On one typical Autumn evening, Angela and Agate were at the Inn, chatting with Lillie in her room. She had invited them over earlier in the day, sounding excited. But now that they were here, she was surprisingly quiet.
Angela swiftly brought the current conversation to a close as she asked Lillie, "Why did you ask us to come around?"
Lillie jumped as both others in the room turned their eyes to her. She had been hoping to avoid the matter for awhile longer, but her time was up. She lowered her head and explained herself in a quiet voice, "I wanted to ask you about Mistel..."
"We already talked about him though!" Agate piped up, sounding confused, but a moment later she continued, "Do you mean you're going to ask Angela about him because you don't trust my opinion?"
"You've discussed Mistel before? Why?" Angela asked.
Lillie shook her head rapidly, wishing to dispel Agate's question but beginning instead, "Okay first of all, I'll fill you in, Angela. Awhile back, I was talking to Mistel and he basically told me that he made sure that Fritz and I went out together. I don't know why, and Agate said it wasn't a big deal..."
"Well, that's creepy. And?" Angela replied.
"I wanted to figure out why Mistel did that!" Lillie exclaimed.
"So you brought us here because you really did want my opinion as well as Agate's."
Lillie frowned. "What? No, I… That wasn't the second point."
"Then what is? Mistel's motives may have been unclear, but he didn't do anything that caused you serious trouble. As long as he isn't continuing to interfere with you, we don't have to worry about it," Angela stated clearly.
"All right then," Lillie sighed. "The reason I brought you both here to talk about Mistel is… I'm just really curious about him! I don't understand why you two brush off his actions entirely… but I can't help but be intrigued!"
Neither Angela or Agate said anything as they considered Lillie's words. They considered what ought to be done about Mistel, depending on what his own plans were.
And as they considered, Lillie continued speaking aloud. "I've been watching him for awhile and he's usually a step ahead of everyone. Then quite recently, he was acting a little strangely. Different to how he usually is. I didn't know why until I heard Annie had asked out Elise. Mistel just seems… more lonely now," she explained.
Angela's eyes had gone wide. "Wow… You really have been paying attention to him," she said.
Agate's eyes were even wider than Angela's. She had no control over the grin on her face as she spoke, "Oh my gosh… Lillie, do you like Mistel?! Like, really really like?!"
"What?!" Lillie gasped, throwing a hand up to cover part of her alarmed face.
"You said he intrigues you and you're watching him all the time," Agate murmured.
Lillie was silent, unable to think of a response. She turned away, trying to hide how red her cheeks had gotten, as she shouted, "I DON'T KNOW!"
Shocked, Angela spoke up now. "My goodness. It's really happened. Our dear Lillie has her first ever crush."
"I didn't say that!" Lillie yelled back, but Angela and Agate were both grinning, refusing to accept her denial.
The two exchanged a glance, wondering how best they could help Lillie, whilst the girl in question wanted to beg them to do nothing.
On a soon following day, Mistel was seated at the counter in the restaurant, enjoying his lunch for the day as were many other customers, when the restaurant door burst open abruptly.
Glancing over with only half-interest, Mistel was not surprised to see it was Fritz at the door. He was surprised however when the farmer ran straight up to him and asked, "Mistel! What happened with you and Lillie?!"
"I don't know what you mean by that… She just visited me once," Mistel answered. "Where did you get an idea that something has happened? Why are there rumours spreading about us?"
"Huh? There aren't any rumours," Fritz replied.
"Then… why did you even ask me about Lillie?" Mistel asked.
"I was talking to her earlier and she seemed very nervous when your name got brought up."
"But… isn't she always really nervous?"
Fritz shrugged. "Not really."
Mistel was truly confused. While he puzzled over the matter, Fritz sat down beside him.
"Are you going to eat lunch here too?" Mistel asked, deciding it would be better to change the subject altogether.
"Nah, I'm just going to wait until Raeger comes back over here so I can say hi," Fritz said.
"Ah of course. You must be very busy today if you're not even stopping for a lunch break." Mistel turned himself around enough to get a look at Raeger who was still working with other customers. "I'm rather surprised he didn't run over here the moment you entered the building though."
"What are you talking about? He's as busy as I am." Fritz sounded confused but amused all the same.
Mistel's lips twisted into a smirk as he replied, "Yes, but he loves making a fool of himself for you."
He returned to his meal then and it was awhile after that when Raeger finally got back to the kitchen.
"Sorry that took so long. So Fritz? What would you like?" Raeger asked.
"I'm not here to eat. I just wanted to say hi," Fritz replied.
"Oh. Well… hi."
"Yup! Hi!" Fritz beamed and Raeger's loose smile turned into a grin against his will at the sight.
Mistel pretended to be completely focused on his meal while this riveting conversation took place.
"Okay then, I'll be off now!" Fritz said and stood up to go.
"Uh… hang on a moment," Raeger called out. Fritz stopped where he was and looked back at him. "You just sat there so patiently, I can't let you leave like this."
"I have work to do though."
"I know. So after I'm finished with work tonight, I'll make you dinner."
"Woah, really?"
"Yes really. It's the least I could do."
"Okay. I'll see you then, Muffin!" Fritz said and left the restaurant.
There was silence after his departure for some time until Mistel asked, "Did I just hear that right? Did he just call you… Muffin?"
Raeger's face was bright red and he snapped at Mistel, "Shut up! Just don't say anything about it!"
"But it was adorable!" Mistel replied.
"...Wait really?" Raeger murmured suspiciously. He wondered why Mistel hadn't taken the opportunity to tease him.
"Of course! And anyway, you're already embarrassed enough by it. I don't even need to say anything."
As the sun began to set one weekday, Mistel leaned against the brick wall behind him, glancing along the path to the trade depot every now and again.
He wondered how long it would be until Lillie walked through the archway. She always got back from work around this time of day so he knew it wouldn't be long, and sure enough, a few moments later, Lillie came in to view.
She was walking in beat with a song playing in her head, her arms moving gracefully by her side, and was so focused on this that she didn't notice Mistel until he'd walked over and called out, "Hello Lillie!"
Lillie stopped in her tracks, wishing her heart wouldn't beat so fast. "H-hello! I'm on my way home right now," she replied.
"I know. I was waiting for you to get here so I could apologise," Mistel said.
Lillie was surprised. Not that Mistel had something to apologise for, but that he was choosing to do so. "Apologise for what?"
"Quite some time ago now, you came to me to thank me for helping you and Fritz get together. I then told you I had orchestrated the whole thing, simply to terrify you. That was cruel of me," Mistel explained. "I was so surprised when you showed up to try and cheer me up the other day. Considering how I treated you, I never would have expected you to do that."
"So, you're saying I acted outside of your calculated knowledge?" Lillie asked.
That's exactly what he meant, but… why would Lillie say that? Mistel furrowed his brow, suspicious, wondering how to respond. "Yes, I suppose you could say that," he finally answered.
Lillie grinned but covered her mouth quickly. "Ahem, well, isn't that something!" She laughed nervously then.
Mistel had a few questions flitting about his mind, but he knew he ought to say goodbye and walk away now, as those questions were not his business… but what if they became his business?
Taking into account how Lillie had been acting, it was possible she might continue trying to push her way into his life, and he thought it was only fair that he know why she was doing that.
So he spoke up once more; "Lillie… I have a question for you."
"Huh?!" She was startled out of a daze that Mistel hadn't noticed she was in. "What is it?"
"Why did you come to visit me that day? Why did you… want to cheer me up?" Mistel asked.
Lillie was paralysed for awhile, terrified, but she eventually replied, "I-I was just really worried about you."
"But why were you worried about me?"
Lillie's eyes jumped to meet his and a moment later, a look of realisation entered her eyes. She was quicker and seemed more relaxed when she next answered, "It's awful whenever anyone's sad, and if I can do something to help them, I'm going to do my best to try! It's just difficult sometimes to know what to do, especially when the other person pushes everyone else away."
Mistel remembered how he had repeatedly asked Lillie to leave, and he murmured quietly, "S-sorry..."
"Hmm?" Lillie replied, unable to make out what he'd said.
Mistel shook his head slowly a few times while saying, "Never mind."
"So, uh… Is that all? You still look a little troubled," Lillie said in a concerned tone.
"Oh no, I'm fine! I was just thinking to myself, a little too thoroughly." Mistel smiled so he wouldn't look so troubled, then mid-turn, he said, "Until we meet again."
Lillie sighed as Mistel walked away, relieved that he was satisfied with the answer she'd given him, and had not chosen to ask her anything more.
"Raeger, may I have a moment of your time?"
Raeger looked up from wiping down the counter, wondering who would show up so early this day to his restaurant. It was Klaus, but he didn't seem like he was here as a customer.
"I guess I'm not technically open for a few more minutes, so go ahead," Raeger replied.
Klaus crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "I just wanted to chat and get to know what you've been up to lately, but you sound busy."
"Oh, sure I'm busy. I have a restaurant to run six days a week."
"I see," Klaus murmured, and then sounding highly worried, "So, how is Mistel?"
"Huh? Mistel? He's fine," Raeger replied, confused as to why Klaus was asking.
"Are you certain? After all, you have even less time for him than usual, now that you're with Fritz," Klaus said.
"I've been hanging out with Mistel just as much as before! I'm not going to start ignoring him no matter what," Raeger growled.
"But if you're so busy..." Klaus raised an eyebrow as Raeger became shifty eyed, looking anywhere except at Klaus himself. "Were you exaggerating so that I'd leave you alone?"
"...Yes," Raeger admitted.
Klaus laughed loudly and said, "I thought so. Not that you aren't busy with this restaurant, but you aren't serving customers every second of the day."
"Sorry about that. So, uh… what did you want to ask me again?"
"How is Mistel? He has seemed a little different than usual lately, so I wanted to be sure he was being supported."
Raeger was quiet for a moment, before asking, "Did Iris put you up to this?"
Klaus looked as though Raeger had just challenged him to a duel, and his crossed arms locked tighter together. "No, I noticed the change in him myself. He might not be easy to read, but I have known him for years."
"Well… I guess your worries might not be entirely unfounded… I mean, although I've been trying to spend just as much time with him as I did before, he has taken to avoiding me a bit more often now so that I can pay more attention to Fritz." Raeger lowered his head, feeling like a failure.
Klaus's face creased with worry again. "Maybe he'll come around but… But all this time, I've been rather useless. I just wanted to help out Iris's little brother..."
"Hey, it's not like he's going to go back to how he used to be. He has me, he has Annie. Everything's better for him than it was back then, so you shouldn't worry that you weren't able to help him."
Klaus sighed deeply, turning away.
Raeger took a closer look at him, and asked, "Why do you look so sad if everything's fine?" Then he gasped. "Are you lonely? This isn't about Mistel, it's about you having no one to spend time with! Or did you want to prove yourself to Iris by helping her brother but you failed and now she doesn't care about you? Or- or-"
"Why are you reading into something that isn't anything?" Klaus asked in an incredibly confused tone.
