Procrastination

The destruction of the Magic Council headquarters made front-page news across every major paper, not just in the Kingdom of Fiore, but throughout the entire continent of Ishgar.

After all, something like this didn't just shake the wizarding world. It affected the lives of ordinary people, too.

In the days that followed, citizens became more cautious when heading out. Even Goodman stopped Rhodes on the street to ask him about the incident.

But thankfully, this was Magnolia. Whenever locals saw two or three rowdy wizards arguing or suddenly throwing fists in the street, they didn't panic, instead, they felt reassured.

After all, this was the home of Fairy Tail, the number one guild in all of Fiore.

Maybe it was a strange way to feel secure, but the townsfolk liked gathering in Fairy Tail's tavern when they had nothing to do. It made them feel safer somehow.

As a result, the bar was booming with business.

Rhodes, now officially the tavern's manager, had fully stepped into his new role. Makarov even approved a special half-day off for both him and Mira so they could go shopping for proper attire.

Rhodes, ever the honest man, now found himself in the awkward position of shopping for clothes with his girlfriend, while still on the clock. Even worse, since the clothes would count as a work uniform, he could use guild funds to pay for them.

His conscience should've been screaming.

But instead, he was smiling.

Mira had already decided that he needed a nice suit, so the two of them headed into a boutique that carried formal wear.

"Why do I feel like the master is more excited about this than we are?" Rhodes asked, amused.

"Oh? Are you not excited to go shopping with me?" Mira teased.

"Of course I am! I could shop with you all day!"

Rhodes straightened his back proudly. Mira held a blazer up in front of him, hanger and all, eyeing the fit critically.

She tugged on his sleeve, signaling him to lift his arm so she could measure better, then hung the coat back up and moved on to another.

"Sounds like we will be shopping all day," she laughed. "Just tell the master you're sourcing supplies for the guild."

Mira found herself grinning. She was definitely becoming a little mischievous, already thinking of excuses to dodge the master's questions.

"Try this one on," she said at last, pushing Rhodes into the fitting room with a dark blue suit.

"If I say I don't know how to put it on," Rhodes said with a sly grin, "will you come help me?"

Mira yanked the curtain closed in a flash. "Get changed, quickly!"

Well… when it came to taking off clothes, speed was important.

From the other side of the curtain, Mira added, "Actually, the master heard that a group of reporters are visiting tomorrow. That's why he wants everything looking presentable."

"It's just a couple interviews. Isn't that overkill?" Rhodes replied.

"The guild was just rebuilt. The master wants the outside world to see our new image, more respectable, more trustworthy."

"He's really thinking ahead, huh?"

By the time they finished talking, Rhodes stepped out of the fitting room in the suit Mira picked. He looked sharp, but she shook her head slightly.

"Change the shirt," she said, "and then I'll see if you look better with a tie or a bow tie."

After a few more wardrobe swaps, Mira stepped back and finally nodded with satisfaction. She'd settled on the bow tie, which she adjusted herself.

But then she knelt slightly and poked Rhodes in the stomach.

"They need to take it in here," she said, pressing gently against his waistline. "It'll look sharper if it's a bit tighter."

Rhodes had a sneaking suspicion that Mira's hand had lingered a bit too long on his abs.

"If I wear a white suit now," he asked, "what am I supposed to wear at our wedding?"

"Who cares?!" Mira puffed out her cheeks and shoved him back into the fitting room.

He still hadn't proposed, yet had the nerve to bring up weddings? Mira was fuming.

Fine. She'd give him a month. If he didn't propose by then, no wedding!

'Two months?'

'Three? Three months?!' Mira stewed over it in her mind. If he still didn't make a move, then she'd just have to propose herself.

When Rhodes finally came out of the fitting room, Mira immediately felt his gaze on her.

Rhodes, meanwhile, was completely confused. Mira was already at the register with an armful of clothing, chatting with the clerk about adjustments. Did he take too long changing?

No, he was sure he changed quickly.

They left the shop side by side. The clerk told them the alterations would be done by that afternoon and asked them to come back later to pick everything up.

Honestly, it would've been better to get the suits custom-fitted at a proper tailor. But with reporters arriving the next day, there just wasn't time.

On the way back to the guild, they passed by a boutique, and Mira suddenly stopped in her tracks, her eyes glued to the display window.

Rhodes looked over.

A bridal shop.

Mira had walked up to the glass without realizing it, staring inside with a wistful look. "I wonder which one would suit me best."

"You'd look beautiful in any of them," Rhodes replied reflexively, and immediately realized that might've been the wrong thing to say right now.

He tried to recover: "Do you want to go in and try one on?"

Mira clearly wanted to. But after a moment of temptation, she huffed, rolled her eyes, and turned away. "No, let's just go back to the guild."

Rhodes hurried to catch up beside her, silently wondering if it was time to reshuffle his short-term plans… and bump a certain ring-related item to the top of the list.

...

When the two of them returned to the guild, they found Makarov at the bar, wiping his eyes, a crumpled tissue in one hand.

He was crying.

Because, once again… Fairy Tail's brand-new guild hall hadn't escaped its fate.

Apparently, Natsu had heard somewhere that Gajeel had joined Fairy Tail, so he stormed over to pick a fight. He also wanted to interrogate Gajeel about where he learned Dragon Slayer Magic, and more importantly, whether he had any clues about the dragons' whereabouts.

But Gajeel had already taken off on a job.

Unable to find him, and already feeling out of place with the newly rebuilt guild hall, Natsu did what Natsu always did best: cause a scene.

Now the guild was in chaos. Tables were overturned, furniture shattered. Rhodes and Mira stood at the entrance, unsure where to even begin.

In one corner, Lucy was lying under a table, hands clasped protectively over her head. The position looked oddly... suggestive, but really, she was just terrified, and maybe, a little thrilled.

Noticing Rhodes and Mira at the door, Lucy awkwardly crawled out from under the table and hurried over.

Rhodes asked, "What in the world happened this time? Didn't Erza try to stop them?"

"She did," Lucy groaned. "She fought harder than anyone."

"What? Why?"

"Because her brand-new uniform got torn up during the brawl," Lucy explained, sweat-dropping. "She was furious."

"And what about the Master? He was here today, wasn't he?"

"Don't even bring that up," Lucy said with a sigh. "He turned into a giant to break up the fight, stopped Natsu, but wrecked half the guild in the process."

"No wonder he's crying," Rhodes muttered.

"Elfman!" Mira suddenly dashed toward a far wall, checking on her brother. Sure enough, Elfman was once again plastered face-first against the wall.

"Why is he hanging there again?" Mira frowned.

Lucy winced. "He got knocked out in the opening seconds."

Honestly, it was surprising. Elfman had fought bravely during the Phantom Lord incident. But when it came to brawls inside the guild, especially against the likes of Erza or Mira, it seemed even his strength wasn't enough.

Just then, Makarov came wailing over.

"Rhodes! Mira! What do I do?!" the Master sobbed, practically pulling his hair out. "Sorcerer's weekly coming tomorrow for the interview! He's one of the top reporters in Fiore!"

He clutched his heart dramatically. "I told everyone to behave for two days, two days! And they still tore the place apart!"

"You're not really in a position to scold anyone, are you?" Lucy muttered under her breath. "You caused half the destruction yourself…"

But when she heard the name Sorcerer's, Lucy's eyes lit up. "Wait… the Sorcerer's? From Fiore Weekly? He's coming here for a feature?!"

Suddenly, her fear was replaced by ambition.

Underneath Lucy's sweet smile was a competitive streak, a desire for the spotlight.

She remembered how Rhodes had become the Best Newcomer in all of Fiore after his interview last year. She clenched her fists.

"This is my chance!" she told herself. "I'll be the next Best Newcomer! Famous in every corner of the kingdom!"