When the next day started, Ryota hadn't even gotten a chance to wake up before his younger brother sat on him. Staring down at him, creepy and quiet as usual, the mint-haired boy made him stagger. It made him wonder how long Ayori had been there, but when he asked, he wasn't given an answer. In fact, he was only given a disgusted look before being bitten on the hand as if the brother he had was a rabid stray.

"I don't even know what to say to this," the green-haired male huffed, walking over to his wardrobe.

As he opened it, he immediately fell on the floor at the sight of his elder brother, terrified. He looked as though he'd been in there the entire night, with bags under his eyes and a rigid posture. Stepping out from behind the shirts, the ravenette laughed his heart out, holding his stomach tightly. He then wiped an eye and extended his hand to his younger brother only to be slapped. It wasn't too much of a shock.

"C'mon, time to get dressed for your date," Kinu hummed, picking up some hangers before holding them up to his brother's torso, "You have to look good if you're gonna get her number."

"Not a date."

"You're both blind when it comes to fashion," Ayori sighed, shoving his elder brother aside before pulling out his choice of shirt, "I'll handle this."

"Not a date."

"Alright, you do that. I'll start drilling Ri-Ri on things to say to her. If we leave him as is, he's going to scare her away with all his talk about horses and magic shows and - "

"Not a date."

"I wonder if they'll even get past 3:15. That would be a miracle."

At this point, Ryota shut his mouth. Letting his brothers do whatever they wanted, he held a straight face and tried to escape into his mind. At some points, he could hear Kinu trying to lecture him on how not to treat a girl, and at others, he heard the threats Ayori made about how he should always look the part. There was nothing more torturous than that. He would have rather willingly eaten a thousand hot-sauce-covered strawberries than put up with their antics. It wasn't a date. He still hadn't made up his mind on whether he even liked her or not.

By the time he had come to, he was already in the car with Kinu and his father on the way to the offices. Hotaka was driving, every now and then becoming very interested in the conversation for a reason Ryota could not tell. Regardless, the moment the car stopped moving - and even a bit before then - he unbuckled himself and shot out of the car at top speed, trying to escape his elder brother. It was near futile. Even as he stopped to cheerfully greet the receptionist and Ryota rushed into the elevator, he was somehow fast enough to catch the door before it closed.

When the younger male was finally in the clear, having had to speed-walk his way past everyone on the twenty-third floor, he locked himself in his office. Tapping the window five times to put it on the non-transparent setting and shutting the balcony door, he discarded all the flashy junk Ayori had made him wear until he was only wearing a simple shirt and pants. He sighed and at long last collapsed in his chair, glancing at the clock. It was 6:34, he was behind schedule, and he had even forgotten to get a cup of coffee.

"Hey, I - "

"Get. Out," the male growled, uncaring of who was intruding on his private time.

Hotaka fidgeted with his thumbs as he waited outside the door, giving a guilty look. He looked like a dog that had been scolded for wanting to play fetch. Regardless, before long, he was let in, the green-haired male eventually realizing that it was his bodyguard, not his brother. And, to his delight, he carried with him a cup of coffee. Ryota eagerly grabbed it and sat back down, sipping it quietly but with utter bliss. As always, it was his only solace.

"I-Is it any good?" the younger male questioned, holding his hands tightly together behind his back before rambling, "I know you make it a certain way, and I definitely don't know near as much as brewing it as you do, but - "

"It's fine."

Blushing, the male sat down on the floor, more than content with the answer he had received. He knew his boss wasn't the most friendly of people and he definitely wasn't at all well-versed with him either, but it was the best he could do. To him, he had always been rather cold, accentuating that they had a status that wasn't friendship but that of a boss and his employee. Still, Hotaka was one of the few people he spoke to, so he was very much honored.

"I heard that (Y/n) was coming over?" he mumbled, pressing his fingers together, "It's...Kinu was talking about it and I couldn't help but overhear and I know it's not polite or anything, but I - "

"Yes. 3 in the afternoon."

"R-Really? Oh, that's great! I've always been really curious about what she's like on the weekends. I know we see each other all the time during the week, especially with classes and all, but I've never really seen her outside of it. There was this one time that I took her to my neighborhood and it was really fun. She was super sweet too, got me some food and everything and I swear that - "

As the purple-haired male got lost in his own world, talking and talking and talking, Ryota put on his headphones, as was the norm. It wasn't like he was going to stop chatting any time soon and any response was only going to encourage him. As such, headphones were a great way to satisfy both parties. Hotaka got to open his mouth flap as much as he wanted and keep himself entertained and Ryota got to keep his sanity and productivity. It was a win-win. Or it would have been if the headphones blocked out everything, but it was the best the male was going to get until his father was done working on EvoMech's new headphones. He honestly couldn't wait for them.

"Anyway, I...I'm just curious about what she'll look like outside the Drisless uniform. I...I also didn't know you two were so close."

"Not a date," Ryota peeped up, regretting it almost instantly.

"Date? I-I didn't think it was a date! But if it was...it would make me happy. At least, I think that's what this feeling is. That means she's distancing herself from Yasojiro. That's go - No, that's great, actually. I'm glad. Really glad. Good for her."

The green-haired male couldn't help but take his headphones off for a second. Narrowing his eyes at the male who continued to prattle about the girl, he wondered what he was on about. It felt like he was missing some part of the story. Clearly, this wasn't a date. It was a lesson on how to speak to people and it was a favor she was doing for him in exchange for 100 sich. Yet, despite knowing she was engaged to be married, why did so many people think that they were going on a date? And, further still, why was it considered good if she was on a date with him?

"Are they fighting?" he questioned silently, watching as his bodyguard perked up with great interest.

"More than that! She absolutely hates him! I-I think. Or...rather, she wants to give him his just desserts!"

"Why? Was she forced into the engagement?"

"That's...I can't really tell you. It's confidential."

Humming, the male put a finger to his lip as he attempted to solve the mystery in front of him. Supposedly, a young girl who just came of age from a background no one could say became engaged to a high-class noble who she absolutely despised? That couldn't have been right. And, yet, Hotaka never lied. So to say that (Y/n) hated Yasojiro was...beyond curious. Glancing back at the younger male, he was a bit taken aback at the guilty look on his face. He must have thought he was mad at him for not telling him why exactly she hated him. Sighing, the male took a big swig of his coffee, downing it entirely before throwing the empty container in front of him.

"More."

Immediately, Hotaka seemed to cheer up, eagerly taking the cup and leaving the room with a skip in his step. It was easier to make him happy than a dog. Sighing, the green-haired male slipped his headphones back on, focusing on the emails in front of him. Bound to be a long day, he figured it would be best to dive headfirst into his work rather than waste his curiosity on a girl that had little to nothing to do with him.

. . .

"I'm glad to see you getting out of the house more often, my lady," Okura smiled gently, extending his hand so the girl could get out of the car with more ease, "In fact, it's almost a relief. It seems you're back to your old self again."

"Does it really?"

"Yes! Oh, but please feel free to call me at any time if you need assistance. I was also told to give you some spending money today."

"No, I don't need it. Thank you though..."

"Of course. I'm here to help you in any way I can. You could say I 'live to serve'."

"Thank you. You're a big help, I promise."

"I-I'm very flattered, my lady."

Waving to the man, the (h/c) haired girl made her way inside the large building before her. Again, like the green-haired male's home, it was very modern in design, a bit of a wonder of architecture. Many tourists walked around in awe, gazing up at the building while snapping pictures of it. A lot of them turned their attention to her as well, especially since she had rolled up in a limo of all things. Some snapped pictures of her, too, not that she was very fond of it. Still, she didn't say a word, walking inside the technologically advanced paradise with a grin.

The first thing she noticed was that the building scanned her with a blue light as she walked, no doubt trying to gain access to her identity. When it finished, a man's voice gave a synthetic "Welcome to EvoMech" before a hologram popped up in front of her. The man had no special appearance. In fact, if she had to say, she would have claimed he was a generic model. Still, it spoke with advanced near-human qualities. Its tone was especially impressive, almost like it had a personality of its own.

"Your face was not recognized in our system. Are you here for a tour? To visit an employee here? Do you have a meeting? If you state your name, I can run through our records to better assist you."

"Oh, sure. (Y/n)...Well, Yasojiro, I guess. Here to see Ryota Akiyama for a...meeting, I guess."

The blue hologram was motionless for a second while it combed through all the information accessible to it. In the meantime, the younger girl glanced around the lobby, noting how luxurious it was. In many ways, it appeared to be a hotel, with ample seating, tasteful decor, chandeliers, and even a beverage dispenser. However, the technological prowess was clear just from the blue lighting let alone the countless holograms and robots maintaining the place. Looking back at the hologram in front of her, the girl near flinched when it turned lavender in color. It then nodded before putting on a bright smile.

"Miss (Y/n) for Ryota Akiyama. Welcome!"

"Ah, hi...again?"

"Yes, hello. I've been instructed to guide you to the twenty-third floor for your meeting. Will you please follow me?"

Glancing at the receptionist, the (h/c) haired girl tried to figure out the situation. The man stationed there simply nodded as if to confirm her confusion. It seemed like he was there in case the holograms and robots didn't function as they were to. Either that or he was there to answer calls. Regardless, she felt a bit awkward having to follow a non-human entity but ended up doing it anyway.

"Shall I provide a small background on EvoMech on the way?"

"Sure?"

"Evolution Mechanics was founded nearly 30 years ago by our then founder Fenhua Hisao who started by inventing the realistic prosthetics we enjoy today. He combined his knowledge of machinery with intricate bio-synthetic details to allow users to be able to feel once more. Since then, he has continued to release miracles such as the Healing Apparatus, Neural Interface, Cognition Modulating Terminal, etc. One of the most popular inventions is the Revitalizer which creates free, clean water from the combination of air and solar energy."

"Bio-tech?"

"EvoMech is also highly interested in honing existing technologies, especially holograms, robots, personalized portable devices, etc. It is our company's hope that by improving human abilities and diminishing limitations, we may be able to work toward a cleaner and freer world. After all, 'people live, people love'."

"What a cute motto. Doesn't fit Ri-Ri at all."

"...Speaking of cute," the hologram suddenly paused, refiguring its dialogue after her comment, "one of our newest inventions, the 'Mimic' is our most popular security device. Modeled after various animals, including a cat, dog, rabbit, rat, horse, and countless others, the 'Mimic' acts, sounds, and looks like a typical animal, but protects your home by not only recording at all times, but patrolling as well. It has a neutralizer in case of an emergency and can assist in dealing with a break-in by notifying the police and defending you and your family."

The elevator then came to a stop on the correct floor, allowing her and the hologram to step off. As people passed it, they gave a momentary glance at the thing before going back to work. Perhaps it was the color or the path it led her, but they seemed to think it was abnormal for it to be there. Regardless, it stopped in front of the office at the very end of the hallway before clapping its hands together. It made no noise, but the hologram still made an excited expression that was almost endearing.

"Ryota Akiyama's office. Please enjoy your time at EvoMech."

"Thank - "

Before she could speak, the hologram disappeared. She gazed around, wondering where the projection had been made from, almost shocked when she saw a lavender sphere above her. In the ceiling were tracks that allowed it to move along the entirety of the floor. The sphere rotated to give the hologram access to where it needed to be, making it seem like the hologram could walk anywhere without stiffness. As it went back to the elevator, she watched as the top of the lift connected with the ceiling, having a track itself. That was, it could move up and down floors. It was ingenious.

After gawking at the technology she hadn't seen before, the (h/c) haired girl remembered her mission. Knocking on the door to the office, she jumped back when, unlike any door she'd encountered, it moved up, near disappearing into the ceiling to allow her to walk inside. Cautiously, she moved inside, glaring at it like it would come down on her at any moment. Still, she was safe even after taking a step inside.

"(Y/n)!" Hotaka beamed, grabbing onto her hands and jumping up and down, "Welcome! I've - We've been waiting for you! How was your day?"

"Good, I guess? There's not much to say about it though."

Admiring the sight of the younger girl, Hotaka gazed at her with great awe. She carried a different aura with her when she wasn't in their school's uniform. With comfortable leggings, jean shorts, a nice scarf, and a warm, fluffy sweater, she looked aptly prepared for the winter. Of course, it was heated inside, but she still dressed for the occasion. Not formal and not informal either, her outfit suited her nicely. He'd never paid so much attention to an outfit before but it was kind of fun.

"Cute," he mumbled under his breath, tilting his head with a chuckle, "Anyway, it's pretty cool here, isn't it? My eyes almost popped out when I first came here. There's so much to look at and most of it is super-new technology, too. The cleaning robots around here are so precious, too. If you pick them up, they start chirping at you to put them down."

"Maybe I'll try that later?"

"Yeah! I'd love to show you around and - "

"Get out, Ishikawa," the older male finally snapped, prompting him to give a frowning pout, "I have a meeting with her, so, for the time being, you can stay in the lounge. Don't you dare come out of it either!"

"D-Do I have to? I was kind of looking forward to seeing (Y/n) and - "

"Out."

Hotaka didn't argue much, but his disappointment was obvious. To be honest, if the green-haired male wasn't so embarrassed by having others watch him practice speaking, the (h/c) haired girl would have insisted that he stay. Instead, she rubbed the top of his head to apologize. She watched as, first, a bright smile popped up on his face, then a guilty look. He quickly shuffled out of the room while covering his face with his hands. It looked like he was embarrassed too. She chuckled.

"You could be a bit nicer to him, you know. He only has good intentions. Not a bad bone in his body, really."

"I know. I also know that if you give a dog a treat, it'll only come back again and again."

"You also don't have to call him a dog."

"Maybe I like dogs."

"Yeah? Name one dog breed?"

"A...wienerschnitzel..." he paused, his face flaring red before he stumbled on, "I-I was only...trying to make a point. Besides, doesn't he remind you of a dog? He's always so happy and whenever there are people, he's always beaming from ear to ear."

"Take him on walks then."

Ryota huffed, rolling his eyes. There was no arguing with the girl in front of him. Things always had to be her way. That was his impression of her. Of course, he admired many parts of her attitude, but how was he supposed to show that? If he did, no doubt she would only become wilder than she already was. He couldn't handle normal people. There was no way he was going to be able to put up with her evolved state.

On the other hand, (Y/n) was pouting for another reason. It wasn't that she was needy for attention, and normally, she wouldn't have batted an eye if someone was focused on something else. But, for some reason, it irked her immensely that not only did Ryota have headphones on while talking to her, but was also scanning over his screen. Huffing, she put one of her knees on the table, leaning forward close and personal to make him gaze at only her.

As his eyes focused on her, even trembling slightly, she smirked, placing her hand on his cheek mischievously. She took note of the way he flinched but remained still, even taking a bit of delight in it. As the male's eyes moved to look at where she touched him, they closed suddenly when she chose to move her pinky. Hooking it under the headphones, she slipped them off of him, standing back on her own two feet.

"Rule number one," she grinned, throwing the device into the empty trash can, "Eyes on the teacher when she's talking. 'Kay?"

Ryota's hands immediately shot to cover his nose and mouth, quick to slam his forehead onto his desk. He clearly did not like when she talked to him like that and she really could have expected as much. His taste in "nice" girls gave that away, but then again, he reacted far too easily to her antics for her to really believe him. Shrugging, she sat down on his desk, chuckling when he cursed at himself "under his breath".

"Should we get started?" she hummed, patting his head awkwardly, "Does this help?"

"Yes, it helps a lot. It helps make me want to jump off the balcony over there. If that was your plan, I commend you."

"Get your ass up before I slap it, bitch boy."

"...Did I hear that right?"

"I said...Would you please kindly stand up from your chair so I can shove my massive dick in your virgin holes, bitch boy?"

Once again, the older male's reaction was too much fun for (Y/n). She cackled as he pushed his chair to the corner of the room, clearly trying to hide his "virgin holes" from her. He also held his hand on the window, allowing it to become transparent again so he could look around with great panic to see if her loud proclamation had made its way out of the room. When no one seemed to stop or try to look inside, he let out a relieved sigh and set the window back to its original state.

Really, she wasn't like that with anyone else. Though it may have been a matter of his precious reaction, he happened to be a little special, she thought. After all, Shota and everyone associated with him were too upright to find humor in such a joke. They also wouldn't have reacted in such a funny way. She probably would have just been glared at or scolded. And Hotaka and other peers at the university were fun to hang out with, but again, she wasn't so sure they knew each other enough for her to suddenly start making dirty jokes or using such "vulgar" words. So, in other words, too hot, too cold, and Ryota was "just right".

"Can I pay you an extra 100 sich per lesson for you to stop talking like that?"

"You can't pay to silence me, no."

"I didn't mean it like that."

"Well, I would be willing to make a trade. I'll stop talking like for each lesson, if, in return, I get to peg you - "

Again, a humorous reaction. The male grabbed the nearest notebook and covered his face with it. He then began to slap himself with it, presumably to help him put up with the pain over whatever he had signed up with her. Snickered again, she earned a glare from him.

"Alright, alright. Let's start talking to normal people, okay?"