Chapter 11
"Hey Ryou," Tyr started as the three friends sat down for lunch. "What?" Ryou asked. "We haven't gotten together for a while now... We should have a New Year's party." Tyr explained. Ryou nodded. "Yeah, it's been a while. New Year's is this Saturday, right? Where should we hang out?" Tyr and Geoff looked at each other mischievously. They both turned to Ryou. "YOUR PLACE." "W-wait, what!?" Ryou said, panicking. "Um no, it's way too messy, can we choose somewhere else?" He asked hopefully. "Bullshit. Your place is always clean. We're coming over at 8 on Saturday! Make sure to prepare for six people, we're bringing our girlfriends, and so should you!" Geoff said as him and Tyr walked away. "SHE'S NOT MY..." Ryou started, "girlfriend..."
"Hey, pervert. What's bothering you?" Ahri asked as she finished her dinner. "Huh? Oh, you could tell?" Ryou asked, sheepishly. "Well, this Saturday is New Year's Eve. My friends want a New Year's party, so they chose my place..." Ahri thought about it for a moment. "Okay." "Huh?"Ryou said, confused. The fox girl stood up and said, "We're throwing a party, right? Stop moping around and let's get to it!" Ryou smiled, freezing Ahri in her tracks. "Thanks," he said as he went to go wash the dishes. Ahri stood there for a moment. "W-what was that?" She thought to herself as she grew red. "Why does my heart stop whenever he's around me?" She shook her head, and tried to forget those thoughts as she went to help Ryou. The rest of the week passed by quickly, with both of them getting ready for the party. As the two made the final preparations on Saturday, there was a knock on the door.
"HEY!" Tyr greeted Ryou enthusiastically. The two couples entered Ryou's home. "Maria! Krystal! Good to see you two!" Ryou said to his friends' girlfriends. Then Ryou noticed that everyone was staring at Ahri. "Umm... Hi." Ahri said, nervously. She was dressed in a brilliant red party dress, accented by an elegant white sash, the color scheme not unlike her original clothing. Krystal turned to Ryou and asked, "She's beautiful, Ryou, what's her name?" Shit. He didn't think that far ahead. Ryou decided to just wing it. "Her name?" He started, catching Ahri's nervous glance. If he said Ahri, his friends might think something's up. "Her name is Ah-Reum. It means 'beauty' in Korean." Maria clapped her hands together, and exclaimed, "What a fitting name!" The girls then swarmed Ahri, and soon before long, they were chatting like best friends. Ryou smiled at the sight before he was dragged to the side by a headlock from Tyr. "So, Ryou, mind telling us where you found such a jewel, and managed to take her for your own?" Tyr asked, releasing Ryou. "Hmmm. I guess you could say she just fell on me." Ryou said jokingly. "You lucky bugger," Geoff said, chuckling. "Come on, let's enjoy the party!" The group went to enjoy chips and dip, finger foods, and bottles of good champagne. They shared stories, cracked jokes, and watched T.V. for the countdown to begin. Time went by quickly, but Ryou was glad that Ahri was able to make new friends. He was also mildly surprised that his friends weren't overly affected by her charm. After the New Year countdown, they all had one final drink, and then their guests began to leave. When all the guests had left, Ryou sat down on the couch, and gave a sigh of relief. "Well now that's over I gue-" he froze when he saw Ahri just standing there blushing. "Idiot. Don't embarrass me like that." Ahri pouted. "Oh? You seemed perfectly fine." Ryou replied, confused. "You know what you did!" Ahri shot back. "Just tell me." Ryou said, wearily. "Calling me Ah-Reum..." Ahri trailed off. Ryou was quiet for a moment. "I simply told the truth," he finally said. Ahri blushed even more. She turned around toward the bedroom. "Thanks."
This was a bit of short chapter. Sorry if it feels rushed, but I bring good news. I've finished the rest of this story! Now all that's left is my continuous upload of the upcoming chapters. This whole story has 17 chapters, so it won't be long until the end. Thanks for providing me continuous support and criticism, you guys gave me more confidence in my writing. Stay vigilant, and you will see the last chapter uploaded before long. :)