Disclaimer: I do not own Servamp or any of the characters
"Are you still working on that pocket watch?" Kuro returned to the library's office with a cup of tea in each hand. He went to submit their reports to Lily while Mahiru worked. He stopped by the kitchen on his way back to make something for them drink. After he passed a cup to Mahiru, he looked over his shoulder to observe him tinkering on the pocket watch they found in the attic.
After a while, Mahiru placed the pocket watch on the table. He leaned back in his chair and folded his legs beneath him. He sipped the warm drink and let himself relax. "This thing is a little trickier than I thought it would be. The hunter case is smashed at the edge here and the lock system is snapped closed. I'm afraid I might damage it further if I force it open. I wish I had my tools with me to repair this."
"If it's a basic repair kit, we can buy one when we go into town." Kuro suggested and picked up the pocket watch. He turned it in his hand but he didn't see anything special about it for Mahiru to want to restore it. "You said that you like history and stuff. Do you really think that this thing is actually that significant? We found it in a piano and no one seemed to be looking for it."
"That might be the case but I like fixing things like this. If I couldn't be a curator, I would've been a conservator. When I was little, I helped my uncle repair this old grandfather clock. I had so much fun and I loved the stories he told me about the clock. You never know the stories one little antique can hold." Mahiru told him with a nostalgic smile. "If we don't take care of these things, those stories will be forgotten. Once I finish repairing this, I'll return it to Misono and you'll see how happy it makes him."
"Rather than getting that pocket watch back, I think Misono will be happier that you did something nice for him. Kid never had many friends. I can count the number of people he's close to on one hand." He returned the watch to him. Mahiru wrapped it in cloth and then placed it in his drawer. He locked it because he wanted to keep it a surprise and he worried that Misono might find it.
"I'm finished with things here. We have the day off so how about we head into town a little early?" Mahiru pushed away from the desk and stood. They were planning to speak with the girl that saw Licht jump off the cliff. Hopefully, she could tell them more about that night. The guards they spoke with were unhelpful and it frustrated Mahiru that he couldn't find the answers about Licht's death.
He sighed and shrugged on his jacket. Mahiru was a little surprised when Kuro took the jacket and helped him slip it on. "Does your arm still hurt from last night?"
"Who's the worrywart now, Kuro? It's doesn't hurt anymore and I got it checked this morning. Johannes said that it's just a scratch. Let's return these cups to the kitchen and then go into town." He hooked his arm around Kuro's and pulled him to the door. "I haven't been outside this manor since I arrived. It's nice to have a change of scene occasionally. What do you usually do when you get a day off like this?"
"The Alicein provide pretty much anything we need here so I don't go out much. I spend my free days watching TV or playing video games." Kuro knew that he must've seemed like a lazy teenager. Normally, he didn't care what people think of him but he did with Mahiru. "Sometimes I talk to my siblings over the phone to catch up. One of my brothers is staying at our house in town for a visit right now."
"We should go visit him since we have time before we talk with Yuri's family. From all the stories you told me about your siblings, you seem really close with them. It must've been nice to have a house full of people. I was an only child." They fell into an easy conversation as they walked down the hall. "You always have someone to play with."
"And someone to steal the last cup ramen you were saving. The grass is always greener on the other side, I guess. I would've given anything for an hour of quiet back then. Can't live with them, get lonely without them. There's nothing like family though, no matter how big or small. You said that you were raised by your uncle, didn't you?" It was something small he told him but he was happy that he remembered it.
As they were walked out of the manor, Mahiru noticed Tetsu walking up the driveway. He waved to him as a polite gesture and stopped to talk to him briefly. "Morning, Tetsu. It's a beautiful day, isn't it? We're heading into town so we can pick something up for you if you need anything."
"I was in town earlier." Tetsu told him. He took something out of his pocket and held it out to Mahiru. It was a cameo brooch decorated with flowers. "I bought this for Misono. I was going to ask you to look at it before I give it to him. The man who sold it to me said that sophisticated people likes things like these. This cameo brooch is actually made from a shell so there's no other brooch like it."
"That's so sweet of you." Mahiru's voice was warm and excited as he took the brooch to study it. "It's rare to see a shell cameo design of something other than a person but these carnations might be more meaningful for Misono. It's hard to get this level of detail without using a mold. If you..."
He trailed off and Kuro saw worry pass over his face briefly. The expression disappeared quickly and Mahiru was smiling once again so Kuro wondered if he was mistaken. Mahiru handed him back the brooch and said, "Misono will love this. Did you buy this from the original artist or through a dealer? I would like to buy a brooch to take home. How much did this cost?"
The price made Mahiru lightheaded for a moment but he didn't say anything as Tetsu gave him a business card. "I bought it from this antique shop."
He thanked him and placed the card in his bag before they continued down the long driveway. There was a car parked in front of the gate and he opened the passenger door for Mahiru. Kuro walked around the car and slid behind the steering wheel. As he started the car, he watched Mahiru from the corner of his eyes. His expression told him that something was bothering him.
"What's with that scowl? You look like you want to kill someone. You're fuming so much that smoke is going to come out of your ears." Kuro lightly poked his cheek. He pulled out of the driveway and waited for Mahiru to tell him what was on his mind. He knew that he wouldn't be upset without a reason.
"… The shell cameo Tetsu bought is a fake." Mahiru answer with a sigh. He rolled down the window and let the wind wash over him. "If the brooch's decoration was made from a shell, the material would be more translucent and light will pass through it. But, when I held it up to the sun, the material didn't act like a shell. It was more similar to plastic with how it reflected the light."
"Why didn't you tell Tetsu it was a forgery?" He knew how much respect Mahiru had for the heirlooms and art history. He had spent the last month listening to small art history lessons from Mahiru. With a murmur, Mahiru ran his hand through his hair and tried to straighten it. He tried to think of how to tell Kuro his feelings and make him understand.
"The brooch is fake but Tetsu's feelings are real. I think that's the most important thing when he gives it to Misono. It'll become a nice memory for them and I hope Misono treasures it. That's what most important to me." Mahiru took out the business card from his bag. "But I want to drop by this antique store and try to get Tetsu's money back. Maybe we could have Lily give it back to him under the guise of a bonus."
"How do you know the guy will give you Tetsu's money? I don't think you can muscle the dealer into doing what you want."
"I'm not going to use violence. There are other ways to persuade someone." Mahiru said with a sly smile.
"This should be the place." Mahiru pushed open the door and marched to the front desk. He rang the bell and waited for a worker. He scanned the shop and he couldn't help but appraise the items on display. It was more like a garage sale than an antique shop but he could see a few things of value. "What are you doing, Kuro? You can't go back there."
He tried to stop him when he saw Kuro walk into the employee-only section. Kuro merely walked to the back room and knocked on the door. Then he called through the door: "Hey, JeJe, you in there? I brought you an angry customer to deal with."
A rather tall man stepped out of the room and Mahiru was a little intimidated by his height. He pushed aside the slight fear he felt and reminded himself that he needed to get Tetsu's money back. His stood straighter and he faced the man. Kuro was much more relaxed and patted Mahiru's shoulder. "JeJe's my brother so you don't need to be so afraid. We can talk this out."
"This man is your brother?" His jaw dropped. They looked so different that Mahiru would never guess that they were related. Then again, Kuro didn't look similar to Lily either. "Why didn't you tell me that your brother worked at this place? It would've been easier to get Tetsu's money back."
"Well, I didn't know until you told me the address. I thought you would freak out if I told you the guy that sold the brooch to Tetsu was my brother. You looked pretty angry and I didn't want you to judge my family. JeJe's a good guy even if he looks kinda scary." Kuro explained and Mahiru could hear how much he cared about his brother in his voice.
"Okay, maybe all of this was some big understanding. From all the stories you told me about your family, your siblings seem like great people. Did you know that the brooch you sold Tetsu was a fake? It doesn't cost a quarter of how much as the amount you made him pay. I'd pay fifty dollars for it at the most. So, just refund the rest to my friend and we'll be out of your hair."
"I can't really do that. Mikuni was the one that sold the brooch to that tall boy. He's the owner of this shop as well so you'll have to talk to him about the money. I don't know if he'll give you a refund but I can get him for you." JeJe told him. While Mahiru exhaled a frustrated breath, Kuro knew that he wasn't going to give up easily.
"I'm here, JeJe. Why is it that every time your brothers visit you, they bring trouble with them?" Mahiru turned toward the voice to see a blond man approach them. The man was smiling but he felt like there was something beneath it. He walked behind the counter and said, "I'm Mikuni. Is there anything in particular you're looking for? Maybe a ring?"
"What? No." Mahiru blushed when Mikuni looked between him and Kuro. "You sold a fake cameo brooch to my friend and I'm here to get his money back. The price was unfair and you must be aware of that as well. Like I said to JeJe, just give him a refund and I'll drop the issue quietly."
"I'll give him a refund if he returns the brooch. That's how these things work." Mikuni reminded him.
"… I don't have it. Tetsu is giving it to his friend so I didn't have the heart to tell him that it was a fake when I noticed." Mahiru admitted but there was a stubborn determination in his eyes. "Even if I had the brooch with me, I wouldn't return it to you and risk you selling fake jewelry to someone else."
"Then I can't return his money." Mikuni shrugged and started to leave.
"Sir, do you realize that selling Tetsu that brooch under false pretences is jewelry fraud? If you would rather speak to the police about this issue, I can arrange that. I wonder what other counterfeit items I might find here that I can bring to their attention." Mahiru spoke slowly and deliberately.
"Are you threatening me?" Mikuni raised a brow at him.
"Am I? Look, I don't want to cause you any trouble but you took advantage of my friend. If you return his money, this will all be over easily." Mahiru crossed his arms and met Mikuni's hard eyes. A silence passed between them before the older man burst into laughter. He thought that he might have to argue more but Mikuni finally stopped laughing and spoke.
"You're interesting. Tetsu paid with a card so I'll write you a cheque." He handed the cheque to him and Mahiru took it. He was a little that it was addressed to Lily and not Tetsu. Mikuni must've read his expression when he explained, "I don't know you but I trust Lily. He still works at the Alicein mansion, doesn't he? He'll give the boy his money back."
"Thank you." Mahiru folded the cheque and placed it in his pocket. Then he patted Kuro on the shoulder and gestured to the door. "We should get going now, Kuro."
He nodded to him before facing his brother. "Bye, JeJe. It was good to see you again."
Kuro went with Mahiru and held open the door for him. They walked back to the car parked across the street. He looked down at Mahiru and said, "Remind me never to make you angry. Well, I guess I already did that a couple times already. I'm glad you didn't get that scary with me."
"I wasn't that bad, was I?" Mahiru looked a little guilty so he shook his head. He knew how kind Mahiru was and that he only wanted to defend his friend. "At least we got Tetsu's money back for him. I'm a little surprise that man knew Lily though. It really is a small world we live in. If I knew that they were friends, I would've let asked Lily to talk to him and get Tetsu's money back for me."
"I don't know how close they are. Mikuni never visits the mansion. The only reason I know him is through my brother, JeJe." He said and Mahiru looked thoughtful.
"Is he the brother that just came back to town to visit? If you wanted to talk to him more, you could've told me. I can go speak with Yuri's family on my own." He said after a moment. "I just realized how much of your time I'm taking. I'm grateful for everything you're doing for me but you probably think I'm troublesome dragging you with me everywhere."
"It's a little troublesome but I don't mind." Kuro shrugged. He reached over and ruffled his soft hair. Mahiru had to blush at the casual gesture. "You don't need to feel guilty. JeJe lives here and my other brother, Hyde, is the one visiting. We can always see him after we talk with Yuri's family."
"I would like to meet more of your family. Between Lily, Hugh and now JeJe, they seem like interesting people. They must've ran you ragged when you were younger." Mahiru chuckled. "Do you want to stop by a restaurant to eat? We can talk more over a nice meal."
Just a short chapter to establish some things.
