Escort Services!

Hakumi had just completed her first Jo involving combat, though she had many injuries, she was happy to have had gains further recognition from her guild mates. After all of her wounds healed, she was happy to not have any scars from them. She started looking for another job, after the one she had just went on, she was ready for something a bit easier. She found a job that involved going on a date with a noble. It seemed easy enough, but she read that she also had to act like a noble, and she read why the young man didn't have a date in the first place. She imagined that he would call her an age way younger than she really was and complain about it. Another problem she saw in this job was that she didn't even know how to act like a noble. She started reading some books in the guild about nobles and noticed that they acted like complete snobs. She didn't really want to act like that, so she read some more books with nobles in them. Some of them are really nice, so she wouldn't really have to change her personality for the job, but she would however, need to change the way she looks.

Her usual nun outfit wouldn't do the trick. It was way too casual to help her pass for a noble. Before she went to buy her dress, she went to the person requesting the job. They told her about the story behind the young man, and why he acts the way he does, and what they expected her to accomplish. After the explanation, she went to one of those fancy dress stores in Hargeon and bought a dress that was priced at one thousand jewel. She had earned a lot of jewel from her previous jobs so the cost of the dress was little to nothing. The dress was of a fine silky texture, it was blue at the top, and white at the bottom, it had frills that went around the bottom of it, the dress was almost as elegant as a wedding dress! Her hair was also not of the best stature. So she went to a shop and got it put into two curly pigtails. She put on her dress and headed toward the young mans location. She greeted him with a "hello". He responded by saying,"Aren't you a bit young to be escorting me here?" Hakumi tried to be patient with him and said,"Oh no. I may look fairly young, but I'm actually seventeen." The young man responded with a,"Well, I don't want you to be my date. You're short and you look like a child. I would be frowned upon if I went inside with you." Hakumi started to become angry, but she responded by saying,"I do apologize if my appearance is not mature enough for you, but you have no say in the matter. I was hired to escort you and that's exactly what I am going to do." The young man responded by saying,"very well then. Shall we go inside?"

The young man and Hakumi proceeded into the hall where the ball was being held. Hakumi looked amazed as she glanced across the gigantic hall full of so many nicely dressed people. The ball was surely amazing. Once they were settled in their seats, Hakumi said,"What shall we do now? I know you didn't come just to sit, unless you're coming here was against your will." The boy responded by saying,"Oh I come here every year. It's just tradition for us nobles. And we shall sit here until I fell I want to be seen with a flat-chested child." Hakumi almost lost, but she used the little restraint she had left to not slap him into one of the elegant pillars, instead, she just responded to him by saying,"I understand that you might not want to dance, but you don't have to insult me! I didn't take this job to be talked about by some uppity nobleman. I took it because I wanted something a bit easier than fighting goblins and wolves. But dealing with a spoiled brat such as yourself puts more stress on me than any pack of wolves, or bunch of goblins. I might just leave you here by yourself with no date!" Hakumi said infuriated. The young man looked at Hakumi and said,"Well, go. I didn't ask for some fifth rate mage to tell me about myself, you could never understand what I have been through. All of the pain I've endured since my mothers death. I'd rather be alone than be with some dumb short girl who knows nothing!"

Hakumi looked at the boy and said,"I know too well about losing someone you cared for. My mother, father, brothers, sisters, and other relatives were completely wiped out. I've been alone for a long time. I've been depressed nearly my whole life, with no one to talk to, no one to confide in, no one to love. You have nearly everything I didn't. You still have people to talk to. I didn't until recently. I had been alone for ten years until I had joined my guild a few months ago. They helped me overcome my depression, they made me feel like I could depend on someone again. You're more privileged than I am. You have others that care about you. When I lost everything I was alone foe the longest of time. You have people that have been willing to help you ever since your depression began. If I know anything, it's the feeling of losing someone you care about." Finishing her statement Hakumi began to cry, unable to stop the flow of tears that ran down her cheeks and onto her dress.

The young man looked at Hakumi and hugged he and whispered "sorry" into her ear. Hakumi looked up at him and the young man began to feel his heart racing incredibly fast. For the first time, there was another noble who could share his pain, a pretty cute one at that. Hakumi looked at him and noticed how gorgeous his face was, he had to be the handsomest young man she had ever seen. After a few seconds of admiring his face, Hakumi said,"It's okay. I'm also sorry. I know how it feels to lose someone, but I acted like a complex jerk. Instead of trying to make you feel better, I just criticized you." The young man released Hakumi from the hug and invited her to go dance with him around the others at the ball. She accepted his invitation and stop in front of him. She noticed that compared to him, she did look like a child. He was fairly tall. She guessed that he had to be at least six feet. He was much taller than her. As they reached the dance floor, the others started looking at them. They were both magnificent ballroom dancers, well dressed, and good looking. The envy of everyone else in the room. Their height difference made it even cuter!

After they were done dancing, Hakumi had realized that she didn't even know his name. So she said,"I never caught your name? If I recall, you never caught mine either. I'm Hakumi." The young man responded by saying,"I'm Tamaki. And I am at the highest point of happiness since my mothers death thanks to you! I will cherish my encounter with you until the day I die!" Hakumi responded by saying,"Me too! You're a really cool guy. I hope you stop being rude to people though." Tamaki responded by saying,"I started acting this way after my mother died, as you may have known. I guess I was just lonely, but you helped me realize that I have people trying to help me. I will treat everyone with the utmost kindness from now on! Thanks to you Hakumi!" As the ball ended, the young man told Hakumi where he lives, and that she could come visit anytime. They rode back to his house together, as she was going there to get her reward. When they arrived, Tamaki told them how Hakumi helped him and that she is a good friend of his now. They gave Hakumi her reward and she headed back to the guild. Happy to have successfully completed another job. She was one step closer to becoming a C-Rank mage.