At Southampton Central Railway Station, one of the busiest in the city, a man in a black business suit stepped off the train, clearly in a hurry. In one hand, he clutched a sleek black briefcase; in the other, a backpack that read "I ♥ SWEETS." Curiously, only one of his hands was covered by a spotless white glove.
He stopped in a waiting area near the subway entrance, straightening his rumpled clothes and running his fingers through his jet-black hair. After adjusting his thick glasses, he carefully dusted off both his briefcase and his bag, as though preparing for something important.
Minutes passed before a wide grin spread across his face. A grin of triumph. Without warning, he burst into laughter, drawing puzzled stares from commuters rushing by.
"Hahaha! Finally! I got here first! Now I'll give her a lecture—hahaha!"
But his celebration was cut short by a sharp voice behind him.
"And what exactly are you planning to do to me, hmm?"
The man froze, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.
"I only went to grab a drink," the woman continued, her tone dangerously sweet. "Because I've been waiting here for you for an hour!"
He turned slowly, forcing a sheepish smile. Standing there was a striking woman dressed in a nun's outfit. Her thick glasses were glinting under the station lights. Strapped to her back were two long, heavy-looking objects, only adding to her intimidating presence.
"Wow...I didn't even notice you sneak up. Nice one!" he said with a nervous chuckle.
The nun's face darkened, her voice rising like thunder.
"You're late again! Didn't I tell you to be here at eight sharp?!"
But instead of apologizing or listening to Miranda's scolding, the man feigned oblivion and said, "Ah…did I just go deaf?" he said, playing dumb.
Miranda's eyes darted to the backpack with the I ♥ SWEETS logo.
"You went to the three-day sale in town again, didn't you?" she snapped.
"Oh? No!" the man protested too quickly, unable to meet the nun's gaze. The lie hung in the air like a candy wrapped in truth.
"If you keep acting up, I'll stuff those apple candies down your throat and bury you with them!" Miranda warned, with her voice low and dangerous.
"Come on, Miranda," he tried to defuse it with a joke. "Why are you so angry with me again? Don't tell me—"
Before he could finish, Miranda whirled and smacked him across the jaw with one of the long objects strapped to her back.
"Shut up! I'm not playing here!" she barked.
"Argh! What the—? That hurt!" he yelped, rubbing his jaw as his cheeks flushed. He staggered back, more surprised than angry. "Hey — I'm the BOSS here! An assistant doesn't hit their boss!"
"If the assistant you hired is anything like you, try finding someone else," Miranda shot back. "You'll last longer with a grown-up in charge."
"That will be noted," he said, rubbing his jaw and trying to look dignified despite the wobble in his stance.
Their bickering faded as they left the station and headed for the docks.
"Man, this place has changed," he said, eyes wandering. Tall glass buildings, bustling crowds, enormous markets. Southampton indeed had grown into a new city since his last visit. He couldn't help remembering the last time he'd been here.
"The last time I came, the Titanic was about to sail," he mused with a self-satisfied snort. "It was really a huge ship. I was there on business, though—didn't enjoy it much. The captain was stingy with dessert. Said I wasn't on the special guest list. Can you believe that? So what I did was, I crashed his ship into an iceberg. Haha!"
Miranda ignored the man's rambling. She was here for a reason, and she cut straight to it.
"You still haven't said why we're actually here," she said.
"Oh, that?" he grinned. "I heard there's a fireworks show later. Fancy watching?"
Miranda's glare could have stopped the display itself.
"If this is one of your pranks, I'm going home. I have work piled up at the office, and it's supposed to be your job to handle it, not mine!"
He allowed a shadow to cross his face, the joke dropping from his lips. "You know me better than that. I'm not wasting time here just for fun—this is business. I collect debts."
Miranda's doubts didn't show, but the word made her tighten her grip on her staves.
"Fine. Just don't do anything stupid. You know what happens when you do, right?"
He wanted to laugh it off, but he played it safe.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of it."