MIMI

While the employees who worked in the same department wondered where the young girl went, they hadn"t thought to question.

After all, she was only meant to work there for a short period of time.

For the next couple of days, Mimi went on with her usual schedule - attending meetings, covering contracts and upgrading her trading program.

Looking at the time, Mimi sighed and stood up from her seat to leave for the day.

Right on time, her phone rang for a video call. It was Tobias Itou.

Giggling, Mimi picks it up and answers. "Yes, yes, I"m leaving work right now. See?"

Mimi showed the perfect faced man on the screen the set of packed doc.u.ments.

"En," He nodded with a satisfied light in his eyes.

Shaking her head at the man"s overly obsessive concern for her, she continues to pack up and then leaves the office while talking to Tobias.

Lately, Tobias had been concerned for her more than usual and even asked for her to send him photos of her meals for the day.

Once, Mimi had a yogurt for lunch and after showing Tobias, the man was visibly displeased.

Afterward, he called for his a.s.sistant, Juno, to order a meal from Mimi"s favorite j.a.panese restaurant to send it to her office.

After making sure everyone returned home and the company was secure for the night, Mimi had Jean drive her home.

While, of course, not forgetting to change out of her business clothes for the day and into a comfy blue sweatshirt with jeans.

Once reaching her apartment complex, Mimi said goodbye to the handsome man on the other end of the phone.

While saying goodbye, Tobias didn"t forget to remind her to eat properly and go to bed early.

Holding back the urge to roll her eyes, Mimi ended the call.

Walking up the stairs to the building, Mimi ruffles for her keys in her pockets and glances up to her apartment number only to freeze in place.

Standing a few feet away in front of her door was none other than Emilia Yimo.

She leaned against the wall while her fair hands dropped in front of her, held a silver container.

Feeling the presence of another, Emilia shifts her gaze and stares back at Mimi.

Both young girls stared at one another for a while before Mimi broke the silence with a soft giggle.

"How about we go inside and have some tea?"

Startled to hear Mimi"s angelic and soft voice, Emilia flashed her eyes rapidly and appeared agitated.

"O…Okay."

Smiling, Mimi takes her keys and opens the door before walking in. Emilia watches Mimi enter the apartment with a vacant stare.

Mimi notices her staring gla.s.sily at the door and held back the urge to laugh.

"Come in and take off your shoes when you enter, I"ll give you some slippers."

Absentmindedly nodding her head, Emilia walks in and carefully takes off her shoes.

Suddenly, a flash of purple is shoved in front of her face. Startled, she looks up to see Mimi holding a pair of purple bunny slippers.

Smiling while handing them to her she says, "These are the only pair I have. I hope you don"t mind."

"No! No, they"re fine!" Emilia shakes her head and takes the slippers with her free hand.

Noting the silver container in her other hand, Mimi tilts her head curiously. "What"s in there?"

Looking down at the container in her hand, Emilia"s face slightly reddens and her eyes lower.

Shyly, she speaks in a gentle voice. "This…I made this for you. It"s just a few little desserts. I meant to give it to you before but…anyway, they"re not that good, I just thought…"

Ignoring Emilia"s stutters, Mimi"s eyes brighten as she takes the container out of the girl"s hand.

When she spoke the word desserts, all words out of Emilia"s mouth were nothing but a blur to Mimi.

With an eager grin on her face, Mimi sets the container down and opens it to reveal a set of desserts. Thick slices of fruit rolled cake, egg tarts, and other confections.

"Ooh! These look delicious!" Mimi"s eyes sparkled. "Hmm? Are these spring rolls?"

Mimi picked up a spring roll with her hands and admired it curiously. Emilia snapped from her daze and looked at the spring roll in her hand.

"Those are chocolate k.u.mquat spring rolls, I had my nanny help me make them," Emilia said shyly.

Mimi"s expression only seemed to brighten the more she spoke.

"We"ll eat these with some tea! I"ll go make it! Sit down, I"ll be done in a few minutes."

Without allowing Emilia to speak, Mimi hops toward the kitchen with the container of sweets.

Dumbfounded, Emilia blinks her eyes dramatically.

Awkwardly, she walks toward the small living room area and sits down on the gray sofa.

To be honest, when she first left, she never thought she would return, ever. Even she was surprised that she came back.

Taking the time to admire Mimi"s apartment, Emilia was somewhat stunned by the interior.

It was much simpler than she thought.

Compared to her career that involved running a successful trading company, her apartment didn"t do justice to her reputation as a young and powerful CEO.

If anything, had she not known her profession, she would have a.s.sumed the girl was quite poor.

While admiring the apartment, Emilia noticed Mimi walking toward her with a tray of tea and the sweets she made.

Setting the tray down, Mimi plops herself down on the couch across from Emilia. "Sorry if you waited long."

Emilia shook her head. "No, not all."

"That"s good then. Well, dig in!" Mimi grinned.

While Mimi began taking a set of sweets, Emilia quietly watched the girl, carefully scrutinizing her with nervous eyes.

Munching into the chocolate k.u.mquat spring roll, Mimi"s eyes closed blissfully as she released a satisfied moan.

"Mm! These are so good, they"re surprisingly chewy on the inside! The bitterness of the k.u.mquat is balanced well with the chocolate"s sweetness."

"You…You like them?" Emilia asked, her tone slightly nervous.

Stuffing another in her mouth, Mimi bobs her head rapidly and gives her a thumbs up. Emilia couldn"t restrain the faint smile forming on her lips, a rosy blush forming on her cheeks.

No one ever complimented her before on her sweets. When she made them for Landon he never even tried them.

As for her so-called "friends", she never thought of giving them any.

Looking down at her lap, Emilia begins fiddling with her fingers.

"Andras, the reason I…"

"Mimi."

Confused, Emilia looks up to stare into Mimi"s violet gems. "Huh?"

"My name"s Mimi."

"Mimi…"

A trace of grief flashed through Emilia"s face before she nodded gently.

A few moments of silence pa.s.sed, and Mimi continued eating the treats in front of her while waiting for Emilia to speak.

Currently, Emilia"s thoughts were in turmoil.

She was surprised, hurt and confused. Confused by her own emotions and the things she thought she knew - the person she admired and thought she knew.

It felt as if everything she once knew of Andras was nothing but a lie, a figment of her imagination. It was all different.

"Why…" Emilia hesitated. "Why did you tell me? Why didn"t you just continue lying? Were you telling the truth when you said everything you did wasn"t as my boss, but as a friend?"

Rather than asking why she dressed as a man, she wanted to know why she chose to reveal such a big secret to her.

Out of all the questions, this was what she yearned to hear the answer to the most.

Swallowing the egg tart in her mouth, Mimi calmly begins plopping cubes of sugar into her tea.

"I wasn"t lying to you when I said that. It"s the truth. In the beginning, I have to admit, I saw you as a p.a.w.n to help my company rise."

Emilia"s face paled as she heard Mimi"s words, a stab of pain shot through her heart. Clenching her hands, Emilia waits for Mimi to continue.

"But I trust your character. Although sometimes spoiled, you"re a trustful person. You intrigued me, and it seems based on advice I"ve received, I seem to consider you as a friend."

"Seem to?" Emilia pouted while watching Mimi put in ten sugar cubes into her tea.

"I wouldn"t take it personally. To be honest, I"ve never had a friend before…" Mimi said casually while pouring milk into her sugary beverage.

Emilia was surprised. She…never had a friend?

"Never?"

"Nope." Mimi chuckled. "Not that I minded. But I guess with running a company I never had the chance to make any."

Emilia"s eyes clouded with pity as she stared at Mimi with a sad expression.

Who would have thought someone as successful and young as she, had never had a friend…it truly was heartbreaking.

Emilia imagined the busy Mimi working hard at her company while staring out the window at the rest of young teens hanging out with their friends.

Secretly yearning for an ordinary life. A friend.

Sensing a familiar pitiful gaze on her, Mimi looks up from her cup of tea and notices Emilia"s slightly reddened eyes and puffed out cheeks - as if she were holding in the urge to cry.

Mimi"s brows twitched.

Why did this somehow remind her of her idiot brother?