Melanie Malachite was in a bad mood.
Of course, one could say she was always in a bad mood, since being particularly snippy and ill-tempered towards people was just part of her charm — at least that's the way she chose to see it.
But not today.
Today she was feeling especially irritable.
And while the club's myriad of red, black, and white lights flashing in her surroundings usually served as a calming agent for her, right now she found them annoying more than anything.
Melanie pointedly chose to look away, lest the ache in her head would get worse.
Oh, did she mention she had a headache?
Yes, another reason for a grumbled exhale to escape her lips.
And although it might have been the ache in her head amplifying things, even the music that continued to rave in the background for some reason sounded extra loud to her ears, louder than normal.
She would be having choice words with the DJ later.
For now though, she couldn't be bothered.
Ah, currently, Melanie was sitting atop a bar stool, one hand propped against her cheek, while the other lazily swirled a small decorative umbrella in an extravagant-looking glass drained halfway.
In other words, she was on break.
And even if she was the one who suddenly decided that, there was probably still a little while before she was caught and scolded for it, so she'd take the small amount of time she had.
It would at least be enough to down the glass in front of her, and maybe, just maybe, get her in the right frame of mind not to literally maim and rip apart anything else that annoyed her for the rest of the night.
Oh, but it would be quite the challenge.
Melanie brought the glass up and gulped the rest of its contents.
Yeah, she'd really need the alcoholic distortion.
There were only so many times men could call out to her thinking they were being slick before she decided to start wiping out the clientele one by one.
But sadly, if the customers started dying, that would be bad for business.
And if that happened, their illustrious employer would surely have her head.
Melanie sighed.
So that meant that even if she hated it, she would have to at least bear with some of the constant attempts for her attention.
Right.
'Attention'.
The word had her scoffing.
They were only looking at how she had hips connected to an ass and a face connected to some breasts, anyway.
Her scroll suddenly pinged to life, and her eyes cracked open reflexively.
The device that lay face up on the table had lit up, revealing the date, time, a trivial message of confirmation from one of their suppliers, and then a hazy background image of two little girls, twins, wearing matching outfits in all but color.
But Melanie ignored all these distractions on the screen, all except one.
The month and date.
Something stuck out to her about it, like it was important in some way. She tried to think about it harder, but the headache she was currently nursing was doing her no favors in the concentration department, so she just let out a growl of irritation and hastily turned off the scroll.
It was way too bright for her current mood anyway.
Melanie massaged her eyes with her free hand, closing them once again.
Only for her hand to suddenly stop as she realized what she was doing.
Her eyes, the beautiful shade of green she shared with her sister; they snapped open and blinked sardonically, a particularly miffed expression beginning to properly cloud her face.
She slammed the glass down on the counter, to vent her frustration if nothing else.
I'm acting like some old woman! Even though I'm barely in my twenties. A pretty girl like me shouldn't have to deal with things like this. Ugh, when was the last time I found someone decent to play with...
Melanie didn't know exactly where these sudden thoughts truly originated from, but perhaps the alcohol was doing its job and making her a bit delirious. Either that, or the pain from her headache was kicking into overdrive and doing the same.
Ah, but keep in mind, Melanie's definition of 'decent' probably didn't follow your average tender-hearted maiden.
No, what she wanted was interesting and new.
Someone that could stave off her boredom, to convince her if only for a moment that Remnant was a place that wasn't just home to hip thrusting monkeys who thought all they had to do for a good time was think of a clever compliment and buy her a drink.
So, to ward off people like that, that was another reason she was sitting down, giving off a vibe that suggested if you got close to her, you would lose whatever pride you came over to her with.
After all, there was something about a lavishly dressed girl guzzling down alcohol that lent quite a bit of intimidation to those wanting to approach her.
Now, that being said, Melanie Malachite, to those who didn't know her, looked like your typical party girl.
She wore an eye-catching white dress that hinted just a bit of a silverish gleam, something that told you she wasn't some dainty little princess who thought the world beautiful and innocent.
But if that didn't tip you off, then the blue accents that accompanied both her dress and long black hair, as well as the blue eyeliner that did her favors in both attracting and repulsing those who looked at her, also lend credit to the idea.
Cascading up her legs were a set of mean looking, all white combat boots, or heels depending on where you were looking. It might seem out of place for someone who came here to party and dance like everyone else, but that wasn't the case.
As was mentioned, the vibrant white-clad girl worked here, even if her official job description was rather vague.
She and her sister were the entertainment but also the protection, after all.
Funnily enough, they both found themselves doing the latter a lot more than the former, however you wouldn't find Melanie complaining about that anytime soon.
With how many aura-enhanced customers drop in to cause trouble thinking they were hot shit, there was no shortage of arrogant men (and on the rare case women) who think they were at the top of the food chain, only to get thrashed around like children the moment things get heated.
Honestly, between her and her sister, any threat they had to deal with ended far too quickly for her taste.
Well, there was a rather glaring exception now that she thought about it.
Melanie's eyebrow's quirked as she remembered the bombastic blonde that came storming in for information just the other day.
Even though I hate girls like her, I can't deny she knew how to fight. And I guess if I'm being honest, I'd much rather be beaten by a loud bitch than some mook high on his own ego...
Melanie huffed and got right back to numbing her emotions through the liquid in front of her, only to suddenly stare at it in a daze, realizing the glass was now empty.
But that wasn't all.
Oh, no.
To make matters even worse, it was at that moment a soft-spoken voice decided to come from her left.
"Excuse me, Miss?"
Great.
Without even turning around yet, Melanie let out a long-suffering sigh.
In no time at all, her break had unceremoniously ended, and she had whoever this prick deciding to flash his feathers at her was to thank for it.
Ugh... and if I send him packing, I'll get in trouble. I've already had fifteen men running for the door today... wait, Miss?
One eyebrow involuntarily quirked up.
She had been called so many forms of address at this point that Melanie thought she had heard them all. There was your usual; hot stuff, brat, girlie, babe, sometimes the rare bitch or even slut.
Of course, the last time someone called her that as a catcall, they lost the ability to have children.
But could she even remember a time when she had been called something stuffy like 'Miss' or 'Ma'am'?
Usually, that meant it was likely some older man taking advantage of his age to invoke some sense of inferiority within her... but that wasn't right, as the voice sounded off...
Curious, Melanie finally turned her head—
"...?"
—And met the tentative, almost nervous stare of a young man, someone perhaps even younger than her.
No, he definitely was, as that was the impression his face gave her.
And even more to the point, she couldn't help but notice just how androgynous it looked, which was currently making Melanie second guess what kind of attitude she should take with him.
But it wasn't just his face that gave her pause, but also the eyes looking back.
She was expecting the usual arrogance or pleased expression of someone with delusions that they stood a chance with her.
But, perhaps it was because of the age difference, but the boy's stare held a sort of relaxed maturity she wasn't expecting. Her first guess of him being nervous wasn't wrong per say, however there existed a certain amount of patience in that gaze that suggested otherwise.
Melanie was twenty-two herself, at least she thought she was.
The years kind of blur together when you stop paying attention.
Anyway, just like most others, there existed a certain age threshold within Melanie that made her exercise a certain amount of restraint, making her hesitant to be her usually non-plussed self.
And by appearance alone, this boy fit into that mold.
...He can't be any older than eighteen, right?
With a dark cloak that fell over his torso and a hood pooling around his shoulders, black hair cascaded down to his neck, long enough to obscure his forehead from view, but not quite enough to allow the bangs to hide his eyes.
There, she found the two amber colored orbs she had been so distracted with looking at her, now a flicker of uncertainty beginning to dance through them, along with an uncomfortable looking smile settling on his face.
"...Um?"
"...!?"
Of course, this was when a wide-eyed Melanie realized that she had been openly staring at him, wordlessly, this entire time, immediately preceded by her sighing the second he approached her.
And, perhaps the most surprising, this caused a prick of embarrassment to run through her.
Once again, had this been literally any other cocksure guy trying to lay the moves on her, she would have had no problem telling them where they could shove their pointless bravado.
But...
"...I see. My mistake for bothering you. Please, carry on with your night Miss, I'll go ask someone else."
With his smile taking on a more tired quality, such words came tumbling out of the boy's mouth, but with the kind of practiced politeness that was calm and measured, yes, but not dismissive.
In other words, it did not look like the expression of someone who realized he had been rejected without even trying to talk with her, nor any of the embarrassment or mortification that often followed.
With a slight bow of his head, he made the action to move away, no doubt to seek someone else's aide in whatever task he was trying to accomplish. A task... that didn't seem to have anything to do with her attention, her body, or her gender.
Thus, before she even realized what she was doing, Melanie found herself grabbing at the boy's arm, nearly losing her balance in her seated position.
"Uh, w-wait..." Melanie got out just barely, but finding herself surprised by the stutter. No, even more surprising was that she had told the boy to wait, like he had any reason to after she had just sat there and silently judged him, like some angsty teen.
But then her gloved fingers had managed to halt the clothed limb, and she was slightly startled to find herself actually needing to put a modicum amount of effort into ceasing his movement, so much so that she tightened her grip around the arm instinctively.
That is, the twig-like arms she thought existed because of his slender looking frame and age were proved wrong as she pressed her palm deeper into a mass of flesh she could only assume was muscle.
Not that she had any time to capitalize on this shock, however, as the boy stopped in place and tilted his head, meeting her eyes curiously.
No, not curiously.
Awkwardly patient.
He was no doubt wondering what was up with this girl, as from his perspective, she looked annoyed with his presence one moment, and now here she was preventing him from leaving.
Yes, Melanie felt a new, more powerful wave of embarrassment flood her.
No, she even began inwardly cursing for making such a fool of herself in front of someone perhaps several years younger — especially, when it was becoming clear that the person had no intention of flirting with her.
Gods, I feel like such a... and what's up with those damn eyes of his? He looks like I'm some toddler who suddenly latched on his leg...
"I... I work here. Did you need something?" Melanie managed to say, this time sending her best professional smile his way, not that she made much use of it most of the time.
The boy blinked, then smiled back.
"Oh, do you? Well that certainly makes things easier." But then his expression seemed to pause somewhat. "Ah... on second thought, could it be you were on break?" In a flash, the smile returned. "If you just point me in direction of someone else, I don't mind leaving you to it."
Melanie's smile twitched.
This guy...
He really didn't look the slightest bit peeved, at her initial reaction to him, or the inconvenience of having to find someone else.
Melanie's stare fixed into him more than before, feeling a bubble of irritation as she did. Really, his measured and unassuming personality was just not meshing with hers.
"Look kid, I'm telling you it's fine so—....."
Letting go of his arm, Melanie quickly stood up from her chair and reached out for the boy's shoulders, her goal being to forcibly whir him around into the seat she had just left.
But the moment her head rose to meet his, Melanie had suddenly stopped talking all together, freezing in place.
"..."
"Is... something the matter?" the boy let out, voice dripping with genuine confusion at what was happening to him, that which being Melanie with both hands on his shoulders, looking up at him with a surprised expression.
Tall.
Melanie hadn't noticed because she had been sitting down, but the boy in front of her was actually quite tall, about a head or so more than her even.
Thus, as close as they were, she was forced to look up to meet his amber orbs, which had more of a reddish tint than she initially realized.
"H-Haha, um..? Did I, perhaps, accidentally do something to you, Miss? You staring at me silently like that is making me think... Can you tell me what it is so I can apologize? I truly didn't mean any offense."
The boy must have felt as awkward as Melanie currently felt, no, he definitely did, because the moment his hesitant words registered in her brain, her cheeks suddenly found themselves enflamed with color.
She reflexively removed herself from the boy's strangely firm shoulders while backing away slightly, desperately trying to get out of whatever funk she was in.
What was going on here?
Melanie was NEVER like this around men, especially those younger.
And while she was on the subject, her experience with the opposite gender wasn't anything to sneeze at. She had seen, interacted with, and been intimate with various guys in her life, so she thought she had a pretty good handle on the whole game by now.
However, she found herself confused to high hell as to why this person was causing her to react in such a way.
It was like, like, he was an adult yet in the body of someone younger?
No, that was a stupid way of looking at it, but that was still the first thing her brain jumped to.
Melanie didn't consciously realize this of course, but it was her familiarity with men that allowed her to pick up on the traces of something peculiar about this boy.
But she could think about that later.
Once again, she belatedly realized she hadn't answered his question.
"Th-There's nothing wrong. And please, I was just slacking off anyway so it's not like you interrupted anything. Tell me, what can I help you with?" Melanie inquired with a sudden impish smile, intentionally placing a hand between her cleavage, hoping to gain any semblance of control over the conversation—
"Are you sure? You don't need to bother keeping up appearances for someone like me..."
...No reaction at all.
The boy in front of her hadn't even twitched.
No, more than that, he was still only matching her stare with an inquisitive one of his own and nothing else. He even gave her an out in case she wanted it.
Now, usually, she would have labeled this guy a pushover and been done with him, yet no such thoughts crossed her mind.
In fact, now she was genuinely intrigued.
Her bad mood and even her headache... had completely diminished.
Before she even realized it, Melanie's lips curved upward in a sincere manner, waving off his concerns.
It looked playful, even.
"Unacceptable~. The kind sir came to this establishment to receive special service. It would be appalling if you left feeling dissatisfied."
For the very first time, his demeanor faltered slightly, if the slight narrowing of his eyes and strained smile were of any indication. "U-Um, this is just a bar, right?"
Melanie's grin got wider, her eyes dancing with delight.
"Yes? Why, do you need it to be something else? We can take care of ALL the customer's needs," she said flirtatiously, going as far as to trail a finger down his chest.
She would definitely pay him back for her earlier embarrassment in full, or she would try to amass as much glee as possible in doing so.
So, now that Melanie was mounting a full offensive, she was expecting him to blush, stammer, even look away — which was why she was surprised to see him sigh quietly.
"There's no need to tease me like that, Miss. In any case, if you work here, may I ask for a drink?"
Melanie looked at him with no expression for a bit, but then she crossed her arms and turned away with a huff.
"I dunno. I might be willing if the gentleman were to introduce himself to me, that is. I might even allow him to stop calling me Miss."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the boy widen his eyes a fraction, right before a huff of a laugh escaped his mouth.
"Of course, how rude of me. Please call me Haruto." His head dipped down slightly. "May I have the pleasure of knowing yours?"
Now beginning to appreciate the boy's well-mannered demeanor, Melanie smiled, curtsying. "You may, Haruto. It's Melanie."
"Miss Melanie, then. The name suits you."
Given that's the only compliment he's given her thus far, Melanie thought he meant it. That being said, he seemed unable to drop the 'Miss', not that Melanie particularly minded anyway.
It wasn't often she was treated with such a degree of politeness.
If it were any other person, Haruto's behavior would have been a massive turn off, as she would have considered him too formal and stuffy.
But perhaps because of his age... she found it interesting instead.
But what would cause a boy like him to be so practiced and fluid in talking in this way, especially since it didn't sound forced in the slightest?
Was he part of some wealthy family or something?
She would have immediately guessed not because of his clothes and ragged looking cloak, but all kinds came into this bar, even ones that didn't want to be recognized.
Melanie took a brief moment and swung around the counter. "And? What would you like Haruto?"
He didn't spend much time in contemplation, instead choosing to gesture a hand towards her.
"I'll leave that up to your recommendation. I'm not well versed in this area's beverages."
She let out a cute giggle. "Now I just want to give you the hard stuff so I can see the look on your face."
"Then I guess I'll be at Miss Melanie's mercy," Haruto retorted with a small smile, sitting on a stool himself now.
Melanie looked pleased as she got to fixing the boy's drink, showing off a rather experienced hand when it came to the tasks.
In less than a minute, an ornate glass filled with a pinkish liquid was placed in front of Haruto, with one singular ice cube bobbing up and down as well as slight amounts of sugar trailing the rim.
She watched as the boy looked at it, fascinated, before he picked it up gracefully and brought it to his lips. Taking a sip, a low humming sound escaped him, and his eyes softened even further. "It's sweet. I can see why you like it."
Melanie smiled as she nodded, the boy taking another sip. She casually leaned forward, resting her elbows on the bar counter. This time, she was unaware of just what happened to her chest as she did so, and as such, missed how Haruto's eyes suddenly averted slightly.
"So... it didn't sound like you realized I worked here, right? What was that thing you mentioned needing help with?"
Amber eyes met her jade green ones, her own interest and curiosity reflected in his calm and measured. He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. "...Would I be correct in assuming this place deals in information as well as food and drink? Who would I have to talk to for that?"
Melanie raised an eyebrow.
"...Well, that depends what kind of information you're looking for."
Haruto set the glass down gently, seemingly mulling over her question.
"I'm... new to Vale, so I don't know what has been happening around here as much as the next person. The political situation, the people who live here, recent crimes... I simply wish to avoid stepping into a situation I might not be prepared for. For my own safety, of course," Haruto added at the end, interlocking his fingers around the glass as he looked at her.
The girl stared at him appraisingly.
That doesn't sound like something an up-and-coming Huntsman would say, or even someone of his age. If anything, it's as if... could this boy be part of the underground too? Or trying to be a part of it? ...No, it just sounds like he wants to avoid pissing off the wrong people, not that he's looking for work. Hmm... Interesting.
Melanie thought it was a very mature mindset to have for someone coming to a new city, especially one like Vale, which seemed completely normal on the surface.
This person kept getting more and more fascinating.
"Wait right here," she said after mulling it over for a while, briskly walking to the nearby stairwell and heading up, where she knew the person she was looking for was.
Not even five minutes passed before Melanie appeared at the apex of the stairs, this time with two others in tow.
The first was a rather robust man dressed smartly in a black suit and tie, dark shades trailing down his face.
His expression looked mean, and his black hair and goatee seemed to paint him as someone with a rather rugged appearance, but Melanie knew that was all by design.
Junior Xiong, the owner of the place, couldn't show any weakness if he wanted the people around here to respect him, especially some of the shadier lot who frequented the place.
The second person trailing a little behind, was perhaps the more shocking addition. She was a girl who shared in Melanie's appearance to an uncanny degree.
Matching green eyes and black hair, though instead of it being long enough to reach her back, it was short, reaching the end of her neck. Or maybe it was longer; it was hard to tell because of the black fur scarf ensnared around her shoulders.
From there and just like Melanie, she was wearing a flashy dress that exposed her nape, shoulders, upper arms, and most of her cleavage.
However, the colors on the dress were different, sporting an impressive shade of red and black. The crimson outfit also hugged her sizeable chest tightly, perhaps even more so than Melanie (much to her chagrin at times).
The blood red dress ended at her thighs, where bright, almost pale skin gleamed, right before meeting the red boots that inched up the length of her legs.
It didn't really need stating, but this girl was known as Miltia Malachite, the twin sister of Melanie.
As usual, her expression was devoid of emotion, another similarity the sisters shared from time to time.
Given that they both worked here, it gave the bar no shortage of popularity, however the downside was that the people who saw them thought to try their luck getting a 'package deal', not that that ever worked out for them.
So, they were more than used to being ogled at by the customers, even more so together than when they were apart.
In any case, upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, it gave Melanie no small amount of satisfaction when she caught Haruto's gaze right as he was taking another sip of his drink—
"Cough, cough, cough!"
—To which he immediately burst into a very loud coughing fit the second he looked at Miltia, almost sending the drink right back out. And while that didn't happen, it still looked like the liquid went down the wrong pipe.
Furthermore, as they approached, they were met with him hitting his chest with a closed fist several times, but still giving a very weak smile in greeting, still seemingly not trusting himself to speak just yet.
Miltia raised a brow in question, though Junior just sighed, mumbling something about this "always happening". Nonetheless, Melanie was all too quick to jump on the boy's behavior, sending him a playful look.
"Is something the matter, Haruto~? You looked awfully startled~."
Her sweet voice must have sounded downright odd to her sister, because Miltia suddenly turned to her with a bizarre look.
But the boy finished coughing, trying his best to smile in response.
"N-No, I'm fine. Your concern is appreciated, however."
Melanie rolled her eyes, having very much enjoyed his slightly flustered reaction.
Though, she would be lying if she said she didn't expect a bit more.
She held no dis-illusions of just how beautiful her and her sister were, which is why she knew it was normal for people to be more in awe of their beauty, especially when they were standing right next to each other like this.
Melanie grabbed her sister's shoulders, bringing her closer to her, making sure to place her right next to Haruto, much to the girl's obvious dismay. "As I'm sure you've already guessed, this is Miltia, my twin. What do you think?"
"H-Hey...? What are you doing Mel...?"
"I'm... not exactly sure what you're trying to ask me, Miss Melanie," the boy stated with a bit of a strained expression.
Junior's snort came off from the side. "Way to play it safe kid..."
Miltia looked god-uncomfortable, though it couldn't be said whether it was because she was literally being presented as eye candy for a customer, or that her overprotective sister was for some reason okay with it.
In any case, Melanie wasn't bothered by her sister's woes in the slightest, as she was trying to fish for some kind of specific answer from the boy.
"I'm asking you if you think my sister's pretty~," Melanie pressed on, determined.
Now, they were all looking at the boy expectantly, except for Miltia who averted her gaze awkwardly.
Junior on the other hand was now crossing his arms while leaning against a wall, a knowing smirk spread across his face.
"Again, I'm not sure why my opinion matters here..." Looking uncertain of what to say, Haruto paused as he looked at Miltia, then at Melanie. But then he sighed, looking away slightly. "...But, yes, you two are very pretty. I've, uh, never seen jade green eyes before, and on twins at that, so I couldn't help but be a little caught off guard..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Melanie stood there, flabbergasted, and she didn't even have to look to see that Miltia was mirroring her, having turned to the boy with start the second she registered what he said. Junior too had an expression of shock on his face, his mouth opened slightly.
A silence enveloped the four of them, so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
They all stared at the boy with various degrees of astonishment on their faces.
"Pffffttttt—Ahahahahahahahaha!"
Then Junior suddenly burst out laughing, tossing his head back in an exaggerated manner. No, almost stumbling, the man pushed past the mollified show girls and approached Haruto face to face.
"Y-You really just complimented their eyes. Oh my gods, that's priceless~! Golden! Ahaha! I like you kid, it's nice to meet you, I'm Junior, the owner. Oh, and they got those eyes from their father. I knew the guy back when they were younger—ahahaha! Eyes, huh?"
Still laughing, he shot out a hand to Haruto, to which the boy seemed to stand up on autopilot to shake, looking quite confused as to where the man's sudden mood came from. Well, that and the odd behavior of Melanie and her sister, to which he looked unable to discern the reason from.
"It's... nice to meet you too sir, but was my comment too forward...? Miss Miltia, Miss Melanie, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable by saying so. In my hastiness to think of something to say, I failed to realize you probably hear something like that all the time..."
Haruto turned to them with visible awkwardness.
Of course, this caused Melanie looked positively exasperated, as she had now grown used to this type of behavior from the boy, but Miltia was a different story altogether, staring at the boy like he was some sort of rare specimen.
Still, Melanie palmed her face.
"Only you would think that was the wrong thing to say. And also, you seem to be underestimating what the rest of your gender seems to deem worthy to say to a girl to try to make an impression. ...Mil? Anything to add? Were you offended? If you don't say it clearly, this guy is going to think he verbally assaulted you or something."
"E-Eh, uh, no. I was just surprised is all," Miltia stammered out while looking away, cheeks now properly reddening. But despite glaring at the wall next to her, she was casting furtive glances at the black-haired boy, much to her sister's ongoing amusement.
"Hey, hey~. Why're you blushing sis~? He's way younger than you, you know~?" Melanie poked Miltia's cheeks with a coquettish smile.
"C-Cut that out. I'm not blushing."
Miltia hurriedly backed away from her sister, but quickly realized it was pointless as she wasn't going to let her get away. Unlike their ages, which Haruto still didn't know, they ran and chased after each other, almost like children.
"Thanks for that."
Haruto had just been watching their antics with ambiguous silence, and even the tiniest trace of nostalgia, but turned towards Junior who had thanked him so suddenly.
"For what?"
The man jerked a head towards the girls, who now started arguing in the background.
"The twins. It's their birthday today, you know? Heh, not that they like to celebrate it. I started looking after them when their mother sent them to Vale. Their father died a little before that, so it's only been me. And I know with my line of work, they didn't have much time to be proper children like everyone else. So, thanks."
Haruto blinked, before nodding in understanding. "I see..."
He had not been expecting to hear such a story, but he couldn't help giving his heart out to their plight. After all, he knew a little about not getting to be a child for very long, if at all.
"But enough about that." Junior's tone changed, placing both hands firmly on the bar counter. "Melanie said you wanted some information. Consider it on the house."
Haruto looked caught off-guard by the gesture, but smiled, nonetheless. "I greatly appreciate that sir, I'll see to it to repay the favor one day."
Junior waved his hand dismissively, "Bah, don't trouble yourself. Now, what do you want to know?"
Haruto's smile fell, his eyes gaining a serious gleam.
"Please tell me anything of note that has happened in the last three months."