March 2nd

"What to do today? It`s my birthday today, but I don`t usually do anything on my birthday" Ishigami thought as he walked out of his room. "That`s weird, I wonder where Miko went?" said Ishigami as he noticed that Miko was absent. "Got a text from Chika, wonder what that could be" said Ishigami as he got a notification on his phone.

Happy birthday, my fellow birthday twin with a cake emoji -Chika

"Too bad we can`t celebrate our birthday together," Ishigami thought as he checked his phone as his phone rang. "Hiroshi? Wonder what that could be about" said Ishigami as he picked up the call. "Hey Ishigami, happy birthday," said Hiroshi. "Thanks, what`s up?" said Ishigami. "Let`s have dinner tonight to celebrate your birthday, unless you already have something planned," said Hiroshi. "Not really, who`s going?" said Ishigami.

"The usual group, although Rei and Kobachi can`t make it tonight unfortunately, they told me to wish you a happy birthday," said Hiroshi. "Alright, I`ll come then," said Ishigami. "Perfect, Makoto already picked out a restaurant, see you soon," said Hiroshi as he ended the call. "Guess I better find something nice to wear," said Ishigami as he looked through his closet to fit an outfit.

An hour later

I`m back" said Miko as she unlocked the door. "Where were you?" said Ishigami. "I was getting some groceries and a gift," said Miko as she put a bag down. "Oh? What`d you get?" Ishigami asked seeming curious. "You`ll know later," said Miko as she wouldn`t reveal the gift just yet. "Hiroshi just called me, looks like we`re going to a group dinner," said Ishigami. "I`m not really into group dinners given our budget, but since today is your birthday, I`ll tag along with you," said Miko. "All right, just make sure you`re ready by 6:30 pm," said Ishigami. "I was hoping that I would just cook something special for him, but I guess that`s not an option now," Miko thought as she looked through her closet for an outfit.

Lad`s Dining Shibuya

"Hey, it`s the birthday boy," said Akane as Ishigami and Miko walked into the bar. "Thanks for hosting the event," said Ishigami as he sat down with the others at the bar area. "No worries, it`s our duty as friends to celebrate your birthday," said Makoto. "Happy birthday Ishigami," said Hiroshi as he hugged Ishigami. "Thanks," said Ishigami as they all sat down. "I didn`t think we`d be going to a bar for dinner," said Miko as she looked around. "Hey sometimes the less-known spots are the better than restaurants," said Makoto as they looked through the menu.

"Can we get 5 Sapporos and a pina colada?" Makoto said to the bartender. "We`re drinking tonight?" Ishigami asked as he looked through the menu. "Of course, you`re 20 now so it`s fine to drink, not to mention this place has good food and cheap beer, it`s a low-key spot," said Makoto. "Wait, you`re the only one that`s 19 right?" said Ishigami as he noticed Miko wasn`t drinking. "Yeah, my birthday is in two months, I can wait until then," said Miko as the bartender brought them their drinks.

"What`ll it be tonight y'all?" the waiter asked the group. "Hm, let`s get a few buckets of fish and chips, fried chicken and shrimp, two margarita pizzas and two orders of paella," said Suzu." Alright, if you want more, just let me know," said the waiter as he walked away. "So what`s new" said Makoto as they waited for their food and drinks. "Nothing much, the semester starts in a month so I`ve been working," said Ishigami. "Same, rent isn`t gonna pay itself," said Suzu as the waiter brought their drinks to their table.

"I would like to propose a toast, happy birthday to our Ishigami," said Hiroshi as everyone tapped their glasses. "Wow, that tastes a bit bitter," said Ishigami as he sipped his Sapporo. "Yeah, that tends to happen when you drink for the first time, you`ll get used to it the more you drink it," said Makoto as their food arrived. "Wow, this looks good and we get free popcorn," said Miko as she started digging in. "For bar food this is good," said Ishigami as he tried the fried fish. "This is going on my list of spots to get a drink," said Hiroshi as everyone seemed to enjoy the food.

"By the way, I`ve been meaning to ask, what jobs do you have outside of college?" Ishigami asked to which Makoto paused for a moment. "Oh, I work as a doorman at a hotel, Hiroshi interns at a finance company, Akane works in sales at the mall, and Suzu works for a graphic design company," said Makoto. "Wow, you guys seem to be working a better job than me, I just do customer service at an Apple store," said Ishigami feeling a bit small.

"Don`t worry so much, all of us work part-time anyways" said Hiroshi. "Besides, you work a job where you get discounts for Apple products, I would kill to have that perk," said Suzu. "Yeah, those Apple discounts can come in handy," said Ishigami as he sipped his beer.

"Say Suzu, what do you think of the guys on campus?" said Akane. "Oh most of them are nice, but no one has caught my eye yet" Suzu replied. "What about you Miko?" Akane asked. "Huh? I`m not into that, I`m focused on getting good grades" said Miko. "Come on, I`m sure there`s at least one guy you find interesting," said Akane. "No, most guys here don`t fit my personality and standards, I`ll look for someone once I graduate from college," said Miko. "Keep that up and you`ll end up as a bachelorette," Ishigami thought.

"By the way, let`s make a group chat," said Akane. "A group chat?" said Ishigami. "Yeah, that would make sense since we hang out at college and outside as well," said Makoto. "Alright, it`s settled, everyone`s in, I`ll just add Rei and Kobachi the next time we see them," said Akane as she set up the group chat. What should we call our group chat?" said Akane. "Hmm, what about Friend Group?" Hiroshi suggested.

"Nah, that`s too basic, let`s draw straws to see who we name the chat after," said Akane as she assigned everyone a straw and pulled one out. "And the lucky person is, Ishigami," said Akane. "It`s settled, the name of the chat will be Ishigami`s Fan Club then," Akane proclaimed to which everyone, but Ishigami chuckled. "Just my luck huh?," Ishigami thought as he wasn`t too thrilled with the group chat being named after him.

Afterward

"Wow, I`m stuffed," said Ishigami as he laid back on his chair as they finished eating. "Why don`t we all hand out gifts," said Makoto as everyone pulled a gift bag out. "Oh, you guys didn`t need to go through all the trouble," said Ishigami. "I`ll go first," said Makoto handing Ishigami his gift bag. "Oh a copy of Dragon Quest IV, I know I`m not sleeping these next few days," said Ishigami as he pulled a game out. "Me next," said Hiroshi as it was his turn. "Oh cologne," said Ishigami as he pulled out a small bottle of Versace cologne. "This is perfect for date night if you wanna spice things up," said Hiroshi to which everyone laughed.

"Here you go, I hope you like it," said Akane as it was the girls' turn to present their gifts. "Oh a Bluetooth speaker," said Ishigami as he pulled out a red speaker. "It`s perfect for parties and whenever you wanna fill a room with music," said Akane. "Guess I`m next," said Suzu as she presented her gift. "Oh, a gamer cup, I`d been needing a new cup for a while," Ishigami said as he pulled out a cup. "It`s perfect for someone like you who loves video games," said Suzu.

"Guess I`m last," said Miko as she handed Ishigami her gift bag. "Oh a Funko Pop," said Ishigami as he pulled out a Revenant Pop. "Yeah, this is from that video game you play so much," said Miko. "Thanks, that'll look great on my desk," said Ishigami as Miko smiled as she was happy that Ishigami liked her gift.

"All right, I`m gonna pick up the bill, we`re all splitting the bill except for Ishigami," said Makoto as he calculated the cost. "Sounds good, we should go to this place later, they have really good cheesecake," said Akane as Makoto got up to pay the tab. "Sounds good, I`ve always got room for dessert," said Miko.

8:00 pm

"Now that dinner`s all done, let`s party, the night is still young," said Makoto as they stopped for cheesecake at the place Akane had suggested. "Wait, there`s still more?" said Ishigami as he only expected to have dinner. "Of course, we`re going to a nightclub, there`s one literally 5 minutes away," said Hiroshi. "Wait, the minimum age to enter a nightclub is 20 right? I don`t think I can go even then is it a good idea to go somewhere like a club? I hear there are a lot of indecent people there" said Miko as she finished her cheesecake.

'It`ll be fine if they don`t let you in, we can always try somewhere else" said Akane as she rubbed Miko`s shoulder. "Okay, I guess I`ll come along then," said Miko. "Alright, it`s settled, onward," said Hiroshi as the group walked over to the nightclub.

Nightclubs, the rite of passage to adulthood. Usually nightclubs are associated with blaring music, young people partying and women of the night. For most people, it`s a place to drink your struggles away while the music blasts around you.

Baia Nightclub

"I`m surprised they let you through," Ishigami said to Miko as they walked into the nightclub. "The bouncer was feeling generous today, we got a bit lucky," said Akane as they found a table. "Ishigami, come with me, I need someone to help me get the drinks, Hiroshi, can you get a table for us?" said Makoto as he needed someone to assist him. "Sure," said Ishigami as the two walked up to the bar.

"I`m feeling another drink, I`ll take 5 shots of tequila and a pina colada," said Makoto as he ordered some drinks at the bar. "Coming right up. Yu-Kun, is that you?" said the bartender as she turned around. "Tsubame, I didn`t know you were working here," said Ishigami as the bartender was none other than Tsubame. "Yeah, the bar was short-staffed so I stepped in, how have you been?" said Tsubame as she took out some shot glasses.

"You know her?" Makoto asked Ishigami as they waited for their drinks. "Yeah, she was my senior in high school, I`ve been well," said Ishigami as Tsubame poured the shots. "I noticed you came with a group of friends, what`s the occasion?" Tsubame asked as she placed the shots on a tray. "We`re celebrating his birthday today," said Makoto putting his arm on Ishigami`s shoulder. "Oh, I forgot it was your birthday today, happy birthday," said Tsubame.

"Thanks," said Ishigami as he turned to Makoto. Are you sure you can afford to keep getting drinks?" Ishigami whispered to Makoto."Don`t worry about the tab; I`ll give you a birthday discount, if you want more drinks, come look for me" said Tsubame as she winked. "Oh, thanks so much," said Ishigami as they returned to the table with their drinks.

"Cheers, welcome to adulthood," said Makoto toasted the group. "Wow, this is way stronger than the Sapporo," said Ishigami as he downed his shot. "Yeah, tequila is classified as hard liquor, you should drink those in moderation," said Hiroshi. "That`s an understatement, it`s tough on the throat," said Suzu as she sipped some water.

"I gotta use the bathroom real quick," said Ishigami as he walked to the restroom. "Sure, we`re all gonna walk around the club anyways," said Makoto. "I`ll stay behind and hold our table, there`s a raid going on," said Hiroshi as he took out his Switch. "Awesome, I wanted to explore the club anyway," said Makoto as he got up. "Hold on, try not to have too much fun, you just got a girlfriend after all" Hiroshi reminded Makoto. "Don`t worry, I`ll be on my best behavior" said Makoto as the others got up and explored the club.

"Man this is quite the place for someone like me," Ishigami thought as he walked out of the bathroom. "Wait what`s going on?" said Ishigami as he saw Miko surrounded by a group of males trying to flirt with her. "Hey girl, are you here by yourself?" said a bar patron. "I`m with some friends," said Miko a bit flustered.

Come and drink with us," said another bar patron as he took her hand. "Sorry, she`s with me," said Ishigami as he took Miko`s hand and led her away. I think we should stick together, with you being underage," said Ishigami, to which Miko reluctantly nodded. "I wanna get another drink, walk me to the bar," said Miko. "Yeah sure," said Ishigami as he followed Miko.

"Oh, Miko-chan, it`s been a while," said Tsubame as Ishigami and Miko approached her. "Yeah, how are things with you?" Miko asked as she and Ishigami sat down. "Good, I`m in my senior year of college," said Tsubame as she prepared their drinks. "That fast? It felt like yesterday when Tsubame went off to college" Ishigami thought. "What have you two been up to?" Tsubame asked.

"Everything`s good, although I`m living with Ishigami at the moment," Miko said to which Tsubame stopped pouring drinks. "Wait, does Chika know about this?" said Tsubame with a worried expression. "She knows, don`t worry," said Ishigami. "That`s a relief, are you two getting along with each other?" said Tsubame as she put a nonalcoholic margarita in front of Miko.

"For now, but I wish Ishigami here would hold his weight up helping around the house," said Miko as she sipped her margarita to which Ishigami shot her an incredulous look. "Hey, I do the chores too, and remind me who drives you around?" Ishigami shot back. "And who does the cooking and the laundry?" Miko replied to which Tsubame chuckled as she watched the two bicker with each other.

"Ishigami, got us some more drinks," said Makoto as he handed him another shot of tequila. "Since you went through the trouble of getting it, sure," said Ishigami as he downed another shot. "Whoa slow down, we don`t need you getting drunk," said Miko. "It`ll be fine, you gotta live once in a while," said Makoto as he patted Ishigami on the back. "Here, you should drink some water," said Tsubame as she handed Ishigami a bottle of water. "Thanks, I`ll keep that in mind," said Ishigami as he sipped some water.

"So this is what adults like to do," said Ishigami as he watched people drinking and having a blast on the dance floor. "I told Rei and Koba-chan, that I was at the club, the first thing they asked was if I was with a strange guy," said Miko as she checked her phone. "Well I guess that`s their way of looking out for you, you should be thanking them," said Ishigami. "Hey, I`m not the type of person to go with a random guy," said Miko. "Yeah, what about when you got drunk off the whiskey chocolates at Tsubame`s place?" Ishigami pointed out. "That was a one-time thing" Miko replied. "She`s gonna need a chaperone with her once she can legally drink," Ishigami thought as the thought of a drunk Miko worried Ishigami.

"How are you feeling?" Makoto asked Ishigami as everyone was back at the table chatting amongst each other. "Fine, this is probably the best thing I`ve drank all night," said Ishigami as he sipped his yuzu beer. "Yeah, it`s a fruity beer so it tastes better," said Hiroshi. "Say Miko, you okay? You been quiet since we got here" said Suzu as Miko was sitting there quietly.

"Yeah, it`s just nightclubs aren`t my thing, I was part of the Disciplinary Committee back in high school so it feels a bit hypocritical that I`m at a place like this," said Miko. "I can see that, but the thing is when you become an adult, what happened in the past doesn`t matter now, you can still be a strict person and have fun and no one will judge you for it," said Suzu. "Right, the best part about college is you can have fun without teachers reprimanding you," said Akane. "Really? I can have fun and not worry about my image?" said Miko. "Of course, you only have one life after all," said Makoto.

"Why don`t we just let loose then? We don`t get to come out here so often" said Ishigami as he got up. "Yeah, guess I should relax a little," said Miko as the two walked over to the dance floor while the DJ blasted Blinding Lights in the background. "Whoa, you never told me you could dance," said Suzu as the others joined them on the dance floor. "Yeah, it`s not something I do too often," said Ishigami as he danced to the music. "You gotta teach me bro, I wanna impress Rei," said Makoto to which everyone else chuckled. "We`ll see about that," said Ishigami as they partied the rest of the night.

Midnight

"I take it he`s had too much to drink," said Hiroshi as he saw Miko sitting beside a flushed Ishigami who had too many drinks. "What time is it?" Ishigami asked groggily. "It`s time to stop drinking, I told you it was a bad idea to have a drinking contest," said Miko as she squeezed Ishigami`s cheeks. "I know, I know, at least he knows his limits now, he was really into it," Makoto said as he rubbed the back of his head. "That`s because when you`re drunk, you lose your sense of reason. Here have some water," said Suzu as she handed Ishigami a glass of water. "I should pay the tab at least," said Makoto as he walked over to Tsubame to pay off the tab.

"Oh is Yu okay?" said Tsubame as she wasn`t expecting to see Ishigami drunk before he left. "He might have had a bit too much to drink," said Miko as she and Hiroshi carried Ishigami over. "It`s getting quite late, I`ll call you guys an Uber, have him drink plenty of water, and make sure he gets home in one piece," said Tsubame as she pulled out her phone. "That would be great considering I have to bring him home," said Miko as she struggled to carry Ishigami. "Take care," Ishigami said groggily to which Tsubame held in a chuckle. "Alright you, no more booze for you," said Miko as they carried Ishigami out of the bar.

"Me and Suzu live around here, so we`ll just walk home, see you guys soon," said Akane as they waited outside the nightclub. "Okay, me and Makoto will make sure Ishigami gets home, get home safe," said Hiroshi as a car pulled up to them. "Alright our ride is here," said Makoto as they carried Ishigami into the car.

Drink responsibly y`all

Back at the apartment

"Alright, in you go," said Makoto as he and Hiroshi carried Ishigami back to his room. "Thank you guys so much, I wouldn`t have been able to bring him up myself," said Miko. "No problem," said Makoto as they placed him on his bed. "We`re gonna get going, don`t wanna keep our driver waiting," said Hiroshi as he and Makoto left the apartment. "Geez, you need to learn not to overdo it," said Miko as she flicked Ishigami`s forehead.

The Next Day

"Oh man my head hurts, what time is it?" said Ishigami as he left his room feeling the effects of a hangover. "Ah, you`re finally up, it`s noon by the way," said Miko as she sipped some tea. "What happened last night?" Ishigami thought as he rubbed his temple. "You don`t remember? You were so sloshed that Makoto and Hiroshi had to carry you back here" said Miko as she handed him a glass of water. "Yeah, yeah, I`ll thank them later," said Ishigami as he walked over to the kitchen. "I made something for you, it should help with your hangover," said Miko as she placed an onigiri and a bowl of miso soup before him.

"Feel better?" Miko asked as she sat at the table with Ishigami. "Yeah I do, thanks," said Ishigami as he finished his onigiri. "Good, although we need to keep you away from the liquor," said Miko. "You know whatever guy ends up with you will be one lucky guy," said Ishigami to which Miko turned red. "Flattery won`t get you anywhere with me, I wanna go shopping today, drive me to the mall," said Miko. "Alright, just give me another hour to get it all out," said Ishigami as he sipped a glass of water.

Later

"Do you think we need a blender?" Miko asked as they looked around an appliance store. I think we`re good for now; we don`t have that much in our budget and my bike wouldn`t be able to store it" Ishigami replied as he picked up the blender. "I guess so," Miko said. "We could always wait until a discount", "Ishigami reminded Miko. "I guess you`re right," said Miko as they walked out of the store.

"Have you talked with Fujiwara lately?" Miko asked Ishigami. "A bit, we just text each other, why the question?" Ishigami asked. "It`s just that I was worried that the long distance was getting to you, it can be tough being separated from your soulmate," said Miko. "We`ll be fine, thanks for the concern," said Ishigami. "If it`s too much for you, just open up, I`ll listen to your problems if you want," said Miko. "I`ve been living with Miko for a while now, it feels like she`s become Chika lately," Ishigami thought as perhaps Miko did have a point about long-distance relationships.

"The cafe has a new food item. Let`s go there before they run out of it," said Miko as she looked at her phone while speedwalking. I guess the best way to cheer her up is to give her some food," Ishigami thought as he followed Miko knowing there would be a food adventure awaiting them.

April 2nd, 7:30 am

"Man, I miss waking up late," Ishigami thought as he stopped the alarm on his phone. "Morning," said Ishigami as he walked out of his room. "Morning sleepyhead, fix your hair, breakfast is on the table," said Miko as she sipped coffee. "This is one of the perks of having a roommate," Ishigami thought as breakfast seemed to lighten his mood up. "Don`t take too long, we have morning classes together again" said Miko as she placed a plate in front of Ishigami. "Yeah yeah," said Ishigami as he started on his breakfast.

Tokyo University

"Another year huh?" Ishigami thought as he yawned upon walking into the university. "Try not yawning on the first day of sophomore year, maybe you need some coffee," said Miko as she elbowed Ishigami. "I`ll pass on the coffee," said Ishigami. "Ishigami, what`s up?" said Makoto as he and Hiroshi approached him. "Oh, good morning you two," said Ishigami. "Ready for another year?" Makoto asked putting his arm on Ishigami`s shoulder. "Not really" Ishigami replied as the girls walked up to them.

"Good morning, you guys," said Rei as she walked up to them. "Oh, hey, babe," said Makoto as he kissed Rei. "My, aren`t you two so bold? Going at it so early" Akane teased. "Sorry we couldn`t come to your birthday dinner, I had to take care of a family matter and Kobachi had something to do as well," said Rei. "Don`t worry about it, we`ll hang out some other time" said Ishigami. "I gotta get to my class, I`ll see you guys later," said Miko as the group went their separate ways.

Apple Store

"Another day, another dollar," Ishigami thought as he stood at the register. "Ishigami, can I see you in my office for a bit?" said Yui as she walked to Ishigami. "Sure thing," said Ishigami, following Yui into her office. "Everything okay boss?" Ishigami asked seeming a bit concerned. "You`ve been working diligently ever since you started here, which is why I`ve decided to give you a pay bump," said Yui. "Thank you so much," said Ishigami. "No problem, just keep up the hard work," said Ishigami as he excused himself from the office. "So this is why people work hard," Ishigami thought as he needed the extra money to help pay for rent.

7:30 pm

"See you tomorrow," said Ishigami as he clocked out of his shift. Today should be curry for dinner," said Ishigami as he walked to his bike, to which his phone rang. "Hello?" said Ishigami as he picked up the phone. "Hey Ishigami," said Chika. "Oh Chika, what`s up?" said Ishigami. "Nothing much just wanted to hear from you. How are things?" Chika asked. "Good, I`m still getting used to college life. What about you?" Ishigami asked.

"Everything`s good, although they weren`t lying when they said junior year is the hardest year," said Chika. "Oh? Are you getting enough rest and eating right" Ishigami asked. "Of course, ramen solves everything," said Chika to which Ishigami couldn`t help, but chuckle. "Listen, so I`ll be back in Tokyo next month, I just don`t know when," said Chika. "That`s great, it`d be nice to see you again, just let me know when you`re back," said Ishigami. "Sure thing, I kinda miss not having you around," said Chika to which Ishigami blushed briefly.

"I gotta go. I`ll see you soon," said Chika. "Yeah, love you," said Ishigami as he ended the call. "Guess we`ll be seeing each other earlier than I expected," Ishigami thought as he put on his helmet before riding off home.

"The Next Day

"Man, I wish classes were a bit less boring," said Ishigami as he and Miko walked out of the lecture hall. "Stop complaining and show some more effort," said Miko. "Yeah, yeah, I`ll try," said Ishigami as they had a few hours before their next class. "I think I want something from the food truck," said Miko as they walked outside. "What are you thinking?" Ishigami asked as they walked to the food trucks outside the campus. "Hm, I might just get the curry katsu," said Miko as she thought about her options.

"Are you Miko Iino from year 2?" a college student asked as she approached the two. "Yes, I am. Do you need something from me?" Miko asked, seeming a bit puzzled. "I need a favor from you, please," said the student as she clasped Miko`s hand. "Eh?" said Miko in shock.

Results of Battle: N/A

Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. What favor requires Miko`s help?

As always feel free to leave a review. See you all in the next chapter.