Being tied to someone wasn't always a bad thing. As in, having to consult them, or other people to take them into account, wasn't always too bad. Ai certainly appreciated the direction, in the sea of possibilities that was real life. She had streamed "choice matter" kind of games once or twice, due to popular demand. And it always surprised her how straightforward these games made it seem.
There was neither fluctuation in the way people reacted to the same responses or in the way the player's responses were made. No further context beside the one fed by the game, no secret thing to take into account that did not make sense if you were immersed. It just… Worked out in the end. So, to Ai, these games didn't really help her solve the issues that she initially thought they would.
Going back to being tied to people, at least she had some experience with how cause and effect worked with the kind that she often had to get together with: Talents were largely put at arms' length, for enough reasons not to bother to listen them off; while people in charge of things expected a smile and having their orders followed. And not much else.
Now, Ichigo-san?
Ichigo-san… Where to even begin with her boss…?
"You can't go." The man lying on her hotel bed with a bag filled with ice over his forehead said. Not even bothering to look at her, simply lifting a finger toward the ceiling like Ai was there.
"What do you mean I 'can't'? I certainly can. I have two legs, money for a taxi ride or two, and cute clothes. Do I, like, need a license? A written permission to be let into a bar or something?" Ai pouted and furrowed her brows, letting the faux-annoyance do the actual convincing. Although Ichigo-san was still not looking at her.
Given that his sunglasses rested on the night stand, and the main lights in the room turned on, Ai quickly figured out that he wouldn't even open his eyes during the length of this conversation. So she quickly dropped the act to default to her usual expressions.
The light probably bothered him more than he let on, so Ai guessed she should cut him some slack now. And, maybe, he'd even give her some money!
"No. I'm simply not giving you permission."
"I was joking." It felt strange having to make this statement, even though she had done so in the past few days quite a lot. Now, granted, that was with the girls of B-Komachi. So maybe…
Huh. Had she always been able to mess around with Ichigo-san without being misunderstood?
Ai should probably get mad at him for not getting it here!
Then again, his still-ongoing headache was…
Ai made a quick recap of her conversations with Hikigaya.
Aha!
"C'mon, old man! Please, please, please~" Ai quickly got closer to the bed and latched her hands on Ichigo-san's ankles, locking him in place with her weight when he tried to pull back.
"Hey, you brat. Don't you dare…"
"Dare what?" Ai made her tone sweet and innocent, even though she let her fingers motion in a scratching fashion. A threat, since she hadn't actually released him and his feet were right there. "I wouldn't do anything to you. How long have we known each other for?"
"No, seriously. Don't tickle me. I might kick you." Ichigo-san moved the bad over his forehead to open his eyes, just barely, and look Ai straight in the eyes. "What got into you?"
"A little fish once told me that, to appeal to the bigger fish, the smaller fish often acted all cutesy around him."
"It's a little 'bird'. And, no matter how you look at it, this isn't playing cute. This is straight up an extortion!"
"C'mon, at least tell me why!" If nothing else, Ai wanted to be able to give a reason to cancel. An actual reason, not whatever she had done before. Back when her group-mates were still interested in her, initially. She would fight tooth and nail to go, of course. But, if she didn't have at least this minimum of change, she felt like she would be going back to a point she didn't want to revisit.
"I… I just don't want you to go out." Ichigo-san growled while trying to pull his feet away from Ai's grasp.
…
She couldn't be sure…
But…
Wasn't "dad doesn't want me to go", like, the most universal reason to give your friends in the history of forever…?
Okay? Was that progress? Ai would call it progress, for the sake of clarity. It wasn't like anyone understood how many degrees of separation there were between Ai and Ichigo-san anyway. The girls would probably understand if worst came to be.
Okay! Already at the bottom, huh. Let's climb up that ladder now, then!
"You were less stingy when I was 15!" Ai freed his legs and placed her hands on her hips, pouting. "C'mon, Ichigo-san. You can do better than that."
"No, Ai. Today was not a good day." Ichigo-san groaned while quickly moving in the bed, pulling the blanket with his feet to hide them beneath. "Look, we still have to be careful. Okay? I'm thrilled that things are going well with the girls, but you can't go"
"She absolutely can." Miyako-san got out of the bathroom, Ruby between her arms and freshly cleaned up. With Aqua walking on his own behind the adult. "Look at her. She's all dressed up already… Is that the sweatshirt that the photographer gave you?"
"It is! I heard it gets windy at night, so I thought I might as well try it out." Ai spun in place, stretching her arms to let Miyako-san get a better look of the pastel sweatshirt she had over a white tank top, the straps of which showed because the sweatshirt did not cover her shoulders at all. "How do I look?"
"You're very pretty." Ruby was the first to reply, although Ai couldn't hear as much cheer from the little girl as usual.
"It suits you." Aqua's tone didn't change, and he nodded matter-of-factly while keeping his eyes glued to Ai's appearance.
"Miyako…" Ichigo-san slowly sat up, groaning like he was exerting himself more than he was used to. It made Ai consider her options for a moment, thinking back about how long he had to keep a hold of Nino-chan's mom and the weird people that had arrived at the beach to shut down the job of at least three different companies, for some reason.
Ai blinked and smiled again. She still wanted to go, so there was no use thinking about all that. She'd be obedient later. Now, it was time for an outing. Her first outing with B-Komachi since the time of the first "gen".
"You, lie back down. You're not feeling well." Miyako-san went out of her way to sit beside Ichigo-san on the bed and push him back on… Well, his back. "I'll take care of this."
"But…"
"Ai, remember what I told you before?" Miyako-san ignored the stingy man and looked at the idol with a serious expression.
"Don't try to outdrink anyone, get water as needed, don't leave the group." Ai dutifully told the woman the things that she remembered about the topic. "And… Call you if something comes up. If someone is black out drunk, we lose someone, or buy out of our spending range. Stuff like that."
"See? She's not a child, she gets it." Miyako-san shook her head, dismissing the worried expression on Ichigo-san's face and standing up from her spot. "You got your facemask? You should get an extra one at least, in case yours is lost or something."
"Right." Ai just nodded, sitting on the other side of the bed to pet her kids on the head while Miyako-san moved around the room.
How was she supposed to tell her kids that she was going to go out to have fun, without them asking if she didn't have fun with them?
"Don't drink too much." Aqua stated, staring into Ai's eyes with a bit more apprehension than she thought her son would show. "You don't want to be like Ichigo-san, needing to be helped to his room."
"I want to point out that I'm a responsible drinker." Ichigo-san immediately spoke up. "But, sometimes, between keeping people happy to sell them an idea and other stuff…"
"You know I'm more responsible than that." Ai replied without looking away from Ichigo-san's prone form.
"Of course." Was Aqua's response.
"Is it that fun to go out drinking?" Ruby came swinging right off the bat, pouting while letting Ai mess with her hair.
"Well, I actually don't know! Guess I'll figure it out." Ai kissed the little head of her daughter. "It'd be pretty embarrassing if you grew up and I couldn't tell you, when you're of age."
"I won't drink." Ruby stated flatly.
"Yeah, alcohol is pretty nasty for kids." Miyako-san returned with a comb and an amused chuckle. "We all go through figuring out that 'it's not that bad, actually' phase."
"Hmmm…" Ruby didn't look convinced, but she seemed more interested in what Miyako-san had brought, given that she was already in her pajamas.
What was Miyako-san going to do with that?
"But hey, let your mom get her own opinion. You never learn until you try things by yourself." Miyako-san motioned for Ai to come to her, sit on the chair that was procured from the only table in the room. "Come here, I'll tie your hair into something pretty. Wearing a hat at night is a little too weird."
"Oh, okay?" Ai stood up midway through Miyako-san's explanation, and didn't really fully register the motion until a knock came from the door. Making everyone freeze in place, as the kids were in full display.
"Beneath the bed!" Ruby was about to squirm her way into the location she mentioned when Ai's phone buzzed, popping the bubble of momentary panic when she read the message she received.
"Oh, it's Komachi-chan." Ai moved to open the door to dispel the nervous energy permeating in the room, letting everyone get a moment to calm down.
Ai opened the door, only slightly ajar, to peer and see she had the right person outside. Where a hooded figure was lit up from behind by the light from the corridor.
Ai's brain momentarily didn't react to the color, and her knees protested when she yanked herself back. Forcing her body in an awkward retreat and slammed the door in the face of the person that was about to greet her.
"Hey! What gives?!" A-chan's voice was a little muffled against her knocking the door more violently, annoyed by having it slammed on her face.
Ai's heartbeat had become so quick that it actually hurt her chest, while an annoying buzzing in her hears quickly left when she blinked and came back to her senses.
"…Ai?" Ichigo-san stood up from the bed, moving like he was feeling alright.
The idol swallowed whatever cocktail of emotions was obstructing her throat and hurried to open the door again.
"Sorry! You had your phone out, and we kinda have a thing here." Ai did her best to appear her usual self, furtively letting the younger Hikigaya in while she scanned her appearance. "I was like nu-uh! Not today!"
A sleeveless hoodie, without a zipper, in the same color as Ai's clothes too. No black, no guy with a disturbed expression beneath the hood. No blood, no nothing. There was only A-chan.
"…My bad. That was really dumb." A-chan pocketed her phone away while entering, giving Ai no second glance. And, thus, giving the idol an extra moment to take a lungful of air that burned a little too much. But which helped her relax a bit. "The little rebel!"
A-chan didn't hurry or make her voice all cutesy. She simply crouched and ruffled Ruby's hair while greeting her, with the little girl letting her do as she pleased.
"…Good evening, Komachi-san." Was Ruby's shy greeting. Though Ai didn't have enough presence of mind to ponder about it.
"Why are you wearing a hoodie?" Aqua frowned at the girl, quickly getting to his sister's side and looking directly up. In a rather funny display of fearlessness against a woman that could probably punt him away.
"I was also modeling during the day. Who knows who's out there, snooping around for gossip." A-chan looked back at Ai and offered her a small nod, which Ai returned. She supposed that, if it meant that A-chan was being careful for Ai's family's sake, then she should show a little gratitude. "Y'know, paparazzies and stuff."
"Ah…"
"Yeah." A-chan nodded.
"This hotel is used to having high-profile guests." Ichigo-san sighed, letting himself fall face-down on the bed, and not bothering to lift his face to make his words clearer afterward. "So, yeah. Doesn't hurt to be discrete."
"True." Miyako-san nodded. "But don't think too much about it. If you're all nervous and stuff, that attracts more attention. People notice."
"Got it." A-chan hid her hands inside the front pockets of her hoodie. It was big enough that it looked like she wasn't wearing pants. But, just like Ai, Komachi-chan was wearing shorts to go with being in a location close to the beach.
Perhaps Ai's sweatshirt would be a little too warm, but it seemed like she had the right idea about the weather.
"Ah, Komachi-chan? Please help me out here. I'm doing Ai's hair." Miyako-san spoke up before A-chan could sit on the chair that Ai was supposed to use.
"Oh, really?" The girl perked up in a way that Ai wouldn't usually connect with her. But that looked oddly natural all the same. "Sounds like fun! What are we doing?"
"Just a braid." Miyako-san's investment in this seemed to diminish a little after saying that. "I… I don't have all that much experience with complex styles."
"Guess we'll figure something out." Komachi-chan grinned in a rather evil way when she turned to Ai.
The idol didn't give any indication of noticing and confidently walked up to the two women in charge of her appearance for the night.
They got it wrong the first time, too much to the right, but Komachi-chan said that it often happened with her own mom. And they fixed it in the end.
…
Ai would take that as progress in her personal quest too.
Ai had assumed that she'd need help of Miyako-san to find a nice place, somewhere not too far away or too high-profile as Ichigo-san described it. But that hadn't been necessary. Ari found a place, and everyone else just sort of fell in line after the green-haired idol showed them pictures and the location.
It was nice, with warm yellow lights and dark-colored furniture. Although some pictures and painting were framed with white lights, so there was a strange vibe of things being not bright enough and a little too bright both, or at least that was how Ai perceived it. Because no one else commented on the lights after Ai asked A-chan if they didn't bother her.
"Eh~? Were we supposed to color code? Why did not one tell me?!" Kyun complained with a teasing tone, seeing A-chan and Ai arrived before the others did.
Not everyone was there yet, but Ari and Meimei sat on a long couch, on one "side" of a huge circular table, contrary to Takamine and Kyun, who had placed their purses on the other seats to keep waiters from asking if they could use them anywhere else. Other than them, Nino-chan was sitting center-ish between the two pairs of idols. But was too focused on her phone to actually do anything.
"Where are your friends? I thought they'd come with you." Ari asked Komachi-chan when they sat down, motioning to Kyun and Takamine to come closer to avoid having them too scattered or something.
"Probably getting on each other's nerves." Komachi-chan sighed before looking at the menu.
Ari had her glasses, and wore her hair down. It looked odd to Ai, but simply because she was too used to the regular Ari hairstyle and never saw her wearing anything else. On the other hand, Meimei had chosen to grab her short hair with clips from behind. Exposing her ears and forehead in what was probably the most casual look out of the bunch. If she had worn the same clothes that one would at home, Ai wouldn't have been surprised at all.
"Did you dress up, Ai-chan?" Meimei herself asked, with Ari giving Ai an appreciative glance afterward.
It made her smile a little.
"Does taking a shower count?"
"It does!" Kyun chimed in from the other side. "More than you'd think."
"Ew." Ari made a face. "C'mon. At least don't say that in public."
"I ain't saying nothin'." Kyun shrugged and sat properly again. "I'm just repeating what I've heard."
"I call BS." Meimei tapped the table with faux indication. "Jury! Jury! This harlot is acused of not showering! How do you plead?!"
"Guilty!" Kyun gave one quick tap like she was playing a game where she needed to push a button to say the answer.
"I knew it!"
"Wait. No! I got it mixed up! Innocent! Innocent!"
"Confession by betrayal of her own subconscious… Shame on you, Kyun of B-Komachi." Ari shook her head while making her voice a little deeper. "Shake my head my head."
Why did she say that twice? Was that also a joke? It probably was, given the amused reactions she got. So Ai also chuckled, so she wouldn't be the only one silent. Though this presented the main problem that Ai already knew that she would face.
"Fuyu-chan~ C'mere. Get closer!"
"Eh? Ah, yes. Just… Give me a moment…"
As the girls arrived on their own, because everyone getting there all at once would definitely sound alarms in people's heads, it became increasingly obvious that Ai had a hard time staying in any given conversation. The girls would reference things they had done before, even without the others, or would tell jokes that were already known in the group. Maybe even mixing it up by asking someone talking to another girl, and looking something up to show it.
Ai… Didn't have much to share. Even when she got questions directed at her, and the girls were willing to let her speak her mind, she wasn't really sure how much she could get away with saying.
Lying by omission was one thing. Technically, she was simply not opening. Letting the girls come to their own conclusions while the conversation moved on. But when it came to things that might tie her back to her children or how deep her relationship with her so-called parents-slash-bosses was… Ai was acutely aware that she needed to be careful. Much more here, in the open. Outside of her home and Ichigo-san's domain. With tables of people to either side of them, some even sharing the same long-ass couch that Ari and Meimei sat on. At a safe distance, maybe, if they weren't paying attention.
Ai was no idiot. She didn't just coast on Ichigo-san's power to protect herself. And that… That left her sorely reliant on listening and falling back on old habits. She didn't want to, it sucked that her first outing had to be like this, and the beer was sour even when she ordered a light one…
Hmp. How did Hikigaya do this?
"Hey, clear something up real quick." Ai turned to Komachi-chan, who was sitting right next to her but speaking to Ari… Who was on Ai's other side. A little awkward but, y'know, happens.
"Hmm?"
"Do you go out with your brother like this?"
"Eh? You don't know?" Meimei sounded a little surprised by the question, though Ai didn't want to think on the reason.
"You guys are really showing that you're single children." Watanabe scoffed at Meimei. "That'd be hella weird."
"Eh, considering Senpai…" Hikigaya's orange-haired 'friend' gave them an amused expression while making circles with her drink.
"Technically," Komachi-chan gave the girls a chuckle. "Onii-chan thinks I don't drink."
"Of course." Ari shook her head.
Watanabe raised her hands in an 'I told you so' silent reaction.
"Eh? Isn't that kind of sad?" Takamine didn't have her own beer. She only ordered snacks for herself and a lemonade, and was the only one wearing a long skirt and a little more proper blouse compared to the rest. Maybe a little too warm, like Ai, for the weather. "Or bad, rather. He's your older brother."
"I mean, I've had a beer and stuff. It's just, if anyone asks, that's the end of it."
"Oh, yeah. I gotchu." Meimei pointed at Komachi-chan while taking a sip.
"Hmm?" Ai turned to her, hoping she'd elaborate on that.
"Parents can freak out very easily when things like alcohol, friends, stuff like that." Hikigaya's blonde friend did it instead of Meimei. "And Hikio's… Sometimes worse."
"Worse?"
"There's this girl that has a brother that's Komachi's age and…"
"Ah!" The orange-haired girl started laughing. "Yeah! Senpai was almost frothing from his mouth during the end of the year ball, huh."
"Ugh…" Komachi-chan sighed. "Yeah… That's Onii-chan for you."
"Not even that woman was able to calm him down." The blonde scoffed and closed her eyes.
Hmmm? That woman? Their teacher, perhaps?
"Ugh, don't remind me." The orange-haired girl threw her head back while stretching her arms. "I was asked if I knew him and it was super embarrassing~"
"How long ago was that?" Ari asked while fixing her glasses.
"During their final high school year." Komachi-chan sighed. "You'd think they'd be old enough… But no. Apparently, dancing with a guy is the end of the world."
"I mean, you do have a brother. He knows how guys think." Meimei pointed out with a devious smile. "Or how he thinks. Brother might not be a saint, if he freaked out like that."
"Please don't." Komachi-chan growled.
"I'm just sayin'."
"Great, the freakygaya allegations will become a core memory now… Fantastic." The blonde girl growled as well, but her own words made Komachi-chan cover hear ears and released a small scream in protest.
"STOP!"
"Quit it. At least bother someone who's actually present to defend their dignity." Ari elbowed Meimei, unable to fully hide her amusement. But still doing better than the other girls. As their faces were…
Their faces were…
"Hm?" Ai licked her lips furrowing her brows and focusing her sight better. She could see, perfectly as usual, but it was a little more difficult to focus. What?
"Something wrong?" Komachi-chan asked, and it took a second longer than usual for Ai to realize that the question was for her.
"Yeah!" Ai replied out of habit. "I mean…! No! Nothing wrong! Sorry, didn't hear you. Hehe…"
"What? Don't tell me you're tipsy already." The blonde scoffed while finishing her glass. "We're just getting started!"
"Don't listen to her, she's like that when she's drunk." The orange-haired girl sighed.
"Hey, I'm not drunk. This is just my third glass!"
Third? How did she drink so fast?
Ai took a swing of her own, finishing the third or so left in there. It was… Not as sour as before…?
"Woah! Okay!" Komachi-chan started chuckling awkwardly and Ai simply mimicked her. "Take it easy there!"
"What? This is just my first… I think I'll order another." Ai lifted her hand but was caught by Komachi-chan.
"I think you should wait a little."
"Why? I'm fine." Ai shook her off and lifted her hand in the end.
"But…"
"Nah, let her be." Kyun interrupted. "She's having fun, right?"
"Right!" Actually, she might not be saying much. But just being surrounded by her group-mates, hearing them laugh and not seeing them shy away from her… It was nice. She could get used to this, for a start, if following all their conversations was too hard.
"She's really small though." Hey! Komachi-chan couldn't be that much taller and yet…?!
"I'm cute-sized." Ai protested as a waiter got closer and silently retrieved her glass. "Another! Please…"
"Okay, ankle-biter." The blonde was making fun of Ai! Though it didn't bother her all that much now. Maybe she could try and give a smart reply like Ari-chan or Hachiman-san did? Okay! Worth a try…
"Uh…"
The girls either giggled or chuckled. Ai couldn't see who, but she shook her head with a chuckle of her own.
"Leave her alone." Ari was about to start arguing, but Meimei placed her head on the girl's shoulder. Making her focus on that action instead.
"We're having fun~" Kyun intervened before the blonde could answer to the initial provocation. "Just relax, drink, crack a joke!"
"Let me drink!" Ai added.
"Isn't this, like, your first time?" The orange-haired 'girl' asked dubiously.
"So? First it's because I'm petite, now because I haven't drank before?"
"Yeah! Let her do her thing!" Kyun reached out to Ai to place a hand on her shoulder, encouraging. Before passing a small bowl with some soft stuff in it. "Look, she isn't full yet. Here, eat."
"Sure." Ai took a piece of… Whatever that was, and started chewing. Slowly, at first, because the softness of the food made her double-check whether it had something hard hidden within. But, after confirming that the first small ball was safe, she started chewing normally.
"Those were mine…" Takamine complained lowly.
Kyun winked at her.
"I'll invite you another serving, let her have something in her tummy."
"Eh? Ah! Yeah, yeah. No problem."
Ai couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her. 'Tummy'. It reminded her of Ruby a bit, sounded like something she'd say.
"The blue berry elixir is good, or so I read in the reviews." Ari mentioned when Meimei sat up properly and left the table, probably going for a small 'idol break'.
"Err… Elixir?" Kyun tilted her head. Yeah, Ai didn't get it either.
"It's, huh… Iced tea? I don't know. I didn't check it myself." Ari fixed her glasses and looked for the menu.
Ai tried to look for it as well while eating.
"Oh, yeah. Let's check it out!" Kyun shrugged.
Ai's refilled glass came, and the girls stopped pestering her about it. She did drink a little slower, now that she was a bit fuller, but continued to enjoy herself.
When the blue berry thing came, the girls let her try it out. It was… It tasted like lemon with blue berry artificial flavoring. But it was good-ish.
At this point, the lighting, noise from people around them, and the smell of alcohol no longer bothered her. It all sort of blended in, creating a rhythm that Ai could just… Let her senses follow and string together while enjoying the food and drink. Especially since the girls started getting flavored stuff. Alcohol wasn't really for her, but tasty stuff? Well, it was tasty. Of course she'd be in for it!
"Hmmm?" Someone switched places, or had Ai move. Because, although she still had Hachiman-san's sister on one side, she now had Kyun hugging her on the other. While Ari and the blonde girl that played sports were shouting… Kind of.
And, like, not at one another. But at the same time. While Watanabe was looking more and more pissed off.
Wait. What?
Ai looked around, seeing the orange-haired 'girl' cheer them on.
"But…!" Watanabe tried to defend herself, but Ari-chan smacked the table with a finger in her direction.
"No 'buts'! If he wanted anything serious, he'd have treated you to everything you wanted! Period!" Ari's heated words were mirrored by the blonde girl's, although she wasn't talking about buying stuff.
Huh. Hadn't Ai heard this somewhere before…?
"A guy that just leaves you hanging with the promise of taking you out, but not going through with it, is trash!" The blonde tipped her drink, almost completely full, and chugged so fast that Ai was left staring at it happen until she was done. Without breathing or breaking a sweat in the process. "To hell with 'shyness' and 'waiting for the right time'! The right time is now! If he can't make up his mind, dump him!"
"We weren't a thing…" Watanabe shrunk it place.
"Girl, you're the victor!" The orange-haired 'girl' cheered after that confession. "You won! No waste of time!"
"Yeah~!" Kyun cheered too, hugging Ai tighter before going back to her talk with Meimei and Komachi-chan.
Wait.
"Where's Takamine?" Ai looked around the table, almost trying to stand up. But Kyun's arm kept her pinned in place.
"Oh, she left while you were in the restroom." Komachi-chan looked back at the door.
"The rest…Right." Ai screwed her eyes shut, feeling her head move around like she couldn't find her balance. Even though she was certain she was sitting perfectly still.
"So uptight…" Kyun shook her head. "She should've stayed a bit more."
"Eh… If she's not enjoying it, might as well." Meimei released air through her lips, making them shake.
"Nah, you gotta let go from time to time. Y'know? She'll have time to be all serious when she settles down~"
"Oh, but where's the fun in that? You have to go wild with your partner too." Meimei laughed it off, and Ai started having the need to look around them. Check if no one was watching or even recording them.
"Something wrong, Ai-chan?" Kyun shook Ai a little, still holding her in a half-hug. "You getting dizzy?"
"Eh? No. Just… Shouldn't we be… Y'know, a little less loud?"
"Don't worry. Ari got us covered." Meimei scoffed. "At least a couple of guys around us work for the Shijo. No one's getting out of here without a broken teeth if they try to put us on a magazine or something."
"Eh… We can do that?"
"No." Meimei stated. Which only made Ai frown.
"Then…?"
"A special favor, from mom." Ari sat down, visibly calmer now. "Had pity on poor ol' me today."
"Was she in town too?" Komachi-chan asked. "The thing with your dad was pretty messed up."
"No, I had to call her… Ugh…" Ari scratched the bridge of her nose, beneath her glasses. "But, y'know, when it comes to fooling around, she's pretty understanding. So there. That's that."
The girl chugged from her drink similar to what the blonde had done, but significantly slower.
Ai had the strange feeling that she was hanging out with some rather dangerous people.
"Hmmm, I'll never understand rich people." Komachi-chan sighed.
"Like you bump elbows with them all the time." Meimei scoffed.
"Oh, yeah. You guys know the Yukinoshita. Right?" Ari visibly cringed.
"You know them?"
"Bwhahaha!" Ari's cackle picked some of the girl's attention, even though it was short-lived. "Gathered that much from seeing that Haruno woman that one time! Guess I was right: They're a pain in the ass, huh."
"The two sisters." The blonde groaned.
"Yukino-senpai was… One hell of a character." The orange-haired girl looked away while talking.
"'Yukino'? Pretty name." Meimei commented.
"Hmp." Komachi-chan didn't say much. In fact, Ai had the slight suspicion that she hadn't meant to react at all.
"Oh, really?" Ari gave the girl an evil smirk.
"Sounds like it." Meimei put up some airs of carefreeness. "Show me a picture and I'll comment on her looks."
"Oh, really?! Ari placed both hands on Meimei's cheeks and started squishing them.
"Dish ish class warfare!"
"Hey, hey, hey! Don't eat in front of the hungry!" Kyun released Ai and started clapping. "Whistling and clapping, you two! If you're gonna flirt, do it away from our eyes!"
"You girls have rather strange ideas of what flirting is." Watanabe's complaint broke Nino-chan's conversation with the orange-haired girl.
"You~! Lack good taste." The blonde girl tapped the table twice. "Maybe that's why you don't have that much luck."
"Huh?! The hell did that come from?!"
"You're boring!" The blonde replied.
"But why are you telling me this?!"
"Leave Wata-chan alone, it's not her fault." Kyun reached out for the blonde. Trying to get her to sit back down.
"Girl, defend me!"
"Can you please stop yelling?" Ai interrupted them with her eyes screwed shut. "It hurts my ears. Like, actually hurts."
"Oh, oops~" Kyun pulled back. "Sorry, Ai-chan!"
"You're still not defending me!" Watanabe insisted, although with in a lower volume.
The conversation moved on, less confrontational. Even when Watanabe kept glaring at the blonde girl for a while.
"You okay?" Komachi-chan elbowed Ai lightly.
"Yeah. It's just… Confusing."
"Alright." She said while drinking from a glass that contained a transparent liquid. "Tell me when you wanna go back."
"But no one else is moving…" Ai mumbled.
"Just tell me." Komachi said before turning to talk with the blonde girl. "We don't need to be here until morning."
Hmmmm…
Ai noticed that Nino-chan was staring at her.
…
The night continued, although a bit slower. Ai wasn't sure what she enjoyed and what she hadn't, though she did pay more attention to her surroundings. Feeling oddly… Caged.
When she gave Komachi the signal, the only other girl that had left was Watanabe. It was curious, though, how Nino-chan suddenly seemed to be ready to leave when Ai and Komachi did. But it wasn't worth bringing up, not really.
Ai had a familiar taste in her mouth, one that made her lick her lips every so often until she crashed in bed.
It felt way too big for just her. She missed sharing it that night.