The Nanny // Faye Yoko AU

Chapter 32 Wizard

Yoko and Mikey sat together in the cozy corner of the hotel's lounge, surrounded by soft lighting and the quiet murmur of other guests. They were both hunched over their sketchbooks, pencils scratching across the paper. Yoko was smiling, clearly caught up in the moment of creativity and comfort. She suddenly glanced at Mikey, an idea lighting up her face.

"What would you be if you could be anything?" Yoko asked, her eyes bright with curiosity and a playful smile tugging at her lips.

Mikey stopped mid-sketch, her pencil hovering above the page. She eyed Yoko with suspicion, her brow furrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?" Mikey asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and caution. She wasn't used to these kinds of questions.

"You know," Yoko said, shrugging playfully as she flipped her sketchbook to show a drawing she had been working on— a little girl, floating above the surface of the moon, surrounded by stars. "Like an astronaut, a deep-sea diver, or a rainforest explorer. Someone who gets to go on adventures."

Mikey leaned in, staring at the drawing for a moment, her expression softening. Then she looked up at Yoko with a quizzical tilt of her head. "...is that supposed to be me?" she asked, a hint of disbelief in her voice.

Yoko grinned wider and nudged Mikey's shoulder gently. "Well?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

Mikey rolled her eyes, the corners of her mouth twitching with an unwilling smile. "That's a dumb question. I already know what I'm going to be," she said, her tone filled with a confidence that seemed far too mature for her young age.

"Okay, but just pretend you didn't know," Yoko teased, tapping on Mikey's sketchbook. "Imagine you weren't Michelle Malisorn, but some kid from a small town in... Catalonia," she suggested, her eyes twinkling as she spun the idea.

Mikey's skepticism gave way to a flicker of curiosity, and she couldn't help but bite her lower lip in thought. "What does my mother do in this scenario?" she asked, clearly intrigued despite herself.

"She's a master chocolatier," Yoko said with a mischievous grin, her face lighting up as she wove the fantasy.

Mikey's eyes widened slightly, and she snorted, trying to stifle a laugh. The image of her stern, elegant mother making chocolates was almost too much. "A master chocolatier?" she repeated, half-disbelieving but warming to the idea. "I guess I could help supply her cocoa beans..." Mikey said thoughtfully, her voice trailing off as her imagination started to run.

Yoko watched with growing amusement as Mikey's eyes gleamed with an almost mischievous light. "Maybe travel the world and find the best beans, then take over those farms so they produce exclusively for us," Mikey said, her voice growing more animated as she planned her imaginary chocolate empire. "We'd restrict the supply so our chocolate became a precious commodity, then triple the prices—"

Yoko's eyes widened, and she cut her off with a laugh, gently shaking her head. "Okay, never mind," she said, her smile widening as she looked at the ambitious little girl in front of her.

Mikey's shoulders stiffened, her fingers tightening around the pencil as she drew harsh, unsteady lines across the paper. Yoko's question had been playful, but it seemed to trigger something in the little girl—a shift from lighthearted curiosity to guarded anger. Without looking up, Mikey said in a low voice, "I know what you're doing."

"What's that?" Yoko asked, oblivious to the sudden tension. She leaned closer, her tone still warm and encouraging.

Mikey's movements grew rigid, and she clenched the pencil so hard it seemed like it might snap. "I told you, I don't need a new mommy," she said, her voice breaking just enough for Yoko to feel the sting behind her words. Yoko's eyes widened, caught off guard, her smile faltering.