Superstitious, Miles Edgeworth is notâbut he recognises the value of tradition. Itâs apparently significant to Summer that he was the first prosecutor to man the bench opposite hers within an official capacity, even if he remembers that day as less of a skirmish and more of a procedural exercise. With the blazer heâd worn back then observing them from upon his wall, he has no authority with which to dismiss her.
   And that connection, however tenuous, may explain why Miss Star is so chummy with him now; he occupies some coordinate of her personal landscape without ever having to try. Why else would she presume he might accept an invitation to socialise with her? What would they talk about if he did?
   He already knows the answer to that. When she tires of entertaining his curiosity, as she inevitably will, they will talk about work. Miles frownsâin part because this is a sort of quandary heâs rarely had to consider, but mostly because itâs disquieting to see Summerâs face betray something melancholy, something he canât quite identify as she speaks of her father. The scenario certainly sounds familiar; perhaps it was he who gave his daughter the foolish idea that defence attorneys should mingle with their counterparts across the floor.
   Foolish. Kindisch. The voice in Milesâ head is indistinguishable from his own, so surely that means he should decline.
   âI suppose you present a salient point.â His expression returns to neutralityâbar the narrow line of his mouth. âIt makes your change of career all the more confounding, but Iâm inclined to believe you. Lying about your involvement presents no obvious advantage⊠and I understand the importance of family ties. I have yet to encounter a stronger shackle.â
   The unfinished documents in his desk are a compelling contender, however. While one night of inactivity might not impact his productivity, it is still a night he has no reason to sacrifice. This woman may be the enemy, but isnât entirely disagreeable in both her values and body of work; she seems inexplicably drawn in by the prospect of fraternising with him, too. Thatâs dangerous. Itâs a mistake heâs nearly made before.
   âNevertheless,â he goes on, with an almost wary eye, âdonât you think itâs presumptuous to assume I can afford to take a break? Nor do I make a habit of forging personal associations with defence attorneys. Perhaps the gravity of our work eludes you, but I am not your colleagueâand with good reason.â
    About as quickly as it appeared, his endearing disposition disappears in favor of a more unreadable, emotionally stagnant stance. Predictable. He canât let go, not even for a minute? What does she have to do to let him know that itâs okay to let his guard down every so often? To further cement his rigid nature, he declines her offer with a long-winded reply. Though, to say she didnât expect this would be incredibly naive of her.Â
    An arch of her eyebrow tells of her impassive reaction on the matter. A feeling deep in her gut tells her heâs giving her the roundabout, purposefully trying to avoid any chance of being in an intimate situation with her. It speaks of his humanity, or perhaps his lack thereof. Perhaps heâs keeping her at armâs length to retain their professional relationship, when really, professionalism isnât the point at all here.Â
    âCan you drop the whole defense-attorney-versus-prosecutor bit?â Summer sighs, sounding impatient. âThatâs not what this is about. Sure, our jobs are the reason that we met, but that doesnât mean our jobs have to take us over entirely. Iâm asking you out because I want to spend time with you as a friend, not as an attorney.â Sheâs disappointed. She had thought, for all of a moment, that he may comply with her; that maybe, just maybe, he would forgo their occupational stances for a friendlier relationship outside of the courthouse.Â
    âWe can be friends and courtroom adversaries at the same time. My sister and I do it all the time; weâre the best of friends when weâre not in a case, but we keep it professional when we are. Itâs possible to do that.â Even she isnât positive of her motive behind this supposedly convincing spiel. All she sees now is a man so uptight and set in his ways that he doesnât know how to relax, and that, for whatever reason, concerns her.Â
    âJust because you donât like me as an attorney doesnât mean you canât like me as a person. I mean, I sure didnât like you very much when I first met you -- but I was a hot-headed and judgmental greenhorn back then.â As if she wasnât still described with those traits. âBut I thought thatâs how you were just in the courtroom. I didnât know anything about you as a person, and thatâs why Iâve been so interested in seeking you out.â She doesnât recall ever sharing this with him, forcing her to realize that sheâs kept those thoughts to herself all this time. Maybe, had she told him sooner, he may have accepted her proposals sooner... or he may have blown her off entirely.Â
    She huffs another sigh, unsure if her pleas will actually reach him. Aside from that, he brings up a valid point that she canât dismiss. âYouâre right, though. I canât assume that youâre not incredibly busy and that you can miss a single night of work without any kind of penalty. I thought youâd be ahead, considering who you are.
    âBut I guess I donât really know, do I?â
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