingdom he wanted to protect. A faint smile appeared on her face when he hugged her tightly, his trust in her prompting a bubbling feeling to wash over her.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, combing his fingers through her hair, "You're not used to me being upset, are you? If you'd like, you can go upstairs to our room. You shouldn't be able to hear a thing from there. The walls are soundproof, after all."

"No, I'm alright. You look like you could use the help."

The male smiled, grateful for her answer. Though he had no intention of coercing her into staying, it was his wish that she would. His sour mood had been corrected and his mind was cleared of all anger, leveling him. Sighing, he looked up at the pair across from him and sneered at their overly confident faces. He didn't think he would have to deal with them for quite a while, but like always, they had spent their allowance within two weeks. Now they were back, begging their son for more.

"Shameless," he huffed, pressing a kiss to (Y/n)'s temple.

"If you had only responded to our messages, we wouldn't have needed to come all the way here. It wasn't as if we wanted to sit in a car for two hours, and frankly, there are better things to do with our time."

"Really, mother? In that case, you must have acquired a job for yourself."

"That's not part of the deal."

"And what you're doing is? I distinctly remember outlining you would be given a hundred thousand every month, and only every month. I also remember including a clause that prevents you from coming to this household. Yet here you are."

Though the words that the red-haired male spoke were harsh and to the point, he didn't seem to harbor any want to hurt the people in front of him. Rather, he simply wanted them out of his sight, never to return. Perhaps that was why he had established a deal in the first place; to remove his parents from his or his sister's surroundings. As she thought on it, (Y/n) believed more in the latter after the terrified gleam in the redhead's eyes.

"Don't you have any pity, Sho?" the male's father questioned, though the look in his eyes was far from appealing, "After taking my position, you're now hogging the family fortune without even batting us an eye."

"If you've a problem with it, take it up with grandfather. We seemed to agree on the matter that you are incompetent and cannot be trusted to maintain it. Weren't you the one that almost spent it all in the first place? Centuries of noble lineage and you managed to almost completely wipe it out within two years of taking over. If that's not what an overstuffed pig is, I don't know what to say."

The man in question gave a surprised expression before scowling, noting that his usual tactics for leeching money out of the male would not work. The woman also seemed to be at a loss for words though she did attempt to stare the redhead down. Still, he didn't bow his head to them or look remotely at guilt, knowing that he was only doing as he was supposed to. Then again, he also had a glint of amusement in his eyes. Clearly not from the sight of the two before it, it must have been something along the lines of sweet vengeance. The (h/c) haired girl hummed at the thought, Shota chuckling and rubbing at her cheek in affection.

"Are you hungry, my dear?" he questioned, pressing her hand to his cheek and leaning into it, "We're going to be having a lavish feast tonight."

"Shota, is this how you treat your elders now?"

The door was opened before the redhead could make a retort, Okura stepping through while other servants carried baggage. The man was quite surprised at the presence of his master's parents but nonetheless retained dignity, practically ignoring them as he looked back, focused on the task at hand. Bowing at the waist, he welcomed the guest entering the estate, showing utter respect to the man he had known since he was but a toddler himself.

"It smells like flowers in here," a voice sighed, the older man pressing a handkerchief to his nose as if to mask the smell, "I despise this happy-go-lucky rubbish. It's like your grandmother is choking me with that damned perfume of hers."

"Welcome home, grandfather."