It's not that she hates Nozomi and Eli's company. They're always fun to be with, yes, but at situations like this where she gets forced to being on the hot seat and they're all tipsy already, Umi somehow regrets ever inviting her two seniors for a drink.
"Seriously, Umi. Four years of college and you never even snatched a girlfriend? How lame is your gay ass, really?" Eli teases. She's a happy drunk that loses the clever and cool demeanor she normally has when influenced by too much alcohol, so the teasing comes naturally especially to her dear friend Umi.
"Elichi, don't be so insensitive," Nozomi puts a hand on Eli's shoulder, trying to keep a straight face. "We should feel bad that Umi here might probably never get laid at this point."
Yep, Umi definitely regrets this.
"Well excuse me if I don't engage in improper activities like the two of you!" Even when drunk, Umi still retains her polite and articulate way of speaking. Her tone does change a bit, though. "And please stop being all over each other already!"
"That's because we're married, duh?"
Nozomi almost spits the beer she's drinking. "My, my, Elichi. You haven't even proposed to me and here you are saying that we're married already? I'm not sure what to feel about this~"
Eli turns to Nozomi and closes the gap between their faces within mere inches. She grabs Nozomi's right hand and puts on her most charming smile paired with sparkling blue eyes. "Then, baby, I'm proposing to you now," Eli declares in a deep, sultry voice. "Will you marry me?"
"Can the two of you please stop? I'm trying to mourn my singlehood here," Umi interrupts in annoyance as she gulped the remainder of her beer. She's pretty much used to Nozomi and Eli flirting like there's no tomorrow even when she's right in front of them, but this night is supposed to be the celebration of her graduation from college. Well, it turned into a funeral of her singlehood but either way, it's supposed to be about her.
"I'll get back to you on that, baby~" Nozomi says with a wink to Eli. "So, Umi-chan. You do admit that your singlehood is something to mourn about?"
Umi is 23 years old. Young, happy and single. Still single, to be precise. But is there something wrong with that? She's contented and happy with being free, being able to do whatever she wanted without the responsibilities of a commitment to another person. She admits that she's not interested in boys, and maybe she did have a crush or two on some of her classmates in their all-girls high school, but being together with someone romantically? It's not part of Umi's priorities. Her studies always comes in first, plus she also has her family's dojo and archery meets from time to time. That's really enough for Umi to keep herself busy.
"No…?" Umi replies.
That could have sounded way more convincing if her voice didn't waver, giving away what she really feels about the topic. Yes, she's happy being single; but of course Umi still feels lonely at times, especially with how she's surrounded by couples when she started going to college. It also doesn't help that the closest friends she made in the university, Nozomi and Eli, are totally in love and crazy about each other. It makes her feel the pressure more and more, thus letting her entertain the idea that maybe there is something wrong with being single-since-birth at her age.
All these thoughts spill out like a raging waterfall when she's intoxicated. And as what Nozomi always tells her, a person becomes more honest when he's drunk. That holds true for Umi, unfortunately.
"… Fine! Yes! Yes I am lonely, nobody cares for me, I want to bury myself right now for being single all my life and I will drag the two of you with me if you don't stop flirting with each other this instant!" Umi finally cries, all her desperation already showing on her face. "Just throw me out somewhere! I'll never find someone for me in all eternity!"
She drops her head to the table and sobs. Ugly, frustrated sobs. Umi have never cried about her situation before but she really doesn't care right now. Later on, she'll just blame the alcohol for this unbecoming state that she's in.
"There, there, Miss Forever Alone," Eli pats Umi on the head with a gentle smile. She honestly wants to laugh at how her favorite junior is crying right now (Umi looks funny) but deep inside, she really does feel bad for the girl. "I'll get more drinks for us. Just stay there and cry your heart out."
Eli gives a soft look to Nozomi first before going to the bar. Nozomi takes this as the cue to comfort Umi with her renowned motherly approach. The purple-haired girl leans over a bit closer to Umi, who is sitting right across her, and starts telling her about how finding a partner will just come at the right time. She includes some words about how she admires the younger girl for being able to keep herself in check despite not having someone to depend on, and a little something about how Umi is lucky to at least be attractive from head to toe, just like her blonde girlfriend of course.
"Being single at your age is not really all bad, Umi-chan. Just look at Nicochi, she's older than you but she's also single and happy with her career, right?" Nozomi adds as she rested her back on her chair. "But, I'm also curious. Were you able to kiss someone already?"
Umi shoots her head up from the table and gapes at Nozomi in shock. "K-K-Kiss? As in… Kiss on the-"
"Lips." Eli continues for Umi, returning back to her seat beside Nozomi after placing a new bucket of beer on their table. "Have you ever kissed anyone on the lips, Umi-chuan?"
Umi turns silent and blushes harder as if her face isn't red already from all that drinking. She grabs another bottle of beer and chugs all the liquid at once. Topics of being single, Umi can handle. But when it comes to intimacy such as kissing and the like, drunk or not Umi will still get embarrassed about it.
"Okaaayy that would be a no." Eli laughs and takes a bottle for herself as well.
They stay in the pub a couple of hours more with Nozomi and Eli trying to comfort and laugh their way around Umi who is still drunkenly sobbing about her singlehood. A few more bottles of beer happens and Umi is already half-dead drunk. Nozomi and Eli are, too, but they're way better than Umi when it comes to drinking (they're not her seniors for nothing!). Umi is never good in handling alcohol but honestly, she doesn't give a damn about it anymore. It's her graduation celebration and singlehood funeral. Umi can choose to be totally drunk at the very least.
After finally getting out of the pub, the three of them walk to the open parking lot nearby to fetch their cars. Eli carries Umi on her side, having one of the blue-haired girl's arms hanging on her shoulder because the archer lost the ability to walk on her own already. This is only the second time they saw Umi as drunk as this, though. The first time was when Umi's pet rabbit died two years ago because of age. It didn't go very well.
Once they reach Umi's black SUV, Nozomi tries to reason out with Umi about driving. "Are you sure you'll be okay? I don't think you can drive like this Umi-chan," she says with motherly concern.
"Naahhh I'm fine… You go- Go with Eli. I don't want to disturb you two… having car sex or whateverrr," Umi plops herself on her car's door, forehead sticking on the glass window. She also waves her arm frantically at Nozomi as if telling them to just beat it.
"Wow, Umi you actually said the word sex! You should get drunk more often!" Eli laughs again hysterically. She gets pinched by Nozomi on her arm for that.
"You know us well, Umi-chan~ But are you really sure you don't want us to drive you to your pad? Or maybe just let us help to get you inside your car?"
Umi shakes her head violently. "You already said it! You're going to do your thang in your car! I'm, I'm fine Nozomi. Just... I need my car first thing tomorrow," she hics. "I need to fetch Rin in the uni..."
"Come on baby, Umi doesn't need us anymore. She's a big girl now," Eli tugs on Nozomi's arm and turns to Umi. "Hey Umi don't kiss anyone who comes your way, you might disappoint them with your inexperience!"
"Oh shut up Elichika!" Umi shouts.
"Alright, that's enough from you two. I guess just call us if you need anything, okay, Umi-chan? We'll go ahead now~" Nozomi grabs Eli playfully by the ear and scolds the blonde about being too mean on Umi as they walk to their car. Well, it's Eli's car, but then they are 'married', so.
Umi remains leaning on the door of her car and does nothing after the couple left. She's too drunk to function and she knows that she can't even drive to the nearest hotel in her current state. Maybe she should've just taken that ride with Nozomi and Eli. She would've been just sleeping in case the two start any of their activities anyway.
Why didn't I think of that. Stupid Umi.
Minutes (or hours, Umi doesn't know) pass and she's still standing there in the open parking lot with her head spinning way too much. The sleepiness is coming to her real bad and she's probably only half-awake now to even notice anything around her. She also prays that no crooks will try to do anything funny to her. All her kendo and martial arts skills will be of no use right now.
Umi begins to think that she's imagining things when she hears someone talking to her. It's seems like a girl's voice, but she's really not sure.
She regains a bit of her consciousness when she falls to the floor and she sees a girl with long, light brown hair. Or is it grey? But even with her blurred vision she can still tell that the girl is cute, almost reminding her of the colorful lovebirds that her family used to have in their house. Umi suddenly feels as if she is trying to mumble something, but she can't tell if she just made the sounds inside her head or if she just grunted or said something about kindness and whatnot. What she's aware of now, though, is how she's staring at the cute lovebird that's carrying her with great care. It feels very warm.
Miraculously, Umi finds herself inside her car, already sitting on the driver's seat. She turns her head to see if the lovebird is still there and to her delight, the lovebird is indeed standing just near her. In some weird rush of urges probably heightened by alcohol, and with the really cute girl in front of her right now, seeing those pretty eyes that stared with so much care for her and those inviting… lips…
Umi suddenly pulls the girl's arm.
And she kisses her.
The next thing Umi knows is her left cheek feels swollen and she's getting tears in her eyes because of the pain on her face.
It's already 10 AM when Umi wakes up inside her car. Her eyes are swollen and her head still feels heavy. But Umi has no time to think anymore about what happened to her. She's already late in picking up her cousin Rin in the university on the neighboring city.
After Umi finished freshening up in her apartment, she quickly grabs her car keys from the dining table and rushes out. She makes sure to text Rin about the reason for her tardiness before finally taking off, worried that her younger cousin might be waiting too long already in their meeting place at this time.
But upon receiving a positive reply from Rin (something about no need to rush because Rin is still with these Maki and Hanayo girls in her dorm room doing stuff), Umi decides to grab a quick bite and some coffee first on the next café that she sees while driving. Her stomach is screaming for breakfast already.
A/N: Drunk EliUmi means riot.