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Oliver didn’t understand women. He knew his appearance had an effect on people, and he used it to his advantage. That didn’t mean he understood why it had such an impact.
At least he had some hope that there were women he could trust to keep their head; women like his mother, Masako, Ayako, and even Mai. He just wished that ability was more common.
As he walked the streets of Shibuya, heading to the office, he sighed as he saw the woman’s reflection in the glass windows. She had been following him for days. It wasn't often he played the Good Samaritan and seeing as it led to his current situation he was disinclined to do so again.
A week ago the woman had been in line before him at the grocery store, practically in tears over not being able to pay for all her goods. Oliver was impatient to get on his way, and told the cashier to include his goods in the purchase and he would pay.
Brushing off her profusions of gratitude, he handed her the bags containing her things and collected his own. When she asked for his name to be able to thank him properly, he didn’t think anything of it.
Nodding in farewell, he continued to his apartment. Not noticing the adoring look on the face of the woman he left behind.
The next evening, he walked into her at a soba shop while waiting for his and Lin’s dinner to be ready. He wasn’t able to shake her before he began the walk back to his apartment, and she chatted to him the whole way.
“This is a really nice apartment, Kazuya-kun,” she tittered. “Surely it’s too large for just one person.”
“I live here with a colleague,” he dryly replied.
It wasn’t until the next morning he realised he should have been more careful allowing a stranger to know where he lived. Waiting outside his door was another box of the chocolates he had bought for his mother at the grocery store. A box with his name attached to it.
Oliver winced and hoped that the box was a simple ‘thank you’ for his help previously. He took them to the office to be shared. Maybe he could claim he accidentally bought a second box?
Then Oliver began to notice a familiar face as he was out and about. He brushed it off. Justifying that the women must live nearby. Until her face began to show up outside that neighbourhood.
When things began to be posted to the office from this woman - Sato Hana based on the return address - Oliver knew he was in trouble. Still, the last thing he needed was for Lin to find out. If Lin knew, then Madoka would know, and if Madoka knows then it was only a matter of time before his mother was told.
That is the last thing I need to happen.
Disregarding the footsteps behind him - as long as she didn’t actually interact with him she wasn’t that large a problem, right? - he let out a sigh of relief when he arrived at the office building. Ignoring his persistent shadow, he climbed the stairs and revelled in the quiet.
He knocked twice on Lin’s door to alert the man to his presence before entering his own office. Taking a seat behind his desk, he groaned when he saw the pile of requests waiting for him to peruse. Most of them will be a waste of time.
Pulling forward the first in the pile, it was quickly thrown in the rubbish. Obviously poorly maintained plumbing. Give me something interesting.
Unfortunately for Oliver, one after another, the job requests were tedious.
Between the building anxiety over the woman following him and the lack of anything interesting during the day, Oliver was at the end of his rope when Mai finally started her shift.
“I’m here!” he heard her sing from the foyer.
“Tea,” he called out. It will be the only thing that saves me.
He didn’t need to wait long before his assistant pushed open his door, mumbling about greetings and manners or some such nonsense.
Oliver didn’t care as long as he got his much needed relief.
Taking a sip of tea (which, even if Mai had no psychic ability, he would keep her employed for), Oliver relished in the bitter flavour and citrus scent.
A huff caught his attention. Opening his eyes, he looked at Mai. Still standing before his desk.
“What?” he raised an eyebrow.
Mai frowned. “Honestly Naru,” she complained, “the least you could do is say ‘thank you’.”
Keeping eye contact with the woman, he took another drink of tea. Then another. All while watching Mai’s face become increasingly red. It really does look fetching on her.
“What?” she cried. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
He took another sip only to find he had finished his cup. A glance down confirmed it.
“Mai,” he cajoled.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “What?”
Oliver smirked. At least he managed to teach her to be suspicious. He held out his cup.
“Tea.”
At her strangled scream of rage, Oliver leaned his chin on his other hand. Another reason to keep Mai employed. The entertainment factor.
She snatched the cup from him and stormed from the room. Oliver muffled his snigger with his hand. It wouldn’t do for him to be heard laughing.
Revitalised thanks to tea and Mai, he turned his attention back to the requests. Surely there is something here worth looking at.
A rap on the door made him look up.
“Enter,” he frowned. Mai only knocked when there was a client. I didn’t hear the bell.
Mai entered the room, sans tea.
“There is someone here to see you,” she said.
Oliver’s frown deepened. He wasn’t expecting anyone, and Mai was usually very clear when there was a client present.
As if sensing he was going to refuse to leave his office, Mai enticed, “Your tea is on the coffee table.”
Oliver rolled his eyes and stood. Leaving his office he turned to Mai in confusion at the lack of person waiting for him.
Mai gave a, decidedly odd, grin and waved him forward.
Every danger sense he possessed was screaming alerts at him.
“Kazuya!” was the only warning he received. Suddenly arms wrapped around him and a woman was jabbering into his chest.
Frozen in bewilderment it took him a moment to recognise the woman as Sato Hana.
Oh for the love of-
“- isn’t it wonderful! I found us a place near the train station which will be just perfect. It’s available at the end of the month, so we have plenty of time to sort everything out.”
Wait. What?
Drawn by the noise, Lin appeared in the lounge area also. Oliver looked at him. Partly in confusion, partly in fear.
“Um, excuse me,” Mai interrupted the woman’s chatter. “Who are you?”
The arms around Oliver tightened, and Sato lifted her head just enough to glare at Mai over her shoulder.
“I,” Sato sneered, “am here for Kazuya.”
Mai’s eyebrows shot up her forehead and she darted her eyes toward Oliver’s face. Given the pain in his chest, he needed Sato to let go. Now.
Mai must have picked up on that because she pulled a grin on her face and waved at the lounges.
“How lovely,” Mai’s voice was syrupy. “Why don’t you both take a seat on the sofa and I’ll be out with some tea.”
Sato sniffed and released Oliver to grab his arm. He was so focused on getting air into his lungs, he didn’t fight her as she towed him to the lounge.
Finding himself sitting on the sofa, instead of his usual armchair, with Sato clinging to his arm like a limpet was enough to snap Oliver out of his shock.
“Sato-san,” he began.
“Ahhhh. Kazuya,” she giggled. “You don’t need to be so formal just because you’re at work.”
“How did you meet, Sato-san?” Lin took a seat in Oliver’s preferred armchair and shot him a grin.
Oliver narrowed his eyes. He will pay for this.
“Oh!” Sato gushed, “It was so romantic.”
While she got lost in some fairytale about Oliver coming to her rescue and how it was a sign they were meant to be together - what? - Oliver was trying to make eye contact with his unnecessarily amused assistant.
“I never knew how romantic you could be Naru,” Mai sent him a grin as she placed the tea tray on the table.
“Mai,” he growled in warning.
This caught Sato’s attention. She looked at Mai in suspicion.
“How long have you been working for Kazuya?” she demanded.
Mai startled. “Oh. Um. Over a year.”
“Well,” Sato sneered, “I can assure you that once we’re married you won’t be needed anymore.”
There was silence at that declaration. Mai sat gaping at the woman, while Lin - to Oliver’s well acquainted eye - was trying not to die of laughter.
Deciding that enough was enough, he began to rise from his seat. Sato, however, tightened her grip on his arm, pulling him back beside her.
How strong is this woman?
“You might be able to get away with prancing around like that now, but my Kazuya won’t fall for it!” Sato began to rant. “We’ve already found a place to live together and we’ll be married soon. There’ll be no need for someone like you.”
“Hey!” Mai began to object. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
“I’m his fiancee!”
“No! You’re some crazy off the street!”
Oliver had to agree with Mai on that one.
“I am not!” Sato screamed. Right by Oliver’s ear. “We’re in love!”
Flexing his arm to loosen her grip, he miscalculated how quickly she could move.
Her arms suddenly moved around his neck. He felt himself being pulled forward and then there were lips on his.
A day’s worth of frustration bubbled within him. Combined with the amusement from Lin and Mai’s response to this mess, it was a dangerous mix. Feeling the heat building within him, he tried to get away from the fool locked around him.
When she tried to deepen the kiss, he snapped.
Energy flowed around him and Sato went flying across the room. Given the velocity she was moving, it was a good thing Lin was there to break her fall.
As the air settled and Oliver regained awareness of his surroundings, he saw the lounge area in disarray, several teacups shattered, and a groaning Lin pushing the unconscious woman off him.
Ignoring Mai standing on the other side of the coffee table, gaping, he stalked into his office and slammed the door.
Falling into his desk chair, he tried to come to grips with the last ten minutes.
There was a sickly taste on his lips. Rubbing his mouth, he saw lipgloss on his hand.
“Mai!” there was a squeak on the other side of the door. “Tea!”
If I don’t get this taste out of my mouth-
The door opened.
“Here Naru.” Mai squeaked, dropping the tea and running out.
Oliver didn’t know or care what was happening on the other side of that door.
He had tea, he had quiet, and he finally got rid of that horrible taste.
Focusing all of his attention to the flavour of the tea in his mouth, he barely heard the door reopen.
Lifting his eyes, he saw Lin in the seat opposite him. Oliver didn’t care if the man was here to call him out for his use of PK. It was a valid reason and he’d do it again.
Saying as much to his guardian, he was taken aback by the smirk on his face.
“I’d do it too in your place,” Lin replied. “But I am curious…”
Oliver sighed, he probably should have told Lin earlier about the stalker.
“How was your first kiss?”
Oliver’s teacup cracked.