“Higemaru, what are you doing?” Saiko peers into the kitchen.
“Nothing,” he says quickly, as he continues scrubbing the glass bottles he dug up from the dumpster. He will ensure they’re sparkling by the time he gives them away.
“It’s clearly something,” Aura says dryly.
“Flowers, too.” Hsaio whistles at the a bouquet of tropical, imported, expensive flowers in a vase. “Who’s the lucky lady?”
“Shut up!” Higemaru blushes as pink as his hair.
“I know,” Mutsuki pipes up behind the rest of them. “I think it’s a good thing!”
“You do?” Higemaru grins.
“Me, too.” Urie folds his arms. “I think Hakatori will love it.”
“Urie!” Mutsuki’s mouth drops. He can’t believe Urie told them.
“What?”
Higemaru squeaks. His arms flap around, scattering soap suds across the floor.
“Is she coming over here for a RC dinner? When?” Saiko demands.
Higemaru moans. He scrubs the bottles harder.
“Here.” Mutsuki hurries closer. “We’ll help you.”
Higemaru brightens. “Really?”
“Yeah. It figures, with two of us framed out and one of us a half-human, someone would fall for a ghoul at some point,” says Aura. “Didn’t expect you, but hey.” He hands him a thumbs up. “You got this.”
“When does she come over?” Hsaio asks.
“She doesn’t,” Higemaru says with surprise. “I’m, uh, just leaving these on her doorstep.”
The room falls silent.
“Saiko, I’ll leave this to you,” says Urie.
The next morning, the rest of the Quinx hide in bushes as Higemaru knocks on Hakatori’s door.
“What?”
“I bought you flowers to draw. And bottles! Hi!” Higemaru thrusts the gifts at her.
“Huh?” The goth girl blinks at the pink wunderkind. She’s sparred with him a few times – they both have bikakus – but she had no idea. “Hi.”
“Do you want to get dinner sometime, Hakatori? Or do you prefer Yumitsu?”
“Hakatori is fine,” she says slyly. “And sure.”
Higemaru claps his hands together. “Thank you!”
Mercy and Magic 