Kotori carried the last box of clothes into Maki's piano room (which sort of became the headquarters of μ's).
"Good work everyone!" Eli called from her seat in front of the desk computer. "Now all we have to do is record the MV!"
"Yay!" Honoka cheered.
Rin and Hanayo burst into the room with plastic bags. "Hey, guys we brought fried chicken!"
"Oh my god yes, yes, yes. I need food," Nico chanted.
Hanayo placed the boxes of fried chicken onto the low coffee table. "Dig in, guys!"
Eli clapped her hands. "Guys! Don't forget that we'll have to go work out after eating all these calories!"
There was a chorus of groans.
Maki smiled lightly to herself. It really was like back when they were high schoolers.
"Okay, cut!" Umi called.
Honoka burst out laughing. "I look like a housewife!"
Maki shrugged. "Hey, you were the one who suggested the MV beginning with a shot of you making wagashi."
"I know, but I didn't think that I would have to wear this weird apron or put my hair up in a bun!"
Kotori frowned. "So you don't like my styling?"
"No, that's not what I meant!"
Eli checked the video on the monitor. "Hmm, I think this is fine. Let's move onto the next scene. Honoka, get ready."
"Yes, ma'am!" Honoka did a little salute and got into position on a stool with her phone.
Honoka, Umi, Eli, Kotori and Maki were working on filming the first scenes with Honoka while the rest of the girls were getting ready for their own scenes in their designated positions.
"3...2...1." Umi hit the button on the camera.
Honoka pretended to press a few buttons on her phone and place it next to her ear. "Hello, Kotori!"
"Cut!" Eli clapped her hands. "Honoka you are acting too innocent! Remember our concept? We are supposed to be grown up now! Again!"
Maki sighed. It was going to be a long day...
After filming everyone's individual scenes, it was time for Nico's car crash scene. Maki had brought out one of her family's trucks into the driveway of her house.
"Rin, you know how to drive, right?" Maki asked hesitantly.
"Of course! I have a driver's license!" Rin pouted.
"Okay, good, good great." Maki directed Rin to the truck. "Why don't you try testing out the truck for a bit? Get used to it."
Rin nodded and started jogging towards the truck.
Maki shifted her focus to Nico, who was getting her make-up touched up by Kotori. "Nico, you know what you have to do right?"
Nico rolled her eyes and sassily replied, "Walk across the street and pretend to get hit by a truck and almost die, right?"
"Uh...yes."
Kotori finished dusting Nico's face with powder. "Okay! You're ready!"
Nico grabbed the colourful shopping bags and waited by the side of the street.
"Rin, are you ready?" Maki called.
Rin nodded. "I think I got this!.
"Don't actually squash me," Nico emphasized with a pout.
Rin laughed hysterically.
"I hope we won't have to hide Nico's body tonight," Eli muttered.
"3...2...1...go!" Umi shouted from behind the camera.
Nico began to strut across the street with her shopping bags while the truck steadily approached. When it starts to gets close to her, Nico fakes a surprised expression at the camera and lets out a little shriek.
"And...cut!"
Rin didn't stop the truck.
She kept driving, and soon the shrieking became genuine.
"Rin! I said cut!" Umi cried.
"Oh god," Maki murmured under her breath.
Rin finally stopped the truck, about what looked like a centimetre away from Nico's back. "HAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"RIN! It's not funny! You could've killed me!" Nico whined, still looking a bit pale.
Maki chuckled. "Good one, Rin! If only you actually killed her."
"MAKI!"
Eli sighed and crossed her arms. "Rin. That was not okay. Nico could have seriously gotten hurt."
"Oh...sorry Nico," Rin said without even the smallest hint of guilt.
"Hmph!"
Umi clapped sharply. "Okay! That's enough. We have to move on to the next scene."
Kotori gestured to the stool in front of her. "Nico, sit down! We need to redo your makeup."
"In the meantime, I want to film the scene again with just Rin so that we can zoom into her face," Umi said, getting to work with the camera immediately.
"Good idea," Eli added.
Nico strutted over to Kotori while Rin began to back the truck again.
Maki sighed to herself.
It was going to be a very long day.
After some massive difficulties with filming the surgery scene due to Nico's constant giggling and snide comments, Eli and Umi finally called the day over.
Nico had immediately retreated to the bathroom to wash off all the fake blood and makeup while Hanayo brought in even more food (pizza this time!) so everyone just hung around in Maki's piano room eating.
"You, know," Honoka started abruptly with a slice of pizza in her hand. "What if we just stayed the night?"
Everyone whooped and cheered.
"Well...Maki?" Eli turned to Maki expectantly. "What do you think?"
Maki shrugged. "Fine."
Everyone cheered again.
"Just don't be too loud," Maki added quickly.
"That's perfect! Now we can pull an all-nighter editing the video together!" Umi said to Eli who nodded.
"But what about pyjamas?" Hanayo wondered out loud.
"Well, about that," Kotori says with a small smile as she began rummaging through one of the boxes of costumes. "I kinda thought something like this would happen so I prepared nightgowns for everyone!" Kotori held up a beautifully made nightgown to show as proof.
Everyone cheered even more.
"Speaking of tonight," Maki said. "I'll go get sleeping bags so that you guys can sleep together in this room."
"You're not sleeping with us?" Honoka asked with a shocked look on her face.
"Huh? Uh-I mean- I already have my bedroom." Upon Honoka's heartbroken expression, Maki quickly added, "But well, you know, I can still join you guys. Not because I want to or anything, but you guys probably won't let me sleep in my own room any-"
"Maki," Nozomi cut in. "Don't go tsundere on us now."
Everyone giggled.
Huh, Maki thought. I thought I wasn't tsundere anymore.
That night, somehow, Honoka ended getting hold of alcohol again.
Except this time, it was expensive French champagne.
Some people, like Eli, Umi and Nozomi were drinking responsibly at tables while editing the video like mature adults.
Or even Hanayo, who decided to avoid alcohol entirely and listen to music while drawing quietly in a corner.
Other people weren't so composed.
"MAKI! MAKI! THIS CHAMPAGNE IS GOOD! IT'S BETTER THAN ANY BEER I HAVE EVER HAD!" Honoka yelled while the glass of champagne in her hand wobbled dangerously.
"Yea! Even better than the sake I drink!" Rin adds.
"Maki! You're rich! I think you should sponsor MY youtube channel so that I can vlog a trip to Paris or London!" Nico's champagne glass almost tipped over as she spoke.
This was going to end badly and Maki knew it.
Well. At least save the expensive champagne and the glasses.
Wordlessly, Maki grabbed the glasses of champagne from Honoka, Rin and Nico, and handed them a can of beer each instead. Then, Maki walked out the door to put away the glasses.
When she came back, the drunk trio didn't even notice a thing.
Maki smiled.
"Oh hey, Maki! Come join us, we're playing a secret game." Honoka wiggled her eyebrows mysteriously.
"How's editing going?" Maki asked Eli.
"HEY! Don't ignore us!" Nico whined.
"Great actually, I think we can finish this by morning," Eli replied.
"MAKI! COME PLAY WITH US!" Rin wailed.
"Is there anything I can help with?" Maki asked Eli.
"MAKI! COME QUICK! I'M GETTING IMPATIENT!" Honoka screamed.
"We're doing pretty okay over here but it'll be great if you could go entertain the drunk people in the corner there." Nozomi chuckles dryly. "It's getting a bit noisy don't you think?"
Maki takes a deep breath. "Alright, then."
When Honoka noticed Maki approaching, she scooted over and patted the ground next to her. "Yay! Sit down, Maki!"
"So, what game are you guys playing?" Maki forced herself to say.
"It's easy! We play rock paper scissors, and whoever loses chugs!" Rin explained while beer dripped down from her chin ungracefully.
Maki frowned. "Okay then."
"Go get your beer, Maki!" Honoka prompted.
Reluctantly, Maki poured herself a glass of champagne and sat back down.
"Let's start!" Honoka, who did not notice that Maki had champagne, not beer, exclaimed. "Rock...Paper...Scissors!"
Rin, Honoka and Nico all chose rock, but Maki chose paper.
"Aw! Maki lucky!" Rin wailed and chugged her beer.
Nico pouted and chugged.
Honoka just chugged. "Again! Rock...Paper...Scissors!"
Once more, Maki chose paper and everyone chose rock.
Oh, Maki sighed in relief. Seems like I won't have to get drunk today.
The game repeated a few more times with Maki not touching her drink while the other 3 got increasingly drunker.
Then abruptly, it happened.
Maki chose paper as per usual, but everyone else chose scissors.
"Huh?" Maki frowned in confusion.
"Maki, you chug!" Nico demanded. "Now!"
Hesitantly, Maki took a small sip of her champagne. Maybe I should not choose paper next time.
"Again! Rock...Paper...Scissors!"
Maki stared, speechless at the result of the game.
Somehow, everyone chose rock again, but Maki chose scissors.
Honoka giggled. "Maki, you have to chug again!"
Maki took a small sip.
"Again! Rock...Paper...Scissors!"
Rin laughed boisterously. "Maki! You chug, AGAIN!"
Maki took another sip. Not good. I'm already becoming tipsy.
Maki, for all her wealth, cannot handle her liquor at all.
A couple sips later and Maki decided to stop before she got completely drunk like last time. Maki stood up. "Hey guys, it's starting to get late we should go to sleep."
"What? It's not late, it's only 11 pm!" Nico whined.
"Well, at least you guys should stop drinking before you regret it tomorrow." Maki walked out of the room to put away her glass.
When she came back, Nico, Honoka and Rin were passed out on top of each other.
Only 11 pm, huh?
As Maki watched the three sleep, an idea began blossoming in her head. These three give me so much crap, what if I take some revenge?
"Eli," Maki started suddenly. "Do I have your permission to post a picture on our official Instagram account?"
Eli shrugged. "Sure."
"What are you up to?" Nozomi asked.
"Nothing, just a selfie." Maki held her phone up to take a selfie, making sure that everyone was in the frame.
Nozomi held up a cute little V sign and Eli and Umi just smiled for the photo while Hanayo was still sketching in her corner and paid no mind to the photo.
"Perfect." Maki quickly opened up her Instagram app and chose the photo from her gallery. Maki made sure to tag Nico's account and caption it with a single sleeping emoji.
Nozomi laughed when she opened the picture on her phone.
"What? What did she post?" Umi asked, turning her head to try to look at Nozomi's phone.
"A selfie of us in this room with the drunks passed out on the floor," Nozomi replied with a grin.
Needless to say, Nico will have a lovely surprise in the morning.
Author's Note: Next chapter will definitely be the last chapter so stay tuned!
Also, serious thanks to anyone who is still reading this story. I know that updates have been consistently inconsistent and I promise to upload the last chapter sometime before February 4th (It will take some time because it is the last chapter).
As always, thanks for reading and please review!