Wednesday, Shopping Mall, Afternoon
For a popular social hub like the Shopping Mall, the food court and shops popular with teenagers such as Alt Subject were the only places where any groups of people could be found. The sparseness of people was possibly due to the fact that it was Wednesday, and so a major amount of the Mall's population were busy with their jobs. That was great for Michael since it meant that there would be no lines at the stores he normally shops at.
"Now this is a pretty good perk of being your own boss; no designated hours to clock in." Michael said as his shoes tapped against the smooth floors of the shopping building. Kyu was hovering next to him as she usually did; Michael wouldn't speak out loud like this if they were in a crowded place like the gym.
"You're saying that, and yet aren't you a stickler for 'having a time and place for everything'?" She mocked him. Michael gave the love-fairy a sarcastic scowl in return.
"And the time right now is that I'm gonna get a few shirts and head back home to work. I'm not giving myself an off day just because I have a date." The thought of finishing his list of commissions never slipped his mind, no matter how beautiful the women are or how encapsulating their features were.
"What I am thinking about however is where to take Aiko for tonight…" Michael tapped his chin in a rhythm to try and get the gears in his mind rolling.
"Like I told you before man, take her to somewhere that you like. Nothing can go wrong with that..!" Kyu repeated her suggestion from when they were still in his apartment.
"I heard you the first time Kyu…" Michael spoke as he stepped onto an escalator.
"Then what's the problem? You go out alot thanks to your picture-taking hobby thing." She asked.
He turned his gaze to the pink fairy, "The places I go to normally are like, very quiet. And Aiko doesn't seem like the kind of woman to just sit around in one spot and call it a date." Michael explained.
Kyu arched an eyebrow and scoffed at the man incredulously. "My guy, when you first met her she was sitting alone in the park. When you asked her out yesterday she was sitting on a bench. You don't need to get her the fucking Moon, dude!"
"Then what should I do..!" He asked her once again; he was starting to grow more irritated that he didn't have a clue of what to do.
Kyu whizzed over so she was floating in front of the moderately distressed man, grabbing both sides of his face with a slap. "You don't know what she likes and neither do I so hell if I know! Just take a gamble on where you'd want to take her! You've managed to get like, six phone numbers in three days! Use that witty brain of yours and you'll figure it out!"
She stared at him with determination radiating from her eyes as she pushed him to think and stop panicking. Her words of encouragement managed to get the man to reassess his situation as well as his choices.
"Take a gamble…" He furled his brows as his face was released by the love-fairy.
"Now those gears are turning right?" Kyu bumped his shoulder as they kept walking.
A few minutes would pass as Michael was still in his thoughts whilst he strolled by a salon. Angered shrieks could be heard bellowing out from within. It was those furious cries that managed to pull the golden-haired artist out from his thoughts, making him shift his eyes towards the salon.
Inside of the salon were two women he knew from yesterday; at least one of them he knew, the other one was more of an encounter from yesterday.
The one he remembered was none other than Kyanna and given by the burning glare of annoyance currently on her face, she wasn't happy. It was weird to see a woman that was so outgoing and constantly smiling to look this furious; it was probably the woman across from her making that happen.
The lady across from Kyanna was the same person that he had to help Nikki back to her apartment last night, and she was wearing the same clothes. Her red eyes shot knives at Kyanna as they argued back and forth, and all Michael could really do was watch since he didn't want to be on the receiving end of whatever hellfire was brewing between the two women.
"Hey dude, that's the drunk girl from last night, right?" Kyu asked.
"Mhmm. And given by her clothes, she either hasn't changed or is a cartoon character that wears the same outfit everyday." Michael replied as he watched the fiery altercation between the two. From what the pair could hear this whole fight was about how Kyanna supposedly cut the red-haired woman's hair wrong.
"She cut her hair?" Kyu asked. Michael shrugged his shoulders, just as confused as she was.
"To be honest I couldn't tell the difference." Michael responded. Comparing the woman from last night and now he couldn't tell the difference whether it be the length of hair, her bangs or whatever was supposed to be changed. The two's sidebar was cut short by what the red-head chided towards Kyanna.
"Awww what's wrong? Did I hurt your little whore feelings? Woulda thought you toughened up a little after your baby-daddy walked out on your whore ass." Both Michael's and Kyu's eyes widened as they watched the red-head walk out of the salon with a huff, leaving Kyanna steaming as she resisted the urge to tackle the other woman to the ground and maul her.
"Woooh..! She's a little feisty isn't she? " Kyu asked Michael.
"Feisty? That's like saying sharks have teeth; true, but can be described better than that." He spoke quiet enough so the passing redhead couldn't hear him.
"Well what're you waiting for dude? Go after her..! She needs to be cooled off!" Kyu tried to push Michael towards the woman, but the man refused to move.
"No way I'm gonna talk to someone like her right now..!" He argued back, looking at the fairy and shaking her hands off of him.
"And why not..! You met her yesterday-aaand she's gone." Before Kyu could make her counterargument against Michael's unwillingness to talk to the woman she had already disappeared.
Now that she was gone, Michael could focus on something that wasn't getting that ball of fire's number, and so he made his way to the salon where Kyanna was standing at the front desk. He wanted to make sure she was okay considering what had just transpired.
"Oh-Hey Michael..!" Kyanna noticed Michael and cleared her throat. She wanted to make herself sound professional after the heated bout she just went through.
"Hi Kyanna." He simply spoke. His tone was calm as Kyanna got her composure back. But before she could speak she made the mistake of looking Michael in the eyes, and that almost instantly cracked her freshly built walls to the ground.
"You saw that didn't you…" She sighed as he nodded his head; she ran a hand through her hair and pushed her bangs back a little.
"Yeah I did…" Michael saw her lean against the counter. Kyanna didn't feel the need to be as formal towards the man. "Want me to say something?" he offered, ushering her to quickly wave her hand and shake her head.
"No..! No, you don't need to. I said what I needed to say." She huffed. "I'd rather not think about her." She moved to go wash her hands, making sure to use extra soap to get the smokey scent that coated her hands out.
"So what do you need? Want me to touch up those locks of yours?" She asked as she dried her hands.
"Ehhhh not right now. Maybe when it gets a little longer. I just wanted to come over here and see if you're okay. It sounded like that girl had a mouth on her." Michael explained.
"Aww you didn't need to go out of your way to do that, I'm doing fine...but thanks anyway." She returned his considerate gesture with a smile.
"Want me to go teach her a lesson? I'm sure I can do something for you." Michael joked, curling one of his arms and placing a hand on his bicep.
His gesture got a giggle out of Kyanna, her smile now fully back on her face. "No..! You don't have to do that. I'd rather you don't get in trouble." She sighed as she laughed.
"Although it was nice to know that someone I was familiar with came in. I wouldn't have wanted to work with such a bad attitude after all that." Kyanna thanked him.
Michael shrugged his shoulders as he lifted his hands up, dropping them soon after as a gesture to show he was there. "Hey it's what I'm here for." He said.
"So what brings you up here anyway? Doing some shopping?" She asked to move the conversation away from the fiery exchange that had just happened.
"Ehhh pretty much." He started. "I'm gonna be heading out with a friend tonight and just need some new shirts. You know, to spice up my style." He raised up a hand and wiggled his fingers to add flare to his statement, much to Kyanna's enjoyment.
"Ooooh I wonder who the lucky lady is?" She joked, crossing her arms under her chest. Michael shook his head, not wanting Kyanna to get the idea that Aiko was his girlfriend or future girlfriend.
"I-It's nothing like that, Kyanna..! She's just a friend and I figured that I could help her take some stress away by taking her out to do something fun..!" He explained it the best he could.
"Ohhhh I got you now. If you don't mind me asking, where are you taking her?" She tilted her head, curious as to what Michael had up his sleeves for the night, unaware of the copious amounts of cobwebs and dust that hid up each arm.
All she needed to know was given to her by the sound of him inhaling sharply through his teeth, indicating he was still on the whole planning phase.
"Still figuring it out, huh?" She smirked playfully.
"Yeah...I want to take her out for some food, that's a first; but I don't want it to be so...quiet, you know..? I want us to do something fun, but I don't think my definition of fun fits with her's…" He explained to her his rather sedentary work-life as well as home life, only really going out to either do some photography, drawing, shopping, working out or the occasional forceful outing with Haric.
"I see; you don't want to bore her by just sitting around despite you not minding that." She hit the nail square on the head with that deduction, making Michael nod to her response.
"Yeah; I want to also try something different...but I don't know what to do." He huffed in defeat.
The two stood there in silence for what felt like forever; Michael wanted to try something different to make things a bit more entertaining with Aiko, but was in such a mental block that he could figure nothing out. That was until Kyanna gave him some much needed advice.
"You know dude, it seems like you're trying a little too hard on this." She started, locking her eyes with his as she continued. "I get that you're conscious of what makes you happy, and that's great..! I think that you're letting your self-consciousness take the wheel a little too much here if you know what I mean."
Michael tilted his head, confused at what she was saying. "I'm being too self-conscious..?"
Kyanna nodded her head. "Exactly. You're so focused on what you think they want to do that you aren't saving any room for yourself. Going out is more than just making the person you're taking out happy, you know? It's an experience you both should enjoy!"
He didn't even think to look at it like that; he was so eaten up by the fear that this needs to be the perfect first date. Despite telling himself repeatedly that it was just them going out, his anxious mind couldn't help but tell him that he needed to make this something that SHE should enjoy, not something THEY should enjoy. It finally took someone to remind him that this was an experience for the both of them.
"Wow…" He blinked. It was like his mind had refreshed. He knew what he wanted to do. "If that isn't called an eye opener, I don't know what is. Thanks Kyanna, that really helped."
Kyanna giggled, reaching over to tap his arm with the back of her hand. "Don't mention it dude." She replied. Before they could continue however, someone came in for an appointment and it just so happened to be scheduled with Kyanna.
"I've got to get going myself; thanks again Kyanna." Michael couldn't express his happiness enough as he left.
"It's no biggy, and Michael!" Kyanna called back to him for one final statement that was going to be with him for the rest of the day. "You're gonna be fine!" She waved.
Michael continued through the mall with a more confident stride, a plan slowly formulating in his head; if he didn't know where Aiko liked to go, he could take her to a place he liked, ask her where she normally liked to go and then take her there! Sure he isn't a mind reader that can determine where she likes to go based on the handful of conversations that they've had, but that shows he's interested in her hobbies!
"You look like you just had the best sex in the world." Kyu joked as they entered Michael's preferred clothing store, his shoes patting against the fabric flooring. It was so quiet that a pin could be heard if it dropped on the ceramic tile path that went through the store like a river, splitting the men's side from the women's side.
"I didn't, but it sure felt like it." Michael replied as he walked through the aisles with a scrutinizing gaze, his emerald orbs glancing over various shirts whose patterns ranged from normal flat colors to various shapes and colors.
"Hoh, yeah right. I doubt you remember what that feels like." She playfully burned him as she floated over the racks of shirts; one, to avoid him and two to scout out if there were any babes nearby that had a spot in their phone for Michael's number.
"Oh suck me off why don't you. At least I won't be able to hear you ramble on if you do." Michael fired back with his playful banter, looking up at the love-fairy for a moment to gauge her reaction before going back to sifting through shirts.
"Suck off what? That 9 centimeter Peter you got down there?" She laughed while she floated across towards the woman's clothing to avoid Michael's attempts at grabbing her.
"You little shit, Kyu..!" Michael couldn't help but laugh at her jab. Being called tiny-dicked wasn't what was making him laugh, but it was the rhyme she made that had sparked it. As a retort to her playful insult he fished out his phone, reeling back his arm to chuck it at her.
That joyous spark was going to be instantly snuffed out by the sight of a red on white dress, paired with a matching hairstyle. His smile faded quickly as just the sight of the short-tempered woman was standing in one of the aisles, her burning red eyes glaring directly at him.
"Who the fuck's Kyu?" She spoke. Oh no, she heard him.
Now was the time for him to think fast; the woman whom he had just heard spouting fire at Kyanna spotted him talking to himself in the middle of a clothing aisle. What could he possibly say to soften the brewing menagerie of insults that would eventually boil over and erupt from the hot-tempered lady.
"Kyuuuut…" He waved his phone, pointing to it to indicate he was talking to someone on the other line. "I was telling a friend that I thought you were cute." He needed to be confident with a person as bitchy as her. From what he spotted, she arched an eyebrow as her glare shifted into one of condescence as she registered his compliment.
She couldn't help but laugh at his attempt at flirting, "Telling your friends about me is more than gross." And here come the insults...
"What are you even doing at the mall anyway? Besides creeping on girls." The way she spoke reminded him of the popular girls in highschool. His interactions with them were sparse, but pleasant enough to where he wasn't subject to intense bullying or drama which was a plus. Michael needed to not let her words phaze him as he continued.
"Mmhh call me weird, but I had a dream that I'd meet my soulmate here.…" He started. It was definitely strange since he had witnessed her a few minutes prior spitting magma at Kyanna, but he didn't want to back down now; confidence was key here. His emerald eyes were locked onto her striking crimson hues as he spoke, "Guess dreams DO come true." He added a smirk for a little extra flare.
The results of his flirt were as expected; she crossed her arms and gave him an audible 'Hah' out of pity before flipping some stray locks of her hair over her shoulder.
"How many cheesy pick-up lines have you memorized anyway? You're gonna have to try a LOT harder than that, sorry." She laughed.
It was clear to Michael that his lines were having little effect on her, so he just needed to turn it up a notch, and he knew exactly how to do it.
"Okay, so you really wanna know why I'm here?" He arched an eyebrow, his lips curling up into a sly grin.
"Oh please just get on with it." The woman snapped at him.
"Impatient one aren't you? I'm gonna be heading out to pick up some condoms for our date later, and figured I'd get some new clothes as well just so you don't rip anything that I like." Kyu seemed impressed with his response, nodding her head and clapping her hands as the other woman's eyes softened a little at his extremely forward flirt.
"Is that so? Well you did put in more effort than I expected...and you are kind of cute." The further she continued to look at Michael, the more she realized that he wasn't that bad to look at, even going so far to think that he was okay to look at.
"I'll tell you what; if you're lucky maybe we could go get high some time, you down?" Doing drugs has never really been a thing that Michael had partaken in; maybe the drink with friends from time to time, but not smoking or anything like that.
Michael didn't want to lose ground, but definitely didn't want to smoke anything, "I tend to get drunk from time to time if that's anything." He mentioned, only able to remember from Haric's recollection of some of the parties he was taken to whilst in college.
"Eh, that works for me." She shrugged as she walked across the aisle towards him with various articles of clothing draped over her arms and hugged against her body.
The difference in their height was made more prevalent once she was standing before him, hands on her hips and eyes staring up at him. "But don't expect me to carry your tall-ass back when you're slammed out of your mind."
"Awww really? I figured you'd owe me since I carried you back to your place with your friend last night." Michael replied with the same fire that she had. The mention of last night seemed to jog some of the cogs in her brain and she managed to remember a little bit of what happened before she blacked out.
"Wait-you were at the club last night?" She asked. Her confusion was evident as her eyebrows raised; she couldn't remember anything besides the blasting music and the buzz of alcohol. "Fuck, I don't remember…"
"That was because you were beyond smashed, darling." Michael let a bit more of his accent flow out with the nickname she gave the woman, making her glare just a bit harder up at him.
"Ew. Don't ever call me that." Her tongue was tipped with venom when she said that, her words hiding the wish to slug him in the face for calling her that. Michael smiled at her reaction, wondering if he'd be able to get away with calling her another nickname.
"Then what would you prefer? I don't know your name." He asked. This experience was already different from others since he had seen her and even carried her home before even catching her name.
"Name's Audrey." She responded flatly before leaning to the side, the changing rooms were behind the towering blond man before her. Why would the makers of this shop put both the male and female changing rooms on one side the world would never know. "Now could you do me a favor and get the FUCK out of my way?"
"And why would I let you just walk out of my life as soon as I've met you?" His inquiry was amplified with a smirk as he watched her huff, a growl was audible in her throat.
"Fine. If you want to look at me THAT badly, then you can follow me around while I do some more shopping." Michael didn't know how to feel about this whole encounter, so he just went along with her. He dug himself into this after all; curse his sudden boost in confidence after talking with Kyanna...
As Audrey was trying some clothes on in the changing room he managed to get himself some new shirts as well before the woman slipped back out with her chosen selection of clothes.
The afternoon continued to fly by with each store that the two entered; and with each one they entered, the more bags that Michael had to carry. Thankfully other than the occasional question Audrey had for him regarding the fitting of some dresses, he didn't have much else to do, which gave him time to just think to himself about what would happen tonight with Aiko.
About two hours had passed and they were finally done shopping. Unsurprisingly, Audrey was a lot more picky than he'd realized initially; out of the vast amounts of clothes that she tried on, she only purchased about one or two from each store. It was clearly not the tower of clothes or shoe-boxes that he had initially thought of when they first started their little trip around the mall.
"Thanks for holding my bags; you were useful for something after all." She said as she grabbed the bags wrapped around his wrists.
"You suuuure are welcome." He replied with a sarcastic tone in his voice.
As payment for his efforts she fished out a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to him. He stared down at the crumpled sheet of paper and noticed a sequence of numbers that could only mean one thing to him-
"Give me a call if you ever wanna get smashed or hotboxed." She said as Michael tucked the paper into his pocket. "But if you fucking stalk me or some shit I'll call the cops on you." Michael gave the threats little attention as she started her walk out of the mall.
"I'm sure you will, Darling." He said once again, getting another angry glance from the short woman.
"Knock it off with the nicknames or your dick's coming with me." She threatened. He knew she was being hostile about that, but he couldn't resist playing with that further.
"Oh I hope so; I wouldn't want to be the only one satisfied~" He winked. Audrey growled, and since she had her hands filled with bags all she could do was smack her foot into his leg.
"I'm serious about calling the cops." She hissed as she turned and started walking away.
"I'm sure you are..!" He waved to her as she walked away.
Audrey didn't turn around to notice him waving as she exited the mall. Once she was gone Michael let out a sigh; that was an interesting experience...
Wednesday, Bedroom, Afternoon
"My GOD she was something else." Michael voiced himself to the fairy as he threw his bag of shirts to the side and flopped face-first onto his bed.
"You managed to keep your cool which is an achievement in and of itself." Kyu said as she sat on his computer chair. "A lot of guys tend to lose their confidence when they encounter a Mega Bitch."
"A Mega-what?" That title didn't fly over the man's head as he lifted his head up enough to look at the fairy.
"A Mega-Bitch. You know the type; the fiery, pissy, name-calling, constantly on their period type." Michael shook his head at hearing her description.
"Your skills at describing people will never cease to amaze me, you know that?" He said.
"Why thank you. I take pride in how I talk about people; but that's besides the point. You've got yourself a date to prepare for." The reminder of the impending evening only made him smile since he knew what they were going to do.
"That I do, that I do…" He said as he rolled onto his back and sat up to look at the clock; he only had a few hours left until evening rolled around and he needed to prepare. But work didn't slip his mind and so he needed to tend to that as well...
Author's Note: Hello and thank you for reading this chapter! We have finally cleared through meeting all of the starter girls, which is pretty nice!
Now then onto the plans I have for the future of this: the way how things are planned is that I do not plan on giving our boy Mikey here a harem since this story will branch into Huniepop 2 once I finish this. Instead of a harem, he'll be more of a friend-with-benefits with the girls; still being a friend with them first and foremost but also a stress reliever for the girls every now and again. In the future after the Huniepop 2 story I might write some stories where he'll choose one girl and stay with them, but that's in the future! So until then, ciao!