✿ “-Oh! Um, thank you, Mr. Kaufman…” She’d never asked for him to carry her groceries, and yet he forged on ahead , doing as he saw fit, recognizing her struggles and actively working to counterbalance them. It was a nice change of pace from their last private conversations, as stunted and uncomfortable as they were.
Perhaps their relationship as student and teacher could still be salvaged- maybe she wouldn’t have to live in fear of him any longer. The mere thought of that alone was more than enough to bring a reassured smile to her face. “Yes,” she replied dutifully between bouts of giggles, “I’ve been studying very hard recently, so I should be well-prepared when the time comes.”
Never mind that the true reason why she’d begun taking her English studies more seriously was so that she could make amends for the ‘spider incident’. Mio respectfully dipped her head at the sound of the passenger door being pried open- by the time that he’d delivered his next question, she had already taken the liberty of buckling herself in.
Having no reason to refuse him, Mio nodded in response while she settled her groceries on her lap. “-No, I don’t mind. You can go on ahead, I’ll simply wait here until you’re finished.”
———He nodded, pulling a half pack of Dunhills from his shirt pocket. The brand had always been his favorite, the even smoke and delicate taste indicative of the luxury pricing. He could afford such luxuries, even without working the same job.
The man had carved a little success for himself in place of his previous occupation. Killing had always paid well, and boy was he good at it. Retiring from that scene took balls, but in the end, he’d been clean for about a decade. Strange how one misses the rush that came with the job description.
Placing the end of the cigarette into his mouth, the man waited to make sure Mio was looking without showing he was aware. Pausing, he called forth White Lion, a mere fraction of the Stand enveloping his arm and lighting the end of the cigarette.
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