Mimi's fingers furiously typed away on her phone as she paced the length of her apartment. The clock on the mantle chimed, reminding her that there wasn't enough time in the day to worry.

'Don't 4get 2 bring a smokin date 2nite!'

A frustrated groan crawled up her throat. Her social media advisor had been insistent on Mimi finding a partner. If the general public took interest in her love life, her website would gain more traction, and in turn, more followers.

It didn't matter that Mimi hadn't kissed anyone since she had been fifteen; it didn't matter that she hadn't been asked on a date in years.

In less than four hours, Mimi was expected to attend a press banquet, invisible boyfriend in tow.

The text message was left unanswered. Instead, Mimi focused on piecing together an outfit. Hopefully, if it was revealed that her love life was barren, she would look cute on the cover of a trashy online article.

Once she was dressed and her makeup carefully in place, Mimi only had two hours left to find a solution.

"Miyako," she pleaded through the receiver, "You have to help me out."

The apartment door shut behind her, Mimi turning the key in the lock before heading towards the train station.

"What kind of boss would give you a deadline to find a date in the first place? My advice is to put in your two weeks notice before she demands children."

"Ha ha," Mimi laughed humorlessly. "It's honestly not that bad of a job. I think I'm more embarrassed that I don't already have a partner by now."

Miyako sighed, the phone's speaker crackling. "Twenty-six is not the limit for finding love. Gosh, Hikari and Takeru didn't get together until last week, and they've liked each other forever. Just find someone to fill the gap for tonight, then I can help you scour the 'net for someone better."

Mimi laughed, her heels clicking against the pavement. The late afternoon sun shone in golden waves on the storefronts.

"Thank you. I hate to cut this short, but I'm almost at the station."

"Anytime. Love you."

Saying her goodbyes, the influencer pocketed her cell phone, navigating her way through the crowds. Gaggles of students in uniforms milled about, the school day finally over. Nostalgia rolled over Mimi in waves, a silent wish that things could be simple once more.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, pushing forward once the train doors opened.

Business suits rushed past, an urgency in their step despite the work day being over. The crowd only thickened inside of the train car, bodies packed at standing-room only.

"Stay clear of all exits. Next stop: Tokyo Big Site." Further instructions boomed overhead, drowning out the rest of Mimi's thoughts.

Behind her, a body angled into her back, the sharp jut of an elbow making her jump in surprise.

"My apologies, miss." The stranger mumbled. He sounded otherwise unconcerned, as if potentially injuring innocent people was a daily occurence.

And for all Mimi knew, it was.

It could have been the gall of her manager, or the anxiety that clawed at her stomach that set Mimi. In a rare display of temper, she whirled around, her newly-straightened hair crimping in the humidity.

"Is there a problem?" Mimi asked. The moment her hazel eyes stared into the intruder, her foul mood dissipated.

Koushiro also appeared dumbstruck, his phone dangling limply in his hand.

It had been months since she had last seen him; their reunions had become few and far between. Her heart skipped a beat as she craned her neck up to meet his eyes. Had Koushiro always been so tall?

"Mimi?" His voice tilted up, surprise coloring his tone. "What are you doing here?"

Space was a luxury they currently couldn't afford, their chests nearly bumping each other.

"Well, this is public transport," Mimi offered. A small smile played at the corners of her lips, a sense of familiarity easing the tension in her shoulders.

Heat rushed to Koushiro's cheeks. "That would make sense. I meant, where are you going? You seemed awfully dressed up for any casual outing."

"It seems that you've become presumptuous, Koushiro." Her eyes glittered as he pointedly looked away. Eventually, Mimi took pity on him, satiating his curiosity. "I have a business event on the other side of town. What about you? What could have possibly taken you away from your beloved office?"

Teasing Koushiro had once been her favorite pastime. Memories of afternoons spent on uncomfortable couches flashed in her mind. She remembered the bags under his eyes, the obscene amount of oolong bottles that cluttered the floor.

Adult Koushiro at least seemed to have developed a more sustainable sleep schedule, his brown eyes aglow in the fluorescent lights.

"My day ended early. Without an entire world to save, work has been rather manageable."

A giggle escaped Mimi's lips. "I wish I could say the same."

Hand clutching one of the standing rails, Koushiro's eyebrows bunched together. Outside, the last remnants of sunlight shone weakly through the scenery, trees passing by in a blur.

"I have no idea how social media works," he admitted. "I'm sure you have a lot of responsibilities."

"There's about as many responsibilities as the typical office job, I guess. This job is just more…personal than I would like it to be."

"Oh?"

Mimi sighed, perspiration beading at her neck. "For the past few weeks, my boss has been pestering me to find a boyfriend. Apparently, it will make me look more 'relatable' and 'desirable' to the general public."

The train jostled, pushing the pair even closer together. Despite their proximity, Koushiro remained stoic, no longer a bashful high school boy.

"Are bosses allowed to dictate your personal life?" He asked, incredulousness dripping from his words.

"They shouldn't be," Mimi muttered.

As the train chugged closer to the station, anxiety ate at the edges of her fingernails. Outwardly, Mimi was polished, an example of beauty and grace. On the inside, she gnawed at her bottom lip, nervous about arriving alone.

Koushiro silently urged her to explain, an eyebrow tilted in question.

"You see," Mimi began, her eyes preemptively rolling, "Tonight I have to attend an event for my manager. The views on my website have been on the lower side, and she was hoping that the publicity coverage of this event would help me retain site traffic."

Her friend nodded in understanding, well accustomed to Mimi's ramblings.

She continued. "It's become obvious to some of my followers that I haven't been in a romantic relationship since, like, ever. This is apparently 'bad for business', so my manager gave me a whopping four hours to find a date. Now, it's thirty minutes out, and I'm showing up alone."

Despite the plethora of people surrounding them, Mimi just barely caught the tail end of Koushiro's snicker. Her delicate lips turned downwards, arms crossing over her chest.

"I couldn't imagine," he managed between laughs, "The problems you face on an average day."

"You're no help!" Mimi cried.

Koushiro's eyes went wide, previous humor forgotten. "Help? Were you hoping that I would go with you to this strange popularity contest?"

Despite his tone, Koushiro's words sparked hope in Mimi's chest. Anxiety was replaced with determination, the girl taking a miniscule step backwards to give her friend a once over.

Koushiro warmed underneath Mimi's scrutiny, but she was far too focused to comment on his darkening cheeks. Dressed in a gray suit, his tie did well to compliment his complexion. Though his hair was a tad too mussed for her liking, anything was better than nothing.

"Actually, now that you mention it, that sounds like a perfect idea."

"No," he stated. "Absolutely not."

Shocked, Mimi's mouth fell open. "But Koushiro, we're, like, best friends."

"Since when?"

Mimi was silent.

"Exactly," Koushiro continued. "Besides, I'm not even dressed for something like this. Wouldn't it hurt you more to bring an old acquaintance you found on the train instead of just going by yourself?"

"But you're not just 'some old acquaintance', you're Koushiro. Please, just consider it. I'll even buy you dinner as compensation." Hands clasped beside her cheek, Mimi gave her best impression of 'puppy-dog eyes', bottom lip poked out to further the effect.

On-lookers stared curiously at the pair, Mimi's act causing a commotion on the tightly-packed train. Koushiro's stern look melted into resignation, a sigh spilling from his lips.

"Fine. But I expect to eat the best nigiri Odaiba has to offer."

Mimi's squeal was deafening, her arms spontaneously wrapping around his neck. "Only the finest for such an awesome friend!"

If she noticed the tips of his ears turn pink, she was much too grateful to say anything.