Chapter Text
They arrived at Black Swans house at 17:58 and Dan Heng forced them to wait two minutes in the car before he allowed them to exit the car and go up to the house. They opened the little garden gate and were immediately greeted by Kafka running towards them in a black mini dress. “Bladie!” She exclaimed and basically fell into the others arms. The taller guy put his arms around her waist and smiled back at her.
They look like a couple.
Himeko spared a glance at Dan Heng but the guy didn’t seem to mind at all, he was to busy lecturing March about that she used the wrong name for some plant growing in Black Swans garden.
Himeko told herself that the reason Blades and Kafkas embrace bothered her was because she was worried for Dan Hengs relationship and then walked past the two, looking at the garden. Dan Heng and March followed quickly after her.
They spotted Jingliu and Acheron in the middle of the garden, engaging in some kind of play fight while some blonde guy leaned against a wall, watching them. Jingliu was currently trying to pin Acheron down onto the grass but the blue haired girl rolled away and attacked Jingliu again.
“Is this- normal?” Himeko wispered into Dan Hengs direction.
“Yes.” Dan Heng just said without eloberating any further. He then started walking into the house, followed by March and Himeko.
Taking the first step into the house, she suddenly saw Black Swan running towards them. She hugged Himeko as if they had been good friends for over a decade. “Himeko! I’m glad you made it!” She smiled at the red haired girl. “Let me show you around the house!”
What happened to us having to help preparing for the party?
But she just smiled and let Black Swan guide her through the house.
They had a giant living room with glass windows that allowed the house to be flooded with light. Instead of actually showing her around though, she just came to stand in the living room. And turned to Himeko.
“Listen, I’m sorry for scaring you away at the table. Just trying to force our friendship was the wrong way.” She said.
“No no, I am sorry for just leaving, that was pretty impolite.”
Black Swan laughed. “I thought, why don’t we hang out together next thursday afternoon?”
“Uh, I’m working at a coffee shop every thursday.” Yes. She stood in this glorious house that basically screamed ‘money’ and talked about part time jobs as a teenager. A part of her expected Black Swan to reject her, Black Swan who did seem surprised by her comment.
“No worries!” She then said. “I just come over at the end of your shift and then we can drink a coffee together.”
That did sound nice. And having a friend her age with at least some social skills was something Himeko didn’t know she craved. “Sure! I’ll send you the location of the coffee shop.”
“By, the way, do you use some kind of special hair routine? Because your locks look amazing-”
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“I would appreciate if you would not hug my boyfriend that- intimately.”
“I’m sorry…” Kafka said but she didn’t sound sorry in the slightest. “But do you think Himeko got jealous?”
“Himeko probably thinks that Blade is constantly cheating on me and I just don’t care!” Dan Heng hissed.
“Woah Dan Heng, calm down.” Blade said and put an arm around his boyfriends shoulder. “Just tell her I’m gay.”
“It’s kinda obvious that you gay.” Jingliu commented. “Get a room!” The light haired girl still seemed salty about losing to Acheron.
“Come on Jingliu.” Her blonde friend put his hand on her back as if to calm her down and smiled at her. It seems to work as Jingliu just huffed but didn’t say no more.
Kafka had never seen that guy before, that Jingliu had just introduced at her friend Luocha, a twenty year old medical student that, with the way he dressed, Kafka would have assumed him to be a fancy art student that liked going to even more fancy restaurants on weekends. Even though Luocha was just two years older than Jingliu, Kafka still wondered where Jingliu had met that guy. It seemed kinda random.
But Luocha was polite and quiet, he didn’t stick out in a special way, not negatively but also not positively. And Jingliu did seem a lot more relaxed around him so Kafka just decided to not ask any questions. In her experience, if Jingliu wanted to tell her something she did.
“Where is Black Swan?” Acheron appeared out of nowhere. Dan Heng answered in a calm voice as if he was reciting a scientific article. “She replaced you with Himeko.”
“Himeko?!” Kafka explained. “Right, where is she? I haven’t offered her a drink just yet!” She perked up and looked around as if Himeko would suddenly appear out of nowhere when she just wanted it hard enough.
“I like her.” Blade stated. “She’s cool.”
Jingliu rolled her eyes. “Himeko here, Himeko there, aren’t you getting tired of it?”
Four pairs of eyes landed on her. (Dan Heng was away showing March the way to the bathroom)
Kafka felt something weird in her stomach. Bros over Hoes. Was Jingliu expecting her to decide, or why the frequent use of this saying?
But why would she do that? Why did she care wether Kafka had a crush on Himeko or not? Was it influencing her life that much?
“Are you serious right now?” Was the first thing that came out of her mouth. Probably not the best thing to say because Jingliu narrowed her eyes and stared at her, upset. What was going on with her? Then she turned in her heels and stormed off.
“I’ll go after her.” Luocha said and followed the girl.
“Did I do something wrong?” Blade wondered, confused. “Don’t worry about it, Bladie.” Kafka forced a smile. She wished Jing Yuan was her, he could have told Kafka why Jingliu was mad all of a sudden. “Acheron, why don’t you get Black Swan? The first guests will arrive in ten minutes.”
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“No really, but I don’t understand why the physics teacher is so concerned about us taking the equations down into our notes before we solve them!”
“Right? It’s so unnecessary-”
Himeko was suddenly interrupted in her little chit-chat with Black Swan when Acheron appeared at the doorstep, giving Himeko a weird look and then walking up to Black Swan, wrapping an arm around her waist. “The guests will arrive, babe.”
“Babe?” Black Swan giggled and let Acheron pull her out of the room, not before shooting Himeko an amused look. Himeko smiled back but noted this little encounter in her head. It seemed like Acheron was worried that something would be going on between Black Swan and her.
Himeko sighed. This whole world of being popular and having time for drama was relatively new to her and she had already been annoyed by Stelles and Caelus’ constant bickering. But this all seemed more - behind the back?
“Himeko, are you okay?” she looked up and saw Dan Heng and March at the doorstep. March looked around the house in awe while Dan Hengs eyes were looking right at him.
The color is really beautiful. But they conceal every emotion.
“I’m okay!” She smiled. “Let’s go back outside.”
______
Himeko looked at all the people that were currently in the garden. Black Swan who was currently typing something into her phone, Acheron next to her talking to her girlfriend about something Himeko couldn’t understand. Kafka and Blade were talking as well (or more like Kafka was talking while Blade just listened) but as soon as Kafka spotted them she ran over to them.
“Himeko! I haven’t offered you a drink. What do you want?”
The smile Kafka gave her was irritating but it also made her heart skip a beat. There was something magical in those purple pinkish eyes that made it impossible to look away-
When Dan Heng made an irritated noise and March let out a muffled giggle, Himeko realized that she had been staring. “Uhm- uh,” she felt her cheeks reddening. Normally, she wasn’t someone to be at a loss of words but right now her head felt like it was filled with feathers.
“I’m sorry, w- what was the question?” She stuttered. Dan Heng next to her groaned an buried his face in his hands. March turned away to hide her laughter.
Kafka just looked at her, amusement creeping into her face. “What do you wanna drink, Himeko?” The red haired girls stomach churned at the way Kafka said her name.
“Oh, uh. What do you have?”
“Everything.” Kafka said dramatically.
“I’ll take a beer.” Dan Heng said. “If you care.”
Kafka just laughed at his comment. “A beer coming right up.”
“For me the same thing please.” Himeko said quickly. She hated beer.
“Do you have juice?” March chirped.
“Of course we have.” and Kafka turned around. “I’ll show you the different flavors.” March quickly ran after the girl, beaming as if today was the happiest day of her life.
“Since when do you drink beer?” Himeko wondered.
“It’s not for me. It’s for Blade.” Dan Heng answered as if it was obvious. Himeko just decided that she would never understand these two’s relationship.
“Blade!” Dan Heng yelled his boyfriends name. The guy had turned to the blonde man Himeko had seen earlier and talked to him about something. They looked - not serious? But definitely not amused.
Thinking about it, Himeko hadn’t seen Jingliu ever since the girl had been fighting against Acheron.
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The first guest to arrive was actually that Aventurine guy, wearing a fashionable outfit that was probably as expensive as Blades car and Black Swans house combined. He immediately got into a discussion about cloths and design with the other blonde guy who’s name Himeko learned was Luocha.
Just shortly afterwards, Caelus and Stelle appeared. Caelus arm in arm with his girlfriend Firefly. Those two had just gotten together recently and were still blushing like the teenagers they were in each others presence, which would have been a lot cuter if Stelle wouldn’t have been right behind them, making funny faces.
(March pulled her away and quickly introduced her to Black Swans trash cans to distract her)
Kafka quickly returned and gave Himeko her beer. “Where is Dan Heng?” She asked.
Uh. “I don’t know.” Himeko quickly said. Then she blushed because she realized how much Kafkas presence confused her.
Who do I feel the way I do?
“Kafka! Have you seen Jing Yuan?” Someone suddenly yelled across the entire garden.
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“Kafka? Have you seen Jing Yuan?” It was Jingliu. Kafka turned around to her best friend.
Are you just gonna pretend nothing happened?
Jingliu walked over to her while completely ignoring Himeko. Some kind of primal anger brewed up inside of Kafka and she had a sudden urge to punch her best friend. How dare she?
But as always, she managed to suppress her anger and smile. “No, I haven’t seen him. But I’m sure when the girls arrive they’ll be able to find him.”
Jingliu laughed and Kafka laughed with her, they had often laughed together about Jing Yuans harem and a million other things but this time, it felt forced. Especially with Himeko standing next to them akwardly.
I can’t continue doing this.