"Oh~? A fiancée~~"
"Nicole, stop pulling my leg."
The matter of Geno's engagement to the Timefield family was something Twiggy knew about. And if Twiggy knew, that meant Belle knew. If Belle knew, that meant Nicole knew. And if Nicole knew, that meant the whole world knew.
Well — the whole world might be an overstatement. But at the very least, there probably wasn't a single person in Geno's social circle who hadn't heard.
As for Alice, having delivered that little announcement, she promptly buried her face in the pile of steamed buns she was holding and sat in the car without a word, quietly listening to Geno and the others talk.
Before long, Nicole's beat-up little car pulled onto Sixth Street and rolled to a stop in the rear parking lot behind Random Play.
"Boss! Look who's back!"
Nicole pushed open the video store's front door with her usual brazen ease and strolled right in like she owned the place.
But unlike the usual reception, Wise and Belle weren't at the counter to give Nicole any grief about her shameless familiarity — the two of them were somewhere in the back studio, apparently in the middle of something.
"What's going on? Nobody's out front?"
Finding the main area empty, Nicole pushed open the studio door without ceremony, and that was when she spotted Belle.
Belle glanced over at Nicole and gave a brief, neutral nod.
"Oh, it's Nicole. My brother and I are about to head out."
She picked her jacket up off the sofa, did a quick check of her things, and moved to leave with Wise.
"Sorry to say, we're not in a position to lend you money right now, Nicole. The money-pit monster living at our place has already drained this month's savings dry."
Wise was hauling a portable HDD system toward the back door — he needed to load it into the car.
"Excuse me! Is that really the impression you have of me? Like I'm someone who only ever shows up when she wants cash?"
The moment the words left her mouth, every single person in the room — except Alice — gave a unanimous, perfectly synchronized nod.
"Ugh~"
The collective endorsement made Nicole squirm a little. But she was a seasoned operator, and she recomposed herself with practiced speed — then turned and punched Billy in the arm.
"Ow! Why am I the only one who gets hit?!"
"Because you're my employee, obviously! Ow ow ow~ my hand!"
Billy clapped a hand to his head. Nicole herself didn't come out of it much better — flesh and bone against a walking pile of metal plating. Claiming it didn't hurt would have been an outright lie.
Alice, who had never witnessed this particular variety of interpersonal dynamic before, blinked at the scene with a mildly dazed expression.
"Um, Miss Nicole — if you're really short on funds, I could lend you some."
Kind-hearted Lady Alice indicated that, while she hadn't yet inherited the Timefield family estate, she was fully prepared to contribute from her personal allowance.
"That's sweet of you, little sis, but we're fine. The Cunning Hares may be strapped — er, I mean, in an active growth phase — but we haven't sunk to the point of propping ourselves up on a high schooler's pocket money."
Nicole declined Alice's charity with great moral conviction. In her view, poverty was no excuse to abandon your dignity — and you certainly didn't make a kid suffer for it. Alice had only just turned eighteen; there was no way she was taking that girl's money.
Alice, listening to all of this, felt a surge of genuine admiration. Now that was what a mature, responsible adult sounded like.
"So this is what a proper grown-up looks like. I understand now — I shouldn't let my own childish impulses taint your principles. Consider the million Dennies unsaid."
"Hold on! How much?!"
Nicole, who had just been standing there radiating righteous dignity, teleported directly in front of Alice's face. Those plum-green eyes lit up like slot machines hitting the jackpot — pupils practically replaced by Dennies signs.
"Oh — a million. Is that… too little?"
Alice startled at Nicole's sudden lunge, initially assuming she'd offended her by quoting too low a figure. A beat later, she realized that wasn't quite the issue.
"Not at all, not at all! I've just realized — someone of your caliber, such a discerning — investor — not a, uh, prime mark — I mean, the Cunning Hares have always had a deep appreciation for visionary investors such as yourself."
Nicole rubbed her hands together with a crafty grin, all wheeler-dealer energy on full display. Geno and the others, who had known her long enough to be thoroughly unsurprised, watched with expressions of pure resignation.
"Nicole. Your image."
"What's that? Is it worth anything?"
The moment one million Dennies entered the equation, Nicole had executed a complete personality transplant — not just a change of expression, but a total overhaul of her entire persona.
"Yep. Very Nicole." Geno gave a helpless shrug. When it came to anything Dennies-related, Nicole never failed to deliver. He made a mental note to do some damage control with Alice later.
Don't actually lend this deadbeat any money!
"Alright, let's get to the actual point. Belle — do you need an extra pair of hands on your commission?"
Having learned from Nicole that Twiggy was tied up with something in the city, and finding himself with nothing pressing to do, Geno figured he'd see if Wise and Belle could use some help.
Belle was more than happy to accept. After all, someone who could fight, didn't charge a fee, and actually showed up — that kind of laborer — er, Proxy — wasn't exactly easy to come by.
Nicole had certainly never given them a discount. Not once.
"If you're willing to help, all the better — hop in the car with us!"
"I'm coming too!"
The moment Alice heard Geno was heading out to help Belle and the others with a commission, she immediately moved to follow — only for Geno to shut that down.
"I've got it covered on my own. You stay here with Nicole and the others, Alice."
After what had happened last time, Geno had developed something of a complex about bringing Alice into the Hollow with him. If another batch of rebels came crawling out of the woodwork, that would be a very different kind of adventure.
There was also the matter of wanting a little breathing room — a chance for both of them to cool off and collect themselves for a while.
"Geno's right — dangerous stuff like diving into Hollows is no business for delicate flowers like us, now is it? Why don't you come over to my place instead? My cat can do backflips~"
Nicole eagerly backed Geno's reasoning and made her best effort to keep Alice behind — she still had that million Dennies firmly in her sights.
"But… alright. Fine."
Alice knew Geno was looking out for her. That didn't make being left behind sting any less. Even the emotion display on her belt drooped into a little green bitter-melon face.
"Okay, I'll bring you next time. For now, just be good and stay put."
Geno exhaled quietly. Things between him and Alice had gotten a little complicated lately — but that didn't mean there was nothing there. He reached out and rested his hand on top of her head, gently ruffling her hair.
He could feel the soft fuzz of her ears and the smoothness of her hair beneath his palm. Even so, he kept whatever feeling had been threatening to surface firmly buried beneath the soil.
"Nicole — I'm leaving Alice in your hands."
"Leave it to me!"
Nicole thumped her chest with a confident promise. Whether what she was guaranteeing was Alice's well-being or Alice's wallet, however, was anyone's guess.
"Belle, everything's loaded up — ready to move out. Hm? Did something happen?"
Wise came back in through the rear door, took one look at the scene inside, and had the distinct feeling he'd missed something important.
____
👻🔥Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: Samsara Game: Starting in The Long Dark with My Waifus
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone