After this, she’s never bringing you here ever again. She’s not sure she could ever keep you a secret without using magecraft, Aoko isn’t so clever that she can get away with something like this, but it’ll have to for now.

Aoko and yourself have been chasing each other in circles for everrrrrr. She got sick of the flirting behind the scenes, and looking for you whenever you had lunch. So after asking Alice to stay in her room for a while, she’s sitting by the window outside waiting for you. She’s a little worried (and extremely angry), you’re pretty late. Maybe, like her, you had to regurgitate, but… Did you decide to stand her up, after she went through the effort…?! She’ll kill you!

Is what she would’ve said, if she didn’t hear the gate open, and a knock on the door. Aoko would rush over, and open the door—

“You big idiot! What took you so long, huh?! You visiting another woman before you get here?!”

Uhm. No.

“…Get in before I decide to suddenly crack your skull open.”

…Yes ma’am.

“Don’t worry, it’s just us, mostly. Sizuki is out with Kinomi for work, and Alice is holed up in her room, so it’s just us, ‘kay?”

Well, thats good.

“Yeah.” You’re not sure if you like the face she made when she said “we’re alone”, she seems… agitated. So now here the both of you are, sitting down in the drawing room, holding each other’s hand.

“…”

Aoko is… quite silent, and avoiding your gaze. But she’s rubbing her thumb against the back of your hand, she seems a bit upset, probably at you.

You know now, you screwed up by making her wait an extra hour. Your fault.