It was one hell of a kingdom. It housed dozens of posters of different anime from every genre known to man, covering the walls and ceilings - it seemed it was less wall more moe at this point. The shelves that lined the walls were adorned with stacks upon stacks of mangas and light novels. The real eye-catcher, however, was the cabinet filled to the brim with figurines.

It, it's beauti- I mean, worse than I thought.

I composed myself as he motioned me to sit on the carpeted floor.

"So, what is it, man?" I asked with an exasperated tone.

"Well, since you seemed to be one of my kind."

No, just no.

"And you're here to help with our relationship."

Yes, focus on that.

"I want to be honest with you." He said with a seriousness lacking in his earlier tone. I responded by leaning closer to him and waiting for his reply.

"I actually want to propose to Ilya on our anniversary." He said with a genuine tone as he gave me a sweet smile. It seemed that I now had part of the reason, but not all of it. I gave him a surprised look which transitioned into a nostalgic smile.

Guess he's more of a trooper than I thought.

He gave me a warm expression as I composed myself once more to inquire further.

"Then why burden her with going to the convention? Besides, the seaside trip she's planning sounds a lot more romantic." I stated, wanting to inquire about this man's enigmatic thought process.

"Well, I want to be in a familiar place and well." He said, looking away from me.

"She wanted me to show more of myself to other people, y'know? So I wanted to let her experience something close to me." He said with a thoughtful smile.

Guess that explains why he seems a bit hyper.

I thought as I continued to prod him.

"So that's how it is, huh. Well, even if that's still the case, you still have to reach a mutual agreement." I expressed with a serious, but caring tone.

"I know, I know, but whatever happens, can you try to help me out here?" He looked at me with a friendly smile I couldn't refuse.

Well, he seems serious about this.

I thought as I gave him my reply.

"I'll see what I can do," I said as a knock on the door reached my ears.

"Bridger, I've collected some data. If you're done indulging in your degeneracy, meet me outside." A cold voice rang from behind the door.

I wasn't, I swear.

"Guess that's my cue to go," I said, standing up and preparing to leave.

"Oh, before you go."

"Hmm?"

"Keep this between us if you can." He stated, looking a bit anxious.

"I get it, man. I'll keep quiet," I said kindly before taking in his kingdom one last time.

Some of those figurines are actually quite nice.

I swallowed those thoughts once more as I walked to the door and gave Hunter an amiable smile before leaving.

I walked down the stairs and saw Ilya in the living room cleaning up.

"Don't worry. I can handle it. Just go and talk with your partner. She seemed tired after our chat." She spoke with a carefree smile, and I replied with a nod. I exited the house and saw Myla waiting, clipboard in hand once again.

"You really like making things harder for yourself, don't you?" I said, watching her write down more notes.

"If that's what it seems to you, you lack work ethic." She stated with her gaze focused on the clipboard.

"So, what did you find?"

"Well, it seems Hunter wants to let Ilya experience his hobby and that it's where he can be his "truest" self," I replied, looking away as I couldn't give her the full story.

"Is that so? Well, that makes our job easier, as that is the gist of Ilya's desire to go on a seaside trip, as well." She said, showing me a few pics of both of their social media containing their hobbies. Hunter had pictures of him going out on shopping trips and visiting other conventions. While Ilya had rows of pictures of her many outdoor ventures on her trusty steed. Not one of them, however, had pictures together when out and about taking part in their hobbies.

"So, in short, they want each other to experience something they love, huh," I stated as Myla put away the tablet with their photos.

"Indeed."

It made sense. Doing something you love with someone you love is a feeling unlike any other, and it stems not from selfishness but from a genuine desire to make them happy.

Hobbies are something you shouldn't force on anyone, though - not even your friends. Hobbies are something you can only truly understand once you experience them, the joy, the failures, and everything in between are what allows someone to fall in love with a hobby. Not only that, but the feeling of having someone be interested and participate in the said hobby is an exceptional feeling, and from what I could see, wait, that's it. Ilya and Hunter were perfect fits for these, so unrestrained when it came to their avocations that they'd be willing to do something they get to experience every day on such a momentous occasion.

I thought as I faced Myla with a determined look.

"I got it!"

"What is it?" She said with an inquisitive look.

"The solution to the customer satisfaction and their problem!"

"Huh, what does that have to do with this problem?" She said, her earlier curiosity replaced by a slight annoyance.

"We're going to hang out with them!" I said with an enthusiasm that is usually devoid of our short meetings after collecting data on a conflict.

"Eh?" She exclaimed, surprised and unsatisfied with my vague response.

"Well, it's simple, isn't it. If we ourselves go out with the two on their hobbies, we can find which one is the better choice." I said with an intent smile.

She let out a short sigh and gave me a judgemental look before responding.

"Out of all of the clients we could try to get a high rating from, this is who you choose?" She asked, once more throwing daggers at me through her gaze alone.

Ouch, put down the knives and listen for a second.

"Well, they seem like the vocal type, y'know? And when it comes to customer reviews, customers you give mediocre service to usually don't complain and just give you an above-average rating. If you, however, provide a good experience to them, such as taking part in their hobbies to ensure both sides are given equal chances, they'll give a good review on us which will be instantly noticeable. If that isn't enough, the fact they've already been visited by surveyors and still had a conflict solving it would give us a good look, don't you think?" I said as persuasively as I could.

C'mon, take it. You're harder to please than the average person. Hell, I'd prefer persuading those Facebook conspiracy theorists over trying to convince you.

She pondered on it for a moment before replying with a tired expression.

"Alright, I understand that part, but how do you propose we make time for that?"

I answered it by pausing for a second before looking at our schedule.

"Well, Ilya wants to go on the bike path during the evenings, so we can go then to see it with her. The convention is open all day too, and the day before their anniversary, we have a day off." I said, clearing up her concern on time. She gave me an irritated look and I immediately understood the reason.

Yeah, I'm tired as hell too after work, but bear with it for the lovestruck weeb.

I thought as she gave me one final question.

"You're putting a lot of effort into this client. Is there any particular reason for it?" She asked with a curious tone.

I couldn't tell her Hunter's reason. I had made a promise to the man with who I found something relatable. Proposing is a daunting task, obviously, but he also wanted to do it while being as true to himself as possible, and I could respect that. Even so, I still had to take into account Ilya's feelings and see for myself whether or not it was the better choice for both of them in the end.

"I guess...Hunter grew on me?" I responded with an anxious laugh, looking away nervously.

"Is that so? Then please, share no more. I don't want to imagine what kind of things you bonded over in that short span of time."

She said as she turned away and began walking back into the house.

Thank God, my partner's asocial nature comes in handy once again.

I thought as she faced me with her signature stern look.

"Well? Let's go ask them if they'll be available."

"Alright," I said as I began walking behind her, wistfully whistling a tune as I did.

"Oh, by the way, I don't know how to ride a bike," I declared nonchalantly, as she stopped, and I managed to pass her. I turned to face her, her hand squeezing her forehead.

"How can you get this old and still not have the most basic thought processes."

Ehe~ sorry.