An (Un)Fortunate Error

Misty's first day as an amateur paparazzi was a walking disaster. Her trench coat got caught on corners, her wide-brimmed hat blocked her vision, and every trash can in her path seemed to gravitate irresistibly toward her feet. The young woman who had hired her through an unknown number with a garbled voice had paid her a ridiculous sum for a simple photo of Tomoki Minamoto. But Misty was beginning to suspect that the money didn't cover her dignity costs.

Exhausted, with sweat sticking her clothes to her body, she slipped into the first place she saw: a Happy Burger. Only when she noticed the stares fixed on her like pins did she remember that she was still wearing her paparazzi camouflage.

Oh my God, Misty! Act normal, he told himself in a panic, feigning a confidence that was light years away from how he really felt. You're just a trench coat enthusiast in the summer. A totally normal girl. With her head down, she walked up to the counter... and then she saw him.

There, behind the counter, was he. Tomoki Minamoto. His target. With his hair and a tired smile for a customer. What was the heir to a tech fortune doing flipping burgers?

His heart skipped a beat against his ribs. This was his chance. So, with trembling hands, he raised the heavy camera, framed the shot, and pressed the shutter.

A blinding white light illuminated the premises, freezing every customer in the room. The silence was so abrupt that you could hear the sizzling of the griddle. All eyes, including Tomoki's astonished gaze and those of the pink-haired girl beside him, were fixed on her.

"Hey! PERVERT!"  a male voice roared from the kitchen.

Pure panic ran through Misty's body. She spun around and bolted for the door like a bat out of hell.

Kenji and Sara ran toward Misty armed with a spatula and a bar of soap.

Misty ran along the sidewalk, dodging pedestrians, her heart pounding with fear. " They're going to kill me! I'm going to die stabbed with a spatula! " She wasn't looking ahead. As she blindly turned a corner, she crashed head-on into a wall of black.

The world became a total whirlwind. Misty fell backward, seeing stars. The wall she had supposedly crashed into was a tall man, dressed entirely in black, whose professional camera now lay on the ground next to hers. His face was a mask of indifference.

" I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! " Misty screamed in total panic, rummaging through the luggage. She grabbed the nearest camera and put on her hat to flee from that place in the opposite direction, disappearing from view just as her pursuers turned the corner.

Later, at the luxurious Shinomiya residence, the paparazzi known as Kageyama recounted the events to Ryōma Shinomiya.

" ...and that's how the fan swapped the cameras, sir. My apologies. "

Ryōma let out a sigh of annoyance. " Mistakes are unacceptable, Kageyama. But all is not lost. Let's see what the amateur camera captured. Sometimes one man's trash is another man's treasure. "

Kageyama connected Misty's camera to a large screen on which there was only one file. A single photograph, terribly overexposed by the flash, showing the pink haired girl and a dark haired boy behind the counter at Happy Burger.

Ryōma leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. " That boy... " he said, and a spark of recognition flashed across his gaze. " It could be... I'm almost certain it's Tomoki Minamoto. The exiled heir to Minamoto Tech. I didn't think he'd sink so low as to work in a fast-food joint. It's... pathetic. "

"What shall we do with the photo, sir?"

" Save it and print it out. You never know when humiliating a rival might come in handy. " Ryōma leaned back in his chair. " Because of this inconvenience, you will only receive half your payment. "

Kageyama nodded silently. There was no room for complaints on this occasion.

Misty, meanwhile, was pacing nervously in a dark alleyway, her phone pressed to her ear.

" ...and I'm so sorry, miss, I think I failed... " she stammered, holding back tears. " They chased me! They almost caught me! "

The voice on the other end, distorted by a robotic filter that barely managed to hide a highpitched, youthful tone, cut off her lamentation abruptly. " Mission report, Agent Misty. Did you obtain the... the asset? The photograph of Tomoki? Answer me now! "

"I'm not sure! I bumped into someone and... wait a minute, let me check..."

"Agent Misty? Hurry up! I'm paying almost my entire allowance for this! And my allowance is... bigger than you can imagine! So you better not have failed!, M-my... my organization... does not tolerate failure!"

With fingers still trembling, Misty turned on the camera she had picked up and navigated to the gallery. Her heart sank in panic. The single blurry, white photo of Tomoki was gone. Instead, the screen was filled with dozens of sharp, professional images that told a very different story.

They were photos of a tall, sinister-looking man who always seemed to be lurking. And in the center of all of them was a girl with vibrant pink hair. The same one from Happy Burger.

A muffled cry escaped Misty's lips. " No! " she whispered, panic completely overwhelming her. " I have the wrong photos! These aren't Tomoki's! They're of a girl with pink hair and a weird guy! My first job... has been a complete failure! "

There was silence on the other end of the line, followed by a sound that seemed to be a stomp of frustration.

"What?!, You're incompetent!, I gave you clear and highly professional instructions!, Find my little broth-... I mean, the target! And you bring me photos of a pink girl? You ruined everything! I'm hanging up! And I won't pay you the rest... unless this is of any use to me! Goodbye! "

The call was abruptly cut off.

Misty stared at the camera, devastated. Or, at least, that's what she thought in her despair. Because at that moment, she had handed over a photo that would change Mio's life forever.