The first thing he became aware of was a fuzzy dryness in his mouth and the strange thickness of his tongue; the second was the headache that pounded up as he rolled over.
It's never worth it, Makoto thought irritably. Bracing himself against the pain in his temples, he moved his head to look at the alarm clock beside the bed – past eleven am. Damn.
He had to get some water. Water and aspirin.
But even standing up seemed like a gargantuan task.
Makoto closed his eyes and summoned up his courage; counting down – three two one – he stood slowly, letting the room catch up with him. It seemed to swirl around him, but at least there was no nausea.
He peered down at himself, taking stock as he gingerly made his way to his small apartment's washroom. Wearing jeans but no top or socks, he must have started getting undressed before falling asleep. How late had he gotten in last night-? He had only vague memories like snapshots: drinks, an unfamiliar club, more drinks, leaving the club – and he felt as though more came afterwards, but his memory was a blank. He got the aspirin and swallowed it dry without grimacing, chasing it with a glass of water from the bathroom sink. He closed his eyes and waited for the aspirin to work – or at least, to give him a placebo effect.
A few minutes later, when the pain in his head seemed to be subsiding at least a little, he stripped off his grungy feeling jeans and took a quick shower. Twenty minutes after waking up, he felt one hundred percent more human, but as he brushed his teeth he still could not remember exactly what had happened last night, and straining aggravated the remnant pain in his head.
Never worth it, he thought again, but uneasily this time. He hadn't gotten so drunk in a long, long time. Not drunk enough to forget the night before – that was just unhealthy. In fact, he hadn't gotten this drunk since Haruka…
"Stupid," he muttered to himself around a mouth full of mouthwash, and gargled. He wasn't really hungry, but made some tea anyway and sat down at the computer. He had this week's lesson plan to review and revise –
That was when he thought to check his cell phone. After all, he'd gone out with Nagisa and Kou last night, maybe there was a hint of at least what time he'd managed to get in – or what they'd gotten up to. It took some time to find the cell phone, but finally he retrieved it, sitting lonesome atop the small refrigerator at 16% battery. He plugged it in to charge and then opened his notifications.
There were two unread emails, both from Nagisa.
From: Hazuki Nagisa (hazukina .jp)
Subject: 且_(・_・ )
Date: 07-09-2013 02:42
gou-chan is angry but she said not to tell you ヽ(ー_ー )ノ
im telling anway. kuroragi-chan is taking her home and theyre arguing about you. dont worry~
ps drink some water
From: Hazuki Nagisa (hazukina .jp)
Subject: Re: 且_(・_・ )
Date: 07-09-2013 09:13
dont beat yourself up about last night (=^-ω-^=)
how do you feel?
Makoto smiled a little, and replied.
To: Hazuki Nagisa (hazukina .jp)
Subject: Re: 且 _(・_・ )
Date: 07-09-2013 11:47
You know me pretty well. I feel fine. Not beating myself up too much.
But I was wondering what we did after we left that club? I can't quite remember…
He sighed and hit "send," a little embarrassed at himself, and set the phone down to return to this week's lesson plans. It was much better to think of the children in his class than about the rest of his life.
Makoto was just really getting into the rhythm of his work when his phone buzzed beside him; he ignored it for a while, thinking it was probably Nagisa returning his message. When he stood to get a fresh cup of tea, the blinking notification light reminded him, and he picked it up to check. The message stopped him cold.
From: Haru (nanase1987 .jp)
Subject: (blank)
Date: 07-09-2013 12:30
Can we meet up again tonight? I'll be home, I can make you dinner.
Makoto dropped the phone, sighed, and got his cup of tea. It took a long while to compose his thoughts.
To: Haru (nanase1987 .jp)
Subject: Re: (blank)
Date: 07-09-2013 12:48
I'd rather not at your place. We could go out and get some dinner. Meet me where we were yesterday?
The thought of Haru's house was painful, and the thought of returning there – making dinner – probably fish, knowing Haruka – as though nothing had happened was almost absurd, as though his life were an abstract painting or an optical illusion. Squint and you can see the hidden Haru being wearing the same black jammers? Makoto started to laugh, a sound that startled him, and took another long drink of tea.
It was better to meet somewhere else. Somewhere neutral. And it was probably a better idea for getting more of the story out of Haruka than yesterday. At least, somewhere public like a restaurant might stop Haru from just – leaving, again.
With that in mind, he hit "send," and sat back to await a response. It came quickly.
From: Haru (nanase1987 .jp)
Subject: Re: Re: (blank)
Date: 07-09-2013 12:53
That's fine. I'll be there at six.
It's a date, Makoto thought with an internal sigh. He got up to microwave his cold tea and forced himself to return to his work – tomorrow was a school day, after all. Just maybe not the way I used to wish for.