It was a light snowfall that greeted three young women as they entered the bar. One of them had never been in one before. Because she wasn't supposed to, and because she didn't particularly want to be in one. But Fuu Hououji felt she had to give in to Umi Ryuuzaki, just this once.
This particular bar seemed to be filled with college students like themselves. Several of the young men tried in vain to capture their attention. Unfortunately for them, this was a girls' night out for the former Magic Knights. The three of them made quite a group.
Umi was stunning, as always, dressed in a light blue blouse and tight black pants that outlined her svelte figure.
Hikaru had grown a bit since becoming the last Pillar of Cephiro, but still fell short of Fuu's height. She wore a tight little pink sweater, loose corduroys and a well worn pair of Air Jordans.
Fuu was as lovely as ever with a gentle smile that even the most cynical could not ignore. Her hair was now past her shoulders, though not quite as long as Umi's.
"C'mon, Fuu. Where's your spirit of adventure? One glass of beer won't make you drunk, unless you've got really low tolerance for booze," Umi started off. "You'll be twenty tomorrow, plenty old enough to drink or get drunk," she declared, slapping Fuu hard on the back.
"Yeah, Fuu-chan. We won't have too much to drink. We're just celebrating your birthday. A little bit won't hurt," urged Hikaru Shidou.
"Besides, I hear this place serves fugu," added Umi.
"All right, Umi-san. Didn't I agree to come here with you and Hikaru-san? It's just that, I've never had liquor in my life. I wouldn't want to make a mess if I couldn't handle it," Fuu responded.
"Oh loosen up! If you start feeling sick, I'll call in the paramedics!" Umi dismissed Fuu's concern with her usual flair for the dramatic.
They found themselves a corner table and waited to be served. Umi lit a stick of Mild Seven and took a small puff.
"OK, that'll be a pitcher of Yebisu, three mugs and keep it coming. Oh, and some tessa for her," Umi rattled off to the waiter when he arrived.
"Um, Umi-san, do you really think I should try to drink that much for my first time?" Fuu voiced out after seeing the size of the pitchers in this establishment.
"Don't be silly. First time I went drinking, I downed three of those suckers. If you can't finish it, I will."
"Fuu-chan has a point, Umi-chan. I can't handle more than one glass myself."
"That's because you're smaller than us!"
Hikaru felt a little peeved at the remark, especially since she wasn't all that small anymore.
"Your order, ladies," announced their waiter, who was somewhat unsure about Hikaru's age.
"Okay, drinks're here. Kampai!" Umi exclaimed as she lifted her mug. "So how's life at Tokyo University?" Umi asked Fuu.
"Well, I manage to keep myself busy," Fuu replied.
"You're too modest, Fuu-chan. How many people manage to get into Toudai on the first try?" Hikaru inquired of Fuu.
"I haven't bothered to look that up," Fuu answered in her typically straight-forward manner.
"One thing's for sure: you need to start drinking. You need to have something to take the edge off after all that studying. I'll bet you're the only one in your class who doesn't drink," Umi blurted out.
"But I'm still underage..." Fuu began to protest.
"Age, schmage, what are you, a baby? Didn't they have drinks at your freshman party?" Umi interrogated Fuu.
"...and the legal age for drinking is 20..." Fuu continued.
"...which is how old you'll be tomorrow," Umi finished. "Now start drinking!" she ordered.
If Fuu had learned only one thing in the time she had known Umi, it was that she usually didn't stand down till she got her way.
Well, I've come this far, Fuu thought as she brought the mug to her lips and took a sip.
"Fuu, Fuu, Fuu. You don't sip beer. You're supposed to gulp it down so you can feel it inside of you," Umi instructed her. "Like this," she said, taking a swig that drained her mug half empty.
"Um, Umi-chan, you really shouldn't be drinking that much all at once," Hikaru voiced out.
"You worry too much. See? I'm perfectly all right," came a for now still sober Umi. "Let's see how much Fuu can take before she gets sick."
"But Umi-san, if you get drunk..."
"No problem. I'll just call home and ask Papa to send over the car. Honestly Fuu, you worry too much."
Fuu managed to down three fourths of her mug. Umi was well into her second, with no signs of intoxication. Hikaru on the other hand was feeling a bit queasy.
"I don't feel so good," she managed to say before passing out.
"Hikaru-san, are you all right?"
"Geez, I guess we'll have to take her home now. I was hoping to top my old record, too..."
Despite her remarks before accompanying young Ms. Shidou home, Umi was very much concerned about her. Fuu seemed all right after her first taste of beer. Which was just as well, since even though Hikaru was the smallest of the three, she wasn't exactly light.
"And I thought she was just kidding when she said she could only take a little bit... Serves me right, I guess," Umi rebuked herself.
"Perhaps you shouldn't have brought up her size," Fuu replied.
"You really think so? Me and my big mouth... Maybe I should change my name to Oguchi," Umi joked feebly.
"Wouldn't that cause problems?"
"What do you mean Fuu?"
"Well, doesn't everyone know you as Umi Ryuuzaki? If you change your name to Oguchi, how will they know who you are?"
"That's what I like about you Fuu. Your wit." Umi laughed so hard she nearly let go of Hikaru.
Fuu scanned the area for Umi's car.
"Who would have thought that Hikaru could weigh so much?" Umi grunted.
"Hikaru-san is somewhat young looking. I'll bet a lot of people think she's still in junior high," Fuu remarked.
"I didn't know you gambled," Umi replied.
"Just a friendly game of mahjongg every now and then," Fuu smiled back. "But I manage to win most of the time."
Just then they spotted it. They climbed aboard, and headed for the Shidou residence.
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