"So yeah," I concluded, grabbing a generous helping of pretzels, "That is what happened."

"So now Miia-chan has a stalker," Smith sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping. She scooped some sugar into her coffee and stirred it with her spoon; her brow furrowed in frustration. "Fantastic," she muttered sarcastically.

There was no justification for me not to inform any individual concerning my confrontation with Draco, as she was a danger to the house, and I was sure that I would not be able to tackle her by myself if things got physical. Papi had also spotted her, and, given that the harpy could be very forgetful, even if I desired to keep it a secret, there was still the possibility that she would recall the incident and tell someone.

I discreetly pulled Smith aside after all the food had been served, and Zombina seemed to sense that something was amiss, so she joined us. As everyone was enjoying their meal, the game was temporarily forgotten, and people began conversing with each other.

"Is there a standard procedure for this?" I inquired.

Smith paused and took a sip before responding. "This exactly is why restraining orders exist, but as is usually the case with liminals, the situation is far more complex than it appears."

"I ought to be offended by that," Zombina remarked sarcastically, "But I think I'll just let it slide this time."

"Let me guess - is this about the Cultural Exchange Bill?" I asked.

Smith nodded. "More or less. Although, if we were to catch her wandering around without her host, we would be obligated to deport her." She let out an exasperated sigh. "I had foolishly thought that I had managed to escape work by coming here...."

Zombina shook her head in disapproval as she said, "That's what you get for procrastinating. So, did you have plans to meet with this Draco chick tomorrow night?" She then fixed her gaze on me, her arms crossed against her chest.

"Yes," I nodded, "I'm determined to make this happen. I can't make her stop having feelings for Miia, but I can help her understand the importance of respecting her boundaries and stop her from obsessively stalking her."

Smith raised an eyebrow at me skeptically. "So you think it's a good idea to do this now, even though you just said Draco was acting irrationally?"

"Yes," I conceded, "But each time, I wonder if simply waiting for her to commit a crime would be the most straightforward solution; I recall what you said to me before."

"And what might that be?"

I told her, "Every liminal, regardless of how antagonistic they may seem, is taking part in the Cultural Exchange for a reason. Even though Draco could be a risk if the situation worsens, it isn't fair to deny her the chance to participate in the Exchange because she has a crush on someone she wouldn't have met if not for the Exchange."

"Why don't we just move her to a different city?" Zombina suggested with a shrug. "It should be a simple process to arrange."

"I would still like to try it before things get out of hand," I said.

"But why?" Zombina asked, her voice tinged with frustration. "You'd be risking yourself for a dragonewt who has a short temper and is a bit of a creeper. What would be the point of helping someone like that?"

I was taken aback by my reaction, especially since Draco demonstrated she had no qualms about hurting me to get what she desired. She was one of the more insensitive characters in the series, having a dreadful demeanor and harassing Miia, so I wouldn't be faulted if I just let Smith shunt her away somewhere else to address the issue rapidly.

But Draco hadn't done anything genuinely heinous yet. I felt uncomfortable punishing her for something that could significantly happen when I could change the outcome. I also became unnerved about my initial session with a dangerous species the following day. I questioned if I was even capable of successfully dealing with that. If I was unable to talk a dragonewt out of scaring their crush, how could I possibly offer sound advice to raptors, echidnas, or other creatures concerning more complicated issues?

So part of it was I wanted to prove that I could do this and boost my self-confidence. But I also genuinely wanted to help Draco, and I thought this was the perfect opportunity to do some good in this alternate dimension.

"If I don't strive to help Draco while I have the chance, then I might as well not even be a counselor," I said to Zombina, gazing into her yellow and green eyes.

After a pregnant silence, she averted her gaze and covered her face. "Seriously, you think that..." she muttered in disbelief.

"Would you feel more secure if you could be present to guarantee nothing goes wrong?" I queried. In any case, I intended to request her or somebody from MON to monitor us discreetly.

"Mmm," Zombina grunted, turning to face me with a stern expression. "Could you not say that like I'm some child you're trying to placate?"

"So it's decided then!" Smith exclaimed, pounding her fist against her open palm. "Romance Master-kun will converse with Draco tomorrow evening while Zombina-chan observes from a distance."

"While suppressing the envy that was boiling in her unmoving heart!" Doppel said dramatically, startling me as she suddenly appeared in thin air beside me.

"For fuck's sake..." I groaned, clutching my heart as Zombina yelled at Doppel. "So you're okay with this?" I directed the question to Smith.

She shrugged. "If you can handle it, it's a great idea! I mean, if you're successful, then that's less work for me and more time to focus on other tasks!"

"Naturally," I said with a smirk before letting it disappear. "Thank you, Zombina. Is that okay with you?"

"Eh?" She spun around to face Doppel, who stuck her tongue out in a playful way when Zombina wasn't looking. "Yeah, that's fine, I guess. But if that Damn dragonewt turns you into a piece of modern art before I get to you, don't expect me to feel sorry for you."

"You say the sweetest things."

"Awkwardflirtersayswhat," Doppel muttered under her breath.

"What?" Zombina and I asked at the same time.

The shapeshifter just snickered and walked away. I rolled my eyes.

"With that out of the way," I announced, going toward the living room to join the others.

Smith sighed and gulped down the last coffee as she realized it was time to head back. "Oi, MON!" she called out, her voice catching the attention of the four squad members. "Be sure to report to base at six, got it?"

A dull chorus of acknowledgment rang out. Satisfied, Smith left nothing more than a wave goodbye.

"Is everything okay, Romance Master?" Miia asked as she sat down across from me. "You all looked pretty serious over there."

"Eh, just some work-related stuff," I answered truthfully. I wanted to meet with Draco first to see if I could improve the situation before telling Miia about her stalker. Today had been a good day thus far, and I didn't want to ruin it for them. "It's nothing too serious," I added.

"Right," Rachnera drawled with a sarcastic tone, her eyes fixed on Kurusu, "Which explains why you have such a lack of enthusiasm, like a graveyard."

I wouldn't let Rachnera's suspicions bother me. I was doing what was best for the house, and if she were truly curious, I'd inform her of my decision later.

Instead of responding, I shrugged. "Cultural exchange activities can get intense sometimes. What did you guys do while Papi and I were away?"

I heard a detailed and exciting recount of some of the more outrageous Super Smash games they'd experienced. It mainly featured Suu, Doppel, and Tio disrespecting each other, but the others had their chances to shine as well.

"I have to admit, Smash Master, you were right about Game & Watch," Mero confided. "The Hammer of Tragedy perfectly worked as intended!"

"Nevertheless, you were still defeated more often than not due to its unreliable nature," Centorea pointed out.

Mero graced her with a warm and friendly smile. "Oh, that is perfectly fine. If such was truly my destiny, then I happily embrace it."

I have never come across a Smash player with such an attitude before. However, most people do not have an affinity for tragedy, so that could be the explanation.

As the girls continued chatting, I took a deep breath and leaned back into the comfort of the couch. Suu glanced at me from my side, her head tilted in curiosity. After a moment, she grinned and playfully tapped my nose. "Boop," she spoke in a gentle tone.

"Ha!" I laughed and playfully poked her back. "Boop!"

To be continued!