MIMI

Chapter 9 - What A Pain

"Y-your own apartment?" Alec questions with disbelief.

"Yes, I've already researched some rentals for me to move into," Mimi calmly answers taking out another file from her pink satchel. "However, with my age, that will remain an issue."

Passing Alec another tan folder, Mimi begins to nibble blissfully on a miniature lemon cake while the young man in front of her reads the folder's contents.

"T-this is..." Alec stutters after reading the information in the folder. "You require me to act as your guardian?"

Devouring the golden pastry, Mimi nods her head with an innocent expression. The little girl in front of him wasn't even old enough to drive, yet she planned to live by herself?

"How will you get the money to pay the rent? Not just that but you're way too young to be living off by yourself."

As Alec continues to rant about the reasons why the little girl shouldn't live by herself, Mimi takes the time to pull out a palm-sized electronic device from her bag.

Swiping a few times on the screen, she passes it to her babbling half-brother.

Noticing the portable device in the girl's hand, Alec cautiously reaches for it only to be completely stupefied.

On the screen, it displayed a bank account with an unlimited sum of two-million-dollars in it.

Staring up at the genius almost scary little girl sitting across from him, his mouth hangs open.

"H-how-"

"How you ask? Let's just say, big brother. With a few of my programming skills, I've earned a couple of bucks for myself," Mimi grins in a teasing manner at the older boy. "You see, ever since I grasped the truth about how the Hirogori's really felt about me, I've been arranging my escape since the very beginning."

As Mimi explains, Alec's eyes widen. He had always assumed the child was oblivious to how everyone perceived her.

A waste.

Now hearing the girl's words, he realized how naïve he was to believe that after years of being shunned and disowned she couldn't figure out how they all truly felt.

"With Emily's passing, it seems I needed to plan my escape a little sooner." Completely unaware of the turmoil in her brother's heart Mimi licks a coat of frosting off her little fingers.

"Mimi...I'm sorry," Alec lowers his head down in shame.

Blinking her eyes at him with surprise. With frosted covered fingers in her mouth, Mimi finds amusement from her brother's obvious guilt. Mimi's smile widens an evil glint flashing in her eyes.

"If you're desperately concerned, you'll assist my escape."

"Definitely, I'll achieve anything if it's capable to resolve how I've considered you all these years," Alec submits to Mimi.

Liking the sound of his declaration, in a prideful manner a smile appears on Mimi's face.

"Good! Absolutely no take backs!" Mimi says before gulping down more pastries.

As Alec watches the little girl eat childishly, he hadn't realized the unknowing smile creeping on his face.

....

After Mimi's meetup with Alec, the young successful teenager called and scheduled up a meeting to discuss a business contract with the company ANSETT.

All according to Mimi's plan while offering them her well sought out and valid contract.

While in a board meeting with the owner of ANSETT, Mimi began eyeing new apartments as well as making sure to work on her online school work.

Currently lazily sitting in her room engaging in an online game, Mimi receives an incoming call from Alec or as her screen saver "Toy Boy." As she shoots tiny green aliens on her laptop Mimi reaches over to pick up the phone.

"What did they say?" Getting straight to the point Mimi shoots an alien from the sky.

"I don't know how you do it, but they actually agreed!" Alec's excited voice beams through the phone. "Not only did they accept, but they said they'd contact us for future offers!"

Grinning ear to ear, Mimi pauses her game before picking up the phone in hand. "I'm delighted to hear things are going well on your side big brother, but what about my apartment?"

"Right! Right! I had my secretary search for some suitable affordable apartments for you."

Receiving a notification on her phone, Mimi pulls the phone away from her ear to look at a link to an apartment complex.

Even with it being a cramped apartment, the place looked like a five-star hotel and was quite popular in business.

However, a frown formed on Mimi's face.

"That's the best you got?" Mimi expresses feeling unsatisfied.

"What is it not big enough?" Feeling confused by the little girl's dissatisfaction, Alec continues to send more apartment links. "You said you wanted something small, so I thought this would work."

Still unsatisfied, Mimi's frown deepens.

"Big brother you're terribly bad at this! Try looking for something more like this." Sending him a link to an apartment complex Mimi presses play to her game continuing her killing off the aliens.

Looking at the link Mimi sent him, Alec, becomes silent on the other end. If anything he was beyond speechless.

W...what kind of apartment was this?!

It was complete garbage!

Not only was the building falling apart but the neighborhood was horrible for a little girl to live in!

"Mimi...you're joking right?" Alec mutters his voice cracking slightly.

"Nope. That's the kind of apartment I'm looking for."

"But it's completely run down! Not to mention the neighborhood is dreadful! How could someone as young as you possibly live here?" Alec voices his concerns."I'm already against you living by yourself, but if you even think you're living in this kind of predicaments forget it!"

Scrunching her face at her brother's obvious scolding Mimi sighs before once again pausing her game.

"Alec, allow me to ask you something. If your own daughter who you shunned all your life and deemed useless suddenly left to move into a high-class apartment building. When you assumed she was penniless. What would you think?"

"..."

Alec clamped his mouth shut, once again stunned speechless. He hadn't genuinely thought of it that much.

He only thought about finding her a tidy apartment to live in, especially since she was planning on living by herself.

Already guessing her brother's true thoughts Mimi's heart couldn't help but soften up a bit.

Only a little bit.

Sighing Mimi grabs the phone and places it near her ear.

"How about this, I'll approve of an affordable apartment with a good neighborhood that's family friendly. Sound good?"

Finally perking up, Alec agrees cheerfully on the other end. Ending the call Mimi can't help but shake her head with amusement.

It was a while since she encountered someone concerned for her.

She forgot what a pain it was.