EX-BLOOD: Thanks for following the story! And yes, Conrad does like Ritsu, he just gets a little distracted from time to time… cheers!
Ritsuber: I'll see what I can do!
Chapter 6 is here after a HUGE delay. Sorry about this, but my family is going through a rough time right now. I also had school work up to my neck, so I took longer than expected. Anyway, enjoy the new chapter, "The Group Date".
Disclaimer:I don't own K-ON, and never will. I do not, in any way, profit from this story and all creative rights to the characters belong to the original creator(s).
Stepping off of the airplane, I take a deep breath of Japanese air. I was just now coming back from Canada, where I spent the entirety of my winter break. Although I was standing on Canadian soil less than a day ago, I already miss my friends and family back home… regardless of how much shit I got for those pictures from the festival.
"Jeez. It's early January and not even a single snowflake on the ground." I sigh audibly. "Damn it, this just feels wrong to me..."
Winter may not be the most accommodating of seasons, but after growing up in a snowy place like Canada, it's always jarring to make the transition to the Japanese climate.
"You should be happy we're not freezing our butts off anymore, Conrad!" My stepmom says, shaking her head.
"Yeah, Yeah…" I say, a little tired of Akane's whining.
Let's just say she had some trouble adjusting to Canadian weather. I'd like to say it was all on her, but me hitting her with a snowball only moments after we touched ground probably didn't help things along.
As sad as I was to leave my hometown, I couldn't help but smile. I was busy thinking of being able to see Ritsu, Tanaka and the others again. Even if I've had a bit of a rocky start here, I'm pretty psyched that I even have any friends to return to, period.
As far as the incoming schoolwork... well, I'm not exactly expecting anything positive, to put things plainly.
Oh well. As soon as I get home, I think I'm gonna pick up the phone and make plans with Tanaka. Hopefully I can squeeze out whatever fun is left before school begins again.
I wonder what that goofball is up to...
"A date, huh?" I say, sipping on my coffee. "That's surprising!"
Tanaka looks at me, annoyed.
"Er, no offense." I correct myself. "It's not like you see me getting dates, either."
He doesn't respond, but let's out a big sigh instead. It was odd seeing Tanaka shut up for once. Maybe it was because of how loud everyone else was being in this busy cafe, but he certainly was much less high-strung than usual.
"So who's the unlucky lady?" I joke, stretching my arms tiredly.
Tanaka pushes up his glasses, as usual when he is particularly flustered.
"She's a girl from my part-time job. Her name's Ikeda Chiyo" Tanaka says nervously.
"I thought part-time jobs were against school policy." I say, a little surprised that a stickler like Tanaka would bend the rules so clearly.
"I need the extra cash for video games; that's besides the point. She asked me out a few days ago, and the date's tomorrow!" He rambles on, an expression of dread creeping onto his face.
"So what? Good for you!" I say, leaning back. "I don't see the problem here."
...Or at least I say. If it were me, I'd probably be freaking out as much as my friend here. But I didn't exactly want to get involved in somebody else's romance, when I can barely keep track of my own.
"W-well… I h-h-have absolutely ZERO experience with women, so I figured you could give me some advice! I don't know what to do…"Tanaka stammers out, looking like he was at his wit's end.
"And what, you think I'M good with girls? You saw what happened at the festival, I swear my cheeks still hurt from that." I protest, rubbing my cheeks, where Ritsu and Yoko slapped me just a few months earlier.
"I know, but you're my only hope! Please, Yankee-san!" Tanaka said, slapping his hands together in prayer.
Sighing, I finish the rest of my coffee and slouch into my seat. Scratching my head, I try to level with him.
"I'd like to help man, but what do you want me to do? It's a date! I can't just follow you two around!"
Tanaka scratched his chin. "That IS true…"
My phone rang, while Tanaka was still in deep thought. Digging into my pockets carelessly, I curse under my breath as some loose change flies out of my pockets and all over the floor. Before I could retrieve them, however, I am once again reminded that I have a call waiting.
"Hello?" I answer the phone hurriedly, as I drop to my knees to retrieve all the yen I'd dropped.
"Hey, Conrad. I head you're back in Japan." Ritsu's voice calls from the other end, sounding particularly bored.
"Oh hey, Ritsu! Yeah, I'm back... who'd you hear that from? I've only been here a few hours; I haven't had time to tell anyone..." I ask, curious as to how she knew exactly when I'd return.
I can hear her stumble over her words for a bit, causing me to laugh slightly; much to her annoyance.
"Y-you told everyone the date you'd be back... you told us before you left, remember?" She finally answers.
So apparently, this phone call was no coincidence. As cute as this was, I couldn't let this chance to poke fun at her go to waste... not after all she's put me through.
"I'm surprised you remembered! Did you write it down on your calendar, with a heart or something?" I snicker. I'm forced to stifle my laughter though, as I can almost hear her fuming from the other end.
"Shut up, you idiot! I just have a good memory!" She yells back, clearly not happy with my teasing.
A short silence falls on the line. As I continue to gather the loose change from the ground, I place the phone to my ear with my shoulder to make things easier.
"So... did you wanna hang out, or something?" I ask, honestly wondering why she called out of the blue.
Before I can hear her response, though, Tanaka slams his palms on the glass table. The loud rattling catches me off-guard, as I rise from my knees quickly to see what the fuck was going on. Unfortunately, I hit my head against the bottom of the table on the way up, causing me to groan in pain.
"What the fuck, Tanaka?" I manage to say, rubbing my head. Ritsu is equally vocal on the phone, just as confused as I am.
"I got it!" Tanaka yells, snatching my phone away from me; an easy feat when my there are more painful matters to attend to.
"Ritsu! It's Tanaka." He speaks into the phone, before being cut off by what sounded like shouting. Now apart from the conversation, I can only imagine how surprised Ritsu must be at Tanaka's interjection.
"H-hey hold on; I just want to know if you're free tomorrow." He continues, before pausing for a response.
"Great! You're going on a date with Conrad, okay? Be at the front of the school, at 8pm!" Tanaka commands the girl.
Just as Tanaka closes my phone, I could hear shouting on the other end.
Tanaka proceeds to hand me back my phone with a dumb grin, as if nothing had happened.
"WHAT THE FUCK?" I yell, shaking my phone in his face. "You can't just do that!"
"It's already done! This way, you can have a date with Ritsu, while simultaneously helping me with mine! It's the perfect plan!" Tanaka laughs.
"Tanaka..." I start, before the man in question gets up from our table.
"Now that I think about it, I need to get some new clothes; got to look suave for the big day, right?" Tanaka smiles. As he gathers his stuff to leave, I fail to react to what had just transpired. I was too busy wondering what had happened to the worried and depressed friend that was sitting across from me moments ago.
"Remember, the front of school, 8pm! See ya!" Tanaka says, patting me on the back and skipping happily away.
"...What just happened?" I wonder aloud, placing my head on the table. "I have to be less of a pushover."
As I wallow in the frightening concept that is group dating, I barely notice a waitress approach my table.
"Um..." She begins, looking over at the door that Tanaka just dashed out of. "Will you be covering his share of the bill as well?"
Sighing, I reluctantly pull out some extra cash. This date better turn out well, Tanaka, or I might think twice next time you ask for help.
As the waitress clears our table, my phone rings again. Almost certain who it was, I eagerly bring the device to my ear.
"J-just what the heck was that about, Conrad?" Ritsu says, her stern voice causing me to tense up.
"Just one of Tanaka's stupid ideas..." I respond, rubbing my eyes in annoyance. "I would have stopped him, but that guy can be quite the handful!"
"Ah..." Ritsu speaks softly in recognition. "For a second there I thought you were so wimpy, you were having him ask me out for you!"
"W-wimpy?! I'm not wimpy! I'm going to be at the school at 8, just like he said!" I respond defensively, though nearly as sure as I sound.
"F-fine!" Ritsu responds. "Doesn't matter to me!"
"Fine! Bye!" I say, before hanging up.
Staring at the phone in my hand, I can't help but wonder what sort of messed up, passive-aggressive mess I was getting myself into.
There's no way this is going to go well...
Standing nervously outside the school, I glance down at my watch.
I stared at the hands of the clock intensely, although it certainly wasn't the time that had me so nervous.
"7:50… shit, am I too early? Will I look too eager?" I say, scratching my head.
I had barely even gotten any sleep last night, as I was fussing over the smallest details for today. I was determined to make this work, regardless of how abrupt it was.
I was so caught up in my choice of cologne I didn't even hear the sound of clattering shoes making there way towards me.
"H-hey." I hear a voice call to me, snapping me out of my little bubble of teenage anxiety.
Standing in front of me was a completely different, but extremely gorgeous Ritsu. I mean, she's always cute, but with her being a tomboy, I had never seen her made up like this. Besides her unusually stylish choice of clothing, Her hair was down for once, giving her a feminine aura I wouldn't expect from her.
I was so busy drooling over Ritsu; I didn't even bother responding to her greeting.
"Oy, Conrad. I could smell your cologne from a mile away; You're not actually thinking this is a real date, right?" Ritsu laments, trying to break the painfully awkward atmosphere with her usual insults.
It didn't take much to see right through her, considering how good she looked. Although I'm having trouble accepting she went to all this trouble just for me...
"Are you kidding me? And I suppose that new look of yours is just a coincidence, right?" I say, smiling.
"W-will you shut up? Sometimes I like to look good when I go out!" she scoffs.
I knew that was a lie, coming from a girl who always wore hoodies and other simple clothing in public. I let it slide, however, not wanting to spoil the mood.
"So... where do you want to go?" Ritsu said, shuffling her weight erratically, clearly uncomfortable with her choice in footwear.
"Wherever Tanaka and his lady friend want to go, I guess." I say running a hand through hair. Hair that I forgot I had styled, as my now greasy hand proves.
"Ugh, gross.." I say, wiping my hand on my pants.
"Wait, what? It's not just us two?" Ritsu answers. I shake my head, causing her to scowl.
Y'know, I could almost detect the slightest hint of disappointment... although that might be my ego talking.
"What the heck is up with that?" She mumbles into her jacket collar.
I stare at her, one eyebrow raised. Was she as nervous as me?
"…" a silence forms, causing both of us to divert our eyes.
"Well... great! That way I'll have witnesses when you try to feel me up!" Ritsu says, turning her back to me.
Ahhhh… Back to square one, eh?
** ONLY A SMALL WAYS AWAY - A NEW DEVELOPMENT EMERGES WITH... MIO? **
"Is this really necessary, Yui?" I say nervously to my unusually focused friends. "Can't we just leave Conrad and Ritsu alone?"
Mugi, Yui and I were hiding behind a bush near the school. Just how suspicious was this?
The couple in question was at the entrance, doing a great impression of two awkward teenagers.
Yui, whose binoculars seemingly glued to her face, starts to giggle.
"Of course! We need to witness the romance develop between our two love birds!" She says decisively, handing the binoculars over to Mugi, who seemed equally interested.
"We should respect their privacy, Yui!" I scold her, but it falls on deaf ears; as usual... "Mugi? Help me out here!"
"Sorry Mio... but I want to see what happens too!" Mugi says, looking back at me apologetically. "We need to make sure that Conrad treats her well!"
For a girl who was so well-mannered on the surface, Mugi sure liked to get wrapped up in Yui's crazy antics...
I sigh heavily, snatching the binoculars away from the two spying girls. "I don't think you have to worry about Conrad-san... he's a pretty docile guy."
"Maybe that's just a front he puts on! Conrad-kun could be one opportunity away from turning into a sexual deviant!" Mugi asserts.
"Oooh... whats that mean?" Yui says innocently, listening to Mugi like a well-behaved student.
Jeez... I can't take this anymore...
Honestly, I don't know what Mugi has against Conrad. Sure, he's a bit scary... okay, he's a lot scary. For the most part, though, it seems like a surface thing. I really don't like to judge a book by its cover; even if Conrad's cover is a bit... rough around the edges. It's only fair that I give him the same chance that I did to Yui and Mugi when we first met.
Oh... It seems that while I was thinking, Yui snatched the binoculars back. Great.
The two were already back to spying on Ritsu and Conrad, leaving me less than pleased.
"I know I shouldn't have told you guys about this… Ritsu is going to kill me if she finds out." I say, putting my mind back onto stopping my two crazed friends. How did I end up getting dragged out here?
"She was so serious about it too..." I add, remembering what happened just a few hours earlier at Ritsu's house.
Ritsu had phoned me out of blue, getting all worked up about a date. Just hearing that word by itself made me pretty surprised; maybe even a bit jealous... but once I found out her date was Conrad, I can't really say I'm envious. Even if Conrad doesn't seem like too bad of a guy, even I had to admit that going on a date with a guy like him was pretty scary...
That didn't seem to affect Ritsu, though. As soon as I got to her place, she was already frantically trying to prepare...
"Mio… Which one looks better on meee?" Ritsu said dramatically, holding up two stylish outfits.
"I don't know… It's just Conrad, right? He won't care…" I replied, looking longingly at Ritsu's bedroom door.
"I have homework Ritsu, please let me leave…" I continued quietly, trying not to anger the already crazed woman
"DON'T ABANDON ME!" Ritsu yelled, latching onto my arm. "Conrad or not, I've never been on a date! Lend some of your 'moe' power to me…" Ritsu said, before rolling on the floor, practically throwing a tantrum.
"Ritsu!" I shouted desperately at the childish girl, tired as ever with her childish ways.
"Come to think about it" I turns back towards the other girls. "I've never seen Ritsu that flustered before... she even got me to do her makeup! She must really want to impress him..."
"Of course she does!" Yui replies simply, looking back at me.
"Hold on, Yui. You don't think Ritsu has... a crush on Conrad... do you?" I ask aloud, narrowing my eyes in confusion.
"Huh? Cmon Mio, It's soo obvious! Didn't you see them at the training camp, or at the festival? They can't keep their eyes of each other!" Yui says, for once acting quite decisive in her language. "This is a classic love story!"
"Exactly! That's why we have to keep an eye on them.. t-to make sure things go well!" Mugi adds politely. Even with this blatant disregard for Ritsu's privacy, Mugi never failed to come across as harmless. Even so, something tells me Mugi has more plans in store for Conrad than she's letting on...
I look over at Yui and Mugi. As much as I wanted to be at home, doing something infinitely more productive, I have to stop them from messing this up for Ritsu! If Ritsu really does like Conrad, then It's my responsibility as her friend to see this date goes well.
...Right?
"Look, look! There's more of them!" Yui says, pointing at the group of teens at the entrance.
"Huh? She didn't say it was a group date..." I affirm, quite confused myself.
Despite the amount of complaining I was doing earlier, even I was currently pressed against Yui's back, shamelessly peering over at Ritsu and Conrad.
So much for trying to not get caught up in this...
A boy and a girl had shown up next to them. One of them looks familiar; I think it's another guy from our class!
...Just what is Conrad up to?
"C'mon Mio, they're on the move!" Yui said, tugging on Mio's sleeve.
"I can't believe I'm doing this..." I lament, following my two club-mates reluctantly.
An hour later… Back with Conrad.
Staring at the movie screen, I continue to fail at generating any interest in the film. When Tanaka suggested we see a movie, I was hoping for a comedy or action; something that Ritsu would like… but he ended up picking a mushy romance movie.
Despite my lack of interest, though, I was nowhere near bored; Sitting next to Ritsu had kept me on edge this whole time.
As cliché as it was, I was waiting for a good moment to make a move. Y'know, the standardized 'yawn into arm wrap' or 'hand holding' maneuvers. However, Ritsu was leaning back into her seat, her hands stuffed lazily into her jacket. She was clearly just as bored with the movie as me. Could this be going any worse?
Taking a sip of my drink, I looked over at Tanaka.
'Needs help' my ass… Chiyo, his date, was eating this romantic crap up! They weren't even watching the movie, just whispering to one another and giggling. For such an awkward guy, Tanaka was looking pretty suave.
Sneaking another glance at Ritsu, I saw that she had re-positioned herself. Her body was in prime position for plan-A!
Producing a painfully obvious yawn, I stretch my arms and slowly lower my right towards her petite shoulders.
Right before the moment of truth, however, I'm hit in the back of the head suddenly. It didn't hurt, but i was thoroughly disgusted when i reached to the back of my head to find a spitball.
What fucking punk is responsible for this? I look behind me to the source of the puke-producing projectile.
Needless to say, when I see none other than the other Keion members a few rows behind us, I was kind of caught off guard. How the hell did they know about the date? It was obviously dark in the theater, but I could still make out their faces, and more importantly their expressions. Yui and Mugi were barely stifling their laughter, while Mio had sunk deeply into her seat in embarrassment.
"What the fuck?" I remark, my surprise making my voice a bit too loud.
"What?" Ritsu says, shifting in her seat so she could look back as well.
Damn! If Ritsu finds out the Keion girls are here, our date will be practically over!
It was time for a split second reversal!
Grabbing a handful of Ritsu's unguarded popcorn, I proceed to stuff my face.
"Hey! That's my popcorn!" Ritsu yells, grabbing my full cheeks as well as the attention of everyone in the theater. "Stop that!"
...What? Were you expecting me to kiss her or something? Hahaha… no. I value my life, thanks.
At the very least, she didn't notice the girls. I was in the clear, though Ritsu's angry face said otherwise.
"Gimme some of your candy, Conrad! It's only fair!" Ritsu said, practically climbing over me to get to my stash of sweets, sitting to the left of me.
My flailing arms were hardly a defence, but they still caused Ritsu to lose balance and fall on top of me.
"Jeez! Why are you making this difficult, you dumbass? You brought this on yourself!" She groans, struggling to reach my candy.
I'm not going to go into detail, but let's just say her bazingas were currently pressed into my schwang-wang-wang… if you catch my drift.
Ritsu, still focused on the candy, remained there for a few seconds while she took her share of candy. I, needless to say, was sitting frozen in fear and ecstasy. Did she not know what she was doing to me and my poor, hormone-crazed body?
"There we go.." Ritsu said, starting to retreat back to her seat with a handful of my candy, looking quite smug. "What was that, poking into me, anyway?" Ritsu said, looking over at my pants.
I blush, looking away.
"GROSS! Y-you pervert!" Ritsu yells, practically leaping off of me. "What are you thinking about, at a time like this?"
As Ritsu started to berate me, it became clear that we weren't the only ones dissatisfied with the film. Everyone around us was now more focused into our relationship, rather than the ones developing on screen.
"Why are we here, guys? You know I hate singing, Tanaka…" I say, dragging my feet as we enter the karaoke booth.
"Shut up, you dog. You don't get a choice after what you did at the theater" Ritsu says to me, glaring at me.
"Yeah, yeah..." I respond, sighing.
As we take our seats in the small room, I cringe as Ritsu makes sure to sit a ways away from me.
"Haha… cmon' Ritsu, it's not like he did it on purpose" Tanaka said, clearly trying to help me out.
"He totally did, though! He distracted me and stole my popcorn!" Ritsu said pointing sharply at my face. "And then he poked me with that disgusting... t-thing!"
"Don't call it disgusting; It has feelings you know!" I shout back. "B-besides, all guys my age would have reacted the same way!"
"Let's just s-sing, everyone… they charge per minute, after all…" Chiyo said, grabbing a microphone, smiling nervously at the tense atmosphere.
"Fine… I guess I'll go get us some drinks. What does everyone want?" I announce, wanting nothing but to get away from this stupid mess of a date.
Leaving the booth, I immediately forget all the drink orders and start scouring the place for the Keion girls, who were undoubtedly nearby.
...they weren't much for stealth however, as I found them a couple booths down the hall, laughing their asses off.
Barging into the booth, I put on the most serious face I could muster.
"IS THIS SOME SORT OF SICK JOKE?" I yell, hands in the air.
Needless to say, they were caught off guard. Mio shrieks from my sudden entrance, clinging onto Mugi. Yui seems unfazed, though, picking out a song to sing.
"Conchan! Hi-Hi!" Yui yells, putting her best cutesy face on. Stumbling over to me, she grabs my arm and leads me to a seat.
"Yui, why does your breath smell like…" I whisper, smelling the air between us. "...beer?"
Looking over at Mugi, I see that her face was flushed as well.
"Was this your doing, Mugi?" I ask, even though I already knew the answer, the damn witch was capable of anything!
"Hoho! I had them pull some strings!" Mugi says, grabbing an obviously scared Mio. "Winter break, Banzai! Banzai! Banzai!" she yells, taking another sip of beer. Yui soon joins her in the dramatic shouting.
'Pull some strings', huh? Just what kind of karaoke establishment is this?
"Conrad, you have to help me!" Mio yells, the sober one of the trio.
Before I can respond, Yui leaps into my vision, clutching two microphones. "Sing a duet with me, Connchan!" She slurs, grinning wide.
Blushing from the sheer cuteness, I grab the mic. "W-well I guess one song wouldn't hurt…"
"CONRAD!" Mio yells, snapping me back into reality.
"…Right. I can't really leave you alone with these two, can I?" I ask, looking at the intoxicated pair.
"Please help me!" Mio pleads yet again. I feel the immediate desire to comply, as I always do with cute girls, but I suddenly remember why I came here in the first place.
"Hold on a second! Why the hell are you guys following us anyway?" I ask, extending my open hand accusingly, like some sort of anime protagonist. "Because of you three, Ritsu is pissed at me!"
"Hey! Nobody asked you to pop a boner!" Mugi points back at me, her vulgar choice of words throwing me for a loop. "We followed you two to protect Ricchan's innocence!"
"GODDAMMIT, I'M NOT A FUCKIN' RAPIST!" I yell, which might've been a little inappropriate in a crowded karaoke building. "You keep talking about me, but I'M NOT THE ONES STALKING PEOPLE!"
Mio stands up, and puts herself between me and the drunken Mugi, who looks like she's about go off on a rant.
"Calm down you two! They'll kick us out at this rate!" Mio says, ever careful when it came to being discreet. "Conrad, I know you're agitated, but I swear we didn't mean any harm!"
"Except for the spitball~" Yui points out, giggling.
"E-except the spitball..." Mio repeats, looking guilty.
"Yeah! What the hell was that about?" I shout at the drunken girl, causing her to frown.
"B-but Conrad... you're the one who showed me how to do that!" She replies guiltily.
"I-I did?" I reply, looking at the sober Mio for confirmation.
Mio crosses her arms.
"Mhm." Mio adds, looking at me unimpressed. "You even said it was just 'harmless fun' when you convinced her to shoot everyone else..."
"Shit... I totally did, didn't I?" I answer, suddenly remembering that boring rainy day in the clubroom (as well as a retaliatory smack from Ritsu).
"Didn't expect my student to betray me, though..." I add, smirking at Yui.
Yui sends me a victory sign.
"Can we please forget about the spitball..." Mio repeats, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "We didn't mean any harm, Conrad. Ritsu was really nervous about tonight. We were just... curious."
"More like worried!" Mugi interjects, pouting. It was unlike her to be so confrontational; the booze must be doing its job...
"Hold on, s-she was nervous? What did she say?" I ask, a little dissapointed at my lack of transparency.
Mio gives me a knowing look.
"I don't know... she was just really nervous about how she looked, and what sort of places you would want to go... why does it matter?"
I can't help but let a smile take form on my face. Knowing that Ritsu was just as worried as I was about tonight was a relief. Maybe we're not a lost cause after all.
"I'm sure what you're thinking about is really important, Conrad, but can you please help me with these two?" Mio snaps me out of my thoughts, pointing to the two inebriated girls.
As much as I'd like to go back and continue my date with Ritsu, it wouldn't feel right leaving Mio alone to deal with these two drunkards. As long as I have a chance to patch things over with Ritsu, I guess I'm fine with tonight ending here. I'm sure if I had more time, I'd only embarrass myself again, anyway. I don't need the Keion girls stalking us for that to happen...
"Mio! Hold down the fort for a while, okay?" I ask her suddenly, opening the door to the hallway.
"Wait, don't just leave!" Mio yells desperately, her arm being snuggled tightly by Mugi.
Returning to the old booth, I waltz in to find only Ritsu, looking bored as ever.
"Jeez, how long does it take you to get drinks?" Ritsu says, stretching her arms. I could tell she was annoyed, but still relieved by my return. Maybe she had cooled down since the incident earlier.
"D-drink machine was broken! Go figure, right! Hahaha!" I blurt out, forcibly, creepy smile plastered on my face. The laugh was a bit too much, I'll admit.
"What's up with you?" Ritsu says smirking. I couldn't tell if she was amused or baffled by my antics.
Sighing, I look around. "Where are Tanaka and Chiyo?" I say, confused but hopeful. I was hoping to be alone with her anyway...
"They left to find you! God knows where they are now, probably making out in the halls…" Ritsu cringes at the thought.
"They were pretty lovey-dovey tonight, weren't they?" I chuckle, walking over. I sit down right next to her, despite oodles of room in all directions. I could practically see her tense up.
Was I being too forward? I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks.
Ritsu blushes at my advances, and coughs awkwardly. "Say… why don't we call it a night? It's not like anyone's singing, right?" She laughs nervously.
The usually cheeky Ritsu acting so flustered was a sight too cute for words.
Once she started reaching for her coat, though, I went into panic mode. I really need to end tonight on a good note... I searched my memory banks for anything that could help me.
"D-Duet! Let's sings a duet!" I yell, shoving a microphone in her face.
"What?" She backs up, face getting redder "I thought you hated singing! What's up with you, Conrad?"
"B-But, Ritsu-Chan… I-I…" I stutter, grabbing her wrist, clearly not thinking straight.
"C-Chan? Conrad, W-what are you saying? " Ritsu says, pulling away and walking towards the door. "You're acting r-really weird!"
As she struggled with the door knob, I walk up behind her behind her. Although I was shaking with fear, I grab her hand in desperation.
"Don't... go, Ritsu." I say ,finally, heart beating out my chest, realizing what I just did
"Conrad, let go…" Ritsu whispers, pulling but not exactly struggling.
"Ritsu… I… I…" I start up, bracing myself. Was I really going to say it?
"Ever since I laid eyes on you... I..." I continue, my voice getting smaller.
"Wh.. what is it?" Ritsu says, turning her head slightly back, voice weak and shaky.
"I... I lo-" I blurt out, before the door flies open from the outside.
Five distinct bodies come tumbling into the room, knocking me and Ritsu down along with them.
"Oopsie daisy!" Yui says, "I guess we leaned too hard while listening in, eh Mugi?" Yui says, giggling. She was still obviously drunk, perhaps even more than before.
"Yui? Mugi? MIO! What the hell are you guys doing here?" Ritsu yells, clutching her heart, breathing rapidly.
"Forget about that! Conrad, finish what you were saying!" Mio says, clearly wanting things to work out, despite the interruption.
"No! donnnnn't listen to him Richan!" a wasted Mugi yells, stmbling over to Ritsu and sticking her face to her chest. "Men are all the same!"
"Goddamnit, I just…" I start, before looking around. Everyone was listening, and Ritsu looked nervous.
The mood… was killed. I had really lost all will to confess.
"Hey, I'm kinda hungry. Can we get out of here, already?" I finish, smiling.
"Conrad…?" Ritsu said softly, concerned.
"D-dont worry about it!" I smile goofily, turning my back to the group. "Let's just go home… okay?" I say, stepping carefully over the two drunks.
"Okay…" Ritsu says quietly, sighing.
Standing at an intersection with the group, we decide to part ways. Tanaka and his date went back to her place, and Mio decided to take Mugi back to her... mansion, probably. Ritsu and I were left with a passed out Yui on my back. Despite the fact that us being paired together (obviously orchestrated by Tanaka and Mio) gave me time to continue my confession, it seemed like Ritsu and I had an formed an unspoken understanding that neither of us were ready yet.
After a decently long trek, we were standing outside of Ritsu's house. Ritsu motions me to give her Yui, and I more than happily oblige. For a small girl, she was kinda heavy.
Must be all the cake.
"I wouldn't take her back to her place; I don't know how Ui-chan would react if she saw a scary Gaijin like yourself carrying her drunk, passed out sister." Ritsu laughs, propping up the drowsy girl the best she could.. "She can stay the night here. ill phone Ui so she doesn't worry."
I chuckle a bit, before turning away.
"Alright, well I'll see you later Ritsu... thanks for tonight" I say, kicking at a nearby stone.
"Yeah… see you." I hear Ritsu say and then sigh audibly, before turning and walking towards the front door.
Despite saying our goodbyes, I have to stop in place. I felt as if something was missing...
Oh, Right.
"Oh, and Ritsu?" I say, calling to her before she disappeared into her house
"Y-yeah?" She says, not expecting what I'd say next (and who could blame her)
"Promise me you'll wear you hair down more often, okay? It's.. really cute that way." I force out, smiling awkwardly.
"D-dummy!" Ritsu pouts at this. Sticking her tongue out at me, her face was reddening quickly.
I laugh as the door closes behind her, and resume my trip home.
I was whistling I walked, completely absent-minded while I think of what tomorrow might bring. The end of winter break loomed near, and despite the mountain of homework assigned, I couldn't do much but think about Ritsu and I.
"W-watch out!" I hear a high pitched voice shriek, bringing me out of my love-induced haze.
The last thing I remember is getting hit by something. Whatever it was, It was going quite fast; I hit the ground, HARD.
My head hurt, and I felt dizzy, but mostly and I was pissed off at this idiot who just ran me over. I put my best Evil-Yankee face on, and turned to the crashed bike.
"M-my guitar!" She shouts, quite distressed.
"YOUR GUITAR? WHAT ABOUT ME? WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU? YOU HAVE THE WHOLE GODDAMN ROAD TO RIDE ON AND YOU CHOSE THE SIDEWALK?" I yell, in English.
What I saw, instead of the devil girl I imagined in my head, was a cute girl with black pigtails, clutching what looked to be the pieces of a broken guitar.
"I-I'm sorry!" she yells, tears forming in her eyes.
Slinging the broken guitar onto her back, she proceeded to ride away, practically bawling her eyes out.
"W-wait!" I yell back, suddenly feeling guilty.
She had these big, cat-like eyes, and boy was she tiny! I felt like I had just kicked a puppy!
Now feeling like shit, I continued my walk home, hoping that my night wouldn't get any more eventful, lest I end up in the ICU.
Hahaha! Can you guess who it is? Yeah, I know… obvious. But regardless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I made it really long due to the delay, as a special treat to those who read and comment on my story, you guys rock!
Until next time, see ya!