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Hokuto introduced me to a few of his friends then went to get drinks. If I’d realized we were going to a cool bar, I’d have changed before heading out. I should’ve known by the way Hokuto was dressed, in a military style jacket with awesome silver buttons.
Still, no one made nasty comments or even looked strangely at me.
We stood around a table in the middle of the room. I thought they’d move away and ignore me when Hokuto went to the bar, but nope.
“Where are you from?” one of them asked.
I told him I lived in Melbourne because no one in this world would’ve heard of the stupid town I really came from.
“Are you on holidays?”
“Ah... yeah.” These people might be nice but that didn’t mean I’d spill all my secrets to him.
Then one of the girls asked about my dinosaur backpack. She loved it.
“We should go shopping while you’re here,” she said. “I know some awesome shops.”
“She should know,” Hokuto said, setting a round of drinks on the table. “Mai is an expert on shopping.”
You only had to look at her outfit to know that. Mai had candy cotton pink hair in two high pigtails. She wore a cute t-shirt with a pink cheerleader style skirt and bright green and white striped tights. Cool badges and patches covered her jacket. And she had cute dimples when she smiled. Yuki never smiled.
I’d definitely go shopping with Mai.
What more did I need but friendly people and a cold beer? Photos to post online, that’s what.
I got out my phone and took a photo with Mai. She did a cool V finger sign next to her eyes so I copied her. Then she made me do one with the two of us putting our hands together in a heart shape.
This was exactly how I’d imagined my time in Tokyo would be, drinking in bars with really fun people.
“Now, I’ll take one of you with Hokuto,” she said.
Hokuto stood beside me. I wasn’t sure if I should do a cute pose with him or not.
“Chu, chu,” Mai yelled.
Huh? What did that mean?
I soon found out when Hokuto leaned over and kissed my cheek for the photo.
I laughed. Before tonight, my level of fun had hovered around one out of a hundred. Maybe a bit higher when I went shopping but mostly so far it’d been all stress and worry.
Hokuto pointed at my glass. I nodded. Heck yeah. He came back with something different, not a beer.
“Lemon sour,” he said.
I sipped it. It wasn’t very strong but it sure tasted good. I needed to be up early tomorrow anyway so I had to cap it at a few drinks.
When I glanced over, Hokuto watched me. I glanced down as heat flooded my body. I couldn’t kid myself. Hokuto had no interest in me. Not with girls like Mai around. Then I looked up again. Oops.
“Delicious?” Hokuto asked, pointing at my drink.
I nodded. “Thanks.”
He rounded the table to stand beside me. Just standing, but his body brushed against mine and I could smell the citrusy fresh fragrance of his hair. Oh, I wanted to bury my face in that hair and take a deep whiff. I guessed that would be wrong and a bit freaky.
I’d only just finished my drink when Mai returned from the bar with another round.
“I’ll get the next lot,” I said.
“No way,” Hokuto said, putting his arm around my waist. “You’re our guest. Let us buy.”
Damn it. I really needed to go to the toilet but there was no way I’d leave now. Not with the weight of his hand resting on my hip. My whole body tingled from the feel of it. And boy, was it hot in here?
A few drinks turned into a few more and then the bar was closing and I was nowhere near ready to go home. Even when I couldn’t understand what they were saying, just their body language and expressions made me feel included.
Hokuto and a few of the others said they were going to karaoke.
“It’s 3000 yen nomihodai,” he said.
“Nomihodai?”
“All you can drink.”
I side eyed him, not sure I heard right. “All I can drink? I’ll send them broke.”
Hokuto slapped me on the back.
“Mori, you are fun,” he said.
Yes. He was right. I’d been so caught up in all this weird Yamaguchi stuff that I’d lost sight of the real me. Fun. Party girl. And fun party me would never refuse a chance to go drinking with a hot guy.
“How long do these free drinks last?” I asked him.
“Four hours.”
“Let’s get this party started,” I yelled, punching the air.
“Yes!” Mai replied, punching the air too.
She put her arm around me and we headed off. I had a nagging voice in my head telling me I should get a good night’s sleep before I had to be back to Yuki’s apartment in the morning but I ignored it. I’d had enough voices in my head today. The only voice I wanted to hear was my own voice belting out some tunes at that karaoke.