Author's Note: This time I was faster than I anticipated. This story seems to be entirely writing itself now, though I finally have an ending fixed in mind. As to how long it will take to reach that point is anyone's guess at this moment however. XD Hope you enjoy the ride! Constructive Criticism is always welcomed.

Chapter Seven

Acceptance

"How's she holding up?" Genta asked as Ryunosuke swung through the doors.

"Better than any of us expected," he replied, slightly amused.

Genta grinned. "I don't know about that one. I think Kotoha and Take-chan would argue otherwise."

Ryunosuke felt his lips quirk up. "I guess you're saying they were right?"

Genta added some seasoning to his dish. "I'm just saying that you can't always judge a book by its cover. She's…different from the rest of them."

"I'll say," Ryunosuke mumbled quietly, thinking back on what he knew about their new hire.

Genta looked up at his friend's comment but didn't ask for further information.

"Hey Ryunosuke?" Kotoha poked her head inside the doors. "Tanba is looking for you."

Ryunosuke stifled a groan. "Do you know what he wants?"

Kotoha shook her head. "He just asked that you and Takeru be sent to his office."

Genta and Ryunosuke exchanged a look that clearly read 'what now?' "Well, better not to keep him waiting." He trudged out of the room and down the hall.

"Hey! Kotoha!" Genta called before she could pop back out. "Come here a second."

Kotoha fully entered the kitchen and approached her friend as he added the finishing touches to his dish.

"How's our little lady doing?"

Kotoha beamed. "Really well! She's doing such an amazing job. I really envy her."

Genta grinned. "Has Take-chan been helping her on the floor?"

"He's always watching out for her," Kotoha told him, slightly confused. "Doesn't he always do that for new hires? He is the manager."

"Oh I'm sure Take-chan is doing his job, alright." Genta assured her. "I was just wondering if it's only because it's 'his job' this time around."

Kotoha's eyes grew wider. "You mean…?"

He nodded. "I have my suspicions." He eyed her. "I'm sure you do too."

Kotoha's answering smile was all the confirmation he needed.

Out on the floor, Mako covered a sudden sneeze in the crook of her elbow.

"Getting sick?"

Mako turned and saw Chiaki standing behind her. "I think it's just the dry air."

"Hn," he answered gruffly before turning away and continuing to clear the table he was working on.

She eyed him for a moment, wondering briefly if that had been concern he had been showing, but waved away the ridiculous thought as quickly as it had come.

"Hey Mako?"

Mako turned to see one of the other waitresses approaching her. "Your customer at table two is asking for you." The waitress bit her lip. "Be careful," she lowered her voice. "I think the couple drinks he had have gone right to his head."

Mako sighed quietly. "Thanks, I'll take care of him."

The waitress nodded and hurried off.

"You should really get Takeru or Ryunosuke to deal with him if he's unruly."

Mako looked back at Chiaki with a raised brow. "Is that concern I hear?"

"Ha." He continued his work.

She smiled almost wearily. "That's what I figured."

Mako forced herself to head over to the table where her customer awaited her. She could see how the alcohol had almost instantly gone to his head; his cheeks were flushed a brilliant red and his eyes were glassy. He hadn't ordered many drinks, but obviously he was a light-weight. She stifled a groan when he spotted her and waved her over eagerly.

"Is there anything I can help you with sir?" She inquired politely.

"Another round!" He held up his drink to visually show her.

"I'm sorry sir, but I'm afraid we're going to have to cut you off for the night." Mako tensed as she waited for his response.

"Whaaa," he slurred. "I'm fine! I can handle another juuus- peachy!"

"I'm terribly sorry, but we believe you've had enough for one even-" Mako let out a quiet yelp of surprise when his hand clamped around her wrist and he dragged her closer to his face.

"Awww, come on," he tried to cajole her. "Why don' ya join me with one?"

"Sir, I need you to let me go." Mako's face scrunched in distaste as the alcoholic vapors from his mouth seemed to engulf her face when he only held on tighter.

"Are yoooou saying you're too good for me?" His tone had taken on a harder edge.

Mako rapidly searched for a suitable response to keep him calm and release her when another hand shot out and pried the customer's hand off Mako's wrist.

"She's saying that you've had enough for one night, and we're going to call you a ride home."

Mako turned in surprise to see Chiaki. The man was blinking at the newcomer in surprised stupor. "She's going to ring up your check, then call for your ride." Chiaki looked at her with a face that clearly told her to move. Mako didn't need to be told twice. She walked as calmly and quickly away from the table as she could, her heart pounding in her chest.

She didn't realize her hands were shaking slightly until she tried to ring up the man's order on the screen. She breathed in deeply, trying to steady herself.

"Are you alright?"

Mako looked up to see Takeru looking at her in concern. "Just a…difficult customer."

Takeru frowned, following her gaze. He caught Chiaki's eye and nodded. "Go."

Mako looked up at her manager in confusion.

He gently took her by the shoulders and pushed her in the direction of the hallway. "Go take a break."

"I -"

"You're shaking," he cut off her protests. She looked like she was going to argue further when Kotoha popped around the corner. He called her over. "Take Mako into the back and make sure she takes a break for a few moments."

"Okay," Kotoha looked at the pair in surprise, her eyes darting between the two.

When she still looked like she was going to argue, Takeru sighed. "Chiaki and I will handle it. Now go." He nodded to Kotoha who grasped Mako's hands and all but dragged her to the break room.

"What happened?" Kotoha asked the moment they hit the sanctuary of the backroom. She listened attentively as Mako explained. To Mako's surprise, Kotoha was beaming by the end. "So both Chiaki and Takeru came to your rescue?"

Mako sputtered. "Rescue?"

"I'm so happy for you Mako!" She threw her arms around her friend.

Mako was so confused by her friend's reaction she didn't even realize her shaking had ceased.

"Hey."

Both girls looked up to see Chiaki leaning against the doorframe. "Are you okay?" He was studying the pattern on the floor intently.

Mako stared at him for a moment before a small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Yes, thank you."

He kicked at the ground. "I told you to let someone else handle it."

"I'm glad you were there Chiaki."

He finally looked up at her. "Yeah, well, your Kotoha's friend," he mumbled.

Kotoha's smile was brighter than the sun. "Chiaki!" She rushed over and threw her arms around him in a tight hug which pulled a smile from his previously stern countenance.

Mako watched the two, feeling a genuine smile lighting up her own features, even if it did pull at a string of envy deep inside her.

Mako stretched her arms over head as she headed to her locker. After the incident with the drunken customer, the rest of her shift had been quiet in comparison. Everything had flowed along smoothly, and now she was ready to call it a night. As she turned the dial on her lock, Kotoha's voice reached her ears.

"Ah! Mako! I'm glad I caught you." Her friend dashed over. "Would you mind hanging around until I get off tonight? I have a surprise for you!"

Amused at her friend's exuberance, Mako smiled. "Sure. I'll wait in the break room for you. Just come and get me when you're finished."

"Okay!" The younger girl all but danced out of the room.

Mako smiled after her before turning back to her locker and grabbing her clothes and heading to the bathroom to change. Upon her return she grabbed her purse and a book from her locker as she placed her neatly folded uniform inside.

Book in hand she made her way to the backroom, sat herself down in a chair and lost herself to the world as she became absorbed into her novel. She looked up briefly every time someone entered the room, but otherwise she let her mind wander.

"Ah! Sorry everyone, I'm ready. Thanks for waiting!"

Mako looked up when she heard Kotoha's voice, but stilled when she realized that seated in the room was Ryunosuke, Genta, and Chiaki who had been fully engaged in their own conversation. It was only as she put her novel down did she suddenly hear the noise they had been making from their usual banter, and that they too were out of uniform.

"Where's Take-chan?" Genta asked.

"He's changing right now," Kotoha answered. "He said he'll be here in a minute, and then we can head out." Kotoha found Mako's surprised face. "Are you ready?"

Genta laughed. "You were so absorbed in that book of yours you didn't even hear us did you?"

Mako's ears turned red. "I'm sorry."

Ryunosuke and Genta smiled good-naturedly. "Ah, don't worry about it," Genta reassured her.

"Takeru!" Chiaki caught sight of their manager first. "It took you long enough."

Mako looked up shyly as Takeru joined his friends. He looked at her and nodded his greeting as she nodded back.

"Alright!" Kotoha clapped her hands together. "Let's go!" She laced her arm through Mako's and all but dragged her out of the room, leading the group down the hall and out into the crisp autumn air.

Mako quickly stuffed her book into her bag, trying to adjust her pace to her friend's. "Where are we going?" Her breath made clouds of silver mist cling in the air.

"You'll see," Kotoha teased.

"It's a surprise," Genta assured her from behind.

Mako looked over her shoulder to note that all four guys were right behind them. She made brief eye-contact with Takeru, and barely caught herself from stumbling as she hurriedly turned herself back around.

The group laughed and joked as they made their way down the road. Mako felt herself relax from the buoyant atmosphere, even as she kept quiet. It was enough to simply feel like she was a part of the group, if only for a brief while.

Just when Mako began to wonder again where they were headed, she felt Kotoha come to a halt in front of a large building complex.

"Ta-dah!" Her friend exclaimed.

Mako looked up at the building in front of her in confusion.

"We found you an apartment Mako," Kotoha clarified.

"We?" Mako looked back at her friend, stunned.

Kotoha nodded. "When Ryunosuke and Genta found out that a tenant was moving out, they inquired about it for you."

Mako stared at the group in shock, speechless.

"Would you like to take a closer look?" Genta asked, a large hammy grin on his face.

Mako could only nod in answer. The group of six entered the complex and climbed three staircases before they reached the right floor. They halted in front of room 305; Ryunosuke pulling a key out of his dark blue jacket pocket.

"I asked to borrow it," he explained to Mako. He inserted the key and opened the door, entering inside and hitting light switches as he went. Kotoha eagerly nudged Mako in behind him.

Mako stood in the center of the main room and looked around, her face unreadable.

"It's not much," Ryunosuke explained. "But it has two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a small kitchen besides this room. Plus, it's located down the street from both school and work."

"We figured you could always find a roommate for the other room if you want to split the rent," Genta continued. "Or you could use it for something else."

Mako turned slowly on the spot, taking it all in.

The group regarded her silently, until Kotoha broke the silence.

"Well?" She asked tentatively. "What do you think?"

So many thoughts rushed through her head, she didn't know which to voice first. "Thank you," was all she could manage, with the biggest, most genuine smile they had seen on her face yet.

Chiaki and Genta nudged each other happily in back, Ryunosuke grinned widely, and Kotoha threw her arms around Mako in her delight. Takeru leaned against the wall next to the door, a small smile tugging at his face as well.

"That's that then," Ryunosuke said. "We'll introduce you to the landlord first thing in the morning."

"Thank you so much," Mako said with overwhelming sincerity.

He waved away her gratitude. "It's the least we can do for Kotoha's friend."

Mako felt a thrill of happiness run through her; that was the second time she had heard that in one night. Maybe it was true then after all.

"Alright everybody, fall out," Genta instructed. "We're going to have a busy day tomorrow."

"We are?" Mako asked.

"We are if we're going to be helping you move in," Takeru spoke up.

Mako flushed. "Wha - But, no really, I couldn't. You've already done so much and -"

"We want to Mako," Kotoha assured her.

"Otherwise we wouldn't bother," Chiaki added.

"I don't know what to say," Mako looked down at her shoes. "Thank you so much."

They nodded back and began to file out, Ryunosuke locking up behind them all. The four guys walked ahead of the girls as they made their way down the stairs.

Mako pulled on Kotoha's yellow plaid jacket, halting the younger girl for a moment. "Kotoha… I don't know how I can ever thank you enough for…"

Kotoha smiled widely. "Mako," she admonished gently. "We're friends. This is just what friends do for each other."

Mako smiled back, watching the four young men banter as they made their way down the stairs. "You have an amazing group of friend's Kotoha. I envy you."

Kotoha looked at her friend, her smile dropping slightly. "They're your friends now too Mako."

Mako gave her a look of sad disbelief, but before her friend could protest she cut her off. "Would you like to be my roommate?"

Whatever Kotoha had been about to say was completely erased from her mind. "What?"

Mako leaned against the handrail, looking out and up at the dark sky. "I know you're in the dorms, but I think if we split the rent here, it would be cheaper for both of us." Mako was suddenly engulfed in a hug so hard that only Mako's grasp of the handrail kept the two from toppling over.

"Of course!" Kotoha's absolute joy was evident in every syllable. "I would love to be your roommate Mako! We're going to have so much fun!" Kotoha's glee caught Mako in its grip and the two were laughing before they realized it.

Unbeknownst to them, the four guys and halted their progression and were watching the pair with evident smiles on their faces.

"Kotoha certainly seems happy," Ryunosuke commented. "Are you sure you're okay with her moving in with her?"

"I guess she's not so bad," Chiaki answered, happy that his girlfriend was so pleased. "Besides, this will be cheaper for her."

"You're still in the dorms," Ryunosuke pointed out. "That means she'll be further away from you now."

"Eh, it's not that far," he shrugged. "I can handle a few more minutes in travel time."

"What? But now there won't be any late night calls in the middle of the night," Ryunosuke teased. His answer was a head-lock that had him flailing to keep his balance on the stairs.

Genta and Takeru shook their heads at the two before turning back to the two girl's laughter.

"Ahh, now that's a sound to delight the ears," Genta commented.

"Hmm," Takeru agreed quietly.

Genta slid his gaze toward his old friend, noting that Takeru seemed unable to stop watching one young woman in particular. "She's something else, isn't she?" he asked quietly.

Takeru met his friend's eye briefly before looking back up at the pair.

"It wouldn't hurt to ask her Take-chan," he continued in a low-voice.

"It wouldn't work out," Takeru answered in the same quiet tone.

"You won't know until you try," Genta shrugged, looking back up at the two young women. "She's different then the rest of them, even Ryunosuke and Chiaki have begun to notice and acknowledge it. I know you do too, or we wouldn't even be here now. I know you Take-chan. Had she not been different, you would have protected Kotoha from her as fiercely as Chiaki."

Kotoha and Mako turned to descend the stairs themselves, still laughing when Mako caught Takeru's eye and she looked away, flushing prettily.

"Like I said," Genta clapped a friendly hand on Takeru's shoulder before he turned to disentangle Ryunosuke and Chiaki so they could continue their way down.

Takeru glanced back at Mako, the moment behind the restaurant rising in his memories once more. Maybe Genta was right.

Mako walked out of the office smiling. "Ta-dah!" She smiled widely as she held up two sets of keys, and handed one to Kotoha. Kotoha laughed in delight as she held her own key tightly in her fist and hugged Mako. "We're all set."

"Let's get your things first Mako," Kotoha began excitedly.

"Are you sure? Your dorm is closer."

"Exactly," Kotoha agreed. "We can get started with your stuff first, mine can wait. Besides, I know you're eager to get out."

Mako smiled gratefully at her friend. "Best to rip off the Band-Aid, I suppose?"

"You haven't told her yet?"

Mako shook her head. "I wanted to wait until I had a place first, so that I could leave as fast as possible once I told her."

Kotoha nodded in understanding.

"Are your friends meeting us here?"

Kotoha put her hands on her hips. "I keep telling you, they're your friends too Mako."

Mako didn't answer, so Kotoha sighed, dropping the subject for the moment. "Chiaki is on his way over with Takeru now. We can go up and see if Ryunosuke and Genta are ready yet."

"Go up?"

Kotoha nodded. "Didn't we tell you? Ryunosuke and Genta share an apartment here too. They're on the fifth floor."

Mako stared after her friend as Kotoha began to head toward the open staircase. It took a moment for her legs to start as she followed, climbing after her at a steady pace. "That explains a lot."

Kotoha giggled in response. "They didn't want to tell you at first. They were afraid it might, ah, affect your judgment about moving in here." She looked sheepishly back.

Mako smiled and waved away her friend's worries. "I understand."

The two had just reached the fifth landing when Kotoha suddenly leaned over the ledge and began to wave excitedly. "Chiaki!" she called. "Takeru!"

"Oye! Kotoha! Don't lean over like that!" Chiaki called back in response from the street.

Mako leaned over the rail and peered down to see the two approaching the building.

"Come on up!" Kotoha continued, waving them up before she moved from the rail, grasped Mako's hand and pulled her along the floor. "Good, we can just grab the other two and be on our way." They stopped in front of the door numbered 509, knocking smartly.

The door opened to the delicious smell of food cooking. Mako's mouth immediately began to water. Ryunosuke stood before the two, completely dressed and his usual smile in place. "Are you guys ready to go?"

Kotoha nodded. "Chiaki and Takeru are on their way up now."

Behind him Genta laughed. "What? They're climbing all the way up here just so they can climb all the way back down again?"

Ryunosuke shook his head. "You're welcome to come in. We just need to grab a few things and finish cleaning up our breakfast."

"I'll wait outside," Mako answered politely. "It's nice today." She felt awkward about entering their home, even if she had just been invited in. The guys shrugged and Kotoha looked back at her friend, unsure. "Go, go" Mako shooed her away. Kotoha nodded before following the two inside.

Mako leaned against the handrail surrounding the open floor, letting the bright morning sunshine soak into her hair and face, warming her from the outside in. It was going to be a very, very long day, and she needed a few moments of peace to prepare herself mentally for it.

She closed her eyes and looked at the red of her eyelids, letting her mind wander and center itself. She heard Chiaki and Takeru arrive at the door, but only one pair of footsteps approached the door, opened it, and journeyed inside.

She peeked open an eye to see Takeru leaning against the handrail a few feet away from her. "I don't bite," she teased in a moment of daring.

Takeru looked at her with a smile before shifting closer. "Better?"

"Mmhmm," Mako agreed, feeling a tingling sensation start on her right side where he stood mere inches away from her now. She shut her eyes again.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked after a quiet moment.

"You."

Takeru's head snapped toward her to see her eyes still closed and a teasing smile tugging at her lips. He smiled warily. "Was that a joke?"

She laughed softly. "Was it?" She opened her eyes and turned her face toward him, smiling.

"What are you really thinking about?"

You, Mako's mind supplied, but instead she turned around and leaned forward against the handrail, letting the sun warm her back. "Today," she answered in truth.

He mimicked her movements, still watching her face closely.

Her eyes flicked toward him, knowing he wouldn't ask verbally, but his steady gaze was questioning enough. "My aunt is a…difficult person," she admitted. "We don't see eye-to-eye."

"Does she know you're moving out today?"

Mako looked down at her hands to see that her knuckles had turned white from clenching the cool metal railing. "No."

"So she doesn't know we're coming either then?"

Mako shook her head.

Takeru sighed quietly. "We're not the sort of group she'd approve of, right?"

Mako's stained cheeks provided his answer. "I don't care if she approves or not," she murmured, a bite to her tone. "I don't care if any of them 'approve' or not. It's my life. I'll choose what I do with it and who I chose to share it with."

Takeru nodded his approval, feeling an unexpected weight lift off his shoulders. He opened his mouth to ask her a question he had buzzing in his mind when the sound of the door opening made him shut it just as fast. He looked over his shoulder to see his friends pile out the door.

"We're all set!" Kotoha's cheery voice was as bright as the sunshine falling around them. "Ready to go Mako?" She hooked her arm around her friend's arm.

Mako nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be."

As Kotoha led her away, and Chiaki and Ryunosuke followed, Genta slung an arm around his friend's shoulder. "Sorry Take-chan. I tried to keep them occupied as long as I could. We didn't interrupt anything did we?"

Takeru shook his head. "We were just talking." But his eyes never left Mako's back.

Genta took note of it and grinned.