Chapter 64: Strange Date (End)
[Third Person's PoV]
As Stephen and Mimosa walked through the capital, the sky began to darken and the sun dipped below the horizon.
"Yeah, I have an older brother too. He's a Magic Knight as well and is in the Coral Peacock squadron," Mimosa sighed apprehensively.
"Do you not like him or something?" Stephen asked, raising an eyebrow at her tone.
"I mean, don't get me wrong. He's my brother, so of course I care for him deeply, but… he has a way of always getting on my last nerve," Mimosa said, pouting slightly.
Stephen chuckled. "I see, so it's like any other siblings."
"I suppose you're right…" Mimosa said, rubbing the back of her head.
Seeing that it was getting late, Stephen asked, "Want to get dinner together before calling it a day?"
Mimosa, slightly disappointed that their date was ending, nodded in agreement.
"It's a shame we have to call it a day…" she muttered.
Stephen noticed her disappointment and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Hey, just because this date is ending doesn't mean there won't be others. This is only our first one."
Mimosa smiled as she leaned against his arm. "You're right… It's just that I didn't expect to have such a good time together. It's one of those moments you wish could go on forever."
Stephen, trying to lighten her mood, gave her a teasing look. "You didn't expect to have a good time?"
"No, wait! I didn't mean it like that," Mimosa exclaimed, giving him a panicked look before realizing he was teasing her.
She huffed and pouted. "You know exactly what I meant."
---
Wanda looked bored and tired as she leaned against a wall, her hands in her scarlet leather jacket. Nero, who also seemed done with spying, sat on her head.
Noelle, still leaning over the wall, peered through her binoculars.
"Can we go home? I'm bored, my feet hurt, and I'm hungry. I miss Charmy's cooking," Wanda sighed in exasperation.
"In a minute. They just went into a fancy-looking restaurant and ordered something. This might be their last stop before they call it a day, and we might see if they really kiss," Noelle said, waving her off.
Wanda rolled her eyes. 'I'm regretting this more and more…'
"You know when their date ends, Stephen will teleport away and leave us behind, right?"
"Huh?" Noelle turned to Wanda in surprise.
"That's what I've been trying to tell you," Wanda said with a deadpan expression. "Finral probably already left, and we can't ask Stephen for a ride, or he'll know we've been following him."
Noelle sighed. "Then I'll just order us a carriage to take us back to the base."
"If you say so… So, what are they doing now?" Wanda asked curiously.
"Let's see…" Noelle said, peering through the binoculars. "Their food just arrived. It looks like Stephen ordered some type of steak, and Mimosa got some pasta or something… Uh oh…"
Wanda turned to Noelle, confused. "Uh oh? What do you mean by 'uh oh'?"
Noelle looked at Wanda nervously. "Stephen looks flushed and is swaying side to side. Whatever he ate must have had some alcohol or wine in it."
"So?" Wanda tilted her head, puzzled, while Nero's eyes widened in surprise.
Noelle facepalmed. "I forgot, you weren't around for Stephen's first fiasco. His alcohol tolerance is abysmal, and he turns into a different person when he drinks."
"It can't be that bad, can it? I'm sure I tasted wine in some of Charmy's cooking."
"After the first incident, Charmy started making his food non-alcoholic! We need to go now! We have to save him from embarrassing himself or doing something to Mimosa," Noelle said as she dashed ahead.
…
A few minutes earlier…
Stephen and Mimosa sat at a fancy table, talking and laughing as they shared childhood stories. A waiter approached, presenting Stephen with a platter of sliced steak adorned with red sauce and Mimosa with a plate of pasta.
Stephen casually ran a piece of steak through the sauce and took a bite. When Mimosa glanced up from her plate, she noticed Stephen swaying slightly, his cheeks flushed as he giggled after hiccuping.
"Stephen?" Mimosa asked, concerned. "Are you alright?"
"Hehehe~ Alright? I'm fantastic, beautiful~" Stephen giggled.
"Huh?" Mimosa responded, taken aback.
Her concern grew when Stephen suddenly started to cry mid-bite. "I feel like the luckiest man in the world. I'm on a date with a beautiful woman, eating steak… It doesn't get better than this, does it?"
"Are you by any chance drunk?" Mimosa asked, disbelief in her tone.
"Pfft, hehehe~ Me? Drunk? Hehehe, you're so funny, Mimosa. Mimosa... Mimosa... Wow, even your name is beautiful~" Stephen said dreamily.
Mimosa's face turned beet red as Stephen took her hand in his, more tears streaming down his face. "Mimosa, I promise to make you the happiest woman in the world!"
Steam practically rose from Mimosa's head as embarrassment took over, especially when she noticed the odd looks they were receiving.
Luckily, Noelle and Wanda arrived just in time, rushing toward them.
"Noelle? What's going on with Stephen?" Mimosa asked, her face still flushed.
"Noelle! Wanda!" Stephen called out, throwing his arms up in excitement.
Stephen giggled, covering his mouth with his hand like a mischievous child. He leaned toward Mimosa and whispered, "Hehehe~ Mimosa, don't tell them, but they've been following us this whole time! It was so cute watching them try to hide... They must be worried about you. You have really good friends."
Mimosa stared at Noelle and Wanda, who turned red with embarrassment. "Let's get him out of here before he says anything else," Noelle grumbled, motioning for Wanda to help. Together, they grabbed Stephen's arms and began dragging him out.
"Wheee!" Stephen cheered as he was pulled along. All three of them were bright red as they exited the restaurant.
"Wait, wait, wait a minute!" Stephen exclaimed, breaking free from their grip. He wobbled over to a waiter. "Here, good sir, this should cover our bill~ and a tip for your service," Stephen said, placing a pouch of coins on the empty platter.
He leaned in and whispered into his ear, "Buy yourself something pretty, hehe~"
"STEPHEN!" Noelle screeched as they hurriedly pulled him away from the confused and weirded out waiter.
Outside the restaurant, Mimosa turned to Noelle and Wanda, concern in her eyes. "Now, can you please explain why Stephen is acting like this?"
"Stephen can't handle alcohol. If he drinks any, he ends up like this," Noelle replied, clearly annoyed.
Stephen waddled over to Mimosa, arms outstretched, tears in his eyes. "Mimosa, can I have a hug, please~?"
Mimosa, looking flustered, let Stephen hug her. Her arms were stretched awkwardly as she glanced at Noelle and Wanda in confusion.
She patted his back hesitantly, and Stephen sighed contentedly. "Ahhh~ this is nice…"
Mimosa's lips curled into a faint smile before turning to Noelle and Wanda. "So how do we fix him?"
"You don't," Noelle said, turning away with a sigh. "He needs to sleep it off, and he'll be back to normal tomorrow."
When Noelle turned back, she saw Mimosa's blissful, smug expression as she continued to hug Stephen, eyes closed and ignoring Noelle's words.
A tick mark appeared on Noelle's forehead as she yanked Stephen away, breaking their embrace. As Stephen was dragged off, his hand stretched out shakily. "Mimosa!~ No!"
Mimosa mirrored his outstretched arms, a disappointed look on her face.
"Why are you disappointed!?" Noelle demanded, noticing her expression.
"But he's kinda cute like this," Mimosa pouted. "He looks so weak and defenseless. I just want to protect him…"
They turned to see Stephen sitting on the ground, sniffling with puppy-dog eyes, arms out. "My Mimosa…"
"Cute~" Mimosa muttered, covering her mouth with her fist as she melted at the sight.
With a serious expression, Mimosa said, "The Golden Dawn base is nearby. Let him stay there to rest, and he'll be returned tomorrow."
"LIKE HELL HE WILL!" Wanda and Noelle retorted in unison.
Mimosa clicked her tongue and turned away with an annoyed look.
"Did you just click your tongue?" Noelle asked, deadpan.
"..."
"No," Mimosa replied with a straight face.
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